The Jewish Annotated New Testament (275 page)

10
:
Fullness
, or completeness; cf. 1.23; 3.19; 4.10,13.
Fullness of time
, referring in 4.4 to Christ’s return. Jewish apocalyptic tradition anticipates a “completion of time,” sometimes accompanied by a final judgment or general resurrection (Dan 12;
1 En
. 50;
Jub
. 1.26; CD 2.2–13).

11
:
Inheritance
, cf. Rom 8.17; Gal 4.7; Col 1.12.

12
:
Praise of his glory
, see 1.6; cf. 1.14; possibly referring to a liturgical refrain.
Glory
, reflecting “kavod” in the Hebrew Bible, is mostly used for the divine manifestation of God in the Tabernacle and the Temple.

13
:
You
, Gentiles (2.11; 3.1).
Word of truth
, as the following phrases indicate, the
word
is both the
gospel
and Christ (
believed in him
); see Jn 1.14.
Seal
, symbolizing ownership or authenticity.
Holy Spirit
, not the giver of charismatic gifts but the way to enter the being and wisdom of God.

14
:
Pledge
, guarantee of salvation (cf. 2 Cor 1.22; 5.5).

1.15
–23: Thanksgiving. 15
:
Saints
, see 1.1n.

17
:
Father of glory
, see 1.2 and 1.6, and Ps 24.7–10, “king of glory” (Heb “melekh ha-kavod”).
Spirit of wisdom and revelation
, recalls prophecies of the charismatic Davidic ruler in Isa 11.2.

18
:
Enlightened
, contrast 4.18.
Hope to which he has called you
, the
inheritance
as of an heir (see 1.5–6n.), resurrection (as developed in following verses).
Inheritance
, see 1.11n.
Saints
, 1.1n.

20
:
Raised him from the dead
, see Mt 22.23–33; Mk 12.18–27; Lk 20.27–40; Jn 11.20–27; Acts 23.6–8; Josephus,
J.W
. 2.153–158,162–165;
Ant
. 18.13–18.
At his right hand
, see Ps 110.1; Mt 22.41–46; Mk 12.35–37; Lk 20.41–44; Acts 2.34–36; Heb 1.13; 10.12–13.
Heavenly places
, 1.3n.

21
:
Rule and authority and power and dominion
, see Dan 7.14; 1 Cor 15.24–25. Jesus receives the
name
“Lord” and is exalted, cf. 3.10; 6.12; Rom 8.38; Phil 2.6–11; Col 1.16; 2.10,15; 1 Pet 3.22.
This age … age to come
, see 1.1.

22
–23
:
Under his feet
, see Ps 8.6; 110.1. Cf. 1 Cor 15.15–28. Christ is
the head
, and
the church
is
his body
, cf. 4.11,15–16, extending the metaphor of the fellowship of the followers of Jesus as “body” in 1 Cor 12.12–28; Rom 12.5.

2.1
–10: Rebirth from sin. 1–2
:
Ruler of the power of the air
, a cosmic force of disobedience. Cf. 4.27; 6.11. In the book of Enoch, the fallen angels appear in such a role; see
1 En
. 6.3,7, where the angel Semyaz appears as their “ruler.”
The spirit … now at work
, the Holy Spirit and a spirit of transgression compete. In 1QS 3.13–4.14 rival spirits of truth and falsehood are represented by a prince of lights (1QS 3.20) and an angel of darkness (1QS 1.20–21). Although Christ rules (cf. 1.21), the spirits continue to influence humanity.

3
:
By nature
, by birth or in the ordinary course. Compare rabbinic idea of “impulse of evil” (“yetzer ha-ra”),
m. Ber
. 9.5.
Children of wrath
, cf. Rom 1.18–32; see also 5.6; Col 3.6.

4
:
Rich in mercy
(Heb “rav
ḥ
esed,” “greatness of loving kindness”); cf. Num 14.18; Joel 2.13; Jon 4.2; Ps 86.5; 103.8; Neh 9.17.

5
:
Have been saved
, salvation is not a present reality but a future possibility in Paul’s undisputed epistles (Rom 5.9,10; 6.5; 13.11; 1 Cor 15.21–23; Phil 3.10–11; 1 Thess 5.8).

6
:
Raised us up
, Christ’s resurrection is the context for believers’ resurrection.
Heavenly places
, 1.3n.

7
:
Ages to come
, 1.10n; 2.2. It is not clear why “ages” is plural here; perhaps it indicates the limitless character of God’s
grace
.

