Of belts and breastplates

It's not often I come up with anything that, I imagine, could actually contribute to biblical studies, in even the tiniest way. Like never. But I think I've got something. Maybe it's old news. Maybe somebody pointed it out long ago, and I just don't know about it. But I've never heard it mentioned, that I can recall.

This Big Insight does not rise from the depth of my spirituality, or from my profound understanding of the words of Scripture. It arises from the fact that, as a Viking reenactor, I wear and use armor from time to time, something your average biblical scholar only gets to do during that crazy week in the senior year at seminary, when he gets initiated into the Secret Global Conspiracy and undergoes the Unspeakable Rite.

Just kidding.

Anyway, I'm thinking of the famous “full armor of God” passage, from Ephesians 6:10-18:

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes.... Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place....” 

I've always had trouble with the symbolism of this whole passage. Is Paul just slapping random labels on military equipment, or are there particular reasons why he attaches one particular spiritual concept to a specific piece of gear?

I think I've got the belt and the breastplate figured out now.

For one thing, the word “breastplate” is misleading. The Greeks wore breastplates, but the Romans generally had more complicated armor. I can imagine Paul, sitting in his cell with some German-born soldier shackled to him, asking the guy questions. “What's that for?” “How does it work?” “Is it uncomfortable?” “Are you going to eat that piece of cannoli?”

What the Romans wore for body armor was a thing called a lorica. Usually when we think of the lorica, we think of the classic lorica segmentata, the lobster-shell contraption we've seen in so many movies and Sunday School illustrations.

(Photo credit, Matthias Kabel)

But in fact, although the lorica s. certainly existed in Paul's time, he would have seen a lot more of its predecessor, what was known as the lorica hamata. The lorica hamata was made of mail, very much like my own mail shirt, except for the extra padding at the shoulders.

(Photo credit: Greatbeagle)

OK, so here's the thing about mail. It's actually heavier than plate, per square inch of coverage. A mail shirt is lighter to wear than to lift, because its weight gets distributed over the body, but after you've had it on a while, it starts dragging you down. The bulk of its weight hangs from your shoulders, and that makes it hard to do soldier stuff, like fighting.

But your belt helps. A lot. When you strap a belt around your waist, cinch it up, and then lap a little of the mail over its top, it takes a lot of that weight off your shoulders, and after a while you don't even notice it. Much.

Until you take the shirt off again. Then you feel like you weigh about ten pounds.

So here's how I see the passage about the breastplate of righteousness and the belt of truth.

Righteousness is hard. It's heavy, like mail, a weight that bears you down and inhibits your functioning. Jesus made righteousness even more heavy, by demanding goodness of heart as well as goodness of deed.

The answer, Paul says, is to buckle on the belt of truth. The truth is that Christ has become our righteousness. We no longer have to carry the weight of the demands of the Law. Christ has carried it for us. And that's the truth that lightens our burden.

(Cross-posted at Brandywine Books)

Comments

[Margaret]

Neato, I always figured he was choosing his metaphors carefully.

[Bill R]

So which pic is of you, Lars?

[Mike K.]

That's a great insight, Lars.

[David_Layman]

Thanks so much for giving us your insight. I'm filing that one away. So are you ready for that second career as a neo-Viking Kasemann?

[Lars Walker]

This is me (foreground).

(Photo credit: Emily Chesley)

What's a Kaseman?

[David L]

What's a Kaseman?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernst_Käsemann

(Sorry, I initially missed the umlaut.)

[Margaret]

I hope you'll be filling us in on the other armor of God.

[George Patsourakos]

When we wear the full armor of God, we defeat all of the devil's schemes.

[Hunter Baker]

Quite good, Lars. Valuable.

[francesca]

It actually works the same with a backpack - if you get one with a belt, it takes some of the weight off your shoulders. But I wouldn't spread that around, because I don't want to be hearing sermons like 'put on the whole backpack of God...'

[Doug Roorda]

I have recently been introduced to a theory which seems more compelling to me than the "standard" comparison of the "Christian's armor" of Ephesians 6 with Roman soldier's gear. "The breastplate of judgement" or "righteousness" is mentioned in Exodus 28 and Isaiah 59, which would then link the Ephesians armor with the high priestly clothing. Here's one place that discusses this:

http://www.hornes.org/theologia/mark-horne/the-great-exchange

It's very striking in Isaiah 59:

15b Then the LORD saw it, and it displeased Him that there was no justice. He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor; Therefore His own arm brought salvation for Him;and His own righteousness, it sustained Him.

For He put on righteousness as a breastplate,and a helmet of salvation on His head; He put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a cloak.

According to their deeds, accordingly He will repay, fury to His adversaries, recompense to His enemies; The coastlands He will fully repay. So shall they fear the name of the LORD from the west, and His glory from the rising of the sun; when the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD will lift up a standard against him. “The Redeemer will come to Zion, and to those who turn from transgression in Jacob,” says the LORD.

Thank you for an interesting article, and try to be a good Viking!

Blessings,
Doug Roorda
Pella, Iowa

[An Observer]

I'm surprised that not one other person so far has noted what is surely the Apostle Paul's most immediate source: The Wisdom of Solomon 5:15-20.