Monday, September 12, 2011

Ephesians and Colossians: More Than Just Twin Epistles

The following words and concepts are found in both Colossians and Ephesians, making their content identical:

Heard of your faith (C 1.4 E 1.15)
Love for all the saints (C 1.4 E 1.15)
Word of the truth of the gospel (C 1.15 E 1.13)
Do not cease to pray for you (C 1.9 E 1.16)
Wisdom and revelation/ wisdom and spiritual understanding (C 1.9 E 1.17)
Inheritance in/of the saints (C 1.12 E 1.18)
Head of the body, the Church (C 1.18 E 1.22)
Fullness (C 1.19 E 1.23)
Peace (C 1.20 E 2.14)
Blood (C 1.20 E 2.13)
Aliens (C 1.21 E 2.11)
Sufferings/prisoner (C 1.24 E 3:1)
Body (C 1.24 E 3.6)
Minister (C 1.25 E 3.7)
Mystery (C 1.26 E 3.9)
Hidden from ages and from generations/the beginning of ages (C 1.26 E 3.9)
Riches (C 1.24 E 3.8)
Hearts (C 2.2 E 3:17)
Rooted and built up/grounded in love (C 2.7 E 3:17)
Filled with all the fullness of God/you are made full in Him (C 2.10 E 3:19)
Raised from the dead/ascended (C 2:12 E 4.10)
Without blame (C 2.15 E 1.4)
Concept: False teachings (C 2.16 E 4.14)
Not holding on to the head/grow up in all things to the head (C 2.19 E 4.15)
Nourished/joined and knit together (C 2.20 E 4.16)
Anger (C 3.8 Eph 4.26)
Lying (C 3.9 E 4.25)
Old man…have put on the new man (C 3.9-10 E 4.24)
Forgiving one another as Christ forgave you (C 3:13 E 4.32)
Love (C 3:14 E 5.2)
Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs… In your hearts to the Lord (C 3:16 E 5.19)
Giving thanks to God the Father through Him (C 3:17 E 5.20)
Wives submit to your own husbands (C 3:17 E 5.20)
Husbands love your wives (Col 3:19 E 5.25)
Children obey your parents (C 3.20 E 6.1) 
Slaves obey your masters (C 3.22 E 6.5)
Masters… Master in heaven (C 4.1 E 6.9)
[Paul’s] chains (C 4.18 E 6.20)

In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul amplifies what he says to the Colossians in fewer words, wherefore the first named is longer. But why does this matter? It matters because of the argument that mutual submission is found only in Ephesians but not elsewhere, wherefore husbands should not submit to their wives. But if these two letters are identical - and they are - and submission is mutual and voluntary in Ephesians, husbands cannot be excluded from submitting to their wives in Colossians. If want to exclude husbands from submission in Colossians - and elsewhere - we must also agree that wives should not love (agape) their husbands since such directive is not found in either of the two letters.


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