Chapter 1
1:1- As was Paul’s custom in nearly all his letters, he starts with a greeting stating the fact that he was “an apostle” of Christ. This mission and role as an apostle to the Gentiles was as he says here, “by the will of God” (see Acts 26:16-18, cf. Rom. 11:13). That is, Paul was specifically and uniquely called by God in the same way the other apostles were directly commissioned by Christ Jesus to proclaim the gospel, deliver holy Scripture, and establish the church (Luke 6:13, John 17:17-20, Acts 1:1-2, cf. Acts 26:16-18, Rom. 11:13). The Greek word for apostle (apostolos) can carry with it the definition of “accredited messengers” or “missionaries” (see Andronicus and Junia-Rom. 16:7). However, there is a distinction between the general meaning of the word and the “office” of apostle as a directly commissioned agent by Christ to establish the church (as noted above). This, therefore, was an office unique to those who laid the foundation of the church in the first century (see notes on 2:20, 4:11). Those in Ephesus were likely among multiple cities to have received this letter (see introduction) and Paul refers to his audience as “saints,” a common term in the New Testament that is applied to Christians. This makes clear that his recipients are in fact those who have believed the gospel and are therefore set apart from the world and consecrated unto God.
Francis Foulkes provides good context and clarity on the term: “In Old Testament days the tabernacle, the temple, the sabbath, and the people themselves were holy as they were consecrated, or set apart, for the service of God. A person is not a ‘saint’ in this sense by personal merit; he is one set apart by God, and in consequence he is called to live in holiness. Thus the word expresses at once the privilege and the responsibility of the calling of every Christian, not the attainment of a select few.”
*See Exod. 19:5-6, 22:31; Lev. 11:45, 19:2, 20:7; Ps. 34:9; cf. Phil 1:1, 1 Peter 1:14-16.
Those called as saints are those who are "faithful in Christ Jesus.” This simply means they have placed their faith in Jesus. The emphasis for Paul is the object of their faith, which is Christ. Jerome notes that the distinction is crucial, “For there are those who have genuine faith but not faith in Jesus Christ.” As we will see, Jesus Christ is the central theme of this entire chapter and is the answer to God’s redemptive plan that was predetermined since before the foundation of the world!
1:2-3- Grace and peace extend beyond a trivial greeting of platitude, but are two realities only Christians can truly experience. The grace of God has been offered through Christ our Lord and only in that context can peace and reconciliation exist between man and God. Verse 3 begins one long sentence in the Greek that extends all the way to verse 14 and is in fact a doxology of praise to God. Constantine Campbell states that “the doxology can be viewed as structured in three parts, each one corresponding primarily with a different member of the Trinity. The Father’s blessing and electing of believers is the focus of 1:3-6. God’s blessings are found in the Son (1:7-12), while believers are sealed by the Spirit (1:13-14).” Paul starts off verse 3 by using the word “Blessed” (eulogētos). This is an ecclesiastical word found only 8 times in the NT and is only used to render praise to God and God alone (see: Luke 1:68, 2 Cor. 1:3, 1 Peter 1:3).
Kenneth Wuest explains the two differing words for “blessed” in Greek: “There are two words translated as “blessed,” makarios, which means “happy” in the sense of “prosperous,” used in Matthew 5:3-11; and eulogētos, used here, which is made up of legō, “to speak,” and eu, “good,” thus “to speak well of” (our word ‘eulogize’). The first speaks of character, the second of repute. Eulogētos is used exclusively of God in the N.T.”
Paul uses this to render blessing to “the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” which is a common phrase with Paul when referring to God, the Father (Rom. 15:6, 2 Cor. 1:31, cf. Peter 1:3). Why exactly is Paul praising God here? Because He has “blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.” That is, for believers, we have every spiritual blessing in heavenly places because/through Jesus Christ. The qualification “in the heavenly places” denotes that the fullness of these blessings are in the age to come (Rom. 8:18-24, 1 Peter 1:5, cf. Eph. 2:7). In this section of verses, Christ is referenced a dozen times! He is the central theme of the redemption plan of God and the reason for the string of blessings Paul is about to lay out. Ben Witherington III states that what is to come in these following verses “is a comprehensive presentation of the trajectory of salvation.”
