Wednesday, April 6, 2022

A. Van Roon on the Subordinationist Christology of Ephesians

  

Christ is designated by the word κεφαλη as a heavenly and superior being in Eph. 1:22. Previously, in 1:20, he has been spoken of as sitting in heavenly places and being exalted over all cosmic forces, whilst in the preceding part of 1:22, there is a reference to his dominion over the earthly reality of creation. These statements lead up to the subsequent description of Christ as κεφαλη υπερ παντα. The adjunct υπερ παντα brings to bear that this κεφαλη exceeds the measure of all (heavenly and earthly) things. The preposition υπερ with the accusative has the same meaning as the υπερ in the υπερ δυναμιν of 2C. 1:8.

 

Philo, referring to the significance of the head in an organism, cites Philadelphus, who in excellence (ηκμασεν =) exceeded the other Ptolemies as the head of kings (De vita Mosis II, 30). In Eph. 1:22, Christ is likewise called the head which excels over all, whilst the context more or less raises the image of the omnipresent ruler of the world. However, there is a qualification involved; Philo may use the designation of kephale of all things for the logos, whereas the author of Eph. calls Christ the kephale above all things. The latter expression is less forceful and the author as in Eph. 4:6, probably intended to assign ultimate and absolute dominion to God.

 

With regard to God, Christ occupies a secondary position. He sits at his right hand and he is exalted above all cosmic forces because it is God who has placed him so highly and he commands over the earth because God has put this under him. (A. Van Roon, The Authenticity of Ephesians [Supplements to Novum Testamentum 39; Leiden: Brill, 1974], 286-87)