Welcome to Anchored by Truth brought to you by Crystal Sea Books. In John 14:6, Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” The goal of Anchored by Truth is to encourage everyone to grow in the Christian faith by anchoring themselves to the secure truth found in the inspired, inerrant, and infallible word of God.

Script:

Stand firm therefore, having belted your waist with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, … taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Ephesians, chapter 6, verses 14 thru 16, New American Standard Bible

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VK: Hello! I’m Victoria K. Welcome to Anchored by Truth brought to you by Crystal Sea Books. We’re grateful to be with you today. We are currently doing a series on Anchored by Truth that we are calling “Paul’s Places.” By “Paul,” of course, we’re referring to the Apostle Paul who wrote at least 13 of the books out of the 27 books that comprise the New Testament. In this “Paul’s Places” series we are taking a look at Paul’s letters to the churches that are identified in our Bibles by the names of the cities, or the region, to which they were sent. This is our 8th episode in this series. So, for anyone who has missed any of the previous lessons we would strongly encourage you to go to our website, crystalseabooks.com, and check out the earlier episodes as well as any of our series. Today we’re going to continue our look at Paul’s letters to two churches that were located in modern-day Turkey. Last time on Anchored by Truth we began our look at Ephesians and Colossians. In the studio today we have RD Fierro, an author and the founder of Crystal Sea Books. RD, why don’t you remind us of the reason we wanted to do this Paul’s Places series?

RD: Well, I’d like to start by thanking our listeners for joining us here today. When many, perhaps most, people read the Bible they tend to read the books individually. By that I mean when people read books like Ephesians or Colossians they tend to read or study that one book. And, while of course we’re pleased when anyone is reading the Bible, if we isolate on just one book at a time we tend to miss some of the patterns and connections that are present in scripture. And that means we don’t always develop a full appreciation for the richness of scripture and for the glorious message of redemption that it contains. So, one of the things we wanted to do with this “Paul’s Places” series is help people see a couple of things. First, that the content of the letters that Paul sent to the various churches to which he wrote corresponds to the character of culture of the places where those churches were located. Second, that the letters that Paul wrote make sense from a human and church history standpoint. Paul’s letters are both consistent with both the history and events of the Roman Empire in which Paul ministered, but they are also consistent with the phase of development that the early church was in. But to develop a good sense of all this fits together it’s necessary to sometimes look across Paul’s epistles and not just within them individually.

VK: It’s not that people can’t learn and grow from studying books individually but it is important to remember that the entire Bible is God’s Word. And long before video games put “Easter eggs” in the games to reward especially diligent gamers, God put treasures in His Word that are only seen by diligent students of the Bible. Now, we want to make it clear. We are not talking about some sort of “secret wisdom” that some spiritual traditions focus on. We are not saying that there is anything in the Bible that isn’t available to everyone. To the contrary, we strongly believe God wrote the entire Bible for everybody. But as with anything, people who make the Bible a priority in their lives will derive things from studying it that casual readers will miss.

RD: Amen. And a simple example of that was one we mentioned last time. Both the letter to the Ephesians and the letter to the Colossians contain the name of Tychicus. Tychicus was one of Paul’s traveling companions and ministry partners. Tychicus probably carried the letters to the churches in Ephesus and Colossae but strictly speaking it wasn’t necessary for Paul to have sent the letters with Tychicus. If Paul had just wanted to have someone carry the letters he could have used Onesimus who is mentioned in Colossians, chapter 4, verse 9.

VK: Colossians, chapter 4, verses 7 through 9 say, “Tychicus is the dear friend, who faithfully works and serves the Lord with us, and he will give you the news about me. I am sending him to cheer you up by telling you how we are getting along. Onesimus, the dear and faithful follower from your own group, is coming with him. The two of them will tell you everything that has happened here.” That’s from the Contemporary English Version.

RD: Right. So, if you just read Colossians you might wonder why Paul sent Tychicus and Onesimus to carry two letters. Certainly, either one could have handled the task.

VK: But if you realize that the pair of them were also carrying another letter to Colossae, Tychicus’ likely role becomes clearer. In addition to the letters to the Ephesians and the Colossians the pair was also carrying a letter to Philemon [phi-lee-mon]. Philemon either lived in Colossae or the vicinity and Onesimus had either been a servant or a slave of Philemon’s. Paul wrote a letter to Philemon to essentially tell Philemon to be kind to Onesimus when he returned. Paul went out of his way to be as forceful as he could, given the delicacy of the situation.

RD: Why don’t you read a section from Paul’s letter to Philemon from verses 10 through 20? Philemon is only one chapter so this is going to be an extract from the Amplified Bible’s version of that section.

