The Drama of Ephesians: Participating in the Triumph of God

by Timothy G. Gombis

Ephesians has long been a favorite New Testament book among Christians. Its exalted language and soaring metaphors inspire devotion and worship. But too often the expositor's scrutiny has reduced this letter to a string of theological ideas and practical topics. Timothy Gombis has rediscovered Ephesians as a deeply dramatic text that follows the narrative arc of the triumph of God in Christ. Here Paul invites the church to celebrate and participate in this divine victory over the powers of this present age. In Gombis's dramatic reading of Ephesians we are drawn into a theological and cultural engagement with this epochal story of redemption. The Drama of Ephesians stands in the scantly occupied shelf space between commentaries and specialized studies in Ephesians, giving us a unified and dynamic perspective on this classic text. It is a book that will renew your excitement for studying, preaching and teaching this great letter of Paul.

Genres: Theology, Biblical Studies, Christian, New Testament, Religion

188 pages, Paperback

First published September 7, 2010

Reviews

[Bob · Rating 5 out of 5]

Summary: This book approaches Ephesians as a drama of the victory of God over cosmic powers in opposition to Him through Christ and through a redeemed and transformed church that acts as Divine Warrior.

That summary might have caught your attention. I've always loved the letter to the Ephesians and read numerous commentaries. Most, in some form or another will divide the book in half, with chapters 1-3 comprising the indicative of what God has done in Christ, and chapters 4-6 the resulting imperative of how the church should live as Christ's redeemed. I was expecting another treatment of this sort when Timothy Gombis caught my attention by talking about drama and reminded me of Dorothy L. Sayers, who wrote an essay asserting that the dogma of the church is the drama--this great, amazing and surprising story that changes everything.

What Gombis gives us here is not another commentary of Ephesians but a perspective on the letter as a whole that ultimately enlists us as players in God's story. First he gives us the backdrop in explaining the "heavenly" language of Ephesians and the understanding in Paul's time of the principalities and powers and how some of these function in resistance to God's purposes in creation. I appreciated his measured approach that takes these realities seriously without becoming obsessed with identification of territorial spirits. There is in fact a cosmic conflict taking place and Ephesians is the drama of how God has achieved a stunning and subversive triumph over these powers and how the church participates in their ultimate defeat. It begins in Ephesians 1:3-19 with a cast of characters incorporated into Christ for the praise of his glory to the rest of the creation. This is a new people with a new identity. Gombis argues that this is not about a "who's in and who's out" but rather:

"In the logic of Ephesians, the two groups are not the saved and the damned, the in and the out. The two groups are those whom God is transforming by his love and those to whom the first group is sent in order to embody God's love" (p. 77).

He goes on in Ephesians 1:20-2:22 to talk about how God in Christ achieved the victory that formed this transformed and transforming group. It begins with the assertion of Christ's kingship and his conflict with the powers in which he subverts their deathly control over humans, and the power of sin, and their divisions against each other. Through the cross, people are brought from death to life, and from hostile divisions to one new humanity that embodies God's presence on earth, the temple.

In chapter 3, Paul embodies in his own ministry as an apostle, including his humiliations and imprisonment, the cruciform life and victory of Christ. Paul's prayer at the end of chapter 3 speaks of the ways God empowers subversive actors like Paul, and the church in the fulfillment of their role in this cosmic war. Chapters 4:1-6:18 then call the Ephesian church into this warfare, where they act as the Divine Warrior. Gombis emphasizes that this is not culture warfare against people and not warfare carried out in arrogance, but rather a church in its unity, and purity, and sacrificial service, and humility that embodies the cross-shaped life.

I not only appreciated the overarching dramatic perspective Gombis gives us of this letter but his willingness to share his own participation in efforts to embody these truths in a church in urban Springfield, Ohio where he was involved at the time this book was written (he has since taken an academic post in Grand Rapids, Michigan). The book reflects extensive research on the cosmic warfare elements in Ephesians and Jewish thought of the time, a vision of Ephesians that is both faithful to the text and captures our imaginations in a fresh way, and is good scholarship that is written to serve the very church he sees as a central actor in this drama of God's triumph.

