Ephesians 1:15 – Noteworthy Faith
Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints,
Truth to Learn
Some people show their faith in everything they do.
Behind the Words
The words “after I heard” are translated from the verb akouō, meaning “to hear.” It is expressed here as an aorist participle, so it literally says, “having heard.”
The expression “of your faith” is translated from tēn kath humas pistin. The word tēn is the definite article (the). The word kath (from kata), meaning “down” or “among.” Humas is the second person plural pronoun (you-plural). And pistin is from pistis, meaning “faith” or “moral conviction.” So, literally this phrase reads “the among you faith.”
“Saints” is from the Greek word hagios, which is derived from hagos, meaning “something which inspires awe.” Hagios refers to something which has been set apart from common usage to be used for God’s glory. It is often translated as “holy, sanctified, or consecrated.” Here it refers to someone who has become a Christian. As a result of our salvation, we are set-apart by God and are, therefore, referred to as saints. Therefore, all Christians are saints, not just those who have been declared so by a church organization.
The word “love” does not appear in some of the best Greek texts and probably should be omitted.
Meaning Explained
This verse has been used by some to try to prove that Paul did not write this letter specifically to the Christians in Ephesus. As we discussed in verse one of this chapter, the words “who are in Ephesus” are omitted from verse one in two key Greek manuscripts. Some scholars try to use that fact and Paul’s comments in this verse to prove that this letter was written as a general epistle for a number of different churches, not specifically for the Ephesians. Their contention is, since Paul spent three years in Ephesus, he certainly knew of their faith in the Lord and would not have said, “after I heard of your faith in the Lord.”
On the other side of the argument, however, there is overwhelming manuscript evidence that the words “who are in Ephesus” were originally included in the opening verse of this letter. Therefore, there must be a different reason why Paul says that he “heard of” the faith of the Ephesians. As we saw in “Behind the Words,” a literal translation of this expression is “the among you faith.” In other words, Paul has heard of the faith among the people in the Ephesian church. Now that shouldn’t be too surprising since this letter was written about five years after he left Ephesus and there had been many others come to faith in the church during that period of time. And, since the word “love” does not appear to be part of this verse as Paul originally wrote it, it should read
Therefore I also, having heard of the faith of those among you in the Lord Jesus, which you show toward all the saints,
It’s because of that faith, demonstrated by the Ephesian Christians and visible to others, that Paul is thankful.
Application
Do you know Christians like that? People whose faith is so strong and obvious in everything they do? Have you thanked God for them? Have you thanked them for their example?
In God’s service, for His glory,
Copyright © 2011 Will Krause. All rights reserved.
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