VK: “I appeal to you for my [own spiritual] child Onesimus, whom I have fathered [in the faith] while a captive in these chains. Once he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful to you as well as to me. I have sent him back to you in person, that is, like sending my very heart. I would have chosen to keep him with me, so that he might minister to me on your behalf during my imprisonment for the gospel; but I did not want to do anything without first getting your consent, so that your goodness would not be, in effect, by compulsion but of your own free will. … So if you consider me a partner, welcome and accept him as you would me. But if he has wronged you in any way or owes you anything, charge that to my account; I, Paul, write this with my own hand, I will repay it in full (not to mention to you that you owe to me even your own self as well). Yes, brother, let me have some benefit and joy from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in Christ.”

RD: So, we see from that section that Paul was intensely interested in seeing that Onesimus was well treated.

VK: And you think that it’s possible that is one of the reasons Paul sent the two of them together?

RD: I certainly think that might have been in Paul’s mind when he made his decision not just about writing the three letters but in deciding how to get them to their destinations. Tychicus was, in effect, a senior member of Paul’s group so his presence in Colossae would have added weight to Paul’s request to Philemon that he treat Onesimus kindly. At a minimum it would have made the trip from Rome, where Paul was imprisoned at the time, a lot more bearable for Onesimus. So, that is a simple example of how we learn more about what was going on when we read them together than if we never looked at the total context. But it is also true that each letter always contains evidence that Paul was always fully aware of the individual cultural conditions of the churches to which he was writing.

VK: Can you give us an example of what you’re thinking about right now?

RD: Sure. Let’s take a look at some of what is mentioned in the letter to the Ephesians. The most famous architectural feature of Ephesus in the time of Paul was the temple of the Roman goddess Diana.

VK: Diana was the Roman equivalent of the Greek goddess Artemis. Both were often labeled the “goddess of the hunt” although their sphere of control went beyond just hunting. They both were considered to have special influence over the countryside, vegetation, and wild animals – and, interestingly enough, childbirth.

RD: The temple of Diana was so magnificent and famous that it was considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. So, the goddess Diana was especially important to the town of Ephesus in Paul’s time.

VK: And that’s consistent with what we know about the cultures of cities within the Roman Empire. Each city tended to have a god or goddess that was particularly important to them. In this series we noted that Venus was especially worshipped in the Greek city of Corinth and Athena or Minerva in the Greek city of Athens.

RD: Right. The local god or goddess were thought to provide special protection to their city and Diana’s temple was so magnificent that it was a tourist attraction. The temple brought a lot of visitors to Ephesus so there was a flourishing trade in Ephesus for making souvenirs that tourists could take home with them – especially ones made out of silver. So, just like with many major cities of today the culture and economy of Ephesus were tied together.

VK: The temple and worship of Diana were so important to Ephesus that in Acts, chapter 19, verses 23 through 41 we hear about a riot that occurred that was led by a silversmith named Demetrius during the time Paul was ministering in Ephesus. Demetrius was so concerned about how many people were being converted to Christianity by Paul’s teaching that he was concerned the souvenir and silver trades were going to suffer.

RD: Yes. The riot was bad enough that shortly after it occurred Paul had to leave Ephesus for his own safety and the safety of the church. But years later when Paul wrote to the Ephesians he could not help but contrast the difference in the relationship between Christ and His church with how the Ephesians viewed Diana. In Ephesians, chapter 5, verse 29 Paul says, “None of us hate our own bodies. We provide for them and take good care of them, just as Christ does for the church.” That’s from the Contemporary English Version. The believers in Ephesus would have appreciated the contrast that Christ provides for his people rather than the people having to provide for the gods and goddesses. The non-Christians in Ephesus saw themselves being “nurturers” of Diana. We know that from an inscription found in the city. Diana, in turn, is said to make Ephesus “the most glorious” city in Asia. So, in Ephesians Paul reminds the church that Christ makes His church “glorious and holy.”

VK: So, in effect, what Paul is saying to the Ephesian church you are not giving up anything by belonging to Christ instead of worshipping Diana like most of your neighbors. Christ does everything for you that your neighbors believe Diana does for them – and even more. Christ, in fact, provides you with every possible spiritual blessing. Ephesians, chapter 1, verse 3 in the New International Version says, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.”

RD: Yes. Again, we have to remember that the churches in Paul’s day would be relatively small by comparison to today. Most believers met in house churches – individual gatherings of, say, 10 to 30. And they were surrounded by a culture that was at best skeptical and at worst openly hostile.

VK: Sounds kind of like today.

