(Chapter 1.15-28)

by T. M. Hyland | Category: Studies In Ephesians: | Feb 1950

Having defined the extent of the believer's spiritual wealth, the apostle proceeds to disclose to these Ephesian saints his earnest longings on their behalf. He does so in a way that shows the transparent sincerity of the man and at the same time reveals the secret of his power. We are now permitted to listen to an apostle's prayer. Not a prayer occasioned by some special emergency or crisis, but part of those day-by~ay thanksgivings and petitions of his which in their totality he speaks of as "my prayers." He will divulge the very words of his petitions for them as he bows his knees in his Roman prison to "the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory." This is the prayer of a man who has had "visions and revelations of the Lord," a man with profound understanding in the mystery of Christ. Its terms will take into view the glory of God as well as all that is highest and best for these beloved saints. And what is the burden of this prayer of "an apostle of Christ Jesus " ? It is a prayer for knowledge, for vision, for realization. He knows and appreciates fully their present spiritual attainments. The evidence of their faith and love is the cause of daily thanksgivings in his prayers to God. But their spiritual wealth is so vast, so far above mere human ken, and he has forebodings lest they should fail in their realization of it.

To the unbeliever the spiritual wealth of the believer appears to be unreal and unsubstantial. There is danger, too, that tIle believer may become self-satisfied and self-centred, like the Laodiceans who considered themselves to be "rich . . . and have need of nothing" and yet were "wretched . . . miserable . . . poor . . . blind -

naked." Aware of the danger, with spiritual vigilance and intense love, Paul requests for them "a spirit of wisdom and revelation in tbe knowledge (Greek epignosis-full knowledge) of Him." Such knowledge is not a matter of the intellect merely, but of the heart: it is the result of" having the eyes of your heart enlightened."

There are three main petitions in this prayer. Paul prays that his readers may know

(1) "what is the hope of His calling,

(2) what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and

(3) what the exceeding greatness of His power to usward who believe."

"His calling," "His inheritance," "His power" ! A glorious panorama here opens before the believer. Blessed indeed are they who have gazed with spiritual vision upon it. The apostle knew in his own experience the transforming power of such a vision, hence his earnest petitions for these Ephesian saints. If these matters are

not taken into view by the believer then everything else will be out of focus. If the need for such vision was urgent in the first century is it any less so to-day? In this age of ceaseless and subtle propagai~da it is surely more necessary than ever for God's saints to ~ok into " the far distances" of God's purposes. There are movements in this world to-day which, viewed superficially, appear to be for the ultimate blessing of mankind, and many believers are lending their support to them. It is only when such movements are viewed against the background of God's purposes that they are seen in true perspective and are found to be running athwart the purposes of God. Hence the need for" a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him" that we be not deceived by the present trend of things in this world.

Let us consider briefly the scope of these three petitions of the apostle:

The hope of His calling." This is the hope connected with the call of God-it is the prospect He had in view in calling men to Himself through the Gospel. His call was based on foreknowledge and had eternal glory in prospect. Response to God's call in the Gospel brings the believer into the ambit of ti~~Lt great doctrinal statement in another of Paul's epistles:

"For whom He foreknew He also foreordained to be conformed to the imege of His Son~. . . and whom He foreordained, them He also cQlled, and whom He called, ttem He also justified; and whom He justified, them He also glorified" (Romans 8.29, 80).

Here, in Ephesians, all this is gathered up and expressed in the term ~"the hope of His calling." What a vast field is here! The enlightened and spiritually-minded believer will explore it with increasing delight.

Then there is the second matter in this glorious spiritual panorama which the apostle desires them to have in true focus-" His inherijance ~n the saints." "The saints" are God's purchased possession (verse 14). They are viewed as a Body and as such their identity will be p reserved in the ages to come. God has an eternal interest staked in 'the saints." They are exceedingly precious, and in due time they will be revealed in glory. "His inheritance in the saints " is a matter to which Paul would have these Ephesian saints give earnest attention. And not only the fact of it-wonderful indeed though this is-but also the character and the measure of it,

the riches

of the glory

of His inheritance in the saints."

