We share our opinions and insights at SBC Voices, but we believe that the Voice that matters most is the one that comes from God’s Word. We present these daily expositional devotions, beginning with a tour of Ephesians called, “Walk Worthy,” in hopes of encouraging our readers to remember to Voice above every voice.
Passage: Ephesians 1:15-19
This is why, since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16 I never stop giving thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers. 17 I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father,[g] would give you the Spirit[h] of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him. 18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened so that you may know what is the hope of his calling, what is the wealth of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the mighty working of his strength.
Expositional Devotion:
Have you ever been so appreciative of another’s faith and love for others it drives you to offer prayers of thanksgiving and encouragement for them? I have. Thankfulness for a friend’s faith and charity causes me to pray that much the more that this faith and charity would continue and grow into even greater wisdom for the edification of themselves and subsequently the greater body of Christ to the glory of God.
Just after a wonderfully deep theological prologue, and while still in the opening of his letter to the believers in Ephesus, Paul writes his intercession to God on behalf of these believers expressing his (1) Praise for the Ephesian’s (a) lasting faith and (b) love for the faithful. He then shares his (2) Prayer for Encouragement for (a) greater sophia and (b) grounding satisfaction. Here is my translation and breakdown of our text…
- I do not cease giving thanks for you, because…
- I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus
- And your love* toward all the saints,
- (I am) remembering you in my prayers,
- that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, would give you
- a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him,
- having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know
- what is the hope to which he has called you,
- what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and
- what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe…
- having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know
- a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him,
- that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, would give you
*Agape is absent in a number of ancient manuscripts
It might just be a figure of speech, but when the Apostle says that he doesn’t stop praying for you, you can be assured that heaven is regularly hearing your name. Paul begins his words of appreciation by praising the faith and love these Ephesian believers have for one another. This sort of lasting faith faced many challenges in Ephesus. When you consider that these ancient believers lived and worked in the shadow of one of the “Seven Wonders of the Ancient World” it is not surprising that living out a Christ-following faith would bring communal difficulty. The Temple of Artemis and the goddess worshipped there was so central to the world of these people that Luke recounts a city-wide riot incited by the mention of the gospel message and its understood implications to their way of life. (Acts 19:23-20:1)
No wonder Paul expresses thankfulness for these Christ-centered believers. These people no doubt lived in difficult circumstances as a beleaguered minority. Paul regularly thanks God for this lasting faith and their love and compassion for others. The word used to describe those who the faithful loved is the Greek word hagios which refers to holy ones. They loved the saints, their fellow believers, those with whom they held a common faith. That this desperate community retained their faith and love for one another was a point of inspiration to Paul. He heard of their faith and he was inspired to continually pray for them and for their wisdom and God’s continued revelation to them. How often do others hear of our faith? If/when they do, how often is our faith life and love for others an inspiration to those who are looking on. Oh that our faith and love would inspire others to pray for our continued faithfulness.
Paul goes on to express the specifics of the content of his prayer. He says he is “remembering” or “making mention” of them in his prayer time. This is the Greek mneia which is “to remember.” It is the same root from whence comes amnesia (no remembering). Thus, when Paul prays, he does so, not with amnesia but a deliberate remembrance of these gracious believers. This statement must have landed on their ears as great encouragement. He prays that “the God of our Lord Jesus Christ” modified with “the Father of glory,” gives these believers a spirit of wisdom and revelation for the purpose of gaining more knowledge of God.
“Wisdom” referred to in their prayer is the Greek word sophia and has to do with not only knowledge but, when modified with “revelation” (apokalupsis), Paul appears to be suggesting a wisdom that may only be revealed by the Spirit of God. To be clear, Paul is not speaking about some sort of gnostic or hidden spiritual knowledge restricted to only specially gifted oracles but an awareness of three specifically articulated aspects of the Christian life which leads to a growing faith which is grounded in God’s work for the edification of the believer. This type of encouragement only comes about by God’s initiation, not by intellectual endeavors.
The three specific prayer items of which Paul wanted the Ephesian believers to be made aware include (1) the hope to which he has called you, (2) the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and (3) the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe. It appears to me that these items are eschatological in nature. This “hope” appears to be (as one reads further into the context of this passage) in the resurrection of Christ and thus, our own coming resurrection from the dead. The “riches of his inheritance” hearkens to the idea of having been chosen in Christ and “predestined by God according to his purpose” (verse 11). We are adopted as sons and have been given the seal of the Spirit of God confirming our kinship in Christ. God’s immeasurable great “power” toward us, encompasses his authority to create, to sustain and ultimately to raise from the dead those who are in Christ who he will keep for himself through all eternity. Note that God is the focus of these revelations and not the believer. It is HIS hope, HIS inheritance and HIS power. Subsequently, when the believer is aware of God’s work in these areas, a sustaining and grounding satisfaction is initiated that leads to further dependence on and assurance in God’s presence and participation in this life of faith. I love how FF Bruce’s sums up Paul’s hope for these believers. May it also be true of us.
“Paul prays here that his readers may appreciate the value which God places on them, his plan to accomplish his eternal purpose through them as the first fruits of the reconciled universe of the future, in order that their lives may be in keeping with this high calling and that they may accept in grateful humility the grace and glory thus lavished on them.” (NICNT, pg. 271 Bruce)