RD: Well, we’re headed that way but thankfully we’re not there. And I pray the church can become the witness our culture needs to never get there. At any rate, it would have been easy for believers in Ephesus to think they were missing out. At a minimum they probably weren’t attending public feasts and festivals like their neighbors because attending them would have meant worshipping or celebrating the false gods and idols prevalent throughout their culture. To us, the fact that Paul promises us spiritual blessings and that we will be made holy and glorious is good news. But to those early believers, who didn’t even have the Bible for comfort, the messages Paul brought were food for starving souls.

VK: And that’s part of what we want listeners to understand through this “Paul’s Places” series. In writing the epistles that are the books of our New Testament Paul wrote scripture but first and foremost he was pastoring his flock. He was trying to impart not only doctrinal and instructional information but also comfort and encouragement. And he had to do so in a way that didn’t set off automatic claims that his letters were seditious. People living within the Roman Empire were expected to pledge allegiance to the emperor. And in the first century the Roman state had begun to practice a form of emperor worship. That was a relatively recent development in their history and was a change from the earlier days when Rome’s government was a more republican form of government. But under the first Caesars the emperor came to be viewed in the way some of their conquered entities, such as Egypt or Persia, had viewed their royalty – as god’s on earth. So, to not be willing to profess Caesar as Lord, not just a civic leader, was tantamount to sedition.

RD: Yes. So, when you read Paul’s letters you see that he is both bold but also careful. He straightforwardly proclaims Christ as God but in Paul’s letters you don’t see him demeaning the local gods or the state’s leaders. He lets the truth of the gospel push away the idols but he minimizes the impediments believers will face by not calling out the local belief systems by name. For instance, in writing to the Ephesians he does not demean Diana by name. Rather he proclaims the superiority of Christ over all perceived spiritual and celestial powers.

VK: And Ephesians actually contains one of the most famous of the Bible’s discourses on the reality of spiritual warfare in Ephesians chapter 6. Surely, one of the most famous verses in all the Bible is Ephesians, chapter 6, verse 12. “We are not fighting against humans. We are fighting against forces and authorities and against rulers of darkness and powers in the spiritual world.” That’s from the Contemporary English Version.

RD: And in the verses that follow Paul provides another of the best known passages in the Bible where he talks about spiritual armor.

VK: You’re referring to Ephesians, chapter 6, verses 14 through 17. “Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” That’s the New Living Translation.

RD: So, let’s take a closer look at one part of that section – the “sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” The Greek word that Paul used that is translated “sword” is “machaira.” Like most Greek words it is very precise. It refers to a relatively short sword that could be up to 19 inches long. One commentator, Patricia Holbrook has said this about the machaira. “Of all the swords that a Roman soldier could use, this one was the deadliest. Indeed, the “machaira” could be as long as 19 inches, but it was often shorter, resembling a dagger, therefore it was usually used in close combat. It was razor sharp on both sides of the blade and its very end turned upward, causing the point of the blade to be extremely sharp and deadly.”

VK: Sounds pretty dangerous!

RD: It was – to the enemy - but that is only part of the reason I want to draw attention to Paul using that particular word. The machaira was the sword that was most often used by the ordinary Roman infantryman of his day. So, now I’m going to go into a bit of military trivia for a moment.

VK: Oh boy. Well, you did go to West Point. But let’s keep it family friendly.

RD: We will. Military historians will often talk about how it’s always necessary to study tactics and weapons together. Without wanting to dwell on it too much successful armies have always had to combine the right tactic with the right weapon. Ancient Greece armies were known for using the phalanx as a military formation. It was a formation where the warriors were extremely close together, often interlocked shields, and carried an 8 foot, or longer, spear. That long spear enabled them to engage the enemy at a distance. But, for all its effectiveness, the phalanx had a downside.

VK: Which was?

RD: The coin of the realm in infantry combat in ancient times was how many warriors you needed to cover a particular amount of frontage. The job of the infantry is typically to seize and hold ground. So, men tightly packed together in a phalanx is good for mutual protection but you need a lot of warriors to cover much ground. One of the fighting formations used by the Romans was the square. In a square on an open battlefield the Romans didn’t interlock shields but left a small gap between soldiers. This sounds dangerous but wasn’t when the soldiers each new their role. They kept the formation intact by slashing anyone or anything like a spear head that came through a gap.

VK: So, in that kind of fighting a short sword was more effective than a longer sword. The soldier could hold his shield with one arm while keeping the other arm free for deploying his sword cutting down anything that began to penetrate the formation. A sword that was too long in that situation couldn’t have been used as effectively.

