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Ephesians 2:4 – Abundant Mercy

Posted on August 19, 2015 by Will

But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,

Truth to Learn

Because of God’s mercy we don’t get what we deserve. It’s not fair, it’s mercy!

Behind the Words

The word “rich” is translated from plousios, which is the condition of having ploutos, meaning “wealth or riches, in money or possession.” Figuratively, it means “to have an abundance of something.”

“Mercy” is from the Greek noun eleos. This word refers to “sorrow over the misfortune of others, which disposes a person to overlook personal offenses and to treat an offender better than he or she deserves.” It is sometimes translated as “compassion.”

“Because of” is a translation of the Greek preposition dia, which means “through, either positionally or instrumentally.” In the current verse it means that God’s mercy is a result of His love.

The adjective “great” is from polus, meaning “much or many.” This is not a measure of size. That would be the Greek word megas. Polus is a measure of quantity or magnitude.

The words “love” and “loved” are from the same root, agapē. This word refers to a kind of love in which the lover is focused on that which will do the most good for the loved one. It is a self-sacrificing love which places the good of the loved one above the good of self.

Meaning Explained

In the past few verses the Apostle Paul has been describing how we were dead in sin before we were saved. Our manner of life was controlled by Satan and his world system. We followed the lusts of our flesh and we were deserving of the full weight of God’s wrath.

Here he goes on to describe how all that was changed. The instrument of our change, freedom from the bondage of sin, was God, Himself. We know how rich our God is. In the fiftieth chapter of Psalms we are told that he owns the cattle on a thousand hills (in the Old Testament wealth was measured by how many animals you owned). Paul now tells us that His wealth is not just in material things; He also has an abundance of mercy, that is, He is rich in mercy. Because of this mercy, we Christians will not receive from God the wrath that we truly deserve. Instead, He will be compassionate and merciful toward us.

This mercy that God shows to us is an outgrowth of His love. This love and mercy are so great toward us that He forgives us of all our sins (past, present, and future). Throughout the Bible, forgiveness means more than removal of blame. It includes completely forgetting the offending act. In fact, in the book of Psalms, as a description of God’s forgiveness, we are told:

As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. (Psalms 103:12)

We learn in Romans that the penalty for our sins is death. Instead of our death, however, God gave up the life of His Son, who did not deserve death, as the ransom to set us free from death. Because we Christians have accepted Christ’s blood as the payment for our sins, God has forgiven, forgotten, and completely cast away our sinful acts.

Application

The next time you complain to God that things are not fair, that you are not getting what you deserve, remember that what you deserve is death and the wrath of God. However, because of His mercy and His great love with which He loved us, He has forgiven our sins and has given us eternal life. Our response to His mercy should be gratitude demonstrated by a life of submission to Him. Let’s take a few minutes right now and thank God for His mercy. Let’s recommit to serving Him out of a heart of gratitude.

In God's service, for His glory,

Ephesians 2:3 – Wrath Avoidance

Posted on August 18, 2015 by Will

among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, doing the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.

Truth to Learn

Before we were saved we were destined for God’s wrath.

Behind the Words

The word “among” is translated from the Greek preposition en, meaning “in” or “among.”

“Conducted” is from the verb anastrephō. This is made up of ana, meaning “again” and strephō, meaning “to turn.” So, literally it means “to turn again.” When used of a person it is a metaphor meaning “to live one’s life.”

Epithumia is the Greek word translated “lusts.” It is made up of epi, meaning “over” or “above” and a form of thumos, which refers to “a passion or desire of the mind.” Thus, epithumia refers to “overly strong desires.”

The word “doing” is from the Greek verb poieō, meaning “to make” or “to do.” It is expressed here as a present participle, so it means “doing.”

“Desires” is translated from thelēma which refers to “an act of determination.” So, it really means more than “desires.” It means “those things which we decided to do.”

“Flesh” is from sarx, which literally refers to “the meat or flesh of a living creature.” This word is commonly used to refer to the physical part of our existence as opposed to the spiritual part.