1:4-6- In the same way our blessings are “in Christ” so too is the means by which God chose us to be holy and blameless before Him. That is, since before the foundation of the world, the means of our redemption not only existed, but was determined to be through Christ. In Isa. 42:1, God says of Jesus, “Behold, My Servant, whom I uphold; My chosen one in whom My soul delights. I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the nations.” At Pentecost, Peter sums this fact up rather succinctly by stating, “this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death.” -Acts 2:23. Additionally, as A. Skevington Wood puts it, “Before the foundations of the world were laid, God had determined that all who believed on his Son should be saved.” Because of Christ, the faithful saints of God (1:1) will stand holy and blameless before Him. However, not only will we stand before God’s glory blameless and with great joy in the age to come (Jude 1:24) but we are to be set aside for God now, in the present age. That is, as discussed in 1:1, saints are to be set apart from the world and consecrated unto God.
Walter Liefeld states that even though we will not be fully blameless until the return of Christ, we ought to “live lives that are holy and therefore incur no blame.” Liefeld goes on to comment that “our responsibility to live holy lives as those chosen by God is stated in forthright language in 1 Peter 1:15-16: ‘But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy.’”
Paul says in verse 5 that as faithful saints, we have been “predestined to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ.” Paul is right in line with the Apostle John who writes: “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. -John 1:12-13. The result of receiving Christ means we are predestined for adoption as children of God. As John Wesley puts it, God “foreordained that all who afterwards believed should enjoy the dignity of being sons of God, and joint-heirs with Christ.” This flows completely from God’s loving and kind will, not from anything man has done. God would have been perfectly just in giving all of humanity what we deserved (His righteous judgement and wrath). However, God graciously provided a way back to eternal fellowship with Him while being both “just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” -Rom 3:26. God has not only chosen the means of salvation (v.4- His Servant, Christ), but the outcome of salvation (v.5- adoption as sons and daughters). Liefeld observes that in the NT, predestination has to do with destiny. That is, “we are predestined for or to something. Literally “marked out” for something. The present context says we are predestined to be adopted as sons (or to full sonship).”
And Witherington III writes, “God, because of His great love, destined those who would believe for adoption as sons… The concept of election and destining here is corporate. If one is in Christ, one is elect and destined. Paul is not talking about the pre-temporal electing or choosing of individual humans outside of Christ to be in Christ, but rather of the election of Christ and what is destined to happen to those, whoever they may be, who are in Christ.” Witherington later goes on to state that “this corporate concept of election really does not differ much from that applied to Israel in the OT. Being part of the elect group depended on a variety of factors, including faith and faithfulness.” (p. 360).
This ultimately results in all praise and glory being bestowed on God as we see in verse 6. Why? Because of His grace! Again, as these verses make up a doxology of praise to God, all that is being discussed here by Paul is in the context of giving God His due honor and glory for His plan of redemption and salvation. All that has been mentioned up to this point is a result of His beautiful grace. That is cause for praise! As in nearly every verse in this section, Christ is mentioned as the means of this grace. “Which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.” Apart from Christ, there simply is no grace (John 3:36). The proper response to the display of God’s attributes (His justice, His love, His mercy, His patience, His holiness, etc) is none other than to worship and give honor and glory.
1:7-10- Verses 7-10 contain one, long thought and I think it would serve us well to read these four verses without the verse interruptions. Trying to break down each verse independent from each other without the broader context in this instance is a sure fire way to get things muddled.
