Ephesians 5:2

[dnu]

I was reading a failry good book last night and I read Ephesians 5:2 and something that sounded familiar crossed by eye. I thought I would see what the opinion of others is.

First,

I’ve heard that Malachi 1:11 can be interpreted as a prophecy of the eucharist, the Church, etc. Malachi 1:11 is:

“…and in every place incense is offered to my name, and a pure offering…”

Ephesians 5:2 reads:

“and live in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”

Mal1:11 “incense (sweet smelling) is offered to my name, and a pure offering (sacrifice).”
Eph 5:2 “a fragrant (sweet smelling) offering and a sacrifice to God.”

I know that some scholars debate rather or not Paul was the author or this letter, but whoever the author was, he was likely writing what he wrote purposefuly. Do you guys think there is any connection between these two verses? To me, it would seem like a great coincidence that these two verses just happen to sound and be structured so much alike.

Perhaps I’m just seeing what I want to see.

 

[Joe_5859]

St. Paul (or a “Pauline disciple” if you go for the Erasmusian view) was probably familiar with the Book of Malachi, so I don’t think it’s a stretch to connect the two.

In any case, the whole idea of a fragrant offering permeates pretty much all of Scripture. Take a look at Leviticus, for example. It’s all about offering sweet smelling sacrifices to the Lord. Any good book on the scriptural basis of the liturgy will draw all this out in detail.

I think it is far greater temptation for us to dismiss connections in Scripture than it is to make too big a deal of them. I always figure that it’s a safe bet that the writers of the NT were far more familiar with the OT than I ever will be. If even I can see a connection, it’s probably because they put it there intentionally.

And even if the human authors of Scripture did not intend the parallel, there is also the divine author to consider. He definitely is more familiar with the OT than I am.

I say, keep on finding those connections! Scripture is a treasure of which we can never completely plumb the depths. The more you study it, the more you will appreciate how it all hangs together and how much thought was put into every single word and phrase.

 

[ryanoneil]

We definately believe the eucharist is the re-presentation of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross (so I wouldn’t say you are wrong), but I think Paul is explaining the actual sacrifice of Jesus life in cultic terms drawn from the OT. The priest of history burned animals upon altars as a pleasing aroma to the Lord

**Then Noah built an altar to the LORD, and choosing from every clean animal and every clean bird, he offered holocausts on the altar. When the LORD smelled the sweet odor, he said to himself: "Never again will I doom the earth because of man, since the desires of man’s heart are evil from the start; nor will I ever again strike down all living beings, as I have done. (Gen 8:20-21)

The entire ram shall then be burned on the altar, since it is a holocaust, a sweet-smelling oblation to the LORD. (Ex 29:18)**

so Jesus offered himself on the Cross as an ascending sacrifice of love to the Father.

**It was fitting that we should have such a high priest: holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners, higher than the heavens. He has no need, as did the high priests, to offer sacrifice day after day, first for his own sins and then for those of the people; he did that once for all when he offered himself. (Heb 7:26-27)

First he says, “Sacrifices and offerings, holocausts and sin offerings, you neither desired nor delighted in.” These are offered according to the law. Then he says, “Behold, I come to do your will.” He takes away the first to establish the second. By this “will,” we have been consecrated through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. (Heb 10: 8-10)**

We share in Christ’s priestly ministry by offering to the Father acceptable sacrifices of our time, talents,and treasures in the liturgy of everyday life.

**I urge you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, your spiritual worship (Rom 12:1)

But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ and manifests through us the odor of the knowledge of him in every place. For we are the aroma of Christ for God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to the latter an odor of death that leads to death, to the former an odor of life that leads to life. Who is qualified for this? (2 Cor 2:14-16)**

 

[1believer1]

St. Paul (or a “Pauline disciple” if you go for the Erasmusian view) was probably familiar with the Book of Malachi, so I don’t think it’s a stretch to connect the two.

In any case, the whole idea of a fragrant offering permeates pretty much all of Scripture. Take a look at Leviticus, for example. It’s all about offering sweet smelling sacrifices to the Lord. Any good book on the scriptural basis of the liturgy will draw all this out in detail.

I think it is far greater temptation for us to dismiss connections in Scripture than it is to make too big a deal of them. I always figure that it’s a safe bet that the writers of the NT were far more familiar with the OT than I ever will be. If even I can see a connection, it’s probably because they put it there intentionally.

And even if the human authors of Scripture did not intend the parallel, there is also the divine author to consider. He definitely is more familiar with the OT than I am.

I say, keep on finding those connections! Scripture is a treasure of which we can never completely plumb the depths. The more you study it, the more you will appreciate how it all hangs together and how much thought was put into every single word and phrase.

Keep a couple things in mind; there are connections between the Old and the New Testament because they were inspired writings … inspired by God. The Old Testament was not only a historical book but it was also prophetic. The message throughout was pointing towards a messiah, which is Jesus The Christ. Some of this is easy to see some takes a lot of study. So much of what is written in the OT is then repeated in the NT. I do not have enough space or time to give a lot of examples, but you can find these connections by reading some of the research done by Hahn, Keating, Kreeft and others. Let us also realize that St Paul was very familiar with the OT ( and I am sure that his followers/companions would have been duly informed ). One more thing, the early Christians were Jews that did not realize that they were Christians. They would be very familiar with the OT. As you continue to study the Bible you will find many connections and you will find out that the more you learn the more you realize all the things you do not know !