In this Ephesians prayer for believers, Paul prays so that we will know and understand certain things. He now presents three parallel clauses describing the purposes of the enlightenment or illumination he wants believers to experience. Each phrase describes an aim or purpose of the Spirit’s work. This is brought out by the word “what” in each clause.
The aim[1] or purpose of the Spirit’s work is to enlighten in the knowledge of the hope of His calling. The word for know is eidenai, meaning to perceive, to comprehend or apprehend, to recognize. The emphasis of this knowledge is on hope. The hope is the key concept in this phrase. The word for hope is elpis, meaning a confident or sure expectation. It has the sc\ense of assurance. “Hope rests on faith in the act of salvation (Romans 8:24-25) and is sustained by the Spirit (Romans 8:26-27)” notes Bultmann.[2] Hope here is objective, not subjective. It is built upon expectation, trust in God, and patient waiting for consummation. Paul shows in Ephesians that Gentiles where once without hope (2:12), but no longer so. Our hope is tied up with His calling, which now includes Gentiles. The call of God can be defined as “the actualization in history of his electing purpose and involves God’s initiative in bringing a person into relationship with himself.”[3] The Gentiles experience the actualization of being able to come into relationship with God, apart from Israel, due to the call of the Apostle Paul and the revelation of the Mystery (Eph. 3:1-10). The hope of the Gentiles is tied with the call of God to them and their response to the Gospel of Grace. Paul again ties hope and calling together in Ephesians 4:4. Hope here should not be limited to one aspect or detail, but entails hope in its entirety. This hope is laid up for us in heaven (Col. 1:5), and is present with us now for Christ is in you and defined as “the hope of glory” (Col. 1:27). Thus we wait until the appearing of our Savior, when He “will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory” (Phil. 3:21). The effectual call of God through the Gospel of Grace provides confident, assuring hope. Confidence of hope comes from the enlightening of our understanding by the Holy Spirit.
“What are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints” (1:18c).
The second concept Paul wants us to be enlightened about is our wealth. The Greek word here is ploutos, and is singular, not plural, thus wealth would be a better translation instead of riches. Here the wealth is identified as “the glory of His inheritance in the saints.” This may be taken in two ways. There are strong valid cases for each view. Both views are possible, and it is hard to be dogmatic.
First, it could mean the inheritance of which God is the author of our inheritance.[4] In this case it refers to the inheritance which God is preparing in the saints. It is looked upon as the object or substance of our hope.[5] The Greek word kleronomias is always indicative of the inheritance intended for believers. There is no question that the Greek word has the main idea of possession. The crux of the case is found in the phrase “in the saints.” They hold that the preposition (en) in, can be taken as “in the case of,” in the person of the saints.[6] Lenski views this as the solution, saying, “Ev is quite often used with persons and refers to what is mentioned as pertaining to them: “in their case.”[7] This certainly fits well with 1 Corinthians 2:19.
Second is the view that the saints are God’s inheritance. In this case, inheritance is God’s, not that of believers. This view holds that the possessive pronoun “his” (autou) designates that the inheritance belongs to God. The inheritance of God is located (en) in the sphere of the saints.[8] It denotes our value to God. We are “His inheritance.” This seems to me to be the most natural way to take the text. God’s people are often seen as God’s inheritance in the Old Testament (Deut. 9:26; Psalms 33:12; 61:5). Thus, the glory of which Paul speaks is the glory of us being God’s own possession, in which He will glorify Himself. It is not because of any glory or merit we possess. We have none. The glory comes from His work in and through us. “Believers are valuable to God because he purchased them in order to inherit them” observes Hoehner.[9] Some hold that the church the body of Christ is unique as God’s inheritance. However, the reading of Scripture does not seem to uphold this idea. The Old Testament dispels this. The revelation of God’s inheritance is not a unique one given only to Paul and the Church, the body of Christ. Both Israel and the Church are God’s inheritance. It must be pointed out and granted that our inheritance is not the same. Israel’s inheritance centers upon the earth and the Messianic Kingdom, the Church’s centers upon the heavenly and the rapture (Phil 3:20, Col. 1:5), however, both are said to be God’s inheritance in Scripture (Eph. 1:18 cf. Deut. 9:26). No doubt that His inheritance is the glory brought to Him by and through His people. Both the Church’s (Eph. 5:27) and Israel’s (Isa. 62:3 cf. John 7:22-26) purpose is to glorify God. However, make no mistake; the immediate context concerns the Church, the Body of Christ.
“And what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe” (1:19). The third aspect Paul wants us to be enlightened about is His power which God has directed toward members of the Church. Paul expresses this power as “the surpassing greatness.” The word surpassing is the Greek word huperballon, meaning to go beyond, or to throw over and is translated surpassing, exceed, or excel. It speaks of the magnitude of something. Paul uses the word three times in Ephesians to show the magnitude of certain actions of God toward the believer. It speaks of His power (1:19), riches of His grace (2:7) directed toward us who believe, plus love bringing surpassing knowledge (3:17).
