Tucker S. Ferda, ««Sealed» with the Holy Spirit (Eph 1,13-14) and Circumcision», Vol. 93 (2012) 557-579
Most studies of Eph 1’s «sealed with the promised Holy Spirit» have tried to articulate the Christian ritual or experience that the sealing metaphor describes, such as baptism, confirmation, charismatic gifts, etc. This article, however, refocuses on the theological logic of vv. 13-14 to argue that, regardless of the Christian rite described, the author here explicates that rite by referring to circumcision with the use of the verb «sealed». The argument includes the insight that the description of «sealed» in Eph 1,13-14 corresponds to other texts that describe circumcision as a final step in Jewish proselytism.
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558 TUCKER S. FERDA
This article suggests that for the original audience(s) of Eph-
esians “sealed†would also have brought circumcision to mind,
though the implication for them was (of course) less conditioned
by centuries of Christian/Jewish identity construction, and was not
necessarily polemical 4. The possibility that Eph 1,13’s “sealedâ€
evokes circumcision has received passing remarks in some com-
mentaries, and nowhere been given sustained attention 5. Most mod-
ern studies of Eph 1,13-14 are instead interested in reconstructing
the particular experience in Christian life (e.g. baptism, confirma-
tion, charismatic gifts, etc.) that the sealing metaphor describes.
This article attempts to refocus the discussion and suggest that, re-
gardless of which rite or experience “sealed†refers to, the author
of Ephesians here invests that rite or experience with theological
significance commonly attached to circumcision.
Thus, the thesis offered here is that the author of Ephesians calls
upon the experience of the Holy Spirit among his predominantly Gen-
tile audience (vv. 13-14) to mark them out as members of God’s “pos-
sessionâ€, and, in so doing, makes the reception of the Holy Spirit,
instead of circumcision, the key identity marker of those who live “in
the fullness of time†(v. 10) 6. Here in vv. 13-14 the function of cir-
Parodic use of “seal†in Ephesians 1 would be a worthwhile investigation
4
but is beyond the scope of this article. Literary critic S. DENTITH, Parody
(London – New York, NY 2000) 9, describes parody as “any cultural practice
which provides a relatively polemical allusive imitation of another cultural
production or practiceâ€.
Some briefly discuss the interpretation as a possibility: e.g., T.O. WEDEL,
5
The Epistle to the Ephesians (IB 10; New York, NY – Nashville, TN 1953)
623; N. HUGEDE, L’Épître aux Éphésiens (Genève 1973) 42-43, n. 128; F.F.
BRUCE, The Epistles to the Colossians, to Philemon, and to the Ephesians
(NICNT 18; Grand Rapids, MI 1984) 265; J.N. ALETTI, Saint Paul: Épître
aux Éphésiens. Introduction, Traduction et Commentaire (EB 42; Paris 2001)
79-81. Others reject it: e.g., T.K. ABBOTT, Epistles to the Ephesians and to
the Colossians (ICC 39; Edinburgh 1897) 22; M. BARTH, Ephesians. Intro-
duction, Translation, and Commentary on Chapters 1-3 (AB 34; Garden City,
NY 1974) 136; A.T. LINCOLN, Ephesians (WBC 42; Nashville, TN 1982) 40.
And some do not mention it at all: e.g., W.F. TAYLOR, Ephesians (ACNT 10;
Minneapolis, MN 1980) 37; M.Y. MACDONALD, Colossians and Ephesians
(SP 17; Collegeville, MN 1991) 204-205; F. THIELMAN, Ephesians (BECNT
10; Grand Rapids, MI 2010) 80-83.
I will refer to the author of Ephesians hereafter as AE and will not take
6
up the debate about authorship. The argument of his essay does not depend
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