[Jon · Rating 3 out of 5]

While there’s a lot to appreciate about Tim Gombis’s book, I didn’t find his overall reading of Ephesians persuasive. For example, I think he is right to connect the letter to images of the “divine warrior” in the Old Testament, but I think this connection is more a figuration than a narrative. At times, it felt like he was straining to make the letter fit his “drama” form. I have a feeling I’d like his thesis more, since I imagine he cut out a lot of details here and made it more approachable for non-academics. I can appreciate this, but the kind of argument he’s constructing is inherently an academic one, and I would have liked it if he sustained more scholarly engagement here. I also thought the pay-off, that we don’t actually contend with demonic forces, in the conclusion to go exactly opposite what the letter does. As a fellow American, I wonder if in a post-2020 world he’d still downplay our engagements with demons and world powers? Still, one thing I absolutely agree with him on is that the way we, assuming a Christian audience, live in this world is through weakness and lowliness. I’m thus really interested in reading his other writings.

[Thomas Smyly · Rating 2 out of 5]

It is with great inner conflict that I rate this book two stars. As far as content goes, it is fantastic. Gombis offers many insightful and compelling interpretations in Ephesians, from his views on the hijacking of creation by the “powers” to his understanding of not being drunk with wine but filled with the Spirit.

I ultimately rate it so poorly because I believe Gombis fails to support his primary thesis that Ephesians is a drama. Drama is a particular genre of writing in the ancient world, and Ephesians does not contain the plot, characters, dialogue, etc to make up a drama. Rather, it is a parentic letter designed to invite readers to participate in the drama of redemption. Paranesis to participate in a drama is not the same as drama.

[Jake Owen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great short little read on the victorious lamb.

[Joel Wentz · Rating 3 out of 5]

If I were rating this based on how much I agree with/liked the ideas presented, it would get 5 stars. Gombis presents Ephesians as a document rooted deeply in cosmic warfare imagery, and explicates the church as the place in which God's victory is "acted out" today. I resonate a lot with the divine warfare theme, and think Gombis is essentially right in the way he presents the argument of Ephesians.

The book stumbles just a bit for me in that I wish it were a touch more academic. There are very few footnotes, and I would have liked to see a bit more of Gombis' bibliography/conversation partners. Also, Gombis makes some pretty broad statements about evangelical culture (especially regarding politics and culture wars) that could have been strengthened with some research and data. I think that he is generally correct in his diagnosis of what's wrong with American Evangelical culture, and what we can learn from Ephesians, but rebuttals could have been dealt with more effectively in the text itself.

That said, it's a very good little book that I'm keeping for reference. It's much more enjoyable to read than most commentaries, and the chapter on Jewish-cosmic-warfare imagery is worth the price of the book alone. Gombis' controlling image of the "living temple" of the church as the place where we act out the "drama" of God's victory over the powers is also wonderful, and very pastorally explained, and is worth more conversation. A good book for those who want to dive a little deeper into the Pauline corpus, but don't want to wade through commentaries.

[Brian LePort · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite book on Ephesians. Part commentary; part theological imagining. Excellent overall.

[Jeremy Bouma · Rating 4 out of 5]

A month ago I met Tim Gombis and was highly impressed with him as an intellectual and person. He is the author of the new book The Drama of Ephesians (IVP Academic). At my meeting with him I heard some of his story and journey through evangelicalism, experience teaching undergraduates at Cedarville University, life in inner-city Springfield, OH and involvement with a missionally-centered church plant. The last two specifically piqued my interest as I am both planting and have interest in impacting my own city, Grand Rapids.

