Eph 1:15-23

1. Salutation 1:1-2
   
2. The Christian's calling 1:3—3:21
   
   1. Individual calling 1:3—2:10
      
      1. The purpose: glory 1:3-14
         
      2. The means: knowledge 1:15-23
         
      3. The motive: grace 2:1-10
         
   2. Corporate calling 2:11-3:19
      
      1. Present unity 2:11-22
         
      2. Past ignorance 3:1-13
         
      3. Future comprehension 3:14-19
         
   3. Doxology 3:20-21
      
3. The Christian's conduct 4:1—6:20
   
   1. Spiritual walk 4:1—6:9
      
      1. Walking in unity 4:1-16
         
      2. Walking in holiness 4:17-32
         
      3. Walking in love 5:1-6
         
      4. Walking in light 5:7-14
         
      5. Walking in wisdom 5:15—6:9
         
   2. Spiritual warfare 6:10-20
      
4. Conclusion 6:21-24 (reference, Constable, 2010)
   

• The nine spiritual blessings Paul identified in verses 3-14 are election, predestination, adoption, grace, redemption, forgiveness, knowledge, sealing, and inheritance. Stott summarized them as three: past election, present adoption, and future unification.
  

  Eph 1:15-16 (NIV) For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16 I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.
  

• What does Paul mean by "ever since I heard about your faith …?"
  
  • Could be a work was previously started -- that does not fit with Acts
    
  • Could be that his early works was so short that he had not seen much fruit during his initial visit. Later he would spend almost 3 years there teaching them
    
  • NOTE: Paul's first visit to Ephesus (on the sea coast of Lydia, near the river Cayster) is related in Acts 18:19-21. The work, begun by his disputations with the Jews in his short visit, was carried on by Apollos (Acts 18:24-26), and Aquila, and Priscilla. At his second visit, after his journey to Jerusalem, and thence to the east regions of Asia Minor, he remained at Ephesus "three years" (Acts 19:10, the "two years" in which verse are only part of the time, and Acts 20:31); so that the founding and rearing of this church occupied an unusually large portion of his time and care; whence his language shows a warmth of feeling, a free outpouring of thought, and a union in spiritual privileges and hope between him and them (Eph 1:3, etc.), such as are natural from one so long and so intimately associated with those whom he addresses. On his last journey to Jerusalem, he sailed by Ephesus, and summoned the elders of the Ephesian church to him at Miletus, where he delivered his farewell charge (Acts 20:18-35).
    

    (from Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary, Electronic Database. Copyright © 1997, 2003, 2005, 2006 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)
    

• How would you describe his relationship to the Ephesians? How would you compare that to the Corinthians?
  
  • Ephesians: Close, warm relationship; good knowledge of truth; little difficulty
    
  • Corinthians: Loving but strained; knowledge of the truth is corrupted by false ideas of worship; much difficulty
    
• Prayers in the bible are a good opportunity to study the concept of biblical prayer and then compare it to what we pray. What is the first aspect of prayer that Paul mentions?
  
  • Thanksgiving
    
  • What does that mean, and how can we incorporate that in our prayers? Specifically thank God for:
    
    • their salvation;
      
    • particular service in the church or community;
      
    • spiritual change in their life;
      
    • spiritual knowledge;
      
    • spiritual encouragement given through a word or testimony;
      
    • the person's genuine concern or willingness to find out about me;
      
    • the person's follow-up on my prayer requests
      
  • What would another person thank God about me? And who would do that?
    

  Eph 1:17-20 (NIV) 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. 18 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, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, 20 which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms,
  

• Let's look deeper at other aspects of biblical prayer. Let's list what Paul prays and discuss what that means (or how that looks)
  
  • God would give a spirit of wisdom and revelation to know Him better
    
    • First of all, what does the previous verses 13 and 14 say? We have the Spirit as a seal and deposit
      
    • So then, this would not be the Holy Spirit. It is called "a spirit of wisdom and revelation" in all other translations except NIV. The NIV does have a footnote saying that it could be translated "a spirit" -- not clear why they went with "the Spirit" denoting the Holy Spirit. AMP says "a spirit of wisdom and revelation of insight into mysteries and secrets." Message says "to make you intelligent and discerning"
      
    • So what does that mean? What are we praying for when we pray that for someone?
      