The word “mind” is translated from dianoia which refers to “deep thought” or “imagination.”

“Nature” is from the Greek word phusis, which is derived from the noun phuō, meaning “to bring forth in birth.” It is used here as a metonym in reference to our natural inclination.

The word “wrath” is translated from orgē, which means “desire, strong emotion, anger, or wrath.”

“Others” is from the Greek word loipos, which is from the verb leipō, meaning “to lack” or “to leave something where it is.” In other words, it refers to “that which is left.” So, it could be translated as “the remainder” or “the others.”

Meaning Explained

In the previous verse Paul told us that before we became Christians we lived according to the ways of the world system in which we live. Our behavior was influenced by Satan who controls those who don’t believe in Christ.

What he tells us in today’s verse is that we used to live our lives controlled by the lusts of our flesh. Another way of saying this is that we used to be controlled by our sin nature. In the book of Romans, Paul calls it our “old man,” and he tells us that we used to be the slaves of sin:

knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be nullified, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. (Romans 6:6)

Because we were controlled by our fleshly desires and our imagination, Paul says we were children of wrath just like the rest of unsaved humanity. What he means is that before we were saved, we were God’s enemies and subject to his wrath. Some Christians think of God as a vengeful God, waiting for us to slip up so He can punish us. Other Christians don’t like to think of God as vengeful and exhibiting wrath; they like to think of God as a God of love. He is both. Those who receive Jesus Christ will one day experience God’s love completely, whereas those who reject Jesus Christ will one day experience the full fury of God’s wrath.

… And He treads the winepress of the wine of the anger and wrath of Almighty God. (Revelation 19:15c)

Application

As a Christian you still have a sin nature, but you don’t have to be controlled by it. Instead, you can submit your will to God and allow the Holy Spirit to control your life.

In God's service, for His glory,

Ephesians 2:2 – Who’s Your Master?

Posted on August 17, 2015 by Will

in which you previously walked according to the course of this world, according to the ruler of the authority of the air, of the spirit now working in the sons of disobedience,

Truth to Learn

Christians are no longer under Satan’s authority. We are now in God’s family and under God’s authority.

Behind the Words

“Walked” is translated from the Greek verb peripateō. This is composed of peri, meaning “around” and pateō (based on patos, meaning “a path”), which means “to walk.” Thus, peripateō literally means “to walk around.” Metaphorically it refers to “how one lives one’s life.”

Aion is the Greek word translated “course.” Generally, this word refers to a timeframe, a period of time, or an “age.” Here, however, it is used as a metonym referring to the people and customs of the “world system.” [A metonym is a word or expression used as a substitute for something else with which it is closely associated. For example, Washington is a metonym for the federal government of the United States of America.]

The word “world” is from the Greek noun kosmos, which is indirectly based on the word kolumbos, meaning “to tend or to take care of.” Kosmos refers to “an orderly arrangement” or “a system of order.” It is the word from which we get our English word “cosmetics.” As it is used here, kosmos refers to “the orderly arrangement or ‘system’ of this world.”

“Ruler” is translated from archon, which refers to someone who is “first in authority or power.”

The word “air” is aēr, which refers to “the lower atmosphere” or “the air surrounding the earth.”

The word “disobedience” is translated from the Greek word apeitheia, which is made up of a, meaning “not” and peithō, meaning “to convince or persuade.” Thus, apeitheia refers to “those who are not convinced” or “those who are not willing to be persuaded,” which by extension means “those who do not obey God.”

Meaning Explained

The first two words of this verse, “in which,” are a reference to “trespasses and sins,” mentioned in the previous verse. So, Paul is saying that we Christians used to live our lives in a manner characterized by trespasses and sins. He goes on further to say that we used to live our lives in accordance with the ruler of the power (authority) of the atmosphere. This is a reference to Satan, who Jesus referred to as “the ruler of this world” (see John 16:11).

