Ephesians 1:15-23 continues from the preceding opening blessing invoked by Paul and the brief narration of salvation history in vv. 3-13. "Because of this" (v.15) refers to salvation history as it applies the Gentiles (v. 13)1. In 2:1 a new section begins with "And you..." with an introductory "kai" (And).
Overview of the Text
Verses 15-23 is actually one long sentence with a series of subordinate clauses which some scholars describe as similar in structure to a cascade, a series of waterfalls. In this structure, the points at which a new waterfall begins are "hina" (v. 17), "eis to eidenai umas" (v. 18), the relative pronoun "en" (v. 20, agreeing with "ten energeian" in 19) and the relative pronoun "etis" (v. 23, agreeing with "te ekklesia" in v. 22). The difficulty of rendering this long sentence into a modern language has made translators cut the text into smaller pieces to make it more readable. Thus, the New American Bible makes vv. 15-17 one sentence, vv. 18-21 another, and finally, vv. 22-23 a third sentence. In contrast, the New International Version has the following: vv. 15-16, v. 17, v. 18-19a, v. 19b-21, vv. 22-23. The New Revised Standard Version has vv. 15-16, vv. 17-19, vv. 20-21 and vv. 22-23.
The text contains Paul's prayer in behalf of the Ephesians. Thus, after an introduction (15-16), he tells the Ephesians that everytime he prays for them, he asks that God grant them the Spirit of wisdom and revelation (17) so that with their eyes enlightened they may experience three things: the hope of their vocation, the wealth of their inheritance, the greatness of His power (18-19). This power, Paul explains, is the power that was operative in Christ's resurrection (20a), enthronement (20b-21), the subordination of all under his feet (22a) and his becoming the head of the Church (22b), His Body, the Fullness that fills up everything (23).
That You May Know
Paul prays that God may grant -- through the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation -- the Ephesians to experience three things: the hope of their calling, the wealth of their inheritance in Christ (cf. v. 11) and the power that brought Jesus to his present glory. It must be noted that in Paul's enumeration of the blessings received by the Ephesians, mention was already made of the call of the Ephesians (vv. 4-6) and the hope of that call (v.10), as well as the wealth of the inheritance received (v. 11). Finally, the theme of God's power to be given to the Ephesians is found in 3:14-21, at the conclusion of the doctrinal part of the letter and before the moral part begins (4:1) In other words, Paul's prayer in vv. 17-19 is a prayer that the blessings already received in Christ may become a reality in the life of the Ephesians so that they may live according to the dignity of their calling (4:1).
Paul prays that the Ephesians be empowered through the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation. The phrase is a Semitism that I take to refer to the Holy Spirit who also acts as a guarantee, "the pledge of redemption" (v. 14)2 for the people of God now formed from both the Jews and the Gentiles (2:14-16). The Spirit is called "of Wisdom and Revelation ("perception of things revealed", JB)" in view of the knowledge of the mystery now revealed in Christ (vv. 8-9) that Paul desires that the Ephesians experience. The "wisdom and revelation" mentioned here are those that derive from the inner life of God Himself who has disclosed the secret that He kept since the beginning but only now revealed ("mystery of His will, v. 9"). At this point certain translations of the Greek "en epignosei autou" (Jerome: in agnitione eius) need to be pointed out. Below is a sampling:
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It is interesting to note that while the NIV, JB and NAB render the Greek "en" as either a particle for result clause (NAB) or purpose clause (JB, NIV), the NRSV takes it in the sense of being in process. Thus, while the NIV, JB and NAB takes the "en" as referring to empowerment for knowledge of God, the NRSV takes wisdom and understanding as coming from a deepening relationship with God. Perhaps this latter rendering is better. However, the whole phrase is after all a Semitism which literally goes "spirit of wisdom and revelation-in-the-knowledge-that-is-His". The idea is that in receiving the Spirit, the Ephesians may begin to know and understand as God knows and understands.
A Creedal Formulation
The third thing that Paul wishes that the Ephesians experience is the power of God working even now among the Ephesians. In 3:14-21, this power is described as something that works within the believers through the Holy Spirit towards a greater knowledge of God and the love of Christ. In 1:20-23, however, Paul explains this power as the same power that was operative in the resurrection and exaltation of Christ. Within these verses, one also finds something similar to a creedal statement about Christ, raised from the dead, exalted at God's right hand, to whom has been subjected all, and now is the Head of the Church, His Body. This magnificent proclamation of the Lordship of Christ is comparable to the one found in Col.1:15-20 (Christ the Alpha and Omega) and Phil. 2:6-11 (Christ the Exalted Lord). To note here is the image projected in the text of Christ being raised to the heights: rising from the dead, seated in the heavens above the heavens (epouraniois), even higher than angelic beings (v. 21). After stating the heights to which Jesus has been raised, the author then describes what is under him, "all things" (v. 22). And then this creedal proclamation ends with an enthronement "He placed Him as Head over the whole Church". Worth noting here is that "the Church" is further described as "the Fulness that fills up all in all". So Christ is not only Lord, He also has become Head of that fullness which fills everything up. Compared to the terse "He is Head of the Church, His Body" in Col. 1:15, Eph. 1:23 says more about the Church, the Body of Christ. The "pleroma" ("Fulness") is an idea drawn from Stoic philosophy and refers to the universe as filling up existence. Applied to the Body of Christ, then, this could mean that the new creation resulting from the Death and Resurrection of Christ, a creation that even now groans and awaits the revelation of the sons of God (cf. Rom. 8:22), is the Church, understood in its magnitude as the place where the Lord exercises His reign.3
A Note for Ascension Sunday
The feast of the Ascension emphasizes the glorious aspect of the Resurrection. If the resurrection accounts underline the continuity between the Crucified and the Risen One, the Ascension clarifies the difference between Jesus before He Died and Jesus after He was Risen. Thus the Ascension is still part of the Paschal Mystery.
It is obvious from the comments offered above that Ephesians 1:15-23 is an apt selection for the festal readings. The creedal statements about the glorification and exaltation of Christ project a dynamic vision of Christ becoming Lord and Head of the Church from the moment of his Resurrection4. Paul desires that the Ephesians experience the power that made that happen, a power even now working in their midst. Thus the Church also remembers on the feast of the Ascension, the dignity of its upward calling in Christ: as Christ is, so the Church will be. At the same time, the reading also reminds us that the Lordship of Christ is exercised over the Church perceived as the Fulness of Him that fills all. The image of the Church as the new creation that extends dynamically towards the confines of the universe is an image that challenges us towards evangelization. It is no small coincidence then that the Church, under John Paul II, wanted to dedicate all the means of communication to the mission of evangelization. Thus, Ascension Sunday is also "World Communications Day". It is for this reason, too, that Mark 16:15-20 is an apt companion to this Pauline selection.
- 1. Paul mentions the Jews in vv. 11-12
- 2. This becomes clearer in 3:14-21. Some translators would not identify it with the Holy Spirit, taking it to mean simply a power deriving from God. The Greek text does not have article "to" which would give "pneuma" a particular shade of meaning.
- 3. For those who think that the phrase "outside the Church there is no salvation" is discriminatory, they should look at this verse from Ephesians. Since the Church is the fullness of Him who fills up everything, there is strictly speaking no one outside the scope of salvation. Thus, there is also a positive statement that says "Wherever the Church is, there is salvation."
- 4. Phil. 2:6-11 starts from a pre-existent Lord who empties himself in the Incarnation and the Cross and is exalted to receive the Name above every Name.
