God’s big picture is made up of little (local) pictures.
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him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit. (Ephesians 2:22–ESV)
It is almost as though Paul caught himself painting the grandiose only to be rattled back to the Ephesians. “Oh yeah,” he may have thought, “this is a letter to the Ephesians. I got caught up a little bit.” With that tweak of his thoughts, he rapidly dove back into the local picture.
That local picture was a pagan one for the Gentile recipients of this letter were surely taken from the worship of Artemis. That mother goddess worshipped at the Artemesium/Artemision was infused into the local culture. The temple the Ephesians knew was the third to Diana and would have been nearly 400 years old. It was the third and final iteration of that temple and took many years to build.
To a people steeped in those traditions and those cut off from the rites of their traditionalism Paul spoke of temple building. This time it was to God and not a building made of hands. It was not stone, but flesh. It was not georgraphically situated requiring travel to attend, but locally situated present everywhere and at all times.
So the big picture that Paul had been painting of God come down from heaven to dwell among men was not just figmentary. Going beyond their imagination Paul informed their conceptions saying, “You, too, are part of this. God is doing his great work in your local Christian community. God is with you, in you by his Spirit.”
Tradition had it that an image of Artemis fell from heaven. A worship cult sprung up in some manner around this notion. Paul teaches us that God did not just drop a statute of himself into our world, but sent his son; he came himself. So no statute, but a real living person. The person did the supernatural and has influenced the world. The Greek and Roman mythologies have devolved into just that. Out of those cultures and from the Jews came Jesus whose life has transformed people the world over. God’s temple inside God’s people goes on forever.
Artemis got her three temples; each has fallen chiefly remaining in our consciences through the work of the Bible and some works of the historians. There is the greatest trinity in heaven. It does not
Things we considered:
- God commanded the cosmos into existence but invites us into his family.
- God builds with people, not stuff.
- People write spiritual rules, but God writes the reality.
- God’s people building is still rising.
- God’s big picture is made up of little (local) pictures.
Richard A. Ulrich, MD says
This passage is an excellent reminder that as unique (albeit small) members of God’s Kingdom, we each have an essential part proportional to our faithfulness and obedience. Romans 12 emphasizes this perspective. In the current “Explore the Bible” series, Joseph’s brothers abused and rejected him. It took years before Joseph understood that his brothers meant it for evil, but God for good. Even in conflict, we best exhibit our contribution and importance in serving Christ by “not being weary in well doing.” [Gal 6:9] After all, “patience is the queen of virtues.” RAU