Introductory remarks:
Paul begins this letter with church doctrine, and all through the letter Paul teaches us the Divine Riches of His Grace. "Paul greets the church at Ephesus as an apostle to saints. He praises God for the spiritual blessings He gives. He states that God chose us in Christ before the creation of the world to be adopted sons, to demonstrate His grace. God forgave our sins, gave us wisdom and knowledge of His plan of gathering everything in Christ, and an inheritance, of which the Spirit is given as an earnest until redemption. When Paul heard of their faith and love he constantly prayed they would know the full extent of what God accomplished for believers when He raised Christ and placed Him over everything" (A Survey of Ephesians - By Brenda).
This chapter may be outlined as follows: Salutation vv. 1-2: Spiritual blessings in Christ: vv. 3-14: Paul's prayer vv. 15-23.
Salutation
"The first chapter has, so to speak, a liturgical, psalmodic character, being, as it were, a glowing song in praise of the transcendent riches of grace of God in Christ, and the glory of the Christian calling" (Schaff)
Verse 1, "Paul an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are in Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus:"
LGT "Paul, apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, to the saints, who are [in Ephesus], and faithful in Christ Jesus."
Paul, apostle of Christ by the will of God: this is emphasized in Paul's letters to give us his divine appointment. "It was by no deferred or circuitous process that Paul came at length to learn and believe that God had ordained him as an apostle; but his convictions upon this point were based from the first on his own startled and instructive experience, which, among other elements of self-assurance, included in it the memory of that blinding splendor which enveloped him as he approached Damascus on an errand of cruelty and blood; of the tenderness and majesty of that voice which at once reached and subdued his heart; of the surpassing agony which seized and held him till Ananias brought him spiritual relief; and the subsequent theological tuition which he enjoyed in no earthly school" (John Eadie). To the saints: Paul labeled the believers saints, and later in the verse faithful. The only way a person can become a saint is to become a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. Every believer is a saint, and no man is a saint that does not believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. McGee writes: "There are only two kinds of people today: the saints and the ain'ts. If you are a saint, then you are not an ain't. If you are and ain't, then you are not a saint. Who are in Ephesus: this simply designates the locality of the saints. Some manuscripts omit the words in Ephesus stating they believe this to be a circulatory letter sent to all the assemblies in Asia Minor. And faith in Christ Jesus: this refers to the same believers. The first designation saints has the definite article, while faithful has no article, and is separated by a coordinating conjunction and, thus referring to the same group of people. A person does not become a saint, as the Roman Catholic church believes by being faithful; a person becomes a saint by believing on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thus becomes a faithful saint, that is, a saint full of faith. It is the faith of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Verse 2, "Grace to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ."
LGT "Grace to you, and peace from God our Father and Lord Jesus Christ."
This is Paul's regular salutation. Grace is God's unmerited favor poured out to all saints, and this verse gives us the Author of grace and peace, God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. "Paul takes these two words, grace and peace, which were the common greeting of the day and gives both of them a wonderful meaning and lifts them to the heights. The grace of God is the meaning by which He saves us. You must know the grace of God before you can experience the peace of God. Paul always puts them in that order - grace before peace. You must have grace before you can experience peace. 'Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ' (Rom. 5:1)."
Spiritual Blessings in Christ
Verse 3, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ."
LGT "Blessed [be] the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies in Christ."
Blessed [be] the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ: the divine Trinity is the first and only uncaused cause, that is, they are infinity personified. God the Father is eternal, God the Son is eternal, and God the Holy spirit is eternal; all three are of the same essence (homousias). "The design of the apostle, therefore, in asserting the riches of divine grace toward the Ephesians, was to protect them against having their faith shaken by the false apostles, as if their calling were doubtful, or salvation were to be sought in some other way [than by free grace alone]" (Calvin). Who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing: many expositors tend to compare the blessings of the Old dispensation and that of the new. In the Old Testament God blessed His people, Israel, with many physical blessings, as He chose them to be His nation, and He would be their God; however, as we know, Israel failed, and this physical kingdom will not be, until Christ comes back and reigns over it for one thousand years, known as the Millennium. Here Paul introduces the riches of grace as spiritual blessings for the entire church; these riches of grace are positional in nature, and will be completed when we arrive safe in the arms of our Savior, Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. These spiritual blessings are the divine riches of His grace, which every believer becomes a partaker of the moment he or she accepts Christ, and should not be confused with supernatural gifts given for the propagation of the Gospel of grace. (I have done a paper on these riches of grace, and if anyone would like a copy I would be happy to send them a copy). In the heavenlies in Christ: in the heavenlies is when these riches of grace will be realized, and we receive spiritual blessings by knowing them, that positionally we are possessors of them because of our union with Christ. The only way we can know what these riches of grace are is to study God's Word; and the only way we may be able to appreciate these riches of grace, is to be in fellowship with our Lord Jesus Christ.