I was also interested in his church plant, city story because I've found it to be unusual for academics to also have more pastoral persuasions, especially ones that drive them to care for widows and orphans and the poor. This pastoral interest is coupled with his academic experience to produce a lucid, engaging (re)examination of Paul's Letter to the Ephesians.

Tim's basic take on Ephesians is different than I have heard it before. He voices the manner in which it is typically read, a reading I myself have generally embraced: "Ephesians is often read as if it is a doctrinal treatise...Paul first lays out his doctrinal position and then lays out a system of ethics based on the doctrine." (14) Typically the first three chapters are thought of as doctrinal re-telling of God's Story of Rescue, while the later three are the ethical responses to that re-telling.

Tim believes we should read Ephesians differently: "Ephesians is a drama portraying the victory of God in Christ over the dark powers that rule this present evil age, and the letter becomes a script for how God's people can continue, by the power of the Spirit, to perform the drama called the triumph of God in Christ." (19). For Tim, the entire letter must be read through 6:10-16, the passage on divine warfare. He argues that the ideology of divine warfare from the ancient near east, reflected in the OT, shapes Paul's entire argument in Ephesians.

This is different than I have ever heard or read Ephesians before. I, like others, believe this latter passage in ch. 6 to be simply the ending of the things that he has talked about beforehand. Instead Tim reminds us the way in which a letter ends actually often drives its entire argument and tenor. Through his book, Tim helps us see that divine warfare imagery saturates Paul's letter. As he puts it, "Ephesians has a tightly woven narrative structure that is driven by the pattern of divine warfare" (30) which is bound up with Paul's exhortation in 6:10 to "be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his mighty power."

So how does this thesis cash out? How does reading Ephesians through the lens of divine warfare play out in interpreting the rest of the book?
1) We need to recognize there are more actors than meets the eye. Eph 1:20-23, 3:10, and 6:10-18 clue us into this reality with the language of "powers and authorities." Tim argues this language of "powers and authorities" is consistent with the Jewish worldview that conceived of the cosmos being dominated by suprahuman cosmic forces (36). "For Paul's inherited world view, based on the OT, the heavesn are populated with archangelic ruler figures to whom God had originally delegated authority over aspects of creation." (40) Those figures rebelled and now hold sway over all activities on the earth.

As Tim says, "The powers orient cultures of the world so tat humanity will develop patterns of sin, enslaving them in spiritual death. Their aim is destruction and the enslavement of humanity." (47) Here in Eph Paul does not so much address the powers themselves, but aims to "speak of destructive social patterns and exploitative relational dynamics that tempt humanity--dynamics such as racism, idolatry, addiction, systems of oppression and the wide range of systemic evil." (50)

He believes this concept of "powers and authorities" are neglected actors on God's stage, actors we need to pay more attention to by naming them and resisting them.

2) Becoming aware of these characters, Tim argues, is Eph goal in order to call its readers to participate rightly in the drama of the world. It shapes and transforms our imagination so that we as the church become a "faithful and joyful cast of players." (60) Faithful and joyful participation means joining in with God's mission as his gospel characters. And because we are in Christ and inhabit a new location with a new mission we "no longer live by the rules and social patters that we find `in America' or in `suburbia' or in `the world' as these are configured by the present age...I now live `in American' as it is in the process of being reclaimed by God in Jesus." (73)

As a gospel character in God's drama on God's mission, we are "set apart by God to carry out his mission to love, redeem, reclaim and restore the world." (81) This is the essence of election that Paul speaks of: "Paul is meaning to affirm that those who are called to participate in and perform the gospel of Jesus Christ are those who have their origin in God's heart and mind from all eternity," not a commentary on who is in and who is out. (76-77)

3) One of the major points is that God has been victorious over the powers and authorities of this age in Christ. In chapter 2 Paul reherses God beginning to fulfill his promise to reclaim and redeem his creation, restoring his world and humanity to their original condition. (105) Now the Church stands as the monument to the triumph of God over Satan and the powers of evil. As Tim challenges, "If the church does not faithfully embody God's love in Christ, then God's victory is diminished. We must celebrate our new identity, walking in good deeds rather than in patterns that formerly enslaved us. And we must cultivate communities of restoration and reconciliation where there has been alienation, bitterness, and division." (106)

Those are powerful, potent words!

