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Paul uses a lot of military imagery in Ephesians. He uses words of fealty, like soldiers who give their loyalty to their commanders. He uses words of armor, shields, and swords. Why? Because military images conferred status and honor in Roman society. It made sense to fight off evil using these spiritual weapons. This was especially important to the Ephesians who worshipped the warrior goddess Artemis. Artemis was a very positive figure in Ephesus, especially for women. Paul's appeal to the Ephesians used the military imagery of Artemis to show that Jesus was their true protector.

Reference: "Nobody's Mother" by Dr. Sandra Glahn, Professor at Dallas Theological Seminary

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In Isaiah 9:6, Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace sounds different in Hebrew. Pehleh yoehtz ehl gaboor avee yod sar shalom also translates like a single indigenous name: Mighty God is planning marvelous things, because the Eternal father rules in peace. In this podcast, I break the phrase down line by line in Hebrew and describe how we came to see it as four separate names for Jesus.

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Jesus' interaction with Pilate is fascinating. Jesus was in between the religious powers of the temple and the hard military power of the Romans. The Root of David was also the representation of raw power. The Lion of Judah is the supremacy of Judah over all the other tribes. Ironically, these images of power are not what save us. Jesus is different. He lost. He went to the cross. But in his loss we are redeemed.
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