*Just a reminder that this blogging program will not allow me to post the footnotes for these lessons. Please know that all sources are cited and well documented, should you need a reference.
Ephesians 1:17-18
The contents of Paul’s prayer begins with an acknowledgement of God that not only identifies who He is, but also declares His majestic nature. Paul does not refer to God as the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, though that would be a true statement, but rather that God is “the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory.” Looking at this phrase, we should understand that the idea of submission is present. However, this should not lead us to see Jesus as less than God. Foulkes writes, “There is nothing in the expression which is contrary to his own sharing of the Godhead; for he could speak of the Father as ‘my God’ (Matt. 27:46; John 20:17).” Submission does not automatically imply inferiority. The submission of the Son, being His designation from all eternity, is modeling His hope for our submission to the Father as well. This is something that is seen all throughout Jesus’ earthly ministry, especially in the book of John. For instance, we see that Jesus would show His submission to the Father by stating such things as:
“My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work.” –John 4:34b
“For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.” –John 6:38-40
“If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and have come from God, for I have not even come on My own initiative, but He sent Me.” –John 8:42
While these examples are brief, we see clearly that Jesus was subject to His Father, His God, in Heaven. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are all equal in essence, existence, and authority, yet they each hold and fulfill different roles. The idea of submission here simply shows that there is an alignment in the roles that the Godhead utilizes in order to accomplish His divine will. In looking at 1 Corinthians 11:3, we read, “But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God.” Notice that the submission roles are restated here and even have a bearing in the human realm as well. Again, these submissive positions do not show inferiority, for just as the Son is not inferior to the Father, neither is the wife inferior to her husband. Yet, what we do see is an alignment that accomplishes the will of God.
The phrase “Father of glory” in an interesting title. McCalley writes:
The term Father of glory has no direct parallel anywhere else in Scripture. It bears some resemblance to “Lord of glory” (1 Cor. 2:8) or “King of glory” (Ps. 24:7). The genitive of glory stresses the characterizing quality of the Father. We could paraphrase for meaning by saying “the Father with whom glory is always present.”
Glory is God’s is goal. He is the only One deserving of such praise and honor, so much so that it is an inseparable part of Him. We would say that “He owns it,” in every sense, for apart from Him there is no true glory to be had or appreciated.
The first desire in Paul’s prayer is that God would grant his readers “a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him” (1:17b). The word for “spirit” here is pneuma and is sometimes translated as “Spirit” speaking of the Holy Spirit (as in the NIV). Understanding pneuma as the Holy Spirit here is an interpretive liberty that comes into conflict when considering the fact that Paul has already explained that the Holy Spirit has previously “sealed” these saints (1:13) being the “down payment” for the inheritance that they are to receive (1:14). A better understanding would be that “spirit” speaks of something that would characterize the saint. Wuest speaks of this as being “a disposition or influence which fills and governs the soul of anyone.” Lenski understands this in a similar fashion as “a spiritual quality or, let us say, nature that is marked by wisdom and revelation.” The use of “spirit” speaks more to the concept of a mainstay in the life of the believer, a habit that is developed within us as we progress in our sanctification.
The words “wisdom” and “revelation” are important because of the subject of which these things are desired by Paul is a greater knowledge of God. With “wisdom,” we find that this word is sophia which we examined earlier in Ephesians 1:8 in speaking of the riches of God’s grace which were “lavished upon us in all wisdom and insight.” The question may naturally follow, why would Paul pray that our wisdom concerning God would grow if wisdom is something that we have already been blessed with completely in Ephesians 1:8? We could easily compare the two and see that 1:8 deals with the subject of “the riches of His grace,” while 1:17 deals with a knowledge of God Himself, and this would be a satisfactory distinction. But we should also think about what Paul desires to see accomplished for the believer by the blessing of God in having his prayer answered. Paul wants those in Christ to have a deeper insight according into the Person of the Father. This is the essence of Christian growth and the seedbed for meaningful worship.
This matter is a dire one. As Tozer observes:
The gravest question before the Church is always God Himself, and the most portentous fact about any man is not what he at a given time may say or do, but what he in his deep heart conceives God to be like. We tend by a secret law of the soul to move toward our mental image of God. This is true not only of the individual Christian, but of the company of Christians that composes the Church. Always the most revealing thing about the Church is her idea of God, just as her most significant message is what she says about Him or leaves unsaid, for her silence is often more eloquent than her speech. She can never escape the self-disclosure of her witness concerning God.