We begin to embody this victory through "cruciform weakness." Our answer to the "powers and authorities" must always be cruciformity, operating in weakness and humility. (126) Tim encourages the church to "put our imagination to work, creating alternative strategies that embody weakness and humility, resisting the temptation to seek power and control." (127) A primary venue through which he sees the necessity for cruciformity is in politics and culture. I agree. My own experience with working on Capitol Hill in Washington DC was the exact opposite: the church scrambling and scratching for a place at the table in order to push agendas for pietistic conformity. Instead of posturing ourselves before the culture in weakness and humility as Christ did on the cross, too often we try and wield power in order to force submission. As Tim points out this is not the way of Christ.

Tim points to the example of Paul in chapter 3 for the type of weakness that is needed in the church, a weakness which actually leads in an explosion of cultural and societal transformation. He points out that Paul was selected to make known the mysteries of Christ to the Gentiles, but he was in prison, a major weakness and embarrassing revelation. Yet, "Paul made use of [the power that God exercised when he raised Jesus from the dead] in his situation of weakness and shame, and we can too as we perform cruciform roles in the drama of God making all things new through the death and resurrection of Jesus." (131)

4) I love Tim's emphasis that "the church is the arena of God's triumph over the powers and the agent of God's glory of the cosmos." (134) This is a high view of the church in an increasingly negative view of the church! He goes on to say, "That is, the power are the spectators of church life. As the church lives its reconciling and unifying communal life, the powers come to know God's strength, wisdom, and triumph." (134) These are powerful words, words which I take to heart as a church planter trying to create a new expression of the church to act as a subversive, embodying agent of God's triumph over the powers and authorities of this dark age.

5) Finally, Tim ends where Paul does: carrying out divine warfare. "According to Ephesians, the church performs the cosmically significant role of divine warfare through mundane embodiment of God's life on earth. Cosmic conflict does not involve defiant chest thumping in the face of the defeated powers. On the contrary, we are called to purposeful, humble, cruciform faithfulness as we perform Jesus for the good of the world." I love this emphasis on the "mundane embodiment of God's life on earth." In calling the church to "subvert the cultural corruption of the powers," he does so through an emphasis on the mundane on the day to day living that testifies to the new life of Jesus that powerful counters to old patterns of this world.

By and large this was a good book, a challenging book that made this theologian think in categories I don't often think in. As a mild form of critique and revelation on my own theological struggles, the books large emphasis on the evil, sin, and death of this world was systemic and narrative: meaning, the problems in the world are the systems and stories, rather than the individuals that make up those systems. I tend to view our sin problem as much more individual and related to our human condition/nature, rather than in his emphasis on the powers and corrupt systems. While I appreciate this revelation of the spiritual power that do hold sway over the world and tempt individuals into sinning, the type of language that he used reflects traditional and contemporary liberals that simply view sin and evil as systemic and narrative, with little to no consideration of the sinful condition and nature of individuals, resulting in the dismissal of original sin. At times I thought he didn't nuance this view of evil enough and converse with the individual interaction with those evil systems and stories of which he (and apparently Paul) speaks. But then again, perhaps my own theological prejudices are getting in the way of engaging Paul in more biblical categories!

I would recommend this book to students and pastors who are interested in getting another take on Ephesians. This is not meant as a commentary on the letter, as Tim even says. Instead it is a supplemental guide to the book along side more exegetically oriented tomes in order to bring out some new and interesting insights into what Paul is communicating, for the sake of activating the Christians toward "mundane embodiment of God's life on earth" and His victory through "cruciform weakness."

