Ephesians Letter Essays - Epistle To The Ephesians,

Ephesians Letter As one begins to read the letter to the Ephesians, he is intrigued not only by the many topics that the letter mentions, but also the fact that there are some major differences between this book and Paul's other writings. The purpose of this essay is to explore the book of Ephesians by commenting on critical issues, such as date, authorship, and setting, major theological themes, the purpose of the letter, and to offer an outline of the book itself. Critical Issues Critical issues include those things such as the date the letter was written, who the letter was written by, and where the letter was written. This section of the essay will identify these elements and mention the problems that come about when one thinks logically about the information presented in the letter to the Ephesians. The letter to the church at Ephesus was written about the same time as the letters to the churches at Colosse and Phillipi. A combination of all of my sources suggests this was somewhere between the years of A.D.60-64. A major problem that needs to be addressed is the question of setting. Was the letter to the Ephesians only written to the church at Ephesus? Most sources suggest that it was not. The oldest manuscripts, such as codex Vaticanus and codex Sinaiticus, do not have the church at Ephesus as the recipient of the letter; this was added into later manuscripts (Donz? et al, 534). Many state that Ephesians was a circular letter, a letter that was meant to circulate among all of the churches in the area and not meant to be specifically addressed to one church. This theory is supported by the fact that there are very few proper names in the letter, unlike the other letters Paul wrote, and the fact that it does not address specific problems of the church, only general statements are mentioned. Also, if the letter were, in fact written solely to the Ephesians, Paul would probably have included some reference to the fact that he was the pastor of the Ephesian church for two years (Ramsay, 454). Instead of doing this, the author uses phrases such as "I have heard of your faith" (1:15), implying that Paul and the people have not been acquainted (Ramsay, 454). These arguments are what lead modern-day scholars to believe that the letter to the Ephesians was not written only to the Ephesians. The problem of setting is not the only problem that arises in the letter to the Ephesians. Another problem is the question of authorship. Was Ephesians really written by Paul? In my opinion, this is the hardest question to answer because there are very strong arguments that come from both sides of thinking. Some say that Timothy, or some other disciple of Paul for that matter, wrote the letter and support this claim with the fact that there are some eighty-two words in the letter to the Ephesians that are found nowhere else in any of Paul's writings. Furthermore, of those eighty-two words, thirty-eight of those are found nowhere else in the entire New Testament (Ramsay 454). There is also the fact that the sentences are longer and more complex than those of Paul's other letters. These facts are what lead some to believe that Ephesians must have been written by someone else and simply signed by Paul. On the other hand, Paul was in jail at the time he wrote this letter. He calls himself "the prisoner of Christ" (Ephesians 3:1), "the prisoner of God" (Ephesians 4:1), and "an ambassador in bonds" (Ephesians 6:20). Being in jail would have given him ample time to read the letter and revise it; he had plenty of time to write a well-constructed letter with words that he would not normally use and longer, more complex sentences than if he was writing a letter in a hurry. Another strong argument that leads one to believe that Paul wrote Ephesians is the fact that there are fifty-five verses that are exactly the same in the letter to the Colossians (Barclay, 72). Now what is the belief? Did Paul write the letter to the Ephesians, or did Timothy? Maybe it was someone else. No one can be totally positive, which is why this is the major problem in this letter. Purpose of the Book The purpose of this letter is to celebrate the fact that, through Christ, God is uniting all peoples in Christ's church (Ramsay, 456). Ephesians is written to celebrate that unity and encourages Gentile

