8/10/17 Ephesians 1:15-23 “We are His body, the fulness of Him who fills all in all”

Ephesians 1:15 – Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, (compare with Colossians 1:4 & Philemon 1:5)

“Wherefore (by reason of, as a result of that which has already been stated) I also, after I heard (hearing) of your faith (or the faith among you) (pistis) in the Lord Jesus, and love (agape) unto (toward) all the saints (sanctified or set-apart ones).”

The word “after” is not a separate word in the original, but is assumed because of the context. It might also be read as “Wherefore I also, having heard of your faith …..” Thus, their faith and love is notable enough to be mentioned. So why, later on, in the letter to the church at Ephesus, is the very existence of their love questioned?

Revelation 2:4 – Nevertheless I have [somewhat] against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.

Paul associated faith with love, also adding hope (elpis – see Ephesians 1:18)

1 Corinthians 13:13 – And now abideth faith (pistis), hope (elpis), charity (agape), these three; but the greatest of these [is] charity (agape – love).

While they are commended for their love toward all the saints, it would not exclude love toward those who were not saints. But they were to give especial attention to those of the household of faith.

Galatians 6:10 – As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all [men], especially unto them who are of the household of faith.

Ephesians 1:16 – Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers;

“(I) do not cease (do not leave off from) giving thanks (being grateful) for you, making mention (or remembrance) of you in my prayers (keeping on remembering you in my prayers).”

mention – remembrance.

See use in Philippians 1:3-4 – ³ I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, ⁴ Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy,

and 2 Timothy 1:3 – I thank God, whom I serve from [my] forefathers with pure conscience, that without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day;

Ephesians 1:17 – 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:

the God of our Lord Jesus Christ – See Matthew 27:46 – And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

And John 20:17 – Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and [to] my God, and your God.

Ephesians 1:3a – Blessed [be] the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

the Father of glory – not “the glorious Father” but the Father who is all glory and from whom all glory comes. In the same sense that satan is known as the father of all lies.

John 8:44 – Ye are of [your] father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

glory – doxa (splendour; brightness; magnificence; pre-eminence; kingly majesty; the glorious condition of blessedness into which is appointed and promised that true Christians shall enter after their Saviour’s return from heaven) Here it appears to indicate the shekinah glory that is of God alone.

Isaiah 42:8a – I [am] the Lord: that [is] my name: and my glory will I not give to another

the spirit of wisdom – not “The Spirit”, as there is no article in the original Greek, and could represent the idea of an attitude of wisdom, or such wisdom as the Holy Spirit might impart. The wisdom of the Holy Spirit is implied here, though not explicitly, because of the next phrase “and revelation in the knowledge of him”; such knowledge can ultimately be only from the Holy Spirit.

1 Corinthians 1:30 – But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:

1 Corinthians 2:11-14 – ¹¹ For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. ¹² Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. ¹³ Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. ¹⁴ But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know [them], because they are spiritually discerned.
Compare this with Isaiah 11:2 – And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord;

Ephesians 1:18 – 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,

eyes – metaphorically: the eyes of the mind, the faculty of knowing.

enlightened – photizo (give light; shine; enlighten; illuminate; render evident or clear; imbue with saving knowledge; instruct; teach; give understanding to) Compare with its usage in Hebrews 6:4.

calling – a call; invitation (such as to a feast); an invitation to embrace the salvation of God.

riches – riches; wealth; abundance; fulness

“The eyes (mentally seeing) of your understanding (mind) being enlightened (rendered evident or clear); that you might know (perceive with those eyes of understanding) what is the hope (joyful and confident expectation) of God’s calling, (invitation to embrace God’s salvation), and what the riches (abundance; fullness) of the glory of God’s inheritance (that is, the saints who are the Lord’s heritage) in the saints (sanctified ones; Christians).”

Note that the saints are God’s heritage; He never inherited them from anyone for they were His possession from the beginning.

Psalm 74:2 – Remember thy congregation, [which] thou hast purchased of old; the rod of thine inheritance, [which] thou hast redeemed; this mount Zion, wherein thou hast dwelt.

God has invested His life on the cross to redeem that which He considers to be especially His, man who was made in God’s image. The fullness of God’s glory will be revealed (or should be revealed) in His saints.

The Ephesians are being told to properly understand what being a Christian actually means. It isn’t that we are going to live forever in heaven, etc, but that we are saved for God’s glory, that we may be His glory forever. We are His inheritance!

