Harmony

In an interesting article a number of years back ("The Homonoia Coins of Asia Minor and Ephesians 1:21"), John Paul Lotz makes an argument for reading Ephesians 1:21 against the backdrop of inter–city(-state) politics in the developing Greco-Roman world. Speaking of Christ in this verse, Paul indicates that God has seated him “far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.” Is this polemical proposition that by God’s having raised him from the dead, Christ receives a status far superior to earthly rulers (i.e., the emperor) and has the power and title (i.e., name) to prove it?

Lotz points out that with their own sense of autonomy and military might waning as a result of internal warring coupled with the ascension of Rome, city-states of Asia Minor struggled to find new ways to assert their influence over and against one other. An important realm in which they competed was the cultic/religious one. For example, as the cult of the emperor took rise in the provinces—interestingly enough, in a more full-blown way than in Rome itself—the once powerful city-states grasped hold of its introduction as a means by which to curry special favor with the ruling power of the day and to outpace other cities competing for influence. Sometimes this was accomplished by obtaining from Rome the honor of building a temple for the furtherance of the imperial cult. Titles were appropriated by cities upon their establishment and/or stewardship of a particular cult (witness Ephesus’s claim to hosting the great temple of Artemis), such as the imperial cult. According to Lotz, having “the imperial cult temple and being able to list among one’s titles . . . [Neokoros] was a key factor in securing the highly prestigious title . . . [First of Asia].”Once accomplished, other city-states were obliged to recognize that this or that particular city-state (e.g., Pergamum, Ephesus) was so honored

Why is this bit of information important? Because, as Lotz illustrates, such competition reveals the tense state of affairs between rival cities in Asia Minor that prevailed under the so-called Pax Romana. That there really was festering conflict and a high state of rivalry at work helps explain, in turn, the concerted effort to foster “harmony” (homonoia) throughout the empire. Literary (Lotz draws special attention to Plutarch, Dio Chrysostom, and Aristides), inscriptional, and numismatic evidence from the first few centuries of the Common Era bear witness to a heightened glorification of this quality. “Harmony” is personified on coins as well as commemorative monuments as a way of establishing the political prerequisite for peaceful co-existence and, as a goddess, even becomes the recipient of cultic devotion.

Was the apostle Paul speaking into this atmosphere of rivalry when he wrote of the risen Christ that he is above all rule and has attained the highest name/titles for himself? Lotz thinks so. Ephesians has a lot to do with bringing rival elements of Christian society—Jew and Gentile—together. Just perhaps Paul is arguing that Christ, the highest power of all—not Caesar—is alone able to unite warring parties. Only he can accomplish true harmony. Seems like a relevant message for today, huh?