Pastors Jim and Marie Watt
“EPHESIANS 1:15 – 2:10”
SUMMARY: THE GLORIOUS MYSTERY OF THE GOSPEL CHURCH
C. 1:15 – 2:10 GIFT OF SALVATION: PRODUCES WORKS THAT CORRESPOND
a. 1:15-23 PAUL’S PRAYER: FOR A REVELATION OF THE POWER OF THE INDWELLING CHRIST
DiA TOUto ka’ ’GO,
For this cause I also,
a-KOUsas ten kath’ huMAS PIStin en to KuRIo IeSOU,
having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which is among you,
kai ten eis PANtas tous haGIous [40],
and which is toward all the saints,
ou PAUo-mai eu-cha-risTON [2188] huPER huMON,
16 cease not to give thanks for you,
MNEIan [3417] poiOUme-nos ePI ton pro-seuCHON [4335] mou;
making mention in my :prayers;
HIna ho TheOS tou KuRIou heMON IeSOU ChrisTOU,
17 that the God of our :Lord Jesus Christ,
ho paTER tes DOxes [1391],
the Father of the glory,
DOe huMIN PNEUma [4151] soPHIas [4678] kai a-po-kaLUpse-os [602]
give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation
en e-pigNOsei [1922] auTOU;
in knowledge of him;
pe-pho-tisMEnous [5461] tous oph-thalMOUS tes karDIas [1271] huMON,
18 having the eyes of your :heart enlightened,
eis to eiDEnai huMAS tis es-tin he elPIS [1680] tes KLEse-os [2821] auTOU,
that you may know what is the hope of his :calling,
tis ho PLOUtos [4149] tes DOxes tes kle-ro-noMIas [1817] auTOU en tois haGIois [40],
what the riches of the glory of his :inheritance in the saints,
kai ti to hu-perBALlon [5235] MEge-thos tes duNAmeos [1411] auTOU
19 and what the exceeding greatness of his :power
eis heMAS tous pisTEUon-tas,
toward us who believe,
kaTA ten eNERgei-an [1753] tou KRAtous [2904] tes isCHUos [2479] auTOU
according to that working of the strength of his :might
hen eNERge-ken [1754] en to ChrisTO, eGEIras [1453] auTON ek nekRON [3498],
20 which he wrought in the Christ, when he raised him from the dead,
kai kaTHIsas en de-xiA auTOU en tois e-pou-raNIois [2032],
and made him to sit at his right in the heavenlies,
hu-peRAno PAses arches [746], kai ek-souSIas, kai duNAme-os, kai ku-riOte-tos [2963],
21 far above all rule, and authority, and power, and dominion,
kai panTOS oNOma-tos o-no-ma-zoMEnou ou MOnon en to ai0ni TOUto,
and every name named not only in this :age,
alLA kai en to MELlon-ti:
but also in the one to come:
kai PANta huPEta-xen [5293] huPO tous POdas auTOU,
22 and he put all things in subjection under his :feet,
kai auTON Edo-ken ke-phaLEN [2776] huPER PANta te ek-kleSIa [1577],
and gave him for a head over all things to the church,
HEtis esTIN to SOma [4983] auTOU,
23 which is his :body,
to PLEro-ma [4138] tou ta PANta en PAsin ple-rouMEnou.
the fulness of him that fills :all in all.
