Ephesians 1:17, commentary and pictures

It is Paul's prayer of thanksgiving for the saints at Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus, offered in remembrance after hearing of their faith in the Lord Jesus and love to all the saints, addressed to God as the God of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory. He asks that God give them the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, with enlightened eyes of understanding to know the hope of His calling, the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and the exceeding greatness of His power toward believers, even the power He worked in Christ in raising Him and setting Him at His own right hand far above every rule and dominion. That gift is the ministry of the divine Spirit in enlightening the understanding and opening the deep things of God's word, for it is spiritual knowledge beyond human learning that natural reason and intellect cannot discern without the Holy Spirit, however much knowledge they possess. It is sought by earnest, persevering, unwavering prayer, with self humbled and emptied, entire surrender to God, the mind made adaptable to truth, and entrance into Christ's school to learn meekness and lowliness and be changed into His likeness from glory to glory. With understanding thus enlightened, believers know through personal connection with Christ the hope of God's calling, the riches of His inheritance, the greatness of His power that strengthens faith, and the breadth and length and depth and height of Christ's love which surpasses knowledge, unto being filled with all the fullness of God, and this becomes practical godliness in daily conversion as God's workmen whose efficiency is of God and not of self.

Prayer's Words and Setting

Paul's words are a prayer of thanksgiving for the saints at Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus, offered in remembrance after hearing of their faith in the Lord Jesus and love to all the saints. The thanksgiving embraces verses 15-20, asking for enlightenment urgently needed because trying times are at hand. It is addressed to God as the God of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory.

What is asked is that He give believers the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him. This is God's purpose for believers and the blessing prayed for the church at Ephesus. The gift is given so they may know Him.

The request continues that the eyes of the understanding, the heart's eyes, may be enlightened. So enlightened, they know the hope of His calling, the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and the exceeding greatness of His power toward those who believe. That threefold knowledge is the fruit of the divine understanding opened by wisdom and revelation.

That power is the mighty working which He wrought in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and set Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places. There Christ is exalted far above all principality and power and might and dominion, above every authority. The same greatness of power is toward believers who know Him.

The verse belongs to the privileges of the Christian set forth in the first chapter of Ephesians. That chapter gives repeated assurances of God's promises and acceptance in Christ, to be grasped and claimed fully. It is a chapter to be studied so that understanding may be enlightened, with the reader placed rightly in relation to God and caring for what belongs to Him.

Spirit's Enlightening Work

The prayer is for the ministry of the divine Spirit in enlightening the understanding and opening the mind to the deep things of God's holy word. That wisdom is spiritual knowledge beyond human learning, revealed by the Spirit. Without the Holy Spirit natural reason and intellect cannot discern Christ's glory, veiled and shrouded in mystery though it is, however much knowledge they possess.

The gift first makes the mind adaptable to the truth to be investigated and brings heart and mind into harmony with God who is truth. By it believers sense spiritual things and understand the working of the Spirit of God. It is seeing with spiritual vision, for spiritual things are spiritually discerned.

That spiritual discernment enables believers to discern spiritual things and behold the glory of Christ in His character. The glory of the Redeemer to be beheld in this way is His character. This enlightenment gives clear views of Jesus and His love.

Hope Inheritance and Power

The knowledge of Him comes through personal connection with Jesus Christ, who is the source of all knowledge and wisdom, and through the Holy Spirit working in mind and heart. With the eyes of the understanding enlightened, believers know the hope of God's calling and the riches of His inheritance among the saints. That divine understanding opens the way to recognize the greatness of His power toward those who believe, the mighty power shown in raising Christ from the dead and exalting Him far above every authority. This enlightenment is needed by those serving in God's churches and institutions, enabling them to discern spiritual things and to behold the glory of Christ in His character.

They also know the exceeding greatness of His power toward believers according to the working of His mighty power which He wrought in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and set Him at His own right hand in heavenly places. Knowing God in this way through earnest, prayerful heart-searching strengthens faith in Christ, the divine Physician. The knowledge opens understanding of the breadth and length and depth and height of Christ's love which passes knowledge, and leads to being filled with all the fullness of God. It is given in measure exceeding abundantly above all that is asked or thought, so that believers may grasp these realities with all saints.

This knowledge is the gift God invites all to receive, beside which all else is vanity and nothingness. It grows as believers study the Bible and meditate on the life of Christ and the plan of redemption, by which these great themes open more and more to understanding. They lead into the infinite, exhaustless love of God in giving His Son to die for the world. That love whose length and breadth and depth and height may be meditated upon daily and searched out with every God-given power and studied for ages has an infinity still beyond that eternity itself can never fully reveal.

Receiving the Gift

The spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of God is sought by earnest, persevering prayer that deepens faith and enables the use of the light already given. It is asked for in unwavering faith, letting the Lord take supervision of the life and using every God-given faculty wisely under His counsel rather than under Satan's dictation. God abounds toward believers in all wisdom and prudence in this giving, making known the mystery of His will according to His good pleasure.

The gift is promised to those willing to humble self, beyond which all else is vanity and nothingness. The mind must first be made adaptable to the truth to be investigated, and heart and mind brought into harmony with God who is truth. With the eye of faith beholding Jesus, self sees no glory in itself because the Redeemer's glory is reflected into mind and heart, the atonement of His blood and the taking away of sin are realized with gratitude, justification by Christ is received, and entire surrender to God is made. The surrendered one is admitted into Christ's school to learn meekness and lowliness of heart, knows the love of God shed abroad in the heart, grasps the rich promises by faith and partakes of the divine nature, and having the heart emptied of self receives the waters of life so the glory of the Lord shines forth, and by perpetually looking unto Jesus is assimilated by the divine and changed into His likeness. This humbling enables grasping the vastness of Christ's love and being filled with all the fullness of God.

