Browsing by Author "Visagie, André Jacobus"
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- ItemEphesians and Artemis : the influence of the religious climate of western Asia Minor of the first century AD on the content and terminology of Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 1:15-23(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2010-03) Visagie, André Jacobus; Punt, Jeremy; University of Stellenbosch. Faculty of Theology. Dept. of Old and New Testament.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This thesis interacts with the generally held view that Ephesians is a general epistle with no concrete historical context and contingency, by arguing that this letter addresses particular religious concerns and beliefs of the believers of Ephesus and surrounds. A focussed literary survey of the religious-historical material of the western Mediterranean region in the first century AD is conducted, with particular attention paid to the cult of the Ephesian Artemis and the prevalence of magic. Special focus is placed upon Ephesians 1:15-23, which is exegeted using both grammatical-historical and socio-rhetorical methods of interpretation to gain insights into how the author employed and reformulated contemporary terms and concepts to demonstrate the lordship of Jesus Christ. Serious consideration of the religious and magical context of the first century Greco-Roman world when interpreting this letter to the Ephesians may open many possible avenues for future study, particularly in the area of understanding the letter in an African context.