Five Facts About Oktoberfest

Five Facts About Oktoberfest As September inevitably segues from summer to autumn, Germany’s daylight hours shorten appreciably. This change of seasons is worldwide, but, in Munich (Mà ¼nchen), in southern Germany, the locals and the tourists brace for a festive event of an altogether different sort. Munich, a modern city in all senses of the word, is the capital of Bavaria (Bayern). It lies on the edge of the Alps; it’s Bavaria’s largest city and Germany’s third largest. The Isar River, which originates near Innsbruck, Austria, flows through Munich on its way to join the Danube (Donau) near Regensberg. At this time of year, some say the flow of the Isar is more than matched by the flow of ​beer. For two weeks this year, from 19 September through 04 October, Munich’s huge assortment of international companies, world-renowned brands, high-technology resources, and exquisitely graceful fairy-tale-like architecture compose the backdrop for the annual German clichà ©, the 182nd Oktoberfest. For those living in Munich, it will be two thrilling weeks of lederhosen, beer, and tipsy tourists. If raucous revelry on a city-wide scale is not to your liking, you’d be well advised to leave downtown Munich until the festivities end. If you live near the Festwiese, the epicenter of the partying, you better close your windows tightly and get used to the smell of spilled beer mixed with puke. There are not only nice things to tell about the Wiesn, but also endearing ones. Here are five important, lesser-known facts about Oktoberfest which might surprise you. 1. The First Day of Oktoberfest Oktoberfest embraces numerous traditions, most of them commemorated at the very beginning of this annual celebration. The first day of the so-called â€Å"Wiesn† is the most traditional one and it follows a strict timetable. In the morning, the â€Å"Festzug† (parade) takes place. The â€Å"Wiesnwirte,† the landlords of the fest-tents, are the main participants. They are soon joined by waitresses, brewers, and old-fashioned Bavarian shooting associations. The two parades head toward the â€Å"Theresienwiese† where the actual Oktoberfest takes place. Horses pull big wagons with wooden kegs of beer, gunners fire salutes, and the Mà ¼nchner Kindl, the personified coat of arms of the city of Munich showing a child in a hood, leads the parade. At the same time, thousands of people, sitting in the 14 huge tents, await Oktoberfest’s official opening. The atmosphere will be convivial, but dry: They won’t get a sip of the good Bavarian brew before . . . 2. Ozapft Is! . . . the mayor of Munich starts Oktoberfest at high noon by tapping the first keg. This tradition began in 1950, when mayor Thomas Wimmer initiated the ceremonial tapping of the keg. It took Wimmer 19 hits to fix the big tap properly into the huge wooden keg- traditionally called a â€Å"Hirsch† (deer). All wooden kegs come with the names of different animals. The deer has a capacity of 200 liters which is the weight of a deer. The mayor will tap the keg at exactly high noon on the first Saturday of Oktoberfest and call the famous and eagerly anticipated phrase: â€Å"O’zapft is! Auf eine friedliche Wiesn!† (It is tapped!- for a peaceful Wiesn). It’s the signal for the waitresses to serve the first mugs. This tapping ceremony is broadcast live on television and the number of strokes the mayor will need to tap the keg are wildly speculated on before the event. By the way, the best performance was delivered by Christian Ude, mayor between 1993-2014, with on ly two hits (opening the 2013 Oktoberfest). Traditional Bavarian gunners will immediately fire two shots out of a â€Å"Bà ¶llerkanone† just below the memorial of the Bavaria, an 18ÃŽ ©-meter tall statue which is the female personification of the Bavarian homeland and, by extension, its strength and glory. The first Maß, i.e., the first beer of the Oktoberfest, is traditionally reserved for the Bavarian prime-minister. â€Å"Wiesn† is local Bavarian dialect for both Oktoberfest itself and for â€Å"Theresienwiese,† i.e., the meadow where it all began decades ago.   3. The Ma The typical Oktoberfest mug contains one liter of â€Å"Festbier,† which is a special brew made for the Oktoberfest by a few select breweries. The mugs can be filled very quickly (an experienced waiter can fill one in 1.5 seconds) and, from time to time, a mug could end up with less than a liter of beer. Such a tragedy is deemed a â€Å"Schankbetrug† (pouring-fraud). There is even an association, the â€Å"Verein gegen betrà ¼gerisches Einschenken e.V.† (association against fraudulent pouring), which makes spot checks to guarantee that everybody will get the right amount of beer. To make fraud even more difficult, the â€Å"Maßkrà ¼ge† are made of glass. If you want to drink your beer out of a traditional â€Å"Stein† (stone mug), you can visit the â€Å"Oide Wiesn† (old Wiesn), a special Oktoberfest area where you can experience Oktoberfest as it was practiced in days of yore, with old-fashioned â€Å"Blasmusik† (brass-band music ) and original attractions from 1900 through the 1980s. Taking your Maß home isn’t a good idea because it is seen as theft and might lead to getting acquainted with the Bavarian police. But, of course, you can buy one as a souvenir. Sadly, the delightful beer, with its slightly higher alcohol content, combined with a heavy mug in one’s hand, frequently leads to harsh â€Å"Bierzeltschlgereien† (beer-tent brawling), fights that can end very seriously. To avoid that and other criminal acts,  the police patrol the Festwiese. 4. The Police Every officer on duty volunteers his/her time for Oktoberfest. For most of them, it’s both an honor and a significant challenge. The high amounts of alcohol consumed on the Wiesn lead to numerous fights and beatings. Besides that, the dark sides of Oktoberfest include theft and rape. Three hundred police officers are therefore on duty in the local police-station which is located in an underground building beneath the Theresienwiese. Additionally, over 300 more officers make sure that this mass event remains safe. If you plan to visit this episode of Bavarian madness, you should be aware of the dangers caused by thousands of drunk people all over the place. Especially as a tourist or non-Bavarian, you should also be aware of the beer. 5. The Beer It is not harmless, but it is, or can be, delightfully mischievous. Oktoberfestbier is not an ordinary beer, especially for those who come from the USA or Australia. German beer itself is rather strong in taste and alcohol, but Oktoberfestbier is even stronger. It must contain between 5.8% to 6.4% alcohol and be brewed in one of the six Munich-based breweries. Besides that, the beer is very â€Å"sà ¼ffig† (tasty), which means that you will empty your mug much quicker than you might have intended- one does not sip â€Å"Festbier† daintily. That’s why so many tourists, unfamiliar with German beer, can be found on the â€Å"Besoffenenhà ¼gel† (hill of the drunks) after three or four Maß- a little hill where all the wasted people sleep off their Wiesn experience. If you don’t want to end up there, just enjoy the fest as the locals do: have a â€Å"Brezn† (a typical Munich pretzel), drink slowly, and enjoy the annual Bavarian madhouse.