But, Paul doesn’t stop there with his description of Satan. He tells us that he is a spirit being who is currently at work in the unsaved people of this world (the sons of disbelief or the sons of disobedience). As a spirit being, Satan is not only the ruler of the world system in which we live, he also has access to the throne room of God in heaven. We know this from the book of Job, where Satan is characterized as appearing before God:

Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them. And the LORD said to Satan, "From where do you come?" So Satan answered the LORD and said, "From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it." (Job 1:6-7)

Satan will continue to have access to Heaven until he is cast out during the seven year tribulation, as described in Revelation chapter twelve.

Application

You were once controlled by your sins and by Satan, but that is no longer true. When you were saved, you were placed into (baptized into) the body of Christ, where Jesus is now your Lord and Master; therefore, you are no longer under Satan’s power and authority. Praise be to God!

In God's service, for His glory,

Ephesians 2:1 – His Promised Resurrection

Posted on August 14, 2015 by Will

And you He made alive, being dead in trespasses and sins,

Truth to Learn

Through faith, God’s awesome power will be displayed in resurrecting us to eternal life in perfect bodies.

Behind the Words

The words “He made alive” are not in the Greek text. They were inserted in the translation in order to make the sense of these verses more clear. These words are drawn from verse five where the apostle finishes this thought.

“Being” is from the Greek verb eimi, which is the verb of existence (to be). In some translations, it is written as “who were,” but it is expressed here as a present participle. Thus, it should be translated “being.”

“Dead” is translated from nekros, which is derived from nekus, meaning “a corpse.” So, nekros refers to someone who is corpse-like; that is, “dead.”

The word “trespasses” is translated from the Greek noun paraptōma. This is made up of para, meaning “beside” and a form of piptō, meaning “to fall” or “to land on.” Therefore, we see that paraptōma means “to fall by the wayside.” Metaphorically, it refers to “an unintentional error.”

“Sins” is from the Greek noun hamartia. This is made up of the privative a, meaning “not” and a form of the verb meiromai, which means “to get an allotment or a share.” Thus, hamartia means “to not get a share of the prize,” that is, “to miss the mark.” Sin is missing the goal which God has set for our lives. That goal, or mark, is complete righteousness.

Meaning Explained

Even though the words “He made alive” are not in the original text, this is precisely the idea that Paul is focusing on in the following verses. Paul has spent most of the latter half of the first chapter of this letter focusing on God’s displayed power in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. He now shows how that power will also be displayed in our lives.

There are two kinds of life (and death) spoken of in the New Testament, physical and spiritual. Physical life is what all humans experience from the moment of conception until we breathe our last breath, our heart stops pumping, and our brain ceases to function. The bodies we have in this physical life are frail and fragile. Spiritual life, on the other hand, is a condition in which God has promised that after we die physically, He will resurrect us with a perfect physical body. That perfect body will be neither fragile nor frail. The reason we are dead is outlined by Paul in the book of Romans:

for all sinned and fall short of the glory of God, (Romans 3:23)

For the wages of sin is death … (Romans 6:23a)

One of the confusing issues in the New Testament is that the writers speak of the future as if it were now. This is because God is not bound by time and to Him the future is now. Since we have all sinned, we are all marked for physical death. Thus, in God’s record book, we are already dead. Through faith, however, we become credited with righteousness and in God’s record book we are already made alive, resurrected by His power.

Application

If you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you will be resurrected by God’s power and you will live forever in His glorious presence.

In God's service, for His glory,

Ephesians 1:23 – Spiritual Body Life

Posted on August 13, 2015 by Will

which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

Truth to Learn

All Christians are part of the body of Christ. As members of that body we each have a function to perform in the church.

Behind the Words

The word “which” is translated from hostis, a double relative pronoun that most literally translates to “which some.” In this case the meaning seems to be “seeing it is.”

“Body” is translated from the Greek noun soma, which refers to “the body” as a whole. It is used both literally and figuratively in the New Testament. Here it refers to the church, the spiritual body of the resurrected Jesus.

The word “fullness” is from plēroma, a derivative of the verb plēroō, meaning “to fill full” or “to cram full.” It means to fill so completely that there is no room left to add any more. Plēroma refers to “the condition of fullness or completion.”