“Wisdom” in the realm of Theology Proper, being an intelligence applied in relation to Who God is, what He has done, and what He is like is the bare basis for all genuine change that may occur in one’s life. This is the sole subject that strips one’s pride, bends the knee, and unfolds the heart. It makes one malleable and useful in the plan of God because it evacuates the small confidences in “self.” It is hard to see how there could be a great request made of God by one of His dear children. It is more of Him, and less of all else.
Paul’s use of “revelation” is the word apokalupsis meaning “making fully known.” Commonly this word has been related to the book of Revelation, which uses the same word, carrying the meaning of “unveiling” or “uncovering.” Hoehner describes the concept of “revelation” as “some hidden thing or mystery of God that is unveiled by God and cannot be discovered by human investigation.” This is something that God must “unlock” for us to get a proper view. Paul understands that the thinking of the saint must be changed before the actions of the saint will seek to follow the renewed mind and its new mental pathways which are now according to truth (Rom 12:2; Col 1:9-12). “Spiritual truth,” Clough writes, “must be illuminated to the conscience in order for knowledge and belief to occur.” Both insight and revelation are spiritual qualities that are positioned around the “knowledge of Him” in Ephesians 1:17b. This is what Paul is asking for on behalf of the congregation.
The implications surrounding Paul’s use of “knowledge” is deserving of our undivided attention. This word is epignōsis and occurs twenty times in the New Testament with fifteen of those being penned by the Apostle Paul, and the remaining five occurring in the General Epistles. Epignōsis has become a topic of serious debate regarding its usage. Some commentators see this understanding as being nothing more than “knowledge” or “recognition” pertaining to God and/or Jesus Christ. This would not be much different from gnōsis which “refers to what is known or understood, either through experience, perception, or revelation.” But it is the prefix epi- that brings about the intentional difference that Paul and the other New Testament authors are seeking to convey. “The function of the prepositional prefix epi-, according to Lightfoot, is to intensify and hence it indicates ‘a larger and more thorough knowledge’ than gnōsis.” While gnōsis “generally conveys the idea of an experiential knowledge (the product of experiencing by living),” epignōsis takes this understanding to a heightened level. Melick notes that “the compound form heightens the definition. In Greek, prefixed prepositions may be either directive, pointing to a specific knowledge, or perfective, emphasizing an accurate knowledge.” Ultimately, the interpreter must seek to understand the inspired author’s intent at the time of writing.
Many other scholars have noted this marked difference as well. Louw and Nida have defined epignōsis as “to possess more or less definite information about, possibly with a degree of thoroughness or competence,” while Wuest sees this as a “knowledge that is true, accurate, thorough, full knowledge.” Lenski sees this as, “the knowledge which really apprehends God, true realization in the heart and not merely that of the intellect,” and Hoehner agrees that, “one acquires this knowledge of God not only by facts from the Bible but by the Holy Spirit’s giving insight and disclosure in the knowledge of God himself.” As with any word under consideration, the definition only tells part of the story. Does the context surrounding the use of epignōsis gives us the indication that the original author sought to demonstrate an intensified knowing of the Father that is “larger and more thorough?”
Examining the use of epignōsis in Philippians 1:9-11, we find another prayer of asking, the divine reason for such asking, and the power that accompanies this “knowledge.” Paul writes:
And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ; having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.
The NASB95 has seen fit to translate epignōsis as “real knowledge,” coupling it with the abounding of agape and “all discernment” (being the only use of this word in the New Testament). The reason put forward is that epignōsis and its surrounding qualities allow for an approval of excellent things, which will lead to the believer being sincere and without blemish for “the day of Christ,” which should be understood for the Christian as their presentation at the Judgment Seat of Christ (2 Cor 5:10). This is also understood out of v.11 with the connection between “real knowledge” and the believer “having been filled with the fruit of righteousness” which points to deeds being done in a spiritual fashion. MacDonald notes that v.10 should be connected to v. 6 which “refers to the Rapture and the subsequent judgment of the believer’s works.” Hence, this real knowledge and the results that should follow from it have a goal of greater glorification at the Lord’s Judgment Seat. Clearly, epignōsis is being used by the apostle in the context of sanctification and growth leading to greater glorification. This use upholds the understanding of epignōsis as an intensified, “full knowledge.”