RD: Right. And needless to say the Roman army trained their infantry in how to fight in such formations on open terrain. It allowed them to cover more frontage with fewer men while preserving their lethality. The square was a very effective offensive formation and it was also effective at defense when the various units maintained the appropriate distances. It would allow archers or javelin throwers to go in front to launch their missiles and then quickly move behind the infantry by going through spaces between squares. The Roman military training, discipline, and effectiveness was legendary and that’s one of the reasons they were so effective and building and maintaining their empire.

VK: And this short sword carried by the ordinary Roman soldier was an important part of that system. I see what you’re saying. The tactics and the weapon had to go together. But how does that fit in with the lessons we’re learning from the letter to the Ephesians?

RD: In Ephesians 6:14 – 17 we have the Apostle Paul doing something good writers routinely do – using a metaphor to teach important principles to his readers. Paul used images that were common in his day. They would have been images familiar to his audience. Well, it is easily confirmed that the images Paul used were historically consistent with what we know about the time and place that the epistle to the Ephesians was written and read. Everyone in that day knew the common parts of an ordinary Roman soldier’s armor and armament. So, the fact that Paul used the correct term to define the “sword of the spirit” not only imparted additional meaning to his teaching but also confirms the authenticity of the letter.

VK: What you’re saying is that we see no anachronisms in Paul’s letters to the churches. If Paul had said, “take up the musket of the spirit” we would instantly be alerted that the letter wasn’t genuine. Even if he had said the “sarissa” of the spirit we would be alerted to a problem. The “sarissa” was the extremely long spear carried by Greek warriors but it would have not been part of a Roman soldier’s normal arms. In other words, we have confirmation that Paul was writing during a period when people were well familiar with how a Roman soldier was equipped for battle. Paul’s metaphor would have made far less sense if he weren’t writing in the 1st century AD and he wasn’t writing to people who knew the Roman army well.

RD: Exactly. Another quick illustration. Roman shields were most often wood frames covered by layers of dried animal hides. These shields were strong enough to provide an effective defense but light enough to be maneuvered in battle. Well, it was common for soldiers to dip their shields in water before a battle. We all know what happens to leather when it gets wet. It gets hard and stiff – but it would also be helpful for shedding flaming arrows or darts of the kind we heard about in our opening scripture.

VK: In a way these are small, incidental details – so small you almost think they weren’t important. But the point of noticing them is that they illustrate the main point of this Paul’s Places series. The epistles Paul wrote to the churches are not, and do not read, as some critics assert, like myths or fairy tales. Instead, they are straightforward letters of encouragement to readers who lived within the Roman Empire during the latter half of the 1st century AD – which of course was the period immediately following the life of Jesus on this earth.

RD: Amen. When we realize that Paul was being accurate in such small details as correctly identifying the Roman soldier’s normal sword we can be sure that when Paul writes about the resurrection, ascension, and intervention of Christ he is not any less accurate. The mundane information Paul provides, without a second thought, confirms the reliability of the supernatural mysteries that Paul was conveying. Christians live their lives in the here and now but we are already connected to the spiritual plane by virtue of the indwelling Holy Spirit and the intercession that Christ makes for us with the Father. Paul’s letters to the various churches illustrate that connectivity superbly. In chapter 1 Paul is telling us about the supernatural redemption we have through Christ and in chapter 6 Paul is telling us how to make that redemption real in our own lives by using an illustration of military equipment with which all of his readers were familiar.

VK: This reinforces the big point that we are making in this “Paul’s Places” series. The epistles, the letters, Paul sent to the various churches we know in our Bibles by geographic labels are consistent not only with geography and culture but also with the history of the latter part of the 1st century AD. In the very first verse of the first book of the Bible it connects heaven and earth. Properly read every book after that reinforces that same connection. Paul could use the armor of an ordinary Roman soldier to accomplish an eternal purpose. We should do the same. This sounds like a great time to go to prayer. Since we are so close to anniversary of the day that America declared her independence, today let’s listen to a prayer for God’s blessings to remain with this nation.

---- PRAYER FOR RESTORATION OF THE WORSHIP OF THE ONE TRUE GOD

VK: Before we close we’d like to remind our audience that a lot of our radio episodes are linked together in series of topics so if they missed any episodes in this series or if they just want to hear one again, all of these episodes are available on your favorite podcast app. To find them just search on “Anchored by Truth by Crystal Sea Books.”

If you’d like to hear more, try out crystalseabooks.com where “We’re not perfect but our Boss is!” (Opening Bible Quotes from the New American Standard Bible)

Ephesians, chapter 6, verses 14 thru 16, New American Standard Bible