Jeff the Baptist points out that the image of the sword in Ephesians 6 refers specifically to a short sword, which has certain theological implications:
This image is wrong. The sword of Ephesians 6 is not a long sword. It is a short sword, in New Testament Greek "machaira". In Latin it was called the gladius. It was the sword of the empire and it was an intimate weapon. They are meant to be employed in close combat, face to face. A roman legionnaire would come close to his foe, feel their breath, smell their fear, wait for an opening, and thrust his gladius into the other man's heart.
As Christians we have to get over the desire to throw out bible verses left and right, secure in our knowledge that "the word of God never returns void." But really this is just an excuse to minister without knowing people. Instead get to know people, become friends, get involved.
We also need to realize that Paul's conception of "the word of God" was probably more than just well places bible verses. I think we're missing a whole prophetic connotation that was present in the first century church. The word of God is a metaphor for all things we do through God's empowerment. Think Christ as "fulfillment of the law" here. It is ministering to others and speaking to them in truth. It is constant and consistent prayer. It is the only weapon we have against the darkness.
Wednesday, September 21, 2005
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2 comments:
John, I lead a Bible study Monday nights and I have often said our most powerful witness is living the Gospel
And, alas, the hardest to do.
In my own walk to Christ, good Christians kept me on the road and bad Christians drove me off of it.
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