Discuss the content and visual strategies Essay

Discuss the content and visual strategies - Essay Example Despite the authors portraying different cultural and political issues, there are similarities between the two graphic novels. In the story Maus, Spiegelman explores the experiences of holocaust survivors. The author is able to achieve this through an interview, which involves his father. The sentiments and experiences of the author’s father are instrumental in the novel since he was a polish Jew and witnessed the holocaust(Hungerford 28). The author depicts the experiences documented from the interview with his father using a postmodern approach of animal characters. For instance, the Jews are likened with mice characters while the Poles and Germans are pigs and cats respectively. The political and social situation experienced in the period is evident in the characterization of Spiegelman’s work. The work is unique since the political events are inclined towards the Jewish perspective hence portraying the experiences of the victims. In Spiegelman’s work, the mos t salient inclusion is the use of animal characters. It is apparent that the author has employed a combination of symbolism, allegory and imagery in order to illustrate the story. The animal choices are deliberate since they have symbolic intonations. Considering the perspective of the author, the symbolism of rats, which was the animal character of Jews depicted the negative perceptions of the poles and Germans towards the Jews. The character suggests that the Jews were viewed as pests. The symbolism of Germans as cats showed that they preyed on the hapless Jews, while the character depicting the Poles as pigs was based on the Germans referring to the poles as such. This symbolism also suggested that the poles were cunning and only sought to serve their interests. There are other characters in the book whereby the Americans and the French are represented by the animal characters of dogs and frogs respectively. The novel also involves allusion off actual incidences and places that w ere experienced during the holocaust. This can be attributed to the contribution of his father who was a witness of the holocaust. It is safe to make the assumptions that the information in the book is presented with accuracy. This is evident in the character of Vladek whereby there is evidence the events presented by the character coincide with historical fact. In addition, the author includes an actual map of the infamous Auschwitz a concentration camp a venue that was used during the holocaust (Hungerford 31). The map of the camp is instrumental in depicting the dire situation the Jews faced during the period. From the picture, the audience can tell that it was impossible to escape from the camp reiterating the helpless situation, which the Jews experienced. The comic strip in Maus was instrumental in reinforcing the author’s sentiments. The use of illustrations made it possible for the audience to connect emotionally with the work. Some of the emotions, which can be exper ienced in the comic strip, include frustration, despair anticipation, anger and relief (Hungerford 32). The art appears to spill from the frames illustrating excitement. This is an indication of the feelings being experienced in the characters in this instance the birth of Richiev. In order to increase the effect of the art to the audience, the author fractured, interconnected and broadened slides according to the message he was willing to send. In the novel Palestine, Sacco