A brief examination where Paul uses epignōsis should suffice to continue making this case. In Colossians 2:2, the word is again translated as “true knowledge,” being surrounded by qualities of those who are already believers in Christ, namely that their hearts are knit together in love, and that they have the wealth that comes from a full assurance of understanding. These are not characteristics of unbelievers. This “true knowledge” is in “God’s mystery, Christ Himself.” Therefore, we see a deeper, intimate knowledge of Jesus Christ, seeing that they have come to a full assurance of understanding, for the believers who are in Laodicea (Col 2:1). In addition, Colossians 3:10 finds Paul instructing his recipients on godly living. He notes that the “new self” (see also Eph 4:24) is being renovated to an epignōsis in accordance with the image of God. Again, the apostle is encouraging growth truths in an accurate and intimate knowledge for these believers in Christ.
From the examples and discussion provided, it is clear to see that Paul’s use of epignōsis is meant to convey a deeper, first-hand, and even experiential knowledge that is spiritually wrought in the believer. Unless otherwise stated (as in Rom 1:28), these instances are largely found in connection with the greater growth of those who are already believers in Christ. Knowing what epignōsis is from a biblical perspective, we can now examine how this occurs, which is answered by the Apostle Paul in Colossians 1:9-12. It reads:
For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;
strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light.
Notice the progression. Paul’s prayer is for the Colossian believers to be filled with the epignōsis of the Father’s will in “all spiritual wisdom and understanding” (v.9b). This results in three things. First, walking in a manner that is considered “worthy of the Lord” (v.10a). Second, the believer will please the Father in all respects (v.10b). Finally, the believer will bear fruit (v.10c). With the occurrence of these three things, these Christians will grow in the epignōsis of the Father (v.10d). These are the bookends of epignōsis. Those qualities in Colossians 1:11-12 are the result of the bookends of epignōsis. The prayer of Paul for the Colossians to have a deeper knowledge of God is a deepening of doctrine and a honed accuracy that leads to a changed life, which results in a deeper more accurate knowledge. The similarities with Philippians 1:9-11 are evident.
Paul knows something that we easily forget: The more you know and understand about God, the more obedient and pleasing that you should be to God. We will never exhaust the riches of the Persons of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Therefore, His Word must be mined time and time again. He is the Creator of which we rest upon. He is the Provider and Sustainer of His people of which we look to. He is the God who speaks, of which we must listen intently. Paul’s desire is for the saints to grow deeper in their understanding and comprehension of all of who God is, because they have already had everything that they would possibly need for this growth provided to them (us) in Christ (Eph 1:3-14). The gracious gifts are freely provided but the spiritual knowledge needed to utilize such gifts is a matter of God’s revealing in the deeper things of Himself. This is profound grace that deepens the opportunities for our intimacy and fellowship with the Creator.
In Ephesians 1:18, Paul writes, “having the eyes of your hearts enlightened.” This phrase fits perfectly with the understanding of “spirit” being a “quality” in the believer’s life from 1:17. Phōtizō is the word for “enlightened” and deals with the removal of ignorance about something. It is known as the doctrine of illumination. This is something that can only be done by the Holy Spirit. To define the doctrine of illumination, it is the work of the Holy Spirit in bringing believers in Christ to a greater understanding of God through His Word. Enns writes, “At the moment of salvation the believer is indwelt by the Holy Spirit who then takes the truths of God and reveals them (illumination) to the believer (1 Cor. 2:9–13). Since only God knows the things of God, therefore it is essential that the Spirit of God instructs the believer.” This explanation shows the connection between “enlightened” in v.18 and “revelation” in v.17. So, while the “spirit” in v.17 is that of a quality or characteristic that is developed in the believer and should not be confused with the Holy Spirit, it is the Holy Spirit who reveals, imparts wisdom, and illumines the child of God in the deeper, experiential knowledge of the Almighty. It should be concluded that this is very much the head, but also the heart. It is very much epignōsis, but also conviction that makes the proceeding choices and actions fall into great compliance with God’s will. One last note: Illumination should always be understood in conjunction with the words of Scripture, which stands as the means of God’s special revelation of Himself. This means that every Bible student would do well to ask for the Spirit’s illumination when approaching the Word of God for times of refreshing.