Verse 4, "According as he has chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:"
LGT "Even as He chose us in Him before [the] foundation of [the] world, for us to be holy and blameless before Him in love:"
Even as: this phrase refers back to verse 3 to the spiritual blessings in the heavenlies. The great plan of God is that we Christians should be beneficiaries of the divine riches of His grace. He chose us in Him: as we study this verse, let me remind you that Paul is teaching Christians grace doctrine. We believers were all chosen in Christ, and that means that we had to believe in Christ, for this is the plan of God for our salvation. The idea that some were chosen and others were not is simply not the case. Paul is teaching believers about their calling, that is, what they were called to be. "Whatever the precise nature of this choice may be, the general doctrine is, that the change of relation is not man's achievement, but of God's and the aorist points to it as past; that man does not unite himself to God, but that God unites man to Himself, for there is no attractive power in man's heart to collect and gather in upon those spiritual blessings . . . the apostle speaks of himself and his fellow saints at Ephesus [of course this includes believers in all ages]. If God had not chosen them, they would never have chosen God. They are chosen not out of others, but chosen for a certain end" (Eadie). Before the foundation of the world: this great plan of salvation was originated in the mind of God before the world was. For us to be holy and blameless: some commentators choose to interpret this verse as meaning that the elect were chosen for salvation, and then once they were saved they were to live holy and blameless lives. Now this is terribly inconsistent with God's grace. The truth is we are saved by grace, and made holy and blameless by grace, and that we stand perfect before God in Christ's love, and kept forever secure by His wonderful grace. We were chosen to this perfect position, God did not force our wills and make us robots, "He is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9). Paul is teaching the doctrine of the eternal position of all believers. Once saved, the believer is immediately placed into union with Christ, and inherits immediately all the divine riches of His grace; these spiritual benefits are ours now, we do not have to wait till we die to appreciate them; these are positional truths that are given for our building up in Christ to maturity. Before Him in love: God is love, and His entire plan of salvation is love motivated; so it makes pure grace logic, that if God, because He loved the world, and sent His only begotten Son into the world to purchase our salvation with His own blood, that we believers, as purchased possessions, stand before Him in love at this very moment because of this underserved, beautiful, incomprehensible love.
Verse 5, "Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will."
LGT "Having predestined us for adoption through Jesus Christ for Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will;"
Having predestinated us: God has predetermined our destiny as Christ's Church. God has set our boundaries. Paul is teaching us that God has predetermined the blessed privileges in the riches of His grace for the believer in Christ Jesus. God never predetermined any one to go to hell. What he did plan was that all men would have a free will to choose whether or not they wanted Him. God has never tampered with man's free will; however, He did send the Holy Spirit to convict all men of sin, and through His Word, offer them free grace salvation. For adoption: "we were marked out beforehand for adoption, not before others, but before time as we know it." Every believer in the Lord Jesus Christ has been adopted into God's Royal Family, with all the privileges of fully matured sons and daughters. Through Christ Jesus: Christ is the reason we are part of the royal family, and it because of His sacrifice that we are redeemed. For Himself: "His image we possess - His discipline we receive - and His home, secured and prepared for us, we hope for ever to dwell in. To HIMSELF we are adopted. The origin of this privilege and distinction is the Divine love. That love was not originated by us, nor is it an essential feeling on the part of God, for it has been exercised" (Eadie) - According to His good pleasure of His will: when God determined to save sinners, it was not that His nature required it, but that by His love He willed it. Thank God for His tender mercy.
Verse 6, "To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us acceptable in the beloved."
LGT "To [the] praise of [the] glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us, in the Beloved."
