Commentary - Ephesians 1:15-23

Bird's-eye view

After laying a breathtaking foundation of our salvation in the eternal counsels of God (vv. 3-14), the Apostle Paul pivots from doxology to intercession. This is not an afterthought, but the necessary application. If the truths of election, redemption, and inheritance are as glorious as he has just described, then the most pressing need for believers is to have their eyes opened to actually see and grasp what they have been given. This prayer is therefore a request for divine illumination. Paul prays that the Ephesian saints would be given a spirit of wisdom and revelation, not to learn new doctrinal data points, but to have the existing truths explode in their hearts with reality and power. The central object of this enlightened knowledge is threefold: the hope of God's calling, the glorious riches of His inheritance in the saints, and the immeasurable power of God that is at work for us. And this is no ordinary power; it is the very same power that raised Jesus from the dead and seated Him at the right hand of the Father, supreme over all cosmic rulers and authorities, both now and forever. The passage culminates by identifying the Church as the body and fullness of this exalted Christ, who fills all in all. In short, Paul prays that we would understand the hope before us, the value God places on us, and the power working in us, all of which is defined by the absolute cosmic supremacy of Jesus Christ.

This is one of the densest and most glorious prayers in all of Scripture. It serves as a vital link between the high-octane doctrine of the first half of Ephesians (the credenda, what we are to believe) and the practical ethics of the second half (the agenda, what we are to do). A Christian cannot be expected to walk worthy of his calling if he is blind to the nature of that calling. This prayer is the petition for 20/20 spiritual vision.

Outline

Context In Ephesians

This passage flows directly out of the magnificent hymn of praise in Ephesians 1:3-14. Having celebrated the work of the Father in election, the Son in redemption, and the Spirit in sealing, Paul now demonstrates the pastoral response to such glorious truth: prayer. He doesn't say, "Now that you know all this, try harder." He says, "Because all this is true, I am praying that God would make it real to you." This prayer acts as a bridge. It connects the objective reality of our position in Christ with the subjective appropriation of that reality. It is the hinge between the indicatives of the gospel (what God has done) and the imperatives of the Christian life (what we are to do), which dominate chapters 4-6. Without the spiritual sight Paul prays for here, the commands to "walk in a manner worthy" (Eph 4:1) would be impossible and crushing. But with eyes opened to the hope, the riches, and the power available to us, obedience becomes a joyful and reasonable response.

Key Issues

The Logic of Thanksgiving

Paul begins his prayer with thanksgiving, and this is not just polite throat-clearing. The reason he gives thanks is that he has heard of their "faith in the Lord Jesus" and their "love for all the saints." This is the classic, irreducible summary of genuine Christianity. Faith is the vertical beam of the cross, our trust fixed on Christ alone. Love is the horizontal beam, the outworking of that faith toward our brothers and sisters. Where these two things are present, God is at work. Paul sees the fruit and gives thanks to the divine Gardener. This provides the ground and the logic for his subsequent requests. He is not praying that they would become Christians; he is praying that, as Christians, they would enter into the depths of what that means. He sees the smoke, so he thanks God for the fire and prays that it would become a great blaze.

Verse by Verse Commentary

15 For this reason I too, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which exists among you and your love for all the saints,

The phrase "For this reason" links everything that follows to the glorious recitation of spiritual blessings in verses 3-14. Because God has chosen, redeemed, and sealed you, Paul says, I am responding in a particular way. His response is triggered by the good report he has received about them. Notice the two pillars of their reputation: faith and love. Faith is directed toward the Lord Jesus, the root of our spiritual life. Love is directed toward all the saints, the fruit of our spiritual life. This is not love for the lovely, or love for their immediate circle, but love for all the saints. This is the tangible evidence of genuine conversion, and it is the foundation upon which Paul builds his prayer.

16 do not cease giving thanks for you, while making mention of you in my prayers:

Paul's gratitude is not a fleeting emotion; it is a constant, ongoing ministry. His prayer life is marked by persistent intercession fueled by thanksgiving. He doesn't just thank God in general; he makes specific "mention" of the Ephesians. This is a model for all pastoral care and Christian friendship. We see the grace of God in others, we thank God for it, and this thanksgiving fuels our prayers for them to have more of that grace. It is a blessed, self-reinforcing cycle.

17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the full knowledge of Him,

Here is the petition itself. He addresses God in two magnificent ways: as "the God of our Lord Jesus Christ," highlighting God's authority over the incarnate and now exalted Son, and as "the Father of glory," identifying Him as the source of all splendor, majesty, and radiance. The request is that this glorious God would grant them a "Spirit of wisdom and of revelation." This is likely a reference to the Holy Spirit, who imparts these gifts. This is not a prayer for new, extra-biblical revelation, but for a spirit-wrought ability to understand the revelation already given. The goal is not abstract knowledge, but "the full knowledge of Him." Paul wants them to know God, not just know about God. All true spiritual wisdom leads to a deeper, more intimate, more awestruck knowledge of the person of God.