“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.” (NIV)
Only through Christ (“In Him”) do we have redemption, and this redemption (“forgiveness of sins”) is by his shed blood as an atoning sacrifice on the cross (Rom. 3:25-26, 1 John 2:2, 4:10, cf. Isa. 53). Francis Foulkes writes, “Sin required a sacrifice; ‘without the shedding of blood there is no remission’ (Heb. 9:22; cf. Lev. 17:11). Christ fulfilled the need expressed throughout the Old Testament sacrificial system. His death means that blood has been shed as a sacrifice for sin; it may also be described in terms of sin’s defeat and so the release of man from its bondage.” Constantine Campbell notes that as the blood of the lamb upon the doorposts spared the Israelites from God’s judgment (Exod. 12:12-13, 29), “In the same way, the blood of Christ protects his people from the judgment of God. The blood of the Lamb Jesus spares those who take refuge in it (cf. John 1:29).” All of this is due to the “riches of His grace.” In an echo of Rom. 5:6-9 and Rom. 8:32, John Chrysostom comments, “It is astonishing that he gave the Beloved for those who hated him… If even when we hated him and were enemies he gave the Beloved, what will he not do for us now?”
Paul says in verse 8 that this grace was lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding/insight. A good verse to help us understand what Paul is saying here is found in Proverbs 3:19, “The Lord by wisdom founded the earth, By understanding He established the heavens.” This indicates the intentional planning and design with which God created all things. That same intentionality and wisdom is found in God’s plan of salvation. Though it seems foolish to those who reject God and will therefore perish, it is beautiful and powerful to those who are being saved (1 Cor. 1:18-30).
He states in verse 9 that God has made known the mystery of His will. Paul uses the term “mystery” six times in Ephesians to refer to different aspects of the gospel that have now been revealed (like Gentile inclusion in 3:3-6). Much can be said about this word and its implications in the Greek, but for Paul it primarily connotes God’s secrets, or His truths not previously known to mankind, but that have now been revealed through Christ. As Foulkes sums up in simple terms: “For Paul, the essential mystery was the way in which God through Christ brings men back into fellowship with Himself. More than that, it is the way in which He brings into a restored unity the whole universe that has been disordered by man’s rebellion and sin.”
In the context of verses 9-10, this mystery is finding its fulfillment in the coming of Christ. That is, His death, resurrection, ascension and the start of the Church. However, there is a future fulfillment in mind when God’s plan of salvation and redemption will come to its completion. That is, when all things in the heavens and on the earth are restored in the age to come and are placed under subjugation of Christ (Rom. 8:19-25, Phil. 2:0-11). Paul is not affirming that all will have salvation (5:5-6 make that clear- cf. Rom. 2:5-16, 1 Cor. 6:9-10, 1 Thess. 1:6-10). Rather, this unification will come peaceably for those “in Christ” (the faithful saints who are elect and are predestined to adoption) but for those enemies hostile to God and His Messiah, this unification will be enforced and will end with their destruction. As Campbell points out, “If they will not submit willingly to Christ’s rule and authority, they must submit to it unwillingly.” (see: Rev. 20:10, 20:14-15). Kevin DeYoung states that “the uniting of all things does not entail the salvation of all people. It means that everything in the universe will finally be brought to its appointed end and all peoples will be given their due.”
1:11-13- As saints, God has predestined us to an inheritance. As in verse 5 where Paul states that we have been predestined to adoption as sons, with that comes the inheritance a son gets. Again, as in verse 5, this adoption and inheritance is not apart from Christ. Only those “in Christ” receive the benefits of adoption and all that comes with it (John 1:12-13, Rom. 8:1). Charles Hodge notes that “As the Israelites of old obtained an inheritance in the promised land, so those in Christ become partakers of that heavenly inheritance which he has secured for them.” God has done this according to His sovereign plan and purpose. Isa. 46:9-10 says, “remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,’”
Up to verse 12, what Paul has been saying applies to both Jew and Gentile alike. Many note that Paul then refers specifically to the first Jewish believers in verse 12, “we who were the first to hope in Christ.” This is contrasted by switching to “you” as referring to his Gentile audience in verse 13. “In Him, you also… having also believed.”