To the praise of the glory of His grace: this is the response called for, for His predestination. "The ultimate aim of foreordained. Glory is an attribute of grace: that in which grace grandly and resplendently displays itself. Praise is called forth from the children of God by this divine glory, which thus appears in grace. The grace is not merely favor, gift, but it reveals the divine character. In praising God for what He does, we learn to praise Him for what He is. Glory is another of the ruling words of the epistle, falling into the same category with riches and fullness. The apostle is thrilled with a sense of the plenitude and splendor of the mystery of redemption" (Vincent). Which He freely bestowed on us: this grace, which He bestowed on us, is not a state we are in, but it is the gift, which He freely gives to us, making us gracious. This grace with which He graced us; I have heard it said, and say it many times over, "God graced us out." John Eadie quotes Chrysostom: "He has made us objects of His love; and He employs this striking and beautiful figure - It is as if one were to take a leper, wasted with malady and disease, with age, destitution, and hunger, and were to change him all at once into a lovely youth, surpassing all men in beauty, shedding a bright luster from his cheeks, and eclipsing the solar beam with the glances of his eyes, and then were to set him in the flower of his age and clothe him in purple, and with a diadem, and all the vestments of royalty. Thus has God arrayed and adorned our soul, and made it an object of beauty, delight, and love." As lovely as this illustration is, it does not really define being "graced out", for grace is not something easy to define; it is all that God could do, and has done for us, which far surpasses man's definitions. In the Beloved: the Beloved Son of His love. What is so majestic in this mystery of God's grace is, that God loves us with exactly the same love He loves His Son.
Verse 7, "In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace."
LGT "In whom we have redemption by His blood, the remission of offenses, according to the riches of His grace."
In whom we have redemption by His blood: This is Jesus Christ, the One Paul has been describing as the Son of the Fathers love. Paul describes Christ's blood as the ransom money paid for our souls. We were all purchased out of the slave market of sin with the precious blood of God's dear Son. The remission of offenses: our sins have been completely removed forever; every sin we have ever committed, are committing, and will commit; they have been removed as far as the "East is from the West" (Psa. 103:12). One may ask, 'if this is true, why not sin, in order that grace may much more abound?' I answer, 'do you really love God, who sacrificed His only begotten Son for you?' Christ said, 'if you love Me you will keep My words', that is you will allow Me to live through you. If a Christian doesn't hate sin, he or she may be a Christian in name only. According to the riches of His grace: Paul numbers most of the riches of God's grace here in this letter. This grace, which God graced us out, is the reason we are able to praise Him. We are saturated with His Word, and we respond with eternal praise.
Verse 8, "Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence."
LGT "Which He caused to abound toward us in all wisdom and intelligence."
Which He caused to abound toward us: This wonderful grace God has caused to abound toward us. "God knows that He cannot exhaust the wealth of His grace, and therefore He lavishes it with unstinted generosity upon us" (Eadie). In all wisdom and intelligence: this does not apply to God, but to men. When men are abundantly saturated with God's grace, and they understand that it is caused to abound on them by God, and they have studied the riches of His grace, the result is wisdom and intelligence in the soul, which results in praise toward God. This wisdom and intelligence should naturally be joined to the next verse.
Verse 9, "Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself."
LGT "Having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure, which He purposed in Himself."
Having made known to us the mystery of His will: a mystery is doctrine God had not yet made known to believers; these are doctrines that in the Old Testament were prefigured by symbols, but now revealed through Jesus Christ. A mystery is also doctrine revealed to those who are born again; that is, initiated into the Body of Christ, by being born again. A mystery cannot be understood by human means, it can only be revealed by the Holy Spirit in the Word of God. This is where the last verse is joined to this, God lavished His grace on us, giving us all wisdom and intelligence, initiating us by His Word to understand these mysteries of His will. According to His good pleasure: these mysteries were hidden in the mind of God until He was ready to reveal them to His family. Which He purpose in Himself: this refers to God not Christ, for Christ is mentioned in the next verse.
Verse 10, "That in the dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him."
LGT "For [the] administration of the fullness of times, to head up all things in the Christ, both upon the heavens, and the things upon the earth."