18 so that you, the eyes of your heart having been enlightened, will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,

This verse explains the result of receiving that spirit of wisdom. The "eyes of your heart" being enlightened is a beautiful Hebraism for deep, intuitive, personal understanding. This is not just intellectual assent. This is a "seeing" that engages the whole person. And what does Paul want them to see? First, "the hope of His calling." This is the confident, certain expectation of future glory that results from God's effectual call on our lives. God called us out of darkness, and He has a destination in mind. Paul wants us to know, to feel the gravitational pull of, that future. Second, he wants us to know "the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints." This is a staggering phrase. The common interpretation is that this refers to our inheritance in heaven. But the grammar points to something even more astounding: it refers to the inheritance that God possesses in His people. We are God's inheritance. God looks at the redeemed church, and He sees a treasure of immense value, the glorious riches He has won for Himself. Paul is praying that we would understand how much God treasures us.

19 and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe according to the working of the might of His strength,

The third thing he wants us to know is the power. And Paul heaps up four different Greek words for power here (dunamis, energeia, kratos, ischus) to emphasize its sheer magnitude. This is not just great power, but surpassing greatness of power. And this power is not a general, abstract force; it is directed "toward us who believe." This is the active, operational power of God at work for the benefit of His people. It is the power that saves us, keeps us, and will one day glorify us.

20 which He worked in Christ, by raising Him from the dead and seating Him at His right hand in the heavenly places,

How do we measure this immeasurable power? Paul gives us a benchmark, an historical demonstration. It is the very same power that God exerted when He raised Jesus Christ from the dead. The resurrection was the ultimate power move, the reversal of the curse, the defeat of death itself. That same explosive, death-conquering power is what is at work in you. But it doesn't stop there. This power also "seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places." This is the language of ascension and enthronement. The right hand of God is the position of supreme authority and power. The resurrection got Christ out of the grave; the ascension put Him on the throne of the universe.

21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.

Paul wants to be absolutely clear about the extent of Christ's reign. His throne is not just one among many. It is far above all competitors. He lists various categories of angelic or spiritual rulers, "rule and authority and power and dominion", and says Christ is supreme over them all, whether they be good or evil. His authority is not limited to spiritual beings either; it is over "every name that is named," meaning every title, every position of influence, every earthly king, president, or CEO. This supremacy is not temporary; it applies "not only in this age but also in the one to come." Christ's reign is absolute, comprehensive, and eternal.

22 And HE PUT ALL THINGS IN SUBJECTION UNDER HIS FEET, and gave Him as head over all things to the church,

Quoting from Psalm 8, Paul summarizes this total authority. God the Father has put everything in the cosmos under the feet of the exalted Christ. Nothing is excluded. And then comes the stunning application. This one who is head over all things has been given to the church. The cosmic king is a gift to His people. His universal authority is not exercised for His own benefit alone, but for the good, the protection, and the ultimate victory of His church.

23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

The relationship is then defined with two profound metaphors. The church is His "body," organically connected to Him as the head, directed by Him, and serving as His physical presence in the world. Then, the church is described as "the fullness of Him." This is a mind-bending concept. Christ, in His glory, fills the entire universe. And yet, in a mysterious way, the church is His "fullness" or His complement. As a head requires a body to be complete, so Christ the head has chosen to unite Himself with His body, the church, in order to bring His redemptive project to its fulfillment. We do not add to His deity, but we are the vessel through which His glory is displayed and His kingdom is administered in the world. He who fills everything is, in turn, being "filled up" by the people He has redeemed.

Application

This is not a prayer to be merely admired; it is a prayer to be prayed. Every Christian ought to take these verses and pray them regularly for themselves, for their families, and for their church. We live in a world that is constantly trying to blind us, to shrink our conception of God, and to make us forget what we have in Christ. The application, then, is to join Paul in his prayer.

We must pray for our eyes to be opened. Are you discouraged? Pray that God would show you the hope of His calling. Do you feel worthless or insignificant? Pray that God would show you the riches of His glory in you, His treasured inheritance. Do you feel weak, helpless in the face of temptation or trial? Pray that God would give you a true grasp of the surpassing greatness of His power, the very power that raised Christ from the dead, that is at work on your behalf.

And we must live in light of the reality that our Lord Jesus is on the throne of the cosmos. He is not wringing His hands. He is not losing. He is far above every ruler, every authority, every cultural trend, and every political crisis. All things are under His feet. And this cosmic King has given Himself to us, His church. We are not a beleaguered minority fighting a losing battle. We are the body of the one who fills all in all. Therefore, we should live with confidence, with courage, and with a deep and abiding sense of gratitude. Our doctrine must fuel our doxology, and our doxology must fuel our daily lives.