Ephesians 1:22 – Supreme Authority
And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church,
Truth to Learn
Jesus Christ died on the cross to pay for your sins and He is now your supreme authority with regard to all things physical and spiritual.
Behind the Words
The words “put … under” are translated from hupotassō, which is made up of hupo, meaning “under” or “beneath” and tassō, meaning “to place in an orderly arrangement.” Thus, hupotassō means “to intentionally place in a lower position.”
“Gave” is from the Greek verb didōmi, which means “to give” or “to grant.”
The word “head” is from the noun kephalē, which refers to “a head.” It can refer to the physical head of a body or, metaphorically, it can refer to “the supreme position of authority.”
“All” is the translation of the Greek word pas. It is expressed here in the neuter gender. Therefore, it refers to “all things.”
The Greek word ekklēsia is translated “church.” Ekklēsia is made up of ek, meaning “out” and a form of kaleō, meaning “to call.” So, ekklēsia refers to something that has been “called out.” Originally, this word referred to an assembly of citizens who were called out by civil authorities. It is used throughout the New Testament to refer to a church, either a local assembly or the world-wide church.
Meaning Explained
Paul has been talking about the awesome power that God displayed when He raised Jesus Christ from the dead. As He did this, He also seated Jesus at His right hand, the position of greatest honor. In this position He is far above all of creation, both physical and spirit. This is an indication of the supreme position of honor in which Jesus has been placed. Now, to emphasize the point a little bit more, Paul says that God the Father also put all of creation beneath His feet. This is a direct fulfillment of the words spoken in the Psalms:
You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet, (Psalms 8:6)
In other words, Jesus Christ is not only supreme in honor, but He is also supreme in authority. All of creation must submit to the authority of Jesus Christ or face the outpouring of His wrath. Those who submit to His authority during this life will not experience His wrath at the judgment. Notice that as Christians, we are commanded to submit to the authority of Jesus Christ and we are commanded to submit to each other as well, as Paul teaches later in this letter (see Ephesians 5:21).
As supreme authority over all of creation, Jesus has also been given a special position with regard to all Christians. He is our Lord individually, but He is also placed in the highest position regarding the church. He is our spiritual authority.
Application
As a Christian, you have humbled yourself before God and accepted the blood of Jesus as payment for your sins. At the same time, you placed yourself under His authority.
In God’s service, for His glory,
Copyright © 2011 Will Krause. All rights reserved.
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