The surpassing greatness of His power is the climax that Paul wants for the believers. He therefore spends the rest of the time on this subject. Paul uses several words for power in the remaining verses of chapter 1. The word power here is dunameos, and is the common word with reference to God (Rom. 1:16; 1 Cor. 2:5; 2 Cor. 4:7) and Christ (1 Cor. 5:4; 2 Cor. 12:9). It means power, competence, strength, and ability. It denotes the ability to accomplish something.[10] It is potential power, yet to be released. Notice two things about this power: first, the relative pronoun “His,” the subject is the power of God. Second, this power is (eis) “toward” us (cf. 2 Cor. 13:4). It speaks of direction. This affirms that the emphasis is not our work or ability, but His work of giving power or ability that is directed toward us who believe. No wonder Paul declares that He can do all things through Him that empowers me (Phil. 4:13).
The second concept Paul wants us to be enlightened about is our wealth. The Greek word here is ploutos, and is singular, not plural, thus wealth would be a better translation instead of riches. Here the wealth is identified as “the glory of His inheritance in the saints.” This may be taken in two ways. There are strong valid cases for each view. Both views are possible, and it is hard to be dogmatic.
First, it could mean the inheritance of which God is the author of our inheritance.[4] In this case it refers to the inheritance which God is preparing in the saints. It is looked upon as the object or substance of our hope.[5] The Greek word kleronomias is always indicative of the inheritance intended for believers. There is no question that the Greek word has the main idea of possession. The crux of the case is found in the phrase “in the saints.” They hold that the preposition (en) in, can be taken as “in the case of,” in the person of the saints.[6] Lenski views this as the solution, saying, “Ev is quite often used with persons and refers to what is mentioned as pertaining to them: “in their case.”[7] This certainly fits well with 1 Corinthians 2:19.
Second is the view that the saints are God’s inheritance. In this case, inheritance is God’s, not that of believers. This view holds that the possessive pronoun “his” (autou) designates that the inheritance belongs to God. The inheritance of God is located (en) in the sphere of the saints.[8] It denotes our value to God. We are “His inheritance.” This seems to me to be the most natural way to take the text. God’s people are often seen as God’s inheritance in the Old Testament (Deut. 9:26; Psalms 33:12; 61:5). Thus, the glory of which Paul speaks is the glory of us being God’s own possession, in which He will glorify Himself. It is not because of any glory or merit we possess. We have none. The glory comes from His work in and through us. “Believers are valuable to God because he purchased them in order to inherit them” observes Hoehner.[9] Some hold that the church the body of Christ is unique as God’s inheritance. However, the reading of Scripture does not seem to uphold this idea. The Old Testament dispels this. The revelation of God’s inheritance is not a unique one given only to Paul and the Church, the body of Christ. Both Israel and the Church are God’s inheritance. It must be pointed out and granted that our inheritance is not the same. Israel’s inheritance centers upon the earth and the Messianic Kingdom, the Church’s centers upon the heavenly and the rapture (Phil 3:20, Col. 1:5), however, both are said to be God’s inheritance in Scripture (Eph. 1:18 cf. Deut. 9:26). No doubt that His inheritance is the glory brought to Him by and through His people. Both the Church’s (Eph. 5:27) and Israel’s (Isa. 62:3 cf. John 7:22-26) purpose is to glorify God. However, make no mistake; the immediate context concerns the Church, the Body of Christ.
“And what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe” (1:19). The third aspect Paul wants us to be enlightened about is His power which God has directed toward members of the Church. Paul expresses this power as “the surpassing greatness.” The word surpassing is the Greek word huperballon, meaning to go beyond, or to throw over and is translated surpassing, exceed, or excel. It speaks of the magnitude of something. Paul uses the word three times in Ephesians to show the magnitude of certain actions of God toward the believer. It speaks of His power (1:19), riches of His grace (2:7) directed toward us who believe, plus love bringing surpassing knowledge (3:17).
The surpassing greatness of His power is the climax that Paul wants for the believers. He therefore spends the rest of the time on this subject. Paul uses several words for power in the remaining verses of chapter 1. The word power here is dunameos, and is the common word with reference to God (Rom. 1:16; 1 Cor. 2:5; 2 Cor. 4:7) and Christ (1 Cor. 5:4; 2 Cor. 12:9). It means power, competence, strength, and ability. It denotes the ability to accomplish something.[10] It is potential power, yet to be released. Notice two things about this power: first, the relative pronoun “His,” the subject is the power of God. Second, this power is (eis) “toward” us (cf. 2 Cor. 13:4). It speaks of direction. This affirms that the emphasis is not our work or ability, but His work of giving power or ability that is directed toward us who believe. No wonder Paul declares that He can do all things through Him that empowers me (Phil. 4:13).
[1] John Eadie, EPHESIANS, 89. He points out that the verse opens with an infinitive of aim.
[2] R. Bultmann, “Elpis,” TDOTNT, 231.
[3] Andrew T. Lincoln, EPHESIANS 59.
[4] A view held by such men as Hodge, Lenski, Best, Eadie, and Lloyd-Jones.
[5] R.C.H. Lenski, EPHESIANS, 396.
[6] A.T. Robertson, GRAMMAR, 585.
[7] Lenski, 397.
[8] Ernest Campbell, EPHESIANS, 50. This view is held also by Sadler, Wuest, Lincoln, Baker, and Hoehner.
[9] Harold Hoehner, EPHESIANS 267.
[10] Lincoln, 60
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