This amazing expression baffles exposition. Let us seek more earnestly for spiritual understanding of its meaning, so that we may be able to rejoice not ouly in what God is to us, but also in what we are to Him.

God's 'purposes depend for their fulfilment upon His power. What men plan and what they perform are seldom in agreement; with Him plan and performance are in perfect accord. The scope and magnitude of "His calling" and "His inheritance" may well astound these Ephesian saints, and so the apostle utters his third petition. He desires them to take into view "the ecceeding greatness of His power to usward who believe." Then the apostle refers to the outstanding example by which "the strength of His might" is to be measured; it is that "which He wrought in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and seated Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all .

Men cast out God's Son and did so with every circumstance of shame and ignominy. What effect did such an affront have on the purposes of God? Could divine grace triumph in spite of such a display of human and Satanic hostility? Here is the answer to these questions: that which, judged by human standards, appeared to be a display of weakness, God has made a triumphant display of divine power. The world pursues its course and makes its plans without reference to Him who has been raised from the dead and seated "far above all . . . " The unbeliever does not take into account the presence of Christ in that unseen realm "in the heavenlies,"-the place of power from which divine purposes operate. How necessary then for the believer to view the exaltation of Christ to the right hand of power "in the heavenlies" as the measure of the power of God "to usward who believe" ! There He sits "far above all . . . " Far beneath Him are "all rule, and authority, and power, and dominion, and every name that is named." And "all things "-not persons only, but the whole created universe-are "put in subjection under His feet."

Could there be a more graphic description of divine power than this? Who can prevail against His power? And it is "the Man, Christ Jest�s" who sits there "far above all" in the heavenlies, exalted, in supreme majesty, equal to all that has been committed to Him. So recently H&had lived and walked with men here on earth. He had been mocked and spit upon and buffeted, and crucified upon a cross bearing the inscription "This is Jesus, the King of the Jews."

"A man of sorrows once He was,

Yo friend was found to plead His cause, For all preferred the world's applause.

But now He reigns with glory crowned, While angel hosts the throne surround, And still His lofly praises sound."

The apostle does not leave this theme of the exaltation of Christ until he has referred to the relation of the Exalted One to "the saints." The statement with which chapter 1. closes is of intense interest:

"God . . . gave Him to be head over all things to the Church, 'which is His Body, the fulness of Him that filleth all in all."

We shall be examining later some of the teaching of Ephesians with regard to "the Church whic'h is His Body"; but let us here mark the basic facts of this first reference to it in the epistle. Firstly, it is clear that" the Church which is His Body " and "the saints" are synonymous; both terms being used to describe the same company. We have already noted that "the saints" are "the believers in Christ Jesus." "The Church which is His Body," therefore, is the totality of those believers. The expression "the Church which is His Body" views "the saints "in their vital union with Christ, a union which is described earlier in the chapter by the term " in Christ."

Thus it is:

Thesaints.. ..~

Believers in Christ ~=k Christ=The Church which is His Body.

Jesus .. .. j

There is much important teaching in the epistles with regard to the Headship of Christ. Different aspects are dealt with in other epistles. Here, in Ephesians, we see that God has given Christ to be Head over all things to the Church. The pronoun "Him" (auton), in verse 22, is emphatic by position in the Greek and has suggested the paraphrase "and He it was-He of whom all this is true, Him and no other-whom God gave to be Head . . . " Christ is the Head, the Church is His Body, animated and sustained by His life. This unity, though a reality now, will not be visible until the Church is complete, when the Church will be seen to be "the fulness " (Greek pleroma~omplement) of Christ.

These are the facts here related; it is for us to ponder them reverently in the Lord's presence. As we seek to grasp by faith the transcendent truths here revealed we shall the more realise the necessity for the apostle's prayer for "a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge" ot God.

"Oh, teach us, lord, to know and own, This wondrous mystery,

That Thou with us, art truly one, And 'we are one with Thee.

Soon, soon will cone that glori~us day,

When, seated on Thy throne,

Thou shalt to wonda'ing worlds display, That Thou with us art one."

T. M. Hyland | Feb 1950
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