Pastors Jim and Marie Watt
(From: EPHESIANS #2 - 1:15-2:10)
C. 1:15 – 2:10 GIFT OF SALVATION: PRODUCES WORKS THAT CORRESPOND
a. 1:15-23 PAUL’S PRAYER: FOR A REVELATION OF THE POWER OF THE INDWELLING CHRIST
DiA TOUto ka’ ’GO, a-KOUsas ten kath’ huMAS PIstin en toKuRIoIeSOU,
For this causeI also, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which isamong you,
kai ten eis PANtas tous haGIous [40], ou PAUo-mai eu-cha-risTON [2188] huPER huMON,
and which istoward all the saints, 16 cease not to give thanks for you,
MNEIan [3417] poiOUme-nos ePI ton pro-seuCHON [4335] mou;
making mention in my :prayers;
HIna ho TheOS tou KuRIou heMON IeSOU ChrisTOU, ho paTER tes DOxes [1391],
17 that the God of our :Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of the glory,
DO-ehuMIN PNEUma soPHIas [4678]kai a-po-kaLUpse-os [602] en e-pigNOsei [1922]auTOU;
give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in knowledge of him;
pe-pho-tisMEnous [5461] tous oph-thalMOUS tes karDIas [1271] huMON,
18 having the eyes of your :heart enlightened,
eis to eiDEnai huMAS TIS es-tin heelPIS [1680] tes KLEse-os [2821] auTOU,
that you may know what is the hope of his :calling,
tis ho PLOUtos [4149]tes DOxes tes kle-ro-noMIas [1817] auTOU en tois haGIois [40],
what the riches of the glory of his :inheritance in the saints,
kai ti to hu-perBALlon [5235] MEge-thos tes duNAme-os auTOU eis heMAS tous pisTEUon-tas,
19 and what the exceeding greatness of his :power toward us who believe,
kaTA ten eNERgei-an [1753] tou KRAtous [2904]tes isCHUos [2479] auTOU
according to that working of the strength of his :might
hen eNERge-ken [1754] en toChrisTO, eGEIras [1453] auTON ek nekRON [3498],
20 which he wrought in the Christ, when he raised him from the dead,
kai kaTHIsas en de-xiA auTOU en tois e-pou-raNIois [2032],
and made him to sit at his right in the heavenlies,
hu-peRAnoPAses arCHES[746],kai e-xouSIas, kai duNAme-os, kai ku-riOte-tos [2963],
21 far above all rule, and authority, and power, and dominion,
kai panTOS oNOma-tos o-no-ma-zoMEnou ou MOnon en toai0ni TOUto,
and every name named not only in this :age,
alLA kai en toMELlon-ti: kai PANta huPEta-xen [5293]huPO tous POdas auTOU,
but also in the oneto come: 22 and he put all thingsin subjection under his :feet,
kai auTON Edo-ken ke-phaLEN [2776]huPER PANta teek-kleSIa [1577],
and gave him for a head over all thingsto the church,
HEtis esTIN to SOmaauTOU, to PLEro-ma [4138]tou ta PANta en PAsin ple-rouMEnou.
23 which is his :body, the fulness of him that fills :all in all.