For the administration: a dispensation is a "stewardship" or an "administration", "an arrangement organized in all its parts" by God. "A dispensation is not made up of a series of disconnected truths and events, but it is a compact and symmetrical system of perfect harmony in all its reciprocal bearings and adaptations. The adjustment is exact, so that each truth shines and is shone upon; each fact is a cause and a consequent, is like a link in a chain, which holds and is held. It is a plan of infinite wisdom, where nothing is out of place, or happens either within or beyond its time" (Eadie). The context admits this to be referring to the dispensation of grace. Of the fullness of times: when the dispensation of grace has run its course according to God's timetable. To head up all things in the Christ: this refers to all created beings and things. All things are brought under the reign of Christ. Both upon the heavens, and the things upon the earth: this is the restoration of all things, not limited to intelligent matter, in the universe corrupted by sin, by the atoning work of Christ. "Heaven and earth are not in tune today - we are playing our own little tune. We have our rock music going down here (in churches as well as the secular dives). While the only Rock up there is the Lord Jesus. He is the Rock. He is that Precious Stone that is the foundation upon which the church rests today. And the day will come when heaven and earth will be gathered together in Christ" (McGee).
Vincent sums it all up:
"The connection of the whole is as follows: God made known the mystery of His will, the plan of redemption, according to His own good pleasure, in order to bring to pass an economy peculiar to that point of time - an economy which should be characterized by the re-gathering of all things round one point, Christ.
God contemplates a re-gathering, a restoration to that former condition when all things were in perfect unity, and normally combined to serve God's ends. This unity was broken by the introduction of sin. Man's fall involved the unintelligent creation (Rom. 8:20). The mystery of God's will includes the restoration of this unity in and through Christ; one kingdom on earth and in heaven - a new heaven and a new earth in which shall dwell righteousness, and the creation shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the liberty of the glory of the children of God."
Verse 11, "In whom we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:"
LGT "In whom also we were made a heritage, being predestinated according to [the] purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will."
In whom: Paul carries on the thought, in Christ. Also we were made a heritage: Paul uses the inclusive "we" here meaning he and all other believers. We believers are made a heritage to the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. I don't understand this completely; but what I do know is, that whatever Christ has become through His suffering on the cross for us, we become in Him; all that Christ has is ours; the closest I can come to understanding this heritage, in my feeble mind is, that we are joint heirs with Christ of all that He possess, now and forever more; we are not only loved with the same love the Father has for His Son, but we are eternal brothers, with all the rights of the Firstborn of all creation, Jesus Christ the Lord. Being predestinated to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will: all believers have been appointed to this marvelous position in Christ. "The plan of the universe lies in the omniscient (all knowing) mind, and all events are in harmony with it. Power in unison with infinite wisdom and independent and undeviating purpose, is seen alike whether He creates a seraph or form a gnat - fashion a world or round a grain of sand - prescribe the orbit of a planet or the gyration of an atom. The extinction of a world and the fall of a sparrow are equally the result of a free pre-arrangement. Our inheritance in Christ springs not from merit, nor is it an accidental gift bestowed from casual motive or in fortuitous circumstances, but it comes from God's fore-appointment, conceived in the same independence and sovereignty which guide and control the universe" (Eadie).
Verse 12, "That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ."
LGT "To the end that we should be to the praise of His glory, who have fore-trusted in the Christ."
To the end that we should be to the praise of His glory: this is the reason we are made a heritage. Who have fore-trusted in the Christ: the "we" in this verse refers to Paul and all other Jewish Christians who had hope in the Messiah before Christ's advent.
Verse 13, "In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise."
LGT "In whom also ye, having heard the Word of the Truth, the Glad Tidings of your salvation, in whom also, having believed, ye were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise."
In whom also ye: now he is referring to the Gentiles, now Christians. Having heard the Word of Truth: ye Gentiles are no less secure than the Jews who had first believed. The Word of truth has truth as its absolute perfect substance. The Glad Tidings of your salvation: the Good News that you are saved by grace, and that works were not involved in the least. In whom also: still referring to Christ. Having believed: having accepted the Gospel of grace. Ye were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise: This verse presents the simplicity of the saving gospel of grace. All three of these actions took place simultaneously. First they heard with understanding, then they trusted the Word of Truth and accepted the Gospel of grace, and then they were baptized with the Holy Spirit, sealing the transaction with the promise that they were eternally saved. If we attempt to add anything more we muddle the truth. The seal of the Holy Spirit secures us in the fact that we belong to God, and that He has adopted us as full-fledged members of His royal Family.