“Fills” is from the verb plēroō, which we just looked at. It is expressed here as a participle in the middle voice (the subject acting on himself).

Meaning Explained

Back in verse nineteen we learned that one of the things the Apostle Paul prays for is for all believers to understand the exceeding greatness of God’s power. Through that power, the Father raised Jesus from the dead and elevated Him to the highest position of honor and authority. And in yesterday’s verse he told us that the Father made Jesus to be the head over all things with regard to the church. Now, to get the full impact of the current verse, let’s look at it along with the previous verse.

And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all. (Ephesians 1:22-23)

God the Father made the risen Jesus to be the head of the church, which Paul tells us here is His body. The church universal is the body of Christ. It serves as His arms, hands, eyes, ears, nose, and feet. In his first letter to the Corinthian church and his letter to the Roman church, Paul explained a little more about the functioning of the body of Christ.

For even as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ … But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body even as He desired. (1Cointhians 12:12, 22)

so we, the many, are one body in Christ, and each one members of one another, but having different gifts according to the grace that was given to us … (Romans 12:5-6a)

All Christians have a part to play in the body of Christ. We each have abilities and spiritual gifts given specifically to each one of us by God. We need to be using those gifts to build up the body.

Application

Do you know what your gifts are? Are there abilities that you have that others don’t? Are you using your talents and spiritual gifts to make your fellow Christians stronger in their faith?

In God's service, for His glory,

Ephesians 1:22 – Supreme Authority

Posted on August 12, 2015 by Will

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” as it does here.

“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, however, to refer to the church, either a local assembly or the world-wide church. The church is a reference to all of us who have been called out of the world system into God’s family.

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 rule 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 the head of the church. That is, He is our supreme 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. Jesus Christ is not only your Savior, He is your Lord and Master.

In God's service, for His glory,

Ephesians 1:21 – Powerful Proof

Posted on August 11, 2015 by Will

far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.

Truth to Learn

Jesus’ resurrection is the proof of God’s resurrection promise.

Behind the Words

“Far above” is translated from the Greek adverb huperanō, which is made up of huper, meaning “above or over” and anō, meaning “upward” or “on top.” Thus, we can see that huperanō means “above the top” or “far above.”

Archē is the Greek word translated “principality.” The basic meaning of archē is “beginning” or “commencement.” As it is applied to people, it refers to “the first in a series,” that is, “the chief” or “the leader.”

The word translated “power” is exousia, which is based on exesti, meaning “permissible.” Exousia refers to “someone who has permission, authority, or power to do something.”

“Might” is from dunamis, which we saw in verse nineteen. It refers to “someone who has the capability or power to do something.”

The word translated “dominion” is kuriotēs. It is based on the noun kurios, meaning “lord or master.” Thus, kuriotēs refers to “someone having lordship or civil authority over others.”

“Age” is translated from aiōn, which properly refers to “duration or continuance of time.” Here it refers to “a long period of time.” Aiōn is sometimes translated as “world” where it refers to the time that this world exists.

Meaning Explained

In the past couple of verses, Paul has been talking about God’s power, which has been demonstrated toward those of us who have believed His promises. This power was demonstrated when He resurrected Jesus from the dead, giving eternal life to his resurrected body. As we pointed out in the previous verse, not only has Jesus been raised from the dead, He has been seated (a sign of completion of the Father’s work of resurrection) at the Father’s right hand. This is the seat that declares the most honor and prestige among those who are seated.

But Paul is not finished with his description of the glory and honor of our risen Lord. Not only has He been seated in the position of the most honor, this position is above every created being. Not just above, mind you, but “far above” them all. Most biblical scholars agree that the words translated “principality” and “power” are references to angelic beings. Therefore, Paul’s designation of “all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named” is a description of every created being, whether human or spirit (angelic). And, it includes not just all beings that have ever been, but any that might exist in the future.

There is no question that Paul has just described the position of highest honor, power, and authority in all of God’s creation. It might seem obvious that the Son of God should have such a position, but this is a description of the man Jesus Christ.

