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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“SEALED†WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT (EPH 1,13-14) AND CIRCUMCISION 575
esians is impossible to be sure, but the clearest window is Chapter 2
which charts the transition of Gentiles from “far†to “nearâ€. AE says,
“Remember that formerly you Gentiles in the flesh, those called ‘un-
circumcision’ by those called ‘circumcision’ (though) in the flesh
made by hands, that you were in that age apart from Christ …†(Eph
2,11) 57. It appears, therefore, that there was some name-calling going
on, even if it is not clear if we have an “in-house†dispute or rather
conflicts between Gentile Christians and local Jews 58. But, in any
case, the larger point is clear: the Gentile recipients of the epistle had
suffered the brunt of ethnic slurs. AE’s response to this situation in
2,11-13 is to explain that the Gentiles “formerly†(pote,, v. 11) were
“separate from Christ†and “strangers to the covenants of promise†(v.
12), but “in Christ Jesus†(v. 13) they are no longer strangers but “made
one†(v. 14) with those who formerly labeled them. The previous iden-
tity markers of “circumcision†and “uncircumcision†have therefore
been “abolished†by Christ (2,16-17). Not only does this ethnic tension
provide a fitting occasion for the interpretation of 1,13-14 offered thus
far, the argument of 2,11-22 is, in essence, a longer exposition of the
argument in 1,13-14: (i) as in the “circumcision†and “uncircumcisionâ€
of 2,11, AE in 1,13 begins by highlighting ethnic division with the
change in pronoun from “we†to “youâ€; (ii) as in 2,13’s “but now in
Christ Jesus …â€, AE in 1,13 twice repeats that “in him (Christ)†these
Gentiles have experienced their hearing, believing, and being sealed 59;
(iii) as the “two are made one†in 2,14, AE in 1,14 resumes the first per-
son plural to claim that “we†and “you†are both guaranteed “our in-
heritance†(italics mine) 60. Eph 1,13-14 therefore prepares for 2,11ff:
physical circumcision guaranteed “the covenant of promise†only to a
select group, but sealing with the Holy Spirit “in Christ Jesus†guaran-
tees that the Gentiles are “co-heirs, members of the same body, and
sharers of the promise in Christ Jesus†(Eph 3,6) 61.
On the significance of this designation, see MCELENEY, “Conversion,
57
Circumcision and the Lawâ€, 337.
For discussion see A.T. LINCOLN, “The Church and Israel in Ephesians
58
2â€, CBQ 49 (1987) 605-624; C.J. ROETZEL, “Jewish Christian-Gentile Chris-
tian Relations: A Discussion of Ephesians 2,15â€, ZNW 4 (1983) 81-89.
R. SCHNACKENBURG, Der Brief an die Epheser (Köln 1982) 63, also
59
notes this connection: “sie (the Ephesians) sollen sich dankbar erinnern, daß
es ihnen ‘in Christus’ geschenkt wurdeâ€.
See MARTIN, Ephesians, Colossians, and Philemon, 20.
60
Early Christian reflection on physical circumcision emphasized its ex-
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