What’s important to keep in mind here is that Paul is likely pointing out that whether one is a Jew who came to Christ first as accepting the hope of their promised Messiah (Acts 26:6-7), or a Gentile who had no hope of salvation (as we will see in ch. 2), all are now united “in Him/Christ” due to the fact that the “message of truth” was believed. It’s as if Paul is saying, as A. R. Fausset points out, “The priority of us Jews does not exclude you Gentiles from sharing in Christ.” The outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost in Acts 2 was not limited to the Jews in Jerusalem. In Acts 10 we see the first Gentiles, who after hearing and believing the message of truth, received “the Holy Spirit of promise”
“All the circumcised believers who came with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also.” -Acts 10:45
1:14- Not only was the Holy Spirit promised, but the Holy Spirit is also a Spirit of promise as Paul says at the end of verse 13 (NASB, NKJV). What this means is elaborated on in verse 14. That is, the Holy Spirit is given as a “pledge” or “down payment.” The NLT translates: “The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people.” This speaks to the hope of the future to come. Liefeld writes, “God will complete the purchase, so to speak, when he redeems his possession, the believer.” He continues on to say, “when he chose to save us, when he made us his possession, we need not doubt that he will carry this through and make sure that he will not lose those who now belong to him.”
This should give serious and real comfort for those who are “in Christ.” We are not destined for wrath, but for salvation through Christ, as Paul says in 1 Thess. 5:9. There is now no condemnation for those in Christ and if His Spirit is in us, He will give life to our mortal bodies and we will share in His glory (Rom. 8). As with much of the New Testament, there is an “already/not yet” nature to our salvation. We have the “first fruits” in that we possess the Holy Spirit and are able to grow in the likeness of Christ, but also there is a future redemption where we will no longer struggle with sin or the fallen nature of this world, but live with Christ forever (see: Rom. 8, 1 Cor. 15). 1 Peter 1:4-6 says that because we have been born again, we will “obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials.” All of this is “to the praise of His glory” as we see in our Ephesians text (cf. v.6, 12).
All of what Paul has been discussing up to this point ultimately results in God’s glory. One can make a case that for each of the three times Paul references “His glory” in this doxology, he is ascribing glory to each member of the Trinity. In verse 6, the praise is obviously directed to the Father. In verse 12, the praise could be directed at either the Father or Christ, but as Campbell points out, Christ is “the most adjacent and obvious antecedent to ‘his’.” And for verse 14, similar to the argument for 12, the Holy Spirit is the direct object in view. Therefore, Campbell concludes, “If we give preference to the most obvious and most direct antecedents of the personal pronouns, then we are led to say that in 1:6, 12, and 14, Paul ascribes praise to Father, Son, and Spirit.”
Either way, as Rom. 3:26-27 states, It is God that is both just (perfectly holy so that the penalty for sin is paid for by Christ) and the justifier of those who have faith in Christ (He provided the means by which we can be saved and has declared us righteous). None of this we can boast about. It was all God’s marvelous plan of redemption that was accomplished in Christ and He will forever get the glory for it!
1:15-17- In light of the previous verses (God’s amazing plan of redemption), Paul gives thanks that the audience to whom he’s writing is sharing in it through their faith! What is curious to note is that Paul says he’s “heard of the faith” that his recipients have. This would be odd coming from the one who established the church at Ephesus in the first place and spent multiple years there (Acts 19:8-10, 20:31). This lends support for the thought that this was written to be a “general” letter or sermon to be read throughout multiple churches in the region of Asia Minor, of which Ephesus was a major hub (see introduction). This would make sense of the impersonal tone, rather than the more personal tenor in his other letters. Not only has he heard of their faith in Christ, but of their “love for all the saints.” Jesus says in John 13:35, “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” This is the hallmark of a Christian and as Tertullian wrote in the late 2nd century, while the pagan world hated one another and were willing to kill each other, it was said of the Christian community: “See how they love each other… See how ready they are to die for each other.”