2:1-9 OUR HIGH POSITION IN CHRIST IS ALL A GIFT OF GRACE
kai huMAS,
And you he quickened,
ONtas nekROUS [3498] tois pa-rapTOma-sin [3900] kai tais ha-marTIais [266] huMON,
when you were dead through your :trespasses and :sins,
en hais poTE pe-ri-e-paTEsa-te kaTA ton aiOna tou KOSmou TOUtou,
2 wherein you once walked according to the age of this :world,
kaTA ton ARchon-ta [758] tes e-xouSIas tou aEros [109],
according to the prince of the power of the air,
tou PNEUma-tos [4151] tou nun e-nerGOUNtos [1754] en tois huiOIS tes apeiTHIas [543];
of the spirit that now works in the sons of :disobedience;
en hois kai heMEIS PANtes a-nesTRAphe-MEN [390] po-te
3 among whom we also all once lived
en tais e-pi-thuMIais [1939] tes sarKOS [4561] heMON,
in the lusts of our :flesh,
poiOUNtes ta theLEma-ta [2307] tes sarKOS [4561] kai ton di-a-noiON [1271],
doing the desires of the flesh and of the thoughts,
kai Eme-tha TEKna [5043] PHUsei [5449] orGES [3709], hos kai hoi loiPOI:--
and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest:--
ho de TheOS, PLOUsi-os on en eLEei [1656],
4 but :God, being rich in mercy,
diA ten polLEN aGApen auTOU hen eGApe-sen [25] heMAS,
for his great :love wherewith he loved us,
kai ONtas heMAS nekROUS [3498] tois pa-rapTOma-sin [3900]
5 even when we were dead through the trespasses
su-ne-zo-oPOIe-sen [4806] to ChrisTO (CHAriTI [5485] es-te se-sosMEnoi [4982]),
made us alive together with the Christ ( by grace have you been saved),
kai su-NEgei-ren [4891], kai su-neKAthi-sen [4776] en tois e-pou-raNIois [2032],
6 and raised us up with him, and made us to sit with him in the heavenlies,
en ChrisTO IeSOU:
in Christ Jesus:
HIna enDEIxe-tai [1731] en tois aiOsin [165] tois e-per-choMEnois
7 that in the ages :to come he might show
to hu-perBALlon PLOUtos tes CHAri-tos auTOU
the exceeding riches of his :grace
en chresTOte-ti [5544] eph’ heMAS en ChrisTO IeSOU:
in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus:
te gar CHAriTI es-te se-sosMEnoi diA PISte-os;
8 for by :grace you have been saved through faith;
kai TOUto ouk ex huMON, TheOU to DOron [1435];
and this not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;
ouk ex ERgon, HIna me tis kauCHEse-tai [2744].
9 not of works, that no one should glory.
c. 2:10 SAINTS: CREATED TO DO GOOD WORKS
auTOU gar es-men POIe-ma, ktisTHENtes [2936] en ChrisTO IeSOU ePI ERgois a-gaTHOIS,
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus upon good works,
hois pro-eTOIma-sen [4282] ho TheOS HIna en auTOIS pe-ri-paTEso-men [4043].
which :God afore prepared that we should walk in them.
NOTE: Several times in the complete Bible, the Holy Spirit leads various writers to record specific prayers, prophecies or revelations. This happened to the Apostle Paul TWICE in this letter.
His first prayer for the Ephesian believers is recorded in Ephesians 1:15-23. Many believers have memorized both of Paul’s prayers in this letter. There is such a depth of insight and revelation in this first prayer, that right up to the resurrection we will still be plumbing its depths.
It is our Heavenly Father who in Jesus’ Name will reveal to us the great grace that His Son both IS and HAS MADE AVAILABLE to us. To properly understand Christ’s “Finished Work in Redemption” on our behalf, means that pride loses its vantage point.
Oh, after 1900 years, may the prayer of Paul still be answered on our behalf by God our Father!
Note that the key words of this prayer in the Greek text are followed up by the numbers from “Strong’s Concordance.” One Adult Sunday School class in Canada in the mid ‘70’s went through two of these key words each week, presented by some 60 students. What a rich and blessed sharing that was!
Chapter 2:1-9 clearly points out our state in Satan prior to our conversion. And – THIS is the present state of ALL in the world who are not yet born into the second birth! We do not know those whom God has foreknown to know Him through His Son – but our CLEAR presentation of these truths will convict and waken to earnest searching after God – the LIVING God for all those He has foreknown and given to His Son as members of His Bride!
It was the faithfulness of my grandfather who awakened in me this hungering and thirsting after God.
THIS clear Gospel presentation will make sinners either “mad” or “glad.” This is the way the world of Jesus’ day reacted to HIM! The world and religious leaders HATED Him – and they will hate us too as we are intimately related to Jesus on the basis of this prayer of Paul.
Blessed searching – as we search for God’s fuller understanding of this passage.