Last night we began small group with a little modified Lecto Divinia . After reading through Ephesians 1:15-23 out loud in five different translations, we discussed what struck us about the passage. Ignore the rest of my blog and the world for a few minutes. Read this scripture aloud three or four times, and jot down a few things that really stand out in your mind.
"For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.When I was preparing for our study a few things stood out to me right away: the enlightening of hearts, the emphasis of power of God, and the fullness of Christ. After a more detailed study, much prayer, and some help from trustworthy commentaries, here are some of my thoughts regarding this passage.
Ephesians 1:15-23 is Paul's intercessory prayer for the Church and serves as a model of how we can pray for believers. Paul is clear that he is grateful for their faith and praying for them constantly. Even though he does not seem as if he knows the recipients first hand, Paul continually asks God to bless them. It is worthwhile to consider why and how Paul prays for believers.
In the verse 15, he begins with the clause "For this reason" and describes his prayer. Why do we prayer? Refer back to the doxology of Ephesians, we pray because the world as we know it is not the manifested plan of God. Paul prays for the Church because God is redeeming the world through Jesus and His Church. We should pray for people not because we love them, but because God loves them and people are God's plan. Paul continues to note that he is praying specifically that the Holy Spirit flood their hearts with understanding so that they may know God more, so that God's plan may come to fruition. I love people and I pray for people often, but this passage makes me stop and consider why and how I pray for them. Am I praying for what I think they need or am I praying that God's will and plan will flood their lives?
Praying for "Eyes of understanding" is a radically bold prayer. This is rabbinical reference to favor of God on an individuals life giving them the authority of God. Few people would be considered to have this blessing, and the Gentiles to whom Paul is writing definitely would not be among them. Yet Paul reassures them that they can know God and they can partner with God in His redemption plan. Awesome truth!
More specifically, Paul prays that the Holy Spirit would specifically help believers understand three things: 1) "the hope of their calling" - who they are as God's children. 2) "the riches of his glorious inheritance"- the greatest of God's plan manifested when God inherits the people He created for Himself. The original language here indicates that Paul is praying that they understand the richness of the King's personal inheritance - the Church- as opposed to the riches of a kingdom. Paul is praying that the believers understand why God wants a people for Himself, the pleasure that it gives Him. 3)"incomparably great power for us who believe", more specifically the fact that the power that rose Christ from the dead is the same power God gives to those who believe. The power aspect is so important that Paul elaborates in the next several versus that Christ has power over ever situation and in every circumstance whether earthly or spiritual.
Can you imagine what this passage would have meant to the people reading it? Here Paul is praying that the Gentiles realize that they are God's people and that was His plan from the beginning... that they understand how awesome this plan is and how much God is blessed by inheriting His people... and that they power that God has is bestowed to them because the Church has the fullness of Christ. For Ephesus, a city ran by political, economic, and spiritual power... this assertion is radical. What it mean for us to understand these three points in our own society?
What if we understood that Jesus had power over image and politics and addictions and poverty and war and mundane tasks in daily life? What if we truly believed that the power that rose Christ from the dead lived in us and worked through us to bring the Kingdom of Heaven to Earth and glorify God? What if the Holy Spirit enlightened our hearts more? What would that Church look like?
The NIV Application commentary suggests that a church that understands these points grows in six areas. 1) They grow in their compassion for their community and for the world. 2) They increase in prayer. 3) They develop a deeper understanding of their finite perspective of time in God's infinite plan. 4) They strive to think more and understand more. 5) They become increasingly confident in who they are in God and God's plan for the world. 6) They trust in the power of Christ and that power is revealed in their daily lives, bringing glory to God and showing others how powerful He is. I agree with these observations and pray that the Spirit will continue enlighten my heart in these areas.
Overall, I pray that every believer- whether I know them or not- and those yet to believe will know God in a deeper way, understanding the "the fullness of him who fills everything in every way"
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