McGee adds:
"There are people today who argue whether God the Father or God the Son seals with the Holy Spirit, or whether the Holy Spirit Himself does the sealing. That type of argument wearies me. They tried to split hairs in that way in the Middle Ages and would argue how many angels could dance on the point of a needle. You toss that around for a little while, and it will get you nowhere. I understand this verse to mean that the Holy Spirit is the seal. God the Father gave the Son to die on the cross, but the Son offered up Himself willingly. So both the Father and the Son gave. God the Father and God the Son both sent the Holy Spirit to perform a definite work, but it is the Spirit who does the work. He regenerates the sinner and He seals the sinner at the same time, and I think that the Spirit Himself is that seal."
Verse 14, "Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the day of redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of His glory."
LGT "Who is [the] earnest of our inheritance, to [the] redemption of the acquired possession, to the praise of His glory."
Which is the earnest of our inheritance: the Holy Spirit is the first payment until we are the final possession of the Lord Jesus Christ, where we become the eternal bride of Christ. The Holy Spirit is the earnest pledge of eternal blessings to come. To the redemption of the acquired possession: "The people who form the possession become God's by redemption, and shall fully realize themselves as God's when that redemption shall be completed." "We have redemption so soon as we believe; we are ever having it so long as we are on earth; and when Jesus comes again to finish the economy of grace, we shall have it in its full and final completion" (Eadie). To the praise of His glory: all that Paul has taught these Ephesians concerning their eternal salvation brings a resounding praise to God from all who have responded to this wonderful Gospel of grace; and all heaven rejoices at the rebirth of one soul.
Chrysostom add this:
"Unto the praise of His glory: this he adds in immediate connection. And why? Because it would serve to give those who heard it full assurance. Were it for our sake only, he means to say, God did this, there might be some room for misgiving. But if it be for His own sake, and in order to display His goodness, he assigns, as a sort of witness, a reason why these things never possibly could be otherwise."
Paul's Prayer
Verses 15, 16, "Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers."
LGT "Wherefore I indeed having heard of the faith among you in the Lord Jesus, and the love which [is] toward all the saints, do not cease giving thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers."
Wherefore I indeed: Paul begins a new section here. Paul begins to pray for the Ephesians, for prayer always follows praise, and sometimes they are synonymous. Having heard of the faith among you in the Lord Jesus: Paul says that this church had great faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, which indeed caused them to love one another. And the love unto all the saints: the most important way you can tell if they love God, and that is if they love one another. Paul says that this church displayed great love for one another. Do not cease giving thanks for you: Paul thanks God because God's grace that was lavished on them was taking its spiritual effect on them, and they loved one another. Making mention of you in my prayers: Paul was far distant from them, and expected to see them no more. But he had faith in prayer, and he sought that they might advance in knowledge and in grace. What was the particular subject of his prayers, he mentions in the following verses" (Barnes).
Verse 17, "That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him."
LGT "In order that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you [the] Spirit of wisdom and revelation in [the] knowledge of Him."
In order that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ: This does not mean that the Son is inferior to the Father, for they are of the same essence. Paul prays for the Ephesians to grow in grace and the knowledge of truth. "The Son of God became man in such a manner, that God was His God as well as ours. 'I ascend,' says He, 'to my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.' (John 20:17.) And the reason why He is our God, is, that He is the God of Christ, whose members we are. Let us remember, however, that this relates to His human nature; so that His subjection takes nothing away from His eternal Godhead" (Calvin). The Father of glory: the glorious Father, for God exemplifies glory: glory belongs to the Father who deserves all praise and glory. May give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation: it is by the Holy Spirit that we receive wisdom, and the understanding of grace doctrine, which is revelation, or uncovering. The appropriation of knowledge is the uncovering the truth to us by the Holy Spirit; wisdom is putting these things into everyday experience. In the knowledge of Him: the Greek word for knowledge here is epinsosis, which means full knowledge, or knowledge fully understood. Knowledge of Him could read knowledge of God Himself. The Ephesians, as well as we today, never stopped learning about God the Father.
Verse 18, "The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints."