The phrase “the eyes of your heart” is different to say the least. The word for “eyes” is known as “mental and spiritual understanding” in BDAG, and the “heart” speaks of “the seat of thought and moral judgment as well as of feeling.” If we were to ponder upon this phrase, we would come to a sense that Paul wants the believer to have deep-seated convictions based on a greater knowledge of God and His wondrous power that would reach to the point of dictating daily decisions and molding future plans as a response to this knowledge. Or to put it another way, Paul desires for the “reality” that the believer accepts to be continually shifted based upon a continual revealing and cultivating that comes from knowing God through His Word. In this way, the “reality” that the enemy has (ultimately) painted in this world is replaced with the truth as derived from the Scriptures. Again, Paul understands that a believer’s thinking must be different in order for there to be a life change that is pleasing to the Lord and which is in alignment with His revealed truth. This is exactly the progression that we examined earlier in Colossians 1:9-10.
The “eyes of your hearts” being illumined in the “knowledge of Him” has three specific objects in view, and they are:
1. The hope of the Father’s calling (1:18)
2. The riches of the glory of the Father’s inheritance in the saints (1:18)
3. The surpassing greatness of the Father’s power toward all believers (1:19)
In these notes, we will look at two of these closely to understand more of Paul’s desire for the saints’ growth. The third area concerning God’s power will be expounded upon in the next section. All of these areas in view are pertaining to the Church (or believers) as a whole. This is not an area of individual blessing, but rather commonly-received blessings that are anything but common. As Robertson states, “When the Holy Spirit opens the eyes of the heart, one will be able to see all these great truths.”
1. The hope of the Father’s calling (1:18)
Ephesians 4:4 says “There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling.” If we read the context of this verse we would see that Paul is speaking about the unity that all believers share in Christ. There is one body, one Spirit, one Lord, one faith, one baptism (4:5), one God and Father of all (4:6), and only one call (4:4). Hoehner writes,
“The first fact to be ascertained pertains to the past. A believer’s present hope has its source in the past when he was called (cf. Rom. 1:6; 8:30; Eph. 4:1, 4; 2 Tim. 1:9) to salvation. ‘Hope’ in Scripture is the absolute certainty of a believer’s victory in God (cf. Rom. 8:23–24; Eph. 4:4; Col. 1:5; 1 Thes. 1:3; 1 Peter 3:15).”
Are we settled on the understanding that eternal life is forever, guaranteed life? Do we grasp the “hope” of our certain glorification with Him? Ephesians 1:3-14 is clear that we already possess these wonderful things, but we are often without understanding in the things that we freely possess from the Father. Our assurance in this matter is paramount, being a vital stepping stone in the path to maturity, for the believer cannot and will not grow in their walk with Christ if they are always uncertain about their secured future. Instead of thriving, their earthly lives will be lived in hopes of securing the favor of God because they are unsure of whether or not they have it. This outlook not only denies the free grace of God toward the believer in Christ but stands in doubt of the clear teaching of His Word in that all who believe in Him have eternal life (John 6:47).
2. The riches of the glory of the Father’s inheritance in the saints (1:18)
The word for “inheritance” must be considered here in this passage, especially concerning its usage in the rest of the New Testament. As of first importance, we must remember that the word used for “inheritance” here is not the same as found earlier in 1:11 (see notes there). Every use of the word kleronomia in the New Testament deals with someone other than God receiving an inheritance. We see this in the parable that Jesus told about the tenants (Matt 21:38; Mark 12:7; Luke 20:14), the man having the dispute over their inheritance with his brother in Luke 12:13, Stephen’s description of Abraham being called to the Promised Land (Acts 7:5), which is also referred to by the author of Hebrews (Heb. 11:8). We also find that inheritance is apart from the law (Gal 3:18), that inheritance can be referring to a future reward (Acts 20:32; Col 3:24), the “eternal inheritance” that has been provided by Christ’s death (Heb 9:15), which has been laid up for the saints (Eph 1:14; 1 Pet 1:4), and even something that can be forfeited due to ongoing sin in the believer’s life (Eph 5:5), so much so that it costs them their inheritance in the coming Kingdom of Christ. However, not one of these instances speaks to God receiving believers as His inheritance.
We do see instances in the Old Testament where Israel is designated as God’s “heritage” or “portion” (Deut 4:20; 26:18; 32:8-9), but we do not see this type of relationship with the Church. Lenski writes, “The solution is not that we are here called God’s inheritance; here, in v.14, and throughout the New Testament the word kleronomia always means the inheritance intended for us.” In looking at the verse, we would quickly notice that it says “the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints” (emphasis added). Lenski explains that this word “is quite often used with persons and refers to what is mentioned as pertaining to them: ‘in their case.’” In other words, God has a richly, glorious inheritance in the case of the saints, meaning that the saints are the ones receiving this incredible inheritance.