      • Insight in to the scriptures -- assumes what? They are in the scriptures
        
      • Focus is on the relationship aspect, ie, to know him better. So it is not just head knowledge (the word used, epignosis refers to exact, complete, and experiential knowledge of God)
        
        • Discussion on QT: Suggestions for different ways to have QT
          
        • A few verses at a time and a QT journal
          
        • A few chapters at a time and a short journal entry
          
        • A store produced journal with a thought, verse, and area to write
          
        • Really need two-way communication. I don't think it is sufficient just to read the word. I think there has to be engagement. It could be prayer afterwards reflecting on God's word
          
  • God would enlighten the eyes of their hearts so that they would understand their hope
    

    Eph 1:18 (NIV) By having the eyes of your heart flooded with light, so that you can know and understand the hope to which He has called you, and how rich is His glorious inheritance in the saints (His set-apart ones),…
    

    Eph 1:18 (MESSAGE) your eyes focused and clear, so that you can see exactly what it is he is calling you to do, grasp the immensity of this glorious way of life he has for Christians,
    

    Eph 1:18 (NLT) I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance.
    

    • What does it all mean?
      
      • We don't see very well with our earthly eyes
        

        2 Cor 4:17-18 (NIV) For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
        

    • Spiritual focus to life
      
      • Recognizing that our inheritance, our retirement reward, our real hope is not found in this life but in the life to come
        
    • What happens when we do that to how we live this life?
      
      • We begin to see what God is doing and not what we want to do with life
        
      • Earthly life takes on less importance
        
      • We move from narcissism to servanthood. It is not about what I can get out of life to make me happy. I have a reward. I am not missing out on anything by sacrificing for others or for the sake of the gospel
        
      • It is a change in the basic structure of how we think about life
        
  • The third is a continuation of enlightened eyes. To know the incomparable power available to us
    
    • The power was displayed in raising Christ back from the dead
      
    • The Greek word, dynamis, refers to a spiritually dynamic living force. Other descriptive terms include: working, strength, might, and mighty
      
    • Why does the believer need God's strength?
      
      • It is too easy to give up
        
      • It is too easy to believe I am a failure
        
      • It is natural to try to live the Christian life in our own strength
        
        • Butler article on "Why I'm not a Committed Christian"
          
        • Tson described the difference, "When you make a ommitment, you are still in control, no matter how noble the thing you commit to. One can commit to pray, to study the Bible, to give his money, or to commit to automobile payments, or to lose weight. Whatever he chooses to do, he commits to. But surrender is different. If someone holds a gun and asks you to lift your hands in the air as a token of surrender, you don't tell that person what you are committed to. You simply surrender and do as you are told. . . . Americans love commitment because they are still in control. But the key word is surrender. We are to be slaves to the Lord Jesus Christ."
          

          Pasted from <http://www.navpress.com/dj/content.aspx?id=4422>
          

      • What am I, a committed Christian, or a surrendered Christian? Maybe if I surrendered, I would be less likely to do things in my own strength
        

  Eph 1:21-23 (NIV) … 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. 22 And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.
  

• Why is Paul reminding the Ephesians that Jesus is above all rule and authority, power and dominion?
  
  • The Jews would have seen those words as referring to evil angelic powers
    
  • We do not need to worry about what evil could, can, or has done to us. We have a different prize which cannot be taken away from us. We have a true future and a hope. The enemy wants to zap us of our strength by keeping us focused on the material aspects of life
    
• Everything is subject to Christ. Obviously, we don't see that now. So what is Paul saying?
  
  • It could be referring to the millennial rule of Christ
    
  • It is a present true statement but evil is allowed to run its course until the time of judgment which will occur during the tribulation period
    
• We are Christ's body, the church, now on earth. The time of judgment is coming. We are a sort of firstfruits that will judge the world. We are to be surrendered to his authority as an example to the world. Christ is making his appeal to the world through us
  
  • Individually, I believe that what is true of the church ought to be true of us as individuals
    
  • What does my life show to those around me