As Paul continuously prays for the believers in Asia Minor and in Ephesus, he prays in verse 17 that “the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory” would give them a “spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him.” Paul echoes verse 3 and the theme of glory up to this point with the title for God. This stresses the relationship between the incarnate Son (the God-man) and the Father (“I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God”-John 20:17b) but also the role that Jesus plays as Messiah as “our Lord.” Paul’s prayer is for the spiritual growth of the saints. As Paul’s readers have already been sealed with the Holy Spirit when they believed (1:13-14), what he likely means by this prayer is that the Holy Spirit within them would produce an ever growing knowledge of God not dissimilar to what Paul says of himself in Phil. 3:10-11.
Paul already knew Christ as his Messiah, but he desired to grow in appreciation of the work of Christ in a relational sense. This concept of “illumination” by the Holy Spirit is touched on in 1 Cor. 2:10-16. Not only did the Holy Spirit bring the knowledge of the gospel and the doctrines of the church to the apostles(cf. Gal. 1:12, 2 Peter 1:20-21), but Paul says in 1 Cor. 2:14 (NIV), “The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.” Simply put, only with the Spirit’s illumination can one understand and accept the gospel and continue growth in the knowledge of God.
1:18-19- Paul’s continued prayer for them is that all this information would illuminate their hearts. Contrary to how we use the metaphor of “heart” today to describe our inner emotions and feelings, the Greek word that Paul uses (kardia) goes beyond mere emotions or feelings. Campbell comments that for Paul’s readers, “the ‘heart’ was the seat of physical, spiritual, and mental life. It was the center and source of the whole inner life, including thinking, feeling, and volition.”
Unlike in v.11, Paul’s phrase, “the glory of His inheritance in the saints,” doesn’t refer to the inheritance that the saints receive, but rather that the saints are God’s inheritance! Much like Israel was God’s inheritance (Deut. 4:20, Ps. 33:12, Isa. 63:17), Paul applies this to the church as all who believe in Christ become children of God and recipients of God’s covenant promises (Rom. 2:28-29, 4:9-25, Gal. 3:29). With this in mind, the knowledge that we are His possession and we are to bring Him glory should affect the way we live. As Paul mentions in 4:1, “walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called.”
We can only do this if we understand the hope of our calling, the glory of His inheritance and as verse 19 says, “the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe” which, Paul notes, is in accordance with His might and strength. This is likely to emphasize God’s limitless and incalculable power over and against the magic, false gods (like Diana) and occult practice in Ephesus and the surrounding areas (Acts 19:18-20). Max Turner writes that “the Ephesian readers, coming as they did from a background of strong magical belief, might have found the power of Diana more imposing and fearful than that of God.”
1:20-21- This ultimate power was demonstrated to us when He raised Christ from the dead (cf. Rom. 1:4) “and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places.” The position of Christ at the right hand of the Father is the supreme position of authority in the universe (Col. 3:1, Phil. 2:9). As Turner states: “It speaks of Jesus’ enthronement as cosmic ruler who is given the place of honour in the heavenly circle (hence in the heavenly realms).” Far from the meaning that Christ has been removed from having earthly influence, Turner goes on to add, “He has been moved to the place of ultimate influence over matters on earth. Thus no other powers or potentates, in the world or in the heavens, whether good or evil, can compare; his authority, as the one at God’s right hand, is over all.”
There is an echo of Psalm 110:1 in this verse which appears quite a bit throughout the NT to refer to Jesus’ status and position as Lord (Matt. 22:42-44, Mark 12:35-36, Luke 20:41–43, Acts 2:34–35, Heb. 1:13, 10:12-13). The message of this Psalm speaks directly to the deity of Christ and implies that God the Father shares His authority with the King who is at His right hand. This is even more impressive as we know that God says in Isa. 42:8, “I am the Lord, that is My name; I will not give My glory to another, Nor My praise to graven images.” Indeed, God does not share his glory with any false god or created being, yet Jesus shares in this glory because He and the Father are One (John 10:30) and enjoyed glory together before creation even existed (John 17:5).