Application

God has demonstrated His awesome power in raising Jesus to the highest position of all to assure you and me that He can, and will, raise us from the dead as well. Do you believe it?

In God's service, for His glory,

Ephesians 1:20 – Power In Action

Posted on August 10, 2015 by Will

Behind the Words

“Worked” is translated from the same word as “working” in the previous verse. It is the word energeia. It refers to “active power” or “power in action.” Here it is expressed in the aorist tense indicating past action completed at a point in time (not a process, but a single action).

The word “raised” is from the Greek verb egeirō, meaning “to rise up” as one would rise from a sleeping position to a standing position. It is expressed here as an aorist participle, so it could be translated as “having raised Him.”

“From the dead” is translated from ek nekrōn. The preposition ek means “out of” or “out from.” The noun nekrōn is a plural form of nekros, meaning “someone who is dead.” So, ek nekrōn literally means “out from the dead ones.”

The word translated “seated” is kathidzō. This is made up of kata, meaning “down” and hidzō, meaning “to sit.” It too is expressed as an aorist participle, thus, it means “sat him down.”

“Right hand” is the translation of the word dexios, meaning “the right side” or “the right hand.” The latter meaning is used when it is expressed as a feminine adjective, as it is here.

“Heavenly places” is from epouranios, which is another compound word made up of epi, meaning “on, over, or in” and ouranos, meaning “heaven.” Therefore, epouranios means “in the heavenly places” or “in the heavenly realm.”

Meaning Explained

In the previous verse Paul talked about the working of God’s incredibly great and mighty power. In today’s verse he tells a little more about that power. He says that this power was worked in Christ. Remember, the word “worked” refers to power in action. In physics there are two types of energy, potential energy and kinetic energy. Potential energy does not produce any results because it is inactive. It is like snow on a high mountain. It has the potential to produce energy, but it doesn’t. Kinetic energy, on the other hand, is energy in action. It is like melted snow that forms a river. As it rushes downhill, it produces energy. That’s kinetic energy, energy in action.

Our God is like that too. He has tremendous potential power, but He also has power in action. It is this power in action that He demonstrated when He raised Christ from the dead. The same power that created human life in the first place also gave life back to the body of Jesus Christ. Now notice something very significant. After God the Father raised Christ from the dead, He seated him at His right hand in the heavenlies. If you read through the book of Revelation you will encounter several descriptions of the throne room of God in Heaven. The only ones who are depicted as sitting in God’s presence are God Himself and the twenty-four elders (representing all Christians). Only those with the righteousness of Christ are allowed to sit in God’s presence. When Jesus Christ was raised from the dead, not only was He seated, but He was seated in the most honorable position, at the right hand of the Father.

Application

God demonstrated His mighty power in raising Christ from the dead so that you, too, might be raised from the dead one day and be seated in the presence of God!

In God's service, for His glory,

Ephesians 1:19 – Incredible Mighty Power!

Posted on August 7, 2015 by Will

and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power

Truth to Learn

God has already demonstrated how valuable we are to Him.

Behind the Words

“Exceeding” is from the Greek verb huperballō, which is made up of huper (hyper), meaning “above” or “beyond” and ballō, meaning “to throw.” Thus huperballō literally means “to throw beyond;” that is, “to go beyond” or “to exceed.”

The word “greatness” is from megethos, which means “magnitude” or, as in this verse, “greatness.”

The word translated “power” is dunamis (from which we get our English word dynamite). This word refers specifically to having the capability or authority to do something. So “power” is a good translation it as it is used here.

“Believe” is from pisteuō, which we saw back in verse thirteen. It means “to be firmly persuaded regarding some truth” or “to believe.”

The word “working” is translated from energeia (from which we get our English word energy). It refers to “active power” or “power in action.”

“Mighty” is from kratos, which refers to “demonstrated power,” that is, “vigor or might.”

Finally, the word “power” is from ischus. This is made up of is, meaning “strength” and echo, meaning “to have.” Thus, ischus refers to someone “having strength.”