LGT "The eyes of [your] heart having been enlightened, for you to know what is the hope of His calling, [and] what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints:"
The eyes of your heart having been enlightened: the heart here is regarded as the seat of the emotions and the will. The reason Paul uses the figure of the "eyes", is that we all have been blinded by sin; the Holy Spirit has enlightened our understanding. Because of our salvation we are now able to understand the Scriptures, because of the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit; before we were saved, we were dead in our trespasses and sins, and we were blind to the truth. For you to know what is the hope of His calling: Paul says that the blessedness of the hope of what God has called us to. "Salvation is partially enjoyed by 'the called' on earth, but much of it is in reserve for them in heaven" (Eadie). And what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints: The glory is in the fact that we are Christ's inheritance, we are trophies of God's wonderful grace; we were saved by His grace; we are kept by His grace; and we are His inheritance by God's grace. The riches of the glory of His inheritance are all the riches of Divine Grace that we have inherited in Christ, and will be our possession throughout all eternity. Paul wanted the Ephesians, as well as all believers, to know that we are Christ's inheritance, and we have inherited all that He has inherited. I don't know all that this implies, but that is why I continue to study; I want the Holy Spirit to continue to teach me as long as I have breath.
Verse 19, "And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power."
LGT "And what the surpassing greatness of His power towards us who believe, according to the energizing of the might of His strength."
And to the surpassing greatness of His power: as our eyes of understanding have been enlightened, we see the surpassing greatness of His power. "The greatness of that power is not to be measured; it is exceeding, for it stretches beyond the compass of human calculation" (Eadie). Toward us who believe: all believers are recipients of God's Divine Riches of Grace; now this really displays the surpassing glory of His strength. According to the energizing of the might of His strength: by being occupied with the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ, by the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, all we have to do is submit to Him, and He will do a mighty work, that is, energize us; but as long as we fight Him, and attempt to do things in our own strength, we fail miserably.
Verse 20, "Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places."
LGT "Which He has wrought in the Christ, in that He raised Him out from among the dead, and He set [Him] at His right hand in the heavenlies."
Which He has wrought in the Christ: Christ dead body was the object, which the power of God was directed. In that He raised Him out from among the dead: the result of the power of God on the dead Christ. And set Him at the right hand in the heavenlies: the rightful place reserved for the Christ who left His glory to take on himself humanity, that He might save His people from their sins. "Three ideas, at least, are included in the formula, as explained in Scriptures. 1. It is the place of honor. Jesus is above all created dignities, whatever their position and rank, vs. 21, 22 It is the place of power. He sits 'on the right hand of power.' Matt. 26:64. 'All things are under His feet.' He wields a scepter of universal sovereignty. Vs.22, 23. It is the place of happiness - happiness possessed, and happiness communicated. 'At the right hand there are pleasures for evermore.' Psalm 16:11. The crowned Jesus possesses all the joy which was once set before Him. But His humanity, though glorified, is not deified - is not endowed with any of the essential attributes of divinity. We believe that the inferior nature of Jesus remains a distinct, perfect, and unmixed humanity" (Eadie).
Verse 21, "Far above all principalities, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come."
LGT "Over above every principality and authority and power and lordship, and every name named, not only in this age, but also in the coming [one]."
This verse is connected with the previous verse stating the place of authority, which Jesus is placed. At the present time Christ is head of the church, that is, believers in Him. And then in the age to come He will be Master of the universe. The beauty of all this is that you I will be reigning with Him.
Verse 22, "and hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be head over all things in the church."
LGT "And He put all things under His feet, and He gave Him [to be] Head over all things to the assembly."
God gave us to Christ as His gift to His Son for the wonderful work of grace He sacrificed on the cross. And we will be trophies of this marvelous grace for all eternity. "The brow once crowned with thorns now wears the diadem of universal sovereignty; and the hand, once nailed to the cross, now holds in it the scepter of unlimited dominion. He who lay in the tomb has ascended the throne of unbounded empire. Jesus the brother-man, is lord of all: He has had all things put under His feet - the true apotheosis (God man) of humanity" (Eadie).
Verse 23, "Which is his body, the fullness of him that filleth all in all."
LGT "Which is His body, the fullness of Him that fills all things with all things."
The church universal is the body of Christ, and He fills it with all things necessary for its edification and pleasure. "The church sustains the same relation to Christ, which the body does to the head. It helps to form the entire person. There is a close and necessary union. The one is not complete without the other. And one is dependent on the other. When the body has all its members in due proportion, and is in sound and vigorous health, the whole person is complete and entire. So it is to be in the Kingdom of the Redeemer. He is the Head; and the redeemed Church is the body, the fullness, the completion, the filling-up of the entire empire over which He presides, and which He rules" (Barnes). Paul continues this theme in the next chapter.
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