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“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them” ~ Ephesians 2:10

Similar to Tuesday’s post, this verse doesn’t need a lot of explanation on the surface.  We get the word picture: God makes us, and He makes us for good works that He has prepared for us.  Not a hard concept.

Whenever I hear “workmanship,” I always think of carpentry work.  I’m not exactly sure why, unless it’s because Jesus was a carpenter.  So, I imagine being made into a table, or chairs, or maybe even an ornately carved fireplace.  Something practical and useful; something that can be a thing of beauty, but doesn’t have to be.

However, in my Bible study in college, my friend pointed out something about this verse that completely changed how I viewed it: the actual word used for “workmanship” is poiēma^[1] – the root of our word for “poem.”^[2]

Poems in the Mind of the Ancients

That’s right, you are God’s poem.  When we think of poetry, we generally think of beautiful words, some of which we struggle to understand, some of which don’t seem to apply to us, and some of which are just silly.  We also may think of angsty and depressing fellows, such as Edgar Allan Poe or Lord Byron.

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“[Odysseos] dug a pit, of about a cubit in each direction, and poured it full of drink offerings for all the dead.” Homer’s Odyssey^[1]

“These are my prayers.  Over them I pour libations.  And now it’s your task to wreathe them with the flowers of mourning, to sing praises of the dead” ~ Electra in Aeschylus’ Libation Bearers after praying to her father for vengeance^[2]

But even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with you all. ~ Philippians 2:17

This is one verse in the midst of a multitude, and yet it describes a practice completely foreign to us.  Granted, we get the picture: Paul is being poured out for the Philippians, and he is rejoicing.  He is enduring trials, giving sacrificial service in order to bring the Philippians to faith.

Certainly, this is the case. And yet, he is saying so much more.  We understand the concept, but we miss the beauty of his reference.  Knowing what the Ancients thought about libations gives so much more depth to this concept…

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