If the first area of understanding in 1:18 was the hope that the saints have been called to, meaning the hope of certain glorification through Christ, then this second area of understanding is a progression to the inheritance to be received in that hoped-for future; one that is rich and glorious, and goes beyond simply that of Heaven. It is abundant in nature and is found to have been made available to all of the saints. Paul’s prayer calls upon the Holy Spirit to open the now-believing eyes that are still blinded with the remnants of dead flesh to the astounding reality of the Church who has been born again into a Newness of Life. It is only by better understanding what is out ahead that we can suffer through what is here below. By simply being content with the here below, we discredit and defame the Name above all names, because we do not live presently in the Life that He has supplied abundantly. Our earthly lives are supernatural testimonies of heavenly realities that have been given freely by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. While God profoundly loves His children and provides for them (John 1:12; 3:16), there is no Scriptural evidence that we are an inheritance to Him at the culmination of time. We are already His possession in Christ, for we have been bought with a price (1 Cor 6:20).
While we cannot possibly capture in print what the birth inheritance of the saints will be, we know that Paul’s thrust here is for the Church to grow in their knowledge of Who God is and all that He has in store for them (us). He desires for the Church to live like redeemed people, but in order to do this, we must think according to the reality that Christ has secured for us. I believe that Paul understands the far-reaching implications of 1) the power of prayer and how reliance upon it will accomplish infinitely more than we ever could on our own, and 2) that a deeper understanding of these things that have already been made available to the saints will have a lasting effect upon the influence of the Church in this world.
If life in this world is anything, it is uncertain.
Jobs are not certain; they could be taken or lost at any moment.
Parents are not certain; they could die at any moment, or just simply let you down.
Money is not certain; just ask the Federal Reserve and the depression of October 29, 1929.
Friends are not certain; high school, Facebook, and texting will make sure of that.
Athletics are not certain; you are only one step away from an ACL surgery.
Academics are not certain; someone always knows more, and they are not always right.
Recreation is not certain; because we will become dissatisfied with the game in one way or another.
Family isn’t certain; because grudges run deep, and sibling rivalry is a reality.
Fame is not certain; because the road passes through a wasteland.
Your spouse isn’t certain; because marriage is hard and not every couple fights to stay on the same page.
Your town isn’t certain; because your reputation can be tarnished.
Your “downtime” is not certain; because they just came out with Xbox 43.
Your body is not certain; because the longer that it goes, the more that it fails!
Only Christ is certain. Only Christ lasts. When Heaven and Earth pass away, only His Word will remain (Matt 24:35). Only Truth will last because only Truth is true. Paul wants the Church to know Truth; to be saturated in Truth. He wants the Word of Christ to dwell richly in us (Col 3:16). He desires us to seek Him with our whole hearts and store up His Word in them so that we will not sin against Him (Psalm 119:10-11). Christ died to make this possible and Paul prays that God would reveal to us the plentitude of all that has been made available to those who are “in Christ.”
How does all of this fit together?
In 1:3-14, we find that there are many blessings, in fact “every spiritual blessing in Christ,” that we have received, to which Christ has secured by his death and resurrection. All of these blessings have been freely given to us. This is grace! With Paul’s prayer starting in 1:16, we find that he calls upon God to grant the Body of Christ with a “spirit” (characteristic, quality) of “wisdom” and “revelation in the knowledge of Him” (1:17). Just because the saints have been fully blessed by God does not mean that the saints are completely knowledgeable of the depths of these free blessings, nor do they (we) have a developed understanding of our God and Savior who both created all in existence, and who also desires a personal, highly-intimate relationship with each and every one of us (John 14:23-24).
Paul’s heart is for God to reveal to believers the “hope to which He has called you” and the “riches of His glorious inheritance” in the case of the saints. Both of these realms of understanding consist of things that have already been done for the believer in Christ, and are blessings that the believer already possesses. The magnitude of these blessings requires an increased awareness of the saints, which can only occur due to the illumination of the Holy Spirit so that we are able to comprehend the vast measure of all that these blessings entail.
Before moving forward, the question must be stated: Do we, as believers in the same Jesus as Paul, pray prayers like this? Is this what we ask of God? Do we come to Him and ask that the congregation of the local Body where we are committed would be filled with a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the deeper, experiential, accurate knowledge of the Father? DO we ask for His illumination over our time in His holy Word?
Should we consider that the things that are currently on our prayer lists actually pale in comparison with how we should be asking of the Lord? May the Spirit give us wisdom and revelation in these things to conform to His Word in a greater way.