Meaning Explained

First of all, notice how many words Paul used in this one verse to express God’s strength and power. Each of these words can have a number of subtle nuances that produce very similar meanings. It is as if Paul is trying to use every word he can think of to describe the exceeding greatness and magnitude of God’s almighty power at work.

One of the difficulties in understanding the Apostle Paul is the fact that he writes such lengthy, complex sentences. This particular sentence takes up seven verses and it contains almost 140 words! He started out this thought in verse fifteen by expressing his thanks for the growing faith and demonstrated love of the Christians in the church in Ephesus. Then he expresses the content of his prayers for these believers and, by extension, for all Christians. He prayed that the Father would have the Holy Spirit impart wisdom and reveal truths to us. The first of these truths is that we might understand the hope and assurance we have in God’s inviting us to have eternal life. The second truth is the magnificence of the inheritance that Jesus will receive from the Father. We, the church, the body of Christ, the bride of Christ, are that marvelous inheritance.

In the current verse Paul tells us about the third truth which he prays will be revealed to us. It is the incredible greatness of God’s active and demonstrated power, which is mighty in strength. The greatest part is that His powerful strength is displayed toward us, we who believe in Jesus Christ.

Application

Listen, God has demonstrated His incredible power for your sake because He loves you and wants to spend eternity with you. Yes, you! You are incredibly valuable to Him!

In God's service, for His glory,

Ephesians 1:18 – Two Great Truths

Posted on August 6, 2015 by Will

the eyes of your heart being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,

Truth to Learn

There are two great truths here. The first is that the Holy Spirit reveals spiritual truth to us. The other is that you are highly valued by God and will be cherished for all eternity.

Behind the Words

The word “heart” is translated from the Greek word kardia. Although this word is used to describe the physical heart of a person, in the New Testament it is used exclusively in a figurative sense in reference to the seat of the desires, feelings, affections, passions, and impulses. Some Greek manuscripts do not contain the word kardia here. Instead they have the word dianoia. This is made up of dia, meaning “through” or indicating division, and a form of the verb noeō, meaning “to exercise the mind.” Therefore, we see that dianoia indicates something that has been thoroughly thought through, thus “understanding.” This word does not appear in most Greek manuscripts; instead, kardia (heart) is used. So, “heart” is the preferred reading.

“Enlightened” is the translation of phōtidzō, which is derived from phōs, meaning “light.” Phōtidzō means “to shine the light on something” or “to make something visible.”

“Hope” is from the Greek word elpis, meaning “that which is hoped for.” The meaning of this word, however, is not simply something wished for; it includes a full expectation of it actually happening.

The word “calling” is translated from klēsis, a shortened form of the verb kaleō, meaning “to call.” Thus, klēsis refers to “a calling” or “an invitation.”

“Riches” is from ploutos, which refers to “wealth made up of things of value.”

Meaning Explained

This verse contains the continuation of Paul’s prayer for all saints. In the previous verse he asked that God the Father might give us wisdom and revelation through the Holy Spirit. Now he tells us about some of the effects of that revelation provided by the Holy Spirit.

He tells us here that it will produce enlightenment. The Greeks believed that the heart was not just the seat of the emotions, but of understanding and determination as well. So, Paul is saying that the eyes of our heart should receive light. We all know that in the darkness we cannot see or recognize things very well; however, when something is illuminated we can see with both our vision and our perception. That’s exactly what the Holy Spirit does for us. He shines the light of truth on things that we see and hear. Because of this illumination, we can understand spiritual truths which we otherwise would not have understood.

There are three particular spiritual truths which we can know as a result of the Spirit’s illumination. Two are in this verse and the third is in the next verse. Here he tells us about the hope and assurance we have of eternal life as a result of God’s invitation. He also tells us how great the glory of His inheritance is. This is not a reference to our inheritance, which we talked about in verse fourteen. This is a reference to the rich inheritance that Jesus Christ will receive in heaven: all the saints, who will spend eternity with Him.

Application

You may not think or yourself as being worth very much, but God sees each one of us as extremely valuable. We, the bride of Christ, will be the Father’s gift to the Son for all eternity.

In God's service, for His glory,