Eph 1:15-23 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Eph 1:15-23: 1:15-23 Paul prays that his readers may have the spiritual understanding to grasp the full significance of God’s gifts (1:3-14 ). 1:15 Paul links faith in Christ with love for God’s people. Personal faith in Christ brings salvation, and salvation is expressed, above all, by a life of love (see Gal 5:6 ; Col 1:4 ; 1 Thes 1:3 ; 3:6 ; 5:8 ; 2 Thes 1:3 ; 1 Tim 1:14 ; 2:15 ; Titus 2:2 ).

Summary for Eph 1:15-23: 1:15-23 ^a Paul prays that his readers may have the spiritual understanding to grasp the full significance of God’s gifts (1:3-14 ^b). 1:15 ^c Paul links faith in Christ with love for God’s people. Personal faith in Christ brings salvation, and salvation is expressed, above all, by a life of love (see Gal 5:6 ^d; Col 1:4 ^e; 1 Thes 1:3 ^f; 3:6 ^g; 5:8 ^h; 2 Thes 1:3 ⁱ; 1 Tim 1:14 ^j; 2:15 ^k; Titus 2:2 ^l).
1:17 ^m spiritual wisdom (or the Spirit of wisdom): The word spirit can refer either to the Holy Spirit or to the human spirit.

• Knowledge of God is to know God personally and experientially, not just to know about him intellectually (see John 17:3 ⁿ).
1:18 ^o Confident hope for believers is the anticipation of Christ’s return and his future blessings that they will share. Joined with Christ, believers become joint heirs with him of all God’s promised blessings.
Summary for Eph 1:19-20: 1:19-20 ^p God’s power for us who believe him is the power of his Spirit at work in and through his people, because they are joined to the resurrected Christ (see Rom 6:4-14 ^q; Col 2:12 ^r). Paul longed to experience the power of Christ’s resurrection in his own life (Phil 3:10 ^s).

• In biblical times, the place of honor was always at a person’s right hand (Ps 110:1 ^t; Acts 7:56 ^u).
1:21 ^v he is far above: Jesus’ power and authority transcend all rival powers, whether human or spiritual, in this age and the coming age (see 3:10 ^w; 6:12 ^x; John 12:31 ^y; Rom 8:38-39 ^z; 1 Cor 15:24 ^aa; Col 1:13 ^ab; 2:10 ^ac, 15 ^ad; 1 Pet 3:22 ^ae; Rev 12:7-9 ^af).
1:22 ^ag under the authority of Christ (literally under his feet): In pictures from the ancient Near East, victorious kings have their feet on the necks of their defeated enemies. Paul is graphically picturing the way Christ has defeated all his enemies and reigns as king of all things (see Ps 110:1 ^ah; 1 Cor 15:25-28 ^ai).
1:23 ^aj it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself (or it is the full expression of the one who fills everything everywhere): This difficult phrase probably means that the church, as his body, is the full expression of Christ in this world. His presence, which fills the entire universe (4:10 ^ak), is reflected in and works through his body.