WHAT WAS ST. PAUL THINKING…….

….when he urged us to "put on the armor of God? (Eph. 6:10)" And how do peaceful, pacifist, Mennonites "put on the armor of God" and "fight the good fight of faith?" Where (besides divine inspiration) did Paul, the apostle of the gospel of peace and of the Prince of Peace even get the idea of suiting up in armor and weaponry like that of the common Roman soldier of the time? The drama which you can access at Download ephesians_6_armor.doc gives an imaginative attempt at the source of Paul's military metaphor and at its meaning. For example:

 Paul: Sergeant, please tell us about your armor and weaponry. Think of it as my first lesson upon induction.

Gaius: After we shave your head, knock ya around some, and beat all the compassion, individualism and independent thinkin' outta you?

Paul: Uh…..Do you mind if we skip that part, please?

Gaius: Sure. You earned yer stripes already, literally. First thing you gotta know is what you're gettin' into. If you're afraid of fights and having enemies, go back home.

Tychicus: Paul has plenty of those……

Mathew Swora, pastor