The Gentile-Christians: the Bone Structure of the Letter to Ephesians

Naslov ovog članka, "Poganokršćani: okosnica Poslanice Efežanima", upućuje na autorov pokušaj ukazivanja na temeljni problem Jedne faze u životu Pracrkve koji Je izrastao iz pavlovske misli: Jedinstvo i suživot poganokršćanske i Judeokršćanske komponente u Crkvi. Pošavši od općenitih zapažanja o Pavlovu gledanju na taj odnos, autor ukazuje na Poslanicu Efežanima kao izraz promijenjenih odnosa i pomaka naglasaka. Dok se Pavao u svojim autentičnim poslanicama uporno trudi otvoriti Crkvu poganskoj komponenti, autor ovoga spisa ima posve drukčiju perspektivu. Ona Je vidljiva već u naslovljavanju Poslanice, a jezične, stilske i tematske odrednice ovoga spisa govore u prilog njegovu deuteropavlovskom porijeklu i promjeni povijesnocrkvenog starija koje je sada, za razliku od onoga u autentičnim Pavlovim spisima, obilježeno prevagom poganokršćanske komponente nad judeokršćanskom komponentom u Crkvi. I sam judeokršćanin, autor se trudi shvatiti poganokršćansku poziciju isključivosti prema judeokršćanima, ali je nastoji ublažiti i dokinuti u prilog mirnom suživotu i jedinstvu i jedne i druge komponente, prikazujući različitosti kao bogatstvo, a ne kao osiromašenje Crkve. Ključ rješenja svih napetosti unutar Crkve zbog različitog porijekla njezinih članova vidi u Kristovoj novosti, u obnovi čovjeka, u novom čovjeku, koji svoju sličnost s Bogom ostvaruje u povezanosti s Kristom, u oslanjanju na njega i sve većem poprimanju lika njega Proslavljenoga. Zbog ovakvog gledanja, koje u pluralizmu i različitosti vidi bogatstvo Crkve, ova se Poslanica tumači kao najekleziološkiji spis NZ-a, a zbog ponuđenog kristološkog rješenja i kao najteološkiji spis, odnosno kao izraz najvećeg uspona pavlovske misli. Na kraju, umjesto zaključka, autor spominje neke odrednice suvremenoga stanja u Crkvi, ukazujući na suvremenost poruke ove Poslanice.The very title of this paper, The Gentile-Christians: the bone Structure of the Letter to Ephesians, reveals the author\u27s aim to shed light on the fundamental problem in one phase in the life of the Early-Church which has grown out of Paul1 thought: the unity and the common life of Gentile-Christians\u27 and Judeo-Christians\u27 component in the Church. Starting from general observations frorn Paul\u27s looking on that relationship, the author is pointing the Letter to Ephesians as an expression of the changed relationships and displacement of accents. While Paul, in his authentic Letters, is persistent in the attempt to open the Church toward the gentile component, the author of this Letter has totallv different perspective. This is evident alreadv in the Letter\u27s title, as well as in the linguistic, stylistic and thematic determinations of this Letter, which speaks in favour of its deutero-pauline origin and changed Church\u27s condition, which is now, unlike that in authentic Paul\u27s Letters, marked with majority of Gentile-Christians over Judeo-Christians component in the Church. The author, Judeo-Christian himself, is trying to understand the Gentile-Christians position of exclusiveness toward the Judeo-Christians, but he is trying very hard to weaken and abolish that position in favour of peaceful life and unity of both components, presenting differences as richness and not as the Church\u27s poverty. The key for the solution of ali tensions inside the Church caused by the different origin of its members, the author of this Letter sees in the Christ\u27s novelty, in the man\u27s renewal, in the new man who realizes his likeness with God in his bond with Christ, in his leaning on him and in the always greater taking over his figure of the Glorified. Because of this point of view, which sees the Church\u27s richness in the pluralism and differences, this Letter is considered as the most ecclesiological New Testament\u27s writing, and because of the offered christological solution, as the most theological writing, namely, it is the expression of the greatest achievement of Paul\u27s thought. Finally, instead of the conclusion, the author of this article explains the contemporary situation in the Church, pointing out the contemporary values of this Letter