Ephesians 1:19 – And what [is] the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,

exceeding – surpass (beyond anything); exceed; excel; exceeding.

power – dynamis (strength; power; ability)

mighty power – ischus (ability; force; strength; might) kratos (force; strength; power; mighty with great power; mighty deed; dominion) This implies a power far beyond (exceeding) anything else.

“And also understand the exceeding (surpassing beyond anything else) greatness of God’s power toward us who believe (pisteuo) according to the working of His mighty power (according to the strength of His might).”

1 Corinthians 2:5 – That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

Ephesians 1:20 – Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set [him] at his own right hand in the heavenly [places],

wrought – energeo (to be operative; put forth power; to effect)

“Which (that is, the mighty power) God wrought (made effective; empowered; energised) in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and set Him at His own right hand (the position of co-authority of the Son with the Father) in the heavenly places (enthroned on high; in heaven itself).”

Psalm 113:5 – Who [is] like unto the Lord our God, who dwelleth on high,

Hebrews 1:13 – But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool?

That mighty power of God is clearly evident in the raising of Christ from the dead, revealing a power far beyond the authority of anything else in the universe! That is, only one who is God could do such; this clearly defines the mighty power (exceeding all other powers) that only One who is God can work.

Acts 2:30-33 – ³⁰ Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne; ³¹ He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption. ³² This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. ³³ Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.

Note John 17:5 – And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.

Ephesians 1:21 – Far above all principality, 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:

This statement of absolute authority and power applies to Christ as noted in the previous verse: “and set [him] at his own right hand in the heavenly [places],”

Far above – above a thing (of a place, rank or power)

Ephesians 4:10 – He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)

It has more to do with being over or above something than it does in actual distance above it. The cherubim were over (above) the mercy seat.

Hebrews 9:5 – And over it the cherubims of glory shadowing the mercyseat; of which we cannot now speak particularly.

principality – arche (beginning; origin; the first person to do something, or leader; first place, principality, rule, majesty; can be used of angels and demons)

“Far above (or Clearly above or over) every principality (first or leading position of rule), and power (authority or jurisdiction), and might (power – dynamis), and dominion (dominion; power; lordship) and every name that is named (the name which is above all names); this applies to all these categories not only in this world (age; this present age – aion) but also in that (world; age) that is yet to come.”

Christ has the name which is above every other name.

Philippians 2:9-11 – ⁹ Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: ¹⁰ That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of [things] in heaven, and [things] in earth, and [things] under the earth; ¹¹ And [that] every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ [is] Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

This world (age) and the world (age) to come has the idea of eternity, forever.

Matthew 12:32 – And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the [world] to come.

Ephesians 1:21 is a statement of absolute power and authority befitting the One who calls Himself the Lord of hosts (Lord Sabaoth). There is not one power or authority that does not come under the power and authority of Christ. He has universal lordship.

Colossians 1:16-18 – ¹⁶ For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether [they be] thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: ¹⁷ And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. ¹⁸ And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all [things] he might have the preeminence.

Ephesians 1:22-23 – ²² And hath put all [things] under his feet, and gave him [to be] the head over all [things] to the church, ²³ Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.

1 Corinthians 15:25 – For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.

Psalm 110:1 – The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.

A major theme of Ephesians is the building up of each individual Christian into the Church, a holy habitation for God (Ephesians 2:20-22), with Christ as the Head of the body which is the Church (also known as the bride of Christ). But while Corinthians proclaims that even all His enemies will be put under His feet (a sign of the victorious one), in particular in Ephesians He is to be the Head of the Church, the Supreme Commander, the Lord of all, to the Church. Paul uses this analogy a few times in Ephesians.

For example,

Ephesians 5:23 – For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.

Compare with 1 Corinthians 11:3 – But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman [is] the man; and the head of Christ [is] God.

head – kephale (head; chief; prominent; one in authority; can also mean the corner stone, according to Thayer) (encephalitis derives from “en + kephale + itis”, meaning “in the head” = brain + itis meaning “inflammation”.

gave him – an emphatic form of grammar that means “Him and no other”.

If Christ is the Head of the Church, then all those in the Church are under His authority and power. But not only is Christ the Head of the Church, He is also the chief corner stone of that same building (Ephesians 2:20).

This passage today, therefore, is emphasising the oneness of all the members of the Church, but all under the rule of Christ.

1 Corinthians 12:12 – For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also [is] Christ.

the fulness of him that filleth all in all – τὸ (to) (the) πλήρωμα (plērōma) (fullness) τοῦ (tou) (of the [One]) τὰ (ta) (that) πάντα (panta) (all things) ἐν (en) (in) πᾶσιν (pasin) (all) πληρουμένου (plēroumenou) (filling).