8
–9
:
Saved through faith
, faith in Christ leads to salvation
by
God’s
grace
, not human initiative (
works
).
No one may boast
, cf. Rom 3.27; 4.2; 1 Cor 1.29–31. See Deut 9.4–6.

10
:
Prepared beforehand
, see 1.4.
Good works
, see Col 1.10; believers are to do good works, not to earn salvation but because of the salvation they receive.
Way of life
, comparable to “halakhah.”

2.11
–22: Uniting of Jews and Gentiles in Christ. 11
:
By birth
, lit., “in the flesh.”

12
–13
:
Aliens
…
and strangers
, Judaism urges ethical treatment of strangers (Ex 22.21). Ephesians emphasizes alienation between Jews and Gentiles to highlight unity found in Christ.
Covenants of promise
, Gen 12.2 and elsewhere. Rom 9.1–5 treats
covenants
and
promises
as Israel’s unique possessions, where Paul defines “Israel,” not as “the children of the flesh” but “the children of the promise” (Rom 9.6–8), Jews and Gentiles who have accepted Christ.
Far off … brought near
, cf. 2.17; Isa 57.19.
Blood
, see 1.7.

14
:
Peace
, see 1.2; 2.15,17; 4.3; 6.15.
In his flesh
, through his crucifixion and resurrection.
Dividing wall
symbolizes the
hostility
between Jews and Gentiles, and may also allude to the Jerusalem Temple, where Gentiles were excluded from the place where Jewish males could worship. Josephus mentions Greek and Latin signs warning Gentiles not to go past the outer court (
Ant
. 12.145; 15.417;
J.W
. 5.194); two such Greek inscriptions on limestone blocks were discovered in Jerusalem. Given that this letter likely was composed after 70 CE, the claim that the crucifixion broke
down the dividing wall
, like the imagery of the torn curtain (Mk 15.38) and the transformation of sacrificial offerings (Heb 9.1–28; 10.19–20), appropriates the Jewish sacerdotal tradition for the church.

15
:
Abolished the law
, rejecting Jewish practice such as circumcision and dietary regulations.

17
:
Far off … near
, Gentiles, who were not
near
the covenant, and Jews, who were.

18
:
Spirit
, see 1.13n.;
Father
, see 1.2n.

19
:
Strangers and aliens
, see 2.12.
Citizens
, enfranchised members of God’s
household
; cf. 3.15; 5.21–6.4; 1 Tim 3.15; 1 Pet 4.17.

20
:
Foundation
, cf. 1 Cor 3.11.
Apostles
, see 1.1n.;
prophets
, those who speak in God’s name or deliver a divinely inspired message to the assembly of believers.
Cornerstone
(or “keystone”), cf. Isa 28.16; Ps 118.22; Mt 21.42; 1 Pet 2.6–8. Rabbinic and Jewish mystical traditions envision the cosmic founding of the world upon a foundation stone in the Holy of Holies in the Jerusalem Temple; see
m. Yoma
5.2;
t. Yoma
2.14;
b. Yoma
54b;
Lev. Rab
. 20.4;
Pesiq. Rav Kah
. 26.4;
Zohar
1.231a–b.

21
–22
:
A holy temple … a dwelling place
. Cf. Ex 25.8; 29.43–46; 2 Sam 7.1–16. The new construction built
in
Christ replaces the Jerusalem Temple (see 2.14n.); cf. 1 Cor 3.16–17; 6.19; 1 Pet 2.4–6.

3.1
–21: Revelation of the mystery and the gospel. 1
:
Prisoner
, of Rome, because of missionary activity (Acts 21.27–33; 2 Cor 6.5; 11.23; Phil 1.13–14; Col 4.3,18; Philem 1,9).

2
:
Commission
, cf. 1 Cor 9.17; Col 1.25; Paul was called to evangelize Gentiles (Gal 1.15–16; 2.7–9).

3
–4
:
Mystery
, this word, which meant a spiritual teaching revealed only to those who were initiated into a particular religion, Paul uses to describe his teaching that Gentiles share in Christ’s resurrection (see 1.9).

5
:
Not made known
, cf. Rom 16.25 (see Dan 8.26; 12.4).
Apostles
, ones sent out on a mission; see 1.1n.
Prophets
, see 2.20n.

7
:
Servant
, cf. 1 Cor 3.5; Col 1.23,25.
Grace
, cf. 1.6; 2.8–9.

8
:
Least of all the saints
, see 1.1n.; cf. 1 Cor 15.9.
To the Gentiles
, see 3.2n.