The prayer is needed now because trying times are right upon us and many professed believers and churches are in the condition made known to John, failing to see and feel what they must do individually for their souls' sake. It is answered when souls give themselves no rest until they humble themselves before God and exercise repentance that needs not to be repented of. They heed the counsel to be zealous and repent and change their attitude, and are transformed in spiritual awakening to find Him who is light and life with hearts all aglow with the love of Jesus Christ. Ministers who have lost the truth must likewise be changed in heart and perception or continue deceived.

Receiving requires putting the mental powers to the strain to see what Christ is and what God is, with Christ established as the Center. It means receiving the Holy Spirit of God rather than doctrines of error, bringing the mind into captivity to the will of Christ, sensing spiritual things and understanding the working of the Spirit of God, and being changed from glory to glory from character to character by beholding. Sharing received light with others increases understanding of the hope of God's calling, the glory of His inheritance among the saints, and the greatness of His power toward those who believe. The light thus bestowed is to shine forth freely to those in darkness.

The gift is not obtained by working in own strength but is received from the throne of grace, where own incompetence is acknowledged and divine efficiency is given. There the Holy Spirit takes the things of God and shows them, leading into all truth and giving faith that works by love and purifies the soul. With God's Word it is a double gift and reason for gladness and rejoicing. In Christ's strength those who receive it can be more than conquerors.

Living the Gift Daily

The spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of God is practical godliness needed through daily conversion. It makes believers God's workmen by learning lessons from Him and working as Christ worked, so that efficiency is of God and not of self, which is sanctification. With understanding enlightened, it gives recognition of the hope of God's calling, the riches of His inheritance in the saints, and the greatness of His power toward believers as shown in raising Christ and seating Him at God's right hand.

This knowledge and spiritual understanding are needed by those serving in God's churches and institutions. For physicians and ministers it upholds a life of humility, consecration to God's service, and dependence on Him. Workers need spiritual insight to weigh matters wisely and discern what is needed both nearby and farther away, and fuller consecration to God's cause enables more effective work. With the heart's eyes enlightened they understand the hope of His calling, the riches of His inheritance among the saints, and the greatness of His power toward believers shown in raising Christ from the dead and exalting Him above every authority.

It is the privilege of every shepherd of the flock to receive this gift through earnest, prayerful heart-searching to know God and the power of His grace. Then religious experience is not tame and commonplace but is marked by grace and the decided working of God's power with human effort in earnest travail for souls. The prayer belongs to every shepherd today.

A minister is a servant of God and not of any man, to inquire of God who appointed the work and who gives wisdom and unerring judgment liberally without upbraiding. God has given brain power to be used rather than becoming the shadow of another's thoughts and directions, and the laborer set in a portion of the Lord's vineyard is under God to plan his own work where needed instead of waiting to be told at every point by human minds. By carefully studying with humility, faith, and prayer the wants of believers, the necessities of unbelievers, and the circumstances of the assigned vineyard, with God as co-laborer, the worker discerns what to do and what not to do and becomes a wise and successful laborer. Necessity shapes where to labor and how long to stay rather than dependence on human counsel or prescribed limits.

Those presenting truth from the pulpit need this gift before they speak, for they are engaged in a solemn, sacred work for souls for whom Christ died, who are in the valley of decision and who may have life measuring with God's life. They must be large-hearted, level-headed people whose daily life shows plainly that they have been with Jesus and learned of Him, bearing burdens cheerfully and making melody in their hearts to the Lord. Before presenting any subject they must talk with God in prayer, hide self in Jesus, receive the Holy Spirit, stand where they can be worked by the Spirit, and then speak to the people in the Spirit's power. Those who teach others should first pray, receive the Holy Spirit, and let the Spirit work through them, with understanding enlightened to know the hope of His calling, the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and the greatness of His power toward believers.

The first chapter of Ephesians sets out the Lord's order for work in God's vineyard. Zeal, fervor, and energy for saving souls ready to perish must never lessen, yet all time and means must not be consumed in one line of work that cannot honor God and represent the refined, elevated character of truth while the vineyard as a whole is neglected. Faithfulness requires balanced labor that avoids disproportion and being swayed into wrong lines.

The enlightened eyes of the mind enable discernment between good and evil. They show a person clearly his own weakness and errors, his self-conceit and love of self, his self-confidence and self-sufficiency, his set will that refuses to yield even when wrong, his failure to follow known light and the Master's will, and the danger and ruin of continuing unless he reforms. They enable looking into the heart with the deceptive gloss removed, testing motives, weighing every move, and keeping Satan from putting a false coloring upon the course of action. For those who once had knowledge of the truth but backslid, this brings return to first love and reform, melting by the love of Jesus and abhorrence of sin when sin is removed through the blood of sprinkling, with the evil plant of malice and root of bitterness thoroughly uprooted and the unclean, unconverted heart itself cleansed rather than repenting only of particular acts.

To one appointed to a special work in connection with inspired writings, God gives His Spirit of grace with wisdom and sound judgment in knowing Him. This makes him a wise counselor who does not act hastily but wisely considers movements. He will not turn truth into a lie for gain.