Disclosure: I received a free review copy of this book from the publisher. The outcome of my review was not contingent upon receiving it.

[Gillian · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review was first published in the University of Edinburgh Journal Volume 47 Number 3 (June 2016)

In his book Drama of Ephesians, Timothy Gombis attempts to present the book of Ephesians unconventionally as a drama script. Unlike regular Bible commentaries or sermon series, Gombis considers this genre to best engage his audience with the world of the epistle, both culturally and theologically. As a New Testament scholar who has been engaged with Ephesians both personally and professionally, Gombis wrote this book for contemporary readers to get a better grasp of Paul’s worldview expressed in Ephesians.

Gombis’ line of argument is that the concept of divine warfare shapes Paul’s ideas in Ephesians, announcing God’s triumph in Christ over Satan and narrating how the church participates in this triumph. Gombis constructs his argument through setting the scene with supporting sources from Old Testament as well as Jewish and Greco-Roman contexts. He is especially convinced that Ephesians, under the theme of spiritual warfare, is a tight-knitted whole, instead of what some scholars consider as a cut and paste project with raw data being handpicked from other Pauline epistles. A dramatic reenactment of the book of Ephesians brings a clearer focus and discerns the theologically powerful argument in such, giving a great introduction and action guidelines for those in pastoral positions as well as individual Christians in general.

The strength of Gombis’ argument is that it is good for painting the worldview of Ephesians and Paul’s Jewish background, wrapping up the entire epistle in the focus of the spiritual realm, which provides a more congruent understanding than a typical line by line analysis. Gombis’ illustration of how our culture and imagination had been held captive by Satan paints an extremely vivid image, giving readers the room to ponder the cultural discernment that he later encourages.

The weakness of Gombis’ argument is that he focuses too much on the spiritual realm and misses out on other themes and aspects of the epistle. This book does not make a good line by line expository, since it is written thematically, and the text is not arranged sequentially. Readers cannot rely on this unbalanced exposition alone for an in-depth review of the epistle. Moreover, Gombis mainly attained his supporting sources and examples from early church history and contemporary American culture, which limits his argument: it would be more engaging, especially for non-American readers, if he can involve contemporary socio-economic issues from more than one contemporary culture.

By using the drama performance language, this book encourages the church to be culturally conscious. Viewing Ephesians as a script to be performed is a method that does justice to the epistle the way Paul wrote it, with greater intentionality for readers’ character formation within their church communities. By tying the entire epistle under one united theme of divine warfare, Gombis draws his readers into the world of Ephesians and how its teachings can be applied to their daily lives effectively. This book gives those who think they know the Bible back to back the room to ponder on its vibrant and ineffable messages that no one can fully grasp.

[Anthony Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

a helpful reading

The Drama of Ephesians is a plausible reading of the epistle as a narrative of God’s triumph in Christ, manifest in the church. While the general issue of narrative readings of exhortative texts is worth debating, the interpretive insight Gombis presents can be appreciated even when approached from a different hermeneutical framework. Frankly, the last chapter relating chapter 6 to the issue of identity in Christ, is worth the time of reading the whole (short) book. I remove one star only because, despite many caveats that the author does not intend to write a commentary, a bit more illustrations from a close reading of the text would have been much appreciated.

[Porter Sprigg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Timothy Gombis flexing on them by writing a whole book about the triumph of Christ being in weakness, humility, and love and warning against the dangers of Christian culture wars and Christian nationalism in 2010!

One of those “oh gosh he saw it coming and told us to embody Christ and we failed miserably” type of books…

Excellent writing and an uplifting call for the church to actually be the church! I’m a sucker for the “acting out a script but also learning to improvise” metaphor that he uses throughout. Trying to read it as a hopeful admonition for the future rather than a depressing relic of what could have been but I admit it’s hard…

[Don Harton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not a commentary. Rather, it’s like sitting at dinner w a very wise friend who explains what happened in the movie you just watched together. Only your friend has spent time on set w the director and the cast; he truly understands [most of] the nuances of the movie.

