Die πανοπλία Gottes. Eph 6,11–17 als Reflexion der Belagerung einer Stadt

Abstract

Abstract: The image of „God’s Armor“ in Eph 6,11–17 is modeled, on the one hand, after biblical traditions, taking formulations from the book of Isaiah (Isa 11,5; 52,7; 59,17). But on the other hand the author of Ephesians also adds some elements to the image that do not have any equivalents in Isaiah or other biblical texts. These extra elements in Ephesians are the sword, the shield, the mention of the military term πανοπλία („armor“), and the sandals. The naming of these additional items is based on first century knowledge about the equipment of a Roman legionnaire. As can be shown by comparison to descriptions of ancient Roman warfare in Josephus and Polybius, the wearer of God’s armor in Ephesians is figuratively positioned in a concrete battle situation, namely the siege of a town wall. The author of Eph 6,11–17 imagines the present life of the Christian community as a dramatic situation that can be compared to a battle. With the sword of God’s word in their hands the members of the Christian community are supposed to defend the wall of their fortress against the attacks of the forces of evil.