Verse 21 is an incredible claim and one that we should not gloss over. The absolute nature of this verse makes clear that Christ is over all things (human authority, spiritual beings, whether good or evil, etc). His name is the name above all names. As mentioned previously, Asia Minor and Ephesus was known for having a special interest in cosmic powers, magic, occult practices, etc. Involved in this was the “naming of names.” Craig Keener explains that "Exorcists and magicians tried to manipulate powerful spirits by invoking their names (see comments on Acts 19:13); the supremacy of Jesus’ name above all other names means that he is higher than all the spiritual powers being invoked and could not be exploited.” Paul, therefore, is making clear in definite terms that Christ reigns supreme over all powers.
What is important to understand is that Christ possesses the “name above all names” as Paul says in Phil. 2:9-11. That is, the divine name; Yahweh (YHWH). In the Greek translation of the Old Testament (Septuagint-LXX), the divine name in Hebrew for the God of Israel, YHWH, is substituted with the Greek word kyrios which is translated as “Lord.” In Phil. 2:9-11, Paul cites Isa. 45:23 which is a passage about Yahweh and applies this directly to Jesus! The context surrounding that Scripture to the nature of God is hardly vague. God is speaking to His people and stating in very clear terms that He alone is God and there is no one else. Isa. 45:21b-23: “...And there is no other God besides Me, A righteous God and a Savior;There is none except Me “Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth;For I am God, and there is no other.“I have sworn by Myself,The word has gone forth from My mouth in righteousnessAnd will not turn back,That to Me every knee will bow, every tongue will swear allegiance.”
Therefore, when Paul says that every knee will bow and tongue confess that “Jesus Christ is Lord” that is to say, “God wants all creation to recognize Jesus as no one less than the Lord YHWH himself” as Bowman and Komoszewski point out.
*For further study see, Robert Bowman Jr. and J. Ed Komoszewski- Putting Jesus In His Place: The Case for The Deity of Christ (p.166-168) and Gordon D. Fee- Philippians, IVPNTC (p. 98-102)
1:22- Verse 22 has a stunning allusion to Psalm 8:6 as Paul says that God “put all things in subjection under His feet.” What’s important to note is that Psalm 8 was written by David to acknowledge the majesty of God as seen in His creation, how insignificant humanity appears to be in comparison, yet marveling in the fact that God has given mankind dominion over it (cf. Gen. 1:26-30). As Campbell points out, by using this psalm here, Paul “therefore attributes to Christ specifically what was originally descriptive of humanity generally. The significance of this is that Christ is viewed as the ultimate culmination of human purpose. The crowning of Jesus establishes him as the consummate human being who represents us at the utmost peak of human glory.” What these last few verses in chapter 1 speak of then is that Christ is above all powers whether on earth or in the heavenlies; whether physical or spiritual. This is supported by Paul using Psalm 110:1 in verse 21. Then, by using Psalm 8:6 in verse 22, Paul connects Jesus as our federal “head” and representative as Adam initially was (Rom. 5:12-21, 1 Cor. 15:45). What God had tasked humanity to do in Gen. 1:26-30 was ultimately fulfilled in Christ, the God-man; the “last Adam.”
This can lead some people to conclude what scholars call an “over-realized eschatology,” meaning that all the benefits of the “age to come” (see 1 Cor. 15:40-58, Rom. 8:18-25, Rev. 21) should be experienced fully in the “here and now.” However, this simply isn’t consistent with the narrative of Scripture. All throughout the apostle’s writings, there’s a tension between the “already/not yet” realization of the gospel (see: 2 Cor. 4:7-18, 1 Peter 1:4-6; 5:8-11). Perhaps the most simple example of this is in John 16:33 where Jesus says: “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (NIV)
For example, this is seen very clearly in Paul’s life as he suffered mightily (2 Cor. 11:23-29) and not just in the context of suffering for the sake of the gospel, but also simply contending with sickness and disease of the still fallen world (Gal. 4:13, 2 Tim. 4:20, 2 Cor. 4:16). It’s important to understand the context of a verse like Psalm 8:6. Campbell states that the psalm “points to humanity’s dignified status and position above other elements of creation, but it does not mean that everything is already seen to be subject to humanity.” Campbell goes on to use an example of a wild lion, which would not consider itself subject to man. He writes, “God has put humans above lions in dignity and order, but this does not mean that every lion is going to do what a man tells him to do (cf. Ps. 8:7). The dominion of humanity has been established and yet is still finding fulfillment. So too the dominion of Christ over his enemies has been established but is yet to be consummated.”