Ephesians has many familiar passages and I have assumed I knew what Paul was saying. And surely I found truth, even spiritual growth from my reading and study previously.

Gombis opened the eyes of my heart to depths of mystery and opportunity - to a new kind of understanding of Paul’s prayer and challenge for the church.

[Ryan Storch · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I appreciate Gombis’ assertion that Ephesians is a drama we participate in, I found some of his approach lacking. I appreciated his strong emphasis on Christ as cosmic king. But, I found his treatment of the powers lacking in the assertion that the powers discussed in Ephesians are purely unjust systems, racism, etc. I felt like a conversation about the supernatural was lacking. Engagement with Clinton Arnold‘s work on the Powers and principalities would have made this treatment far more robust.

[RICKMAN YVONNE · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an inspiring book!
This book gives so much enthusiasm and a desire to re-study the book of events, the author who was the great Paul; the man on the road to Damascus!
The author was very talented in the research and his ability to bring Ephesians back to life in a mans heart!
(In my case a woman’s heart!) smiles

[GreatHeart Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Powerful and Faithful Exposition

The author gives a faithful and thoughtful exploration of Ephesians. The unique use of method of drama provides and additional element of application for the reader.

[Jake Augeri · Rating 5 out of 5]

So helpful! Dr. Gombis situates Ephesians as a picture
Of the drama of Christ being installed as cosmic king over the universe. He then takes time to unpack what it looks like for the church to embody and practice the reality of the new world that’s been brought to bear in Jesus.

[Gabe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Started out slow, but it got better. some interesting ideas.

[Lauren Brownfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent comprehensive explanation of the message of Ephesians and how the unity of the church and our humble service to others is the way we wage warfare against the powers for evil in this world.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating and so practical. Must read again.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the concept and perspective of the book. I found it weighted too heavy on principalities and powers vs. Christology. I think it needed a more Christology, and a more victorious Christology.

[C. Christopher Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a rich book that resonates with our reading of the book of Ephesians, and our experiences in trying to embody the drama that plays out in its pages, here at Englewood Christian Church. I am excited to share this book with others in our church community, and likewise am eager to see others reading and discussing it in their church communities, as well as discerning together what God is calling them to be and do through this part of scripture. May our churches begin and continue to grow in the Pauline vision of maturity in Christ that is summarized eloquently by Gombis in the final pages of the book:

[C]hurches must be communities of wisdom and discernment. We must always analyze the cultural forces around us, coming to grips with how the world works to shape our characters, our practices and our relational patterns. We must also be creative communities, cultivating alternative and redemptive community dynamics that draw on, stir up and radiate God’s resurrection power. Such patterns of community life will inevitably be cruciform – cross-shaped (183).


Read my full review in THE ENGLEWOOD REVIEW OF BOOKS...

[Samuel Youngblood · Rating 5 out of 5]

An exciting portrayal of Ephesians as a drama displaying God’s victory over the powers in Christ and through His church.
Ideally.
Gombis articulates himself eloquently and, while there is not a plethora of citations, with some grace his presentation is evidenced well.
I appreciated:
-his take on the powers and authorities, and how we should deal with them (not ritualistically with speculation, but by becoming together the temple in which God’s fullness is revealed
-an understanding of where we are in time, the overlap of the current age and age to come
-the continual reminder that Paul speaks to a community, which is often lost in Ephesians’ sayings, such as “redeem the time for the days are evil” or “put off the old self”
-suggestions of cultural discernment
-a continual pointing to the cruciform reality of Jesus’ ministry and God’s means of victory. Ultimately, this should be the means of Christians too

The book had a suitably triumphant tone which didn’t whiff over the harsh reality that many of our modern churches painfully still don’t grasp what they are here for.