The fullness of the One who gives fullness to all in all. That same fullness would firstly dwell in Christ, and with that fullness Christ would fill all who were in Him, that is, His body, the Church.

Colossians 1:19 – For it pleased [the Father] that in him should all fulness (pleroma) dwell;

Note that the word for “fulness” signifies that the total amount required is present, picturing the full complement of sailors and merchandise on board a ship before it sailed. There is nothing missing, nothing lacking. There is a completeness that cannot be completed any more. The One who is completely filled will also completely fill, nothing lacking, all those who are His, the Church.

Colossians 2:9-10 – ⁹ For in him dwelleth all the fulness (pleroma) of the Godhead bodily. ¹⁰ And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:

Note carefully that Ephesians Ch.1 defines the group that Paul is writing to, the group he refers to as “us”, and that “us” refers to both Paul and the saints of the church that he is writing to. They are the “chosen” ones.

The calvinists love Ephesians 1:4-5 – ⁴ According as he hath chosen (eklegomai) us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: ⁵ Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

It gives them what appears at face value to be a reasonable case for their doctrine of election. But, be aware that while election is clearly taught, it does not include the extra teaching that the calvinists add to it, that the election is unconditional. That is, they teach that God chooses His elect without any regard at all to whether or not you chose Him! They claim that you do not choose to be saved; God alone chooses!

So, let’s look at this from a Scriptural point of view. Being chosen by God before the foundation of the world does not in itself exclude that choice being made by the foreknowledge of God – 1 Peter 1:2a – Elect (eklektos derived from eklegomai) according to the foreknowledge of God the Father

Note that “elect” (1 Peter 1:2a) is the adjective derived from the word used for “chosen” (Ephesians 1:4). Clearly the election (the choosing) is according to the foreknowledge of God, and it occurs before the foundation of the world.

It’s so simple. God knows all things from start to finish from before the foundation of the world. Calvinists have to accept this because to deny it would limit the sovereignty of their God. Therefore, God knows who will choose to be saved and who will reject God’s salvation. “But,” the calvinist cries out, “that makes man the one who chooses, not God! And, the Bible clearly says that God’s people are His elect, His chosen ones!” But, the truth is actually that both man and God choose!

Man may choose, according to Romans 10:13, to call upon the name of the Lord to be saved. It’s what the Bible says! But the man choosing God’s salvation cannot demand that God save him. Man calls upon the name of the Lord in faith, and trusts that God who is faithful to all His promises will save him. But, man cannot demand that God, in turn, choose him. Man cries out to God for salvation, and it is only the grace and mercy of God who is faithful to all His promises that moves God to choose (elect) the man who cries out to Him for salvation.

And, yes, God does indeed save that man who calls upon the name of the Lord to be saved. (In the same way that God is faithful and just to forgive us all our sins as per 1 John 1:9) Thus God chooses for salvation (His elect) those who have put their trust in Christ (“in Him”) who then becomes their advocate for salvation as per 1 John 2:1. They are chosen “in Him” (Ephesians 1:4). It’s interesting that Calvin actually leaves out those words “in Him” in his teaching on this. “Blessed be God who hath blessed us in Christ, according as he hath chosen us before the foundation of the world.” (Concerning the Eternal Predestination of God, Calvin, P 68) Why did he leave out those words in his quote? It should have read, “…. according as he hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world.”

The calvinists then claim that choosing according to foreknowledge is awkward, like looking (or peering etc) into the future (or corridors of time etc), as if God has to get out His binoculars or telescope to pick out any detail. But God (the great I AM) is present at all points of time at all times! No need to “peer into the future” for God is outside time and therefore time is a panorama spread out before Him from beginning to end. Why, then, is foreknowledge so difficult for calvinism? Or perhaps their God is indeed limited and cannot effectively use foreknowledge? Then he is not the God of the Bible!

And the predestination in Vs 5 is not unto salvation but a predestining to be adopted as children of God. However, God does predestinate our salvation, but only after we have called upon the name of the Lord to be saved. He does not pre-programme us to call upon the name of the Lord to be saved. Man chooses and God who is faithful then chooses those (according to His foreknowledge of such) who have chosen to trust His promises of full salvation in Christ Jesus.

So, the predestination of Ephesians 1:5 is actually a consequence of us calling upon the name of the Lord to be saved, not the cause. Predestination is also the consequence of foreknowledge, too, as per Romans 8:29 – For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate [to be] conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

And, according to 1 Peter 1:2a, we are chosen (elect) as a consequence of God’s foreknowledge. (Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father)

So, calvinists, please explain to me how Ephesians 1 supports calvinism?

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