Paul has already made clear that the Holy Spirit is the “downpayment” of future things to come (1:13-14) and will go on to exhort the believers to put on the armor of God so that we can stand firm against the devil (6:10-17) who is still “the prince of the power of the air” (2:2, cf. 2 Cor. 4:4). The redemption we have is inaugurated, but not yet complete. Frank Thielman sums up: “When God raised the Messiah from the dead, he began the process by which we would subdue the enemies of his people and restore to his people their rightful place as rulers of his creation. Just as God has acted on behalf of his Messiah in accomplishing both these goals, so also his Messiah acts on behalf of God’s people. Since God has raised the Messiah from the dead and seated him at his right hand, far above all inimical powers, Paul can speak at this power as if this victory is fully accomplished for his people also.”
Not only is Jesus the “head” over all things (that is, the authoritative ruler as a king is “head” over a nation), but as the last part of v. 22 states, Christ is head over all things for the sake/advantage of the church. Paul uses the term “church” to describe a gathering of local believers (Rom. 16:1, 1 Cor. 1:2, 2 Cor. 1:2, 1 Thess. 1:1). This can also be seen in the way he uses the plural “churches” to refer to various locations (1 Cor. 7:17, 11:16, 16:1; 2 Cor. 8:1, 11:8). However, Paul also uses the term to refer to the universal church as in a single entity consisting of all believers everywhere (1 Cor. 15:9, Gal. 1:13, Phil. 3:6). This is how Paul uses the term in this verse (which the context of verse 23 bears out).
1:23- The universal church (that is, all believers around the world) make up the body of Christ. There is some debate around the Greek grammar in this verse, but the more commonly held interpretation is that the church is the extension of Christ on the earth. We are filled with His Spirit and we are to be salt and light to the world (Matt. 5:13-16). That is, as Christ is the fullness of God and as Christ is “in” believers, we are to be the fullness of His presence in the earth (cf. Col. 1:19, 2:9-10).
Bibliography (works cited):
Campbell, Constantine- The Letter to the Ephesians, PNTC, 2023
Chrysostom, John- Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture, New Testament Vol. 8, Ephesians
DeYoung, Kevin- Daily Doctrine: A One-Year Guide to Systematic Theology, 2024, p. 350
Fausset, A. R.- Jamieson, Fausset & Brown Bible Commentary, Ephesians
Foulkes, Francis- The Epistle of Paul to the Ephesians, TNTC, 1981
Hodge, Charles- A Commentary on the Epistle to the Ephesians, 1856
Jerome- Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture, New Testament Vol. 8, Ephesians
Keener, Craig- The IVP Bible Background Commentary, New Testament (Ephesians)
Liefeld, Walter L.- Ephesians, IVPNTC, 1997
Tertullian- Apology Against the Heathen (ch. 39)
Thielman, Frank S.- Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament (Beale and Carson), Ephesians
Turner, Max- New Bible Commentary, Ephesians
Wesley, John- John Wesley's Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, Ephesians
Witherington III, Ben- The Letters to Philemon, the Colossians, and the Ephesians: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary on the Captivity Epistles
Wood, Skevington A.- The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Vol. 11, Ephesians, 1978
Wuest, Kenneth- Word Studies in the Greek New Testament, Vol. 1 (Ephesians)