No gardener ever watched with more suspense and eager hope for the sprouting of his seeds or the unfolding of flowers and fruit than Paul watched for the evidence of the success of his gospel-sowing. Whenever faith and love began to show, then he knew that the Word had really taken root in the hearts of his new converts (Comp. Col. 1:3, 4); and then (far from relaxing his effort and concern) he began at once to work for their Christian growth and spiritual development and their perfecting. (2 Cor. 13:9.) "Having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which is among you, and the love which ye show toward all the saints"--these were the evidential marks of the new birth and of new creatures in Christ--the manifestation of the new life from God in their souls. Now he felt of a certainty that all the wonderful statements he had made in that "long sentence" (Eph. 1:3-14) really applied to these dear Ephesian brethren. Thanking God for this, he now sets himself with heightened hope and in great encouragement to pray for them. And what now is the next great need of these new Christians for which he must pray? It is spiritual understanding and insight":--

      "that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory may give unto you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him; having the eyes of your heart enlightened . . ." (Vs. 17 and 18a.)

      This then is their first need, given that original good beginning in faith and love: a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him--that is, of Christ. What Paul asks for them here is not a supernatural miraculous gift, like those "spiritual gifts" enumerated in 1 Cor. 12. Those were gifts of various sorts and variously distributed among the members of the church. But this is something that all must have alike. It is the sharpening of their spiritual faculties, increased ability to perceive and understand--especially to know Him. Paul knew the Lord. He had such a revelation of Christ that he willingly cast away all things that men hold dear, and counted all but loss and refuse, that he might gain Christ. But he also knew that there was much more in Christ than even he had as yet grasped; and he yet strove on the upward way that he "might know him." (Phil. 3:10.) As Peter in his last word to his fellow Christians ("Grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ") so Paul was anxious for that one thing for them. We cannot but feel [9] here that many Christians have missed something very important. Too many think that when they have come in, they know pretty much all or most of all that is to be known, at least all they need to know, of Christ. They have made the confession, were baptized, learned a few elementary truths, and now they think that as far as the need of knowledge goes, they have arrived; and that for the rest they need only to go ahead now and "live the Christian life," But Paul had a higher ambition for his converts. So first of all he prayed that the eyes of their heart might be enlightened. Let us also (as did one of God's servants of old, Ps. 119:18) so pray and for that let us also seek; for it is for us as it was for those Ephesians.

      In this prayer for understanding the apostle then specifies three things: that they might know--

      (1) "what is the hope of his calling";
      (2) "what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints";
      (3) "what the exceeding greatness of his power to usward who believe."

      Here were three things they needed to know; Paul was sure that if they knew these three things they would never go back, never sell their birthright for any mess of pottage the world might offer; and they would never-more think of departing from their Lord. Let us look at these three points.

      (1) The hope of our calling. (He mentions this again in 4:4.) There is a hope attached to His calling; a hope incomparably great and glorious. He called us unto His eternal glory in Christ. (1 Pet. 5:10.) "He called you through our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ." (2 Thess. 2:14.) This hope will be realized by the child of God at the coming of the Lord Jesus, which is the goal of all Christian hope.

      (2) The riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints. This is somewhat startling. If he had said "The riches of the glory of the inheritance of the saints," it would be easily understandable. But he says "the riches of the glory of His [God's] inheritance in the saints." The saints are His inheritance. In the Old Testament He said: "The Lord's portion is His people: Jacob is the lot of His inheritance" (Deut. 32:9). But greater and more glorious than His inheritance in Jacob will His church be to Him in that day when He shall present her to Himself without spot or wrinkle, "a glorious church, holy and without blemish" in exceeding joy. (Eph. 5:27.) For that great day He waits, and we wait, and all creation is waiting. (Rom. 8:18-23.)

      (3) The exceeding greatness of His power to usward who [10] believe. The first two items are indeed a wonderful and glorious prospect--but to us they may seem unattainable. Before the contemplation of such a goal and destiny, "sinks heart and voice oppressed." The way seems long, the difficulties are great, and my strength is small. The pitfalls and snares along the road are many; the temptations, the dangers, the foe without and within--it would seem to be a bold man who could think of winning that prize. But here a third revelation comes in, a revelation of a power--exceeding greatness of power--God's power, that worketh to usward who believe. In that lies the assurance that we shall get through! If such a power as that backs us in the conflict we shall be more than conquerors.

      These three things the apostle would have us to understand--and he prays that the eyes of our heart may be enlightened so that we may see and know and appreciate them. What a Christian life would result if with clear vision we could behold these three items!

      But he goes on now to tell us something more of that exceeding great power that worketh to usward. He gives us the measure of it. It is, he says, "according to that working of the strength of his might which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and made him to sit at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule, and authority, and power, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come . . ." (Vs. 19-21.) That is how great that power is. It was demonstrated in the resurrection and exaltation of Christ, when God broke the pangs of death and brought Him forth triumphant in life, and raised Him to the highest place in the universe, yea, the highest place in heaven,--all things being made subject to Him, and (God the Father alone excepted, 1 Cor. 15:27) He is set above all authority, dominion, and power, not only for the duration of this age, but also for the age to come. [The Greek word aion, translated "world" in v. 21, strictly and literally means "age".] And this is the power--the power that resurrected and exalted Christ to the highest place of glory--that works to usward who believe. In fact it comes to us through that One who was so raised from the dead and sits on God's right hand. It is the infinite resurrection power of Christ. And in that lies the hope and guarantee of our success and victory.

      It was when God raised Christ from the dead and put all things in subjection under His feet, that He also gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, "the fulness of him that filleth all in all." Here the apostle touches upon three things of paramount importance: [11]

      1. The relation Christ holds to the church;
      2. The relation of the church to Christ;
      3. The time when this relationship came into being.

      As for the last of these three facts--we are plainly told. It was "when he raised him from the dead, and made him to sit at his right hand in the heavenly places . . . and he put all things in subjection under his feet." It was then--not before then, but then--that God "gave him to be head over all things to the church." Obviously that must also have been the beginning of the church. The church could have had no existence apart from the exalted Christ. If the church had existed previous to Christ's exaltation to God's right hand, it would have been a headless body. That simple fact should eliminate the ideas so often expressed and heard that the church existed in the Old Testament dispensation, or began with John the Baptist, or at some time during the earthly ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ.

      To the church the exalted Christ is the Head. That does not mean merely that He is her authority and directing power--as, for example, we speak of the head of a business concern, or the head of an army. It is more than a figure--it is a reality. As the head of a human being is vitally joined to the body, so is the exalted Christ vitally one with His church and the church is vitally united with Him. The same life, the same Spirit animates both. What is done to the body or to any member thereof is done to Him. (Acts 9:4.) And the church is His body. Through it He acts upon the earth. He works in and through it to accomplish His work here. In the church dwells His fulness that fills all in all (comp. 4:10). She is in Christ; Christ dwells in her. And through the church He is to be made known in the world.

[LOE 9-13]