[Sagely · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredible book. Gombis weaves a rich tapestry of OT allusions, apocalyptic thinking, a corporate understanding of life in Christ, and a dirt-under-your-fingernails practical go-and-do-likewise instruction. A beautiful book, both as a commentary on Ephesians and as general reading about our life together of discipleship.

I first met Gombis over coffee as I was just finishing my undergraduate experience. My soul and mind were being blown into more rigorous forms of discipleship, mission, and community. Gombis and some other faculty friends were experimenting with just that in Springfield, Ohio. (The story's in the book.) Gombis bought me a coffee and asked about my spiritual path toward Jesus.

The Drama of Ephesians seems a good expression of where those experiments were heading. I'm thankful I stumbled on this volume, and it's one I plan to return to.

[Tim · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not a perfect book, but it is a wonderful one. Seeing Ephesians as a drama to be enacted, a script encouraging the church to follow after its Lord's triumph over the powers of this world, Gombis points to the letter's communal transforming intent. "Ephesians is not merely there to give us information. It is designed to transform us as we seek to become gospel characters, to become truly the people of God." "Ephesians also calls us to be a discerning people, since God's triumph looks nothing like we would expect.... God raised Jesus from the dead and exalted him as cosmic Lord, indicating that the mode of life for God's people is cruciformity - purposeful patterning our lives after the cross of Jesus Christ." Oh that the church would be so.

[Anthony Rodriguez · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a work of theology that is accessible and valuable for any reader. This was Gombis' dissertation but it has been refashioned into a readable work for anyone. Gombis takes use a tact that Vanhoozer and others (like NT Wright and James KA Smith) have encouraged: using Scripture as the basis for reframing our imaginations to make us better actors in the drama of God's work in the world. This interpretive lens for Ephesians elucidates some important themes in the Text and makes it come alive. I found this work enormously helpful in pointing out how subversive Jesus and His Church are meant to be. This short work is well worth your time.

[Chris Wood · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read the first two chapters for an insightful defense of Biblical theological studies of Ephesians and an unconventional but provocative treatment of the invisible powers (Eph. 2:2; 6:12).

After those chapters, the author attempts to provide both a social commentary based on Ephesians and biblical theological commentary of Ephesians. Unfortunately, in trying to do both, we are left with a fairly shallow treatment of Ephesians and its application.

That said, the first couple chapters are worth a careful read.

[Anthony Locke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting and provocative reading of Ephesians. Gombis understands Ephesians to read more like a narrative/drama centering around spiritual warfare than theological discourse. His comments on the supra-human figures found in the book were particularly interesting to me as I think about cosmology in Ephesians for potential thesis work.

*Had to read this again for a class on Ephesians. Definitely has a unique take on Ephesians, but I love his emphasis on the divine warrior motif throughout the letter.*

[Allysen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really appreciate the narrative approach to reading and interpreting Ephesians, and Gombis is an astute cultural exegete. He asks compelling and sometimes challenging questions of the text and reader, brings in our current context on almost every page, and has really important critiques of the American Christian church. My two critiques/wishes is that he focused a bit more on the importance of prayer in church, and also expanded on a few topics he only had a couple paragraphs or pages to discuss (such as the household code in Eph. 5 & 6 - I'd love to hear of his thoughts on this).

[Matthew Henry · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent book that does not fit a category well. Makes the argument of the Divine Warrior motif in Ephesians and does so convincingly. As a result approaches certain well-known passages slightly differently than what I am used to but I found much of what he argued to be quite sound. I found that I kept wanting to go back to the book for more every time I set it down. Five stars if it was longer and more indepth.

[Eric · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book deserves a reread I think. Somewhat repetative and at times not concrete enough, the theological vision of Ephesians is still on display. The underlying ideas are fantastic and enlightening. The presentation left a little to be desired. Would be usefull to base a sunday school class on.

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gives a deeper appreciation for Ephesians