2:1-9 OUR HIGH POSITION IN CHRIST IS ALL A GIFT OF GRACE
kai huMAS, ONtas nekROUS [3498] tois pa-rapTOma-sin [3900] kai tais ha-marTIais [266] huMON,
And you he quickened, when you were dead through your :trespasses and :sins,
en hais poTE pe-ri-e-paTEsa-te kaTA ton aiOna tou KOSmou TOUtou,
2 wherein you once walked according to the age of this :world,
kaTA ton ARchon-ta [758]tes e-xouSIas tou aEros [109],
according to the prince of the power of the air,
tou PNEUma-tos [4151]tou nun e-nerGOUNtos [1754] en tois huiOIS tes apeiTHIas [543];
of the spirit that now works in the sons of :disobedience;
en hois kai heMEIS PANtes a-nesTRAphe-MEN [390] po-te en tais e-pi-thuMIais [1939] tes sarKOS heMON,
3 among whom we also all once lived in the lusts of our :flesh,
poiOUNtes ta theLEma-ta [2307] tes sarKOS [4561] kai ton di-a-noiON [1271],
doing the desires of the flesh and of the thoughts,
kai Eme-tha TEKna [5043] PHUsei [5449] orGES [3709], hos kai hoi loiPOI:--
and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest:--
ho de TheOS, PLOUsi-os on en eLEei [1656], diA ten polLEN aGApen auTOU hen eGApe-sen [25] heMAS,
4 but :God, being rich in mercy, for his great :love wherewith he loved us,
kai ONtas heMAS neKROUS [3498]tois pa-rapTOma-sin [3900]
5 even when we were dead through the trespasses
su-ne-zo-oPOIesen[4806] toChrisTO(CHAriTI [5485]es-te se-sosMEnoi [4982]),
made us alive together with the Christ (by grace have you been saved),
kai su-NEgei-ren [4891], kai su-neKAthi-sen [4776]en tois e-pou-raNIois [2032],
6and raised usup with him, and made usto sit with him in the heavenlies,
en ChrisTOIesou: HIna enDEIxe-tai [1731] en tois aiOsin [165] tois e-per-choMEnois
in Christ Jesus: 7that in the ages :to come he might show
to hu-perBALlon PLOUtos tes CHAri-tos auTOU
the exceeding riches of his :grace
en chresTOte-ti [5544]eph’ heMAS en ChrisTOIeSOU: tegar CHAriTI es-te se-sosMEnoi diA PIste-os;
in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus: 8for by :grace you have been saved through faith;
kai TOUto ouk ex huMON, TheOU to DOron [1435]; en tais e-pi-thuMIais [1939] tes sarKOS [4561] heMON,
and this not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9not of works, that no one should glory.
c. 2:10 SAINTS: CREATED TO DO GOOD WORKS
auTOU GAR es-men POIe-ma, ktisTHENtes [2936]en ChrisTO IeSOU ePI ERgois a-gaTHOIS,
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus upon good works,
hois pro-eTOIma-sen [4282] ho TheOS HIna en auTOIS pe-ri-paTEso-men [4043].
which :God afore prepared that we should walk in them.
NOTE: Several times in the complete Bible, the Holy Spirit leads various writers to record specific prayers, prophecies or revelations. This happened to the Apostle Paul twicein this letter.
His first prayer for the Ephesian believers is recorded in Ephesians 1:15-23. Many believers have memorized both of Paul’s prayers in this letter. There is such a depth of insight and revelation in this first prayer, that right up to the resurrection we will still be plumbing its depths.
It is our Heavenly Father who in Jesus’ Name will reveal to us the great grace that His Son both isand has made availableto us. To properly understand Christ’s “Finished Work in Redemption” on our behalf, means that pride loses its vantage point.
Oh, after 1900 years, may the prayer of Paul still be answered on our behalf by God our Father!
Note that the key words of this prayer in the Greek text are followed up by the numbers from “Strong’s Concordance.” One Adult Sunday School class in Canada in the mid ‘70’s went through two of these key words each week, presented by some 60 students. What a rich and blessed sharing that was!
Chapter 2:1-9 clearly points out our state in Satan prior to our conversion. And – thisis the present state of allin the world who are not yet born into the second birth! We do not know those whom God has foreknown to know Him through His Son – but our clearpresentation of these truths will convict and waken to earnest searching after God – the livingGod - for all those He has foreknown and given to His Son as members of His Bride!
It was the faithfulness of my grandfather who awakened in me this hungering and thirsting after God.
This clear Gospel presentation will make sinners either “mad” or “glad.” This is the way the world of Jesus’ day reacted to Him! The world and religious leaders hated Him – and they will hate us too as we are intimately related to Jesus on the basis of this prayer of Paul.
Blessed searching – as we search for God’s fuller understanding of this passage. J.A.W.