EPHESIANS

W. J. Franklin

Chapter 1:19-23

“And what is the exceeding greatness of His power to us-ward who believe, 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 the heavenly places”—Vs. 19,20. These two verses must be considered together. They contain the greatest bringing together of power words in the entire Bible. Let us look at their interesting meanings. “Exceeding” means, to cast or throw over or beyond the usual mark, to surpass, excel extremely, extraordinary. This word is the modifier of a modifier. “Greatness” means, magnitude, vastness. One translates the passage, “The surpassing greatness of His power.” Then we come to the word that has been set off by the two preceding words—”Power,” and it means, strength or ability, might or authority, force, omnipotence. It is the power that works wonders, and it is toward us who believe.

All is measured by the working of “His mighty power.” “Working” means, activity, efficiency, active energy. “Mighty” is forcefulness, strength, power. The word “Power” means, strength, faculty, ability. This includes about all the power words of the New Testament. All this, God wrought in Christ when He raised Him from the dead. The word “Wrought” is a form of one of the foregoing words. It means, to communicate energy. When God raised Christ from the dead, it was giving life to a body that was bloodless, mutilated, and bruised. It was enlivening a body that had been dead for three days. And not only did God raise that body, so badly mangled, but He set Him at His own right hand in heaven. As a man, Jesus has been given a place above every other power under God in the universe. Here is might all-potential, might in operation, might in velocity in which it operates toward its object.

“Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come”—V. 21. Christ was raised far above all heavens—Ch. 4:10. He is also raised “Far above” the five things mentioned in this verse. Note, He is raised above all principality, that is, anything over which a prince would rule, whether visible or invisible. Above all power. That is, all authority. All might. That is, the force of any agency of world or Satanic powers. Dominion, that is, Lordships. Jesus is to be Lord of lords, and King of kings. Every name includes those of the past greats of this world and those that will be named in the age to come. There are many great men in the Bible, many have been great in the world affairs, but His is by far, greater than they all.

“And hath put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be the head over all things to the church”—V. 22. “All things under His feet” shows Him above all created beings. Paul quotes from Psa. 8:6. See also, I Cor. 15:27; Heb. 2:8 for further light on the “Under His feet” teaching.

Christ alone is the God-constituted head of the church, which is His body. There is no man on earth, either past or present, who is recognized of God as being over the church. There certainly are officers in the church, and they should have Scriptural recognition. However, their God-given authority is only local, and they come and go, but Christ remains the same. Christ is the head of the church, and not only so, but is head over all things to the church.

“Which is His body, the fulness of Him that filleth all in all”—V. 23. As Head of the church, Christ provides all nourishment, guidance and light. If a congregation does not follow Him as head, it always has a deep lack of spiritual intelligence. Life flows from the head to the body. Power, energy and health come to us, as a church, from Him.

We have received of His fulness—John 1:14. “Ye are complete in Him”—Col. 2:9,10, should read, “And ye are in Him having been filled.” However, as a head without a body is incomplete, so the church is the fulness of Him who fills all things. To me, this is a marvel of marvels. We, redeemed humanity, constitute the complement of Him who fills all things. The body, filled with Him, and through which He works out His thoughts and plans in the earth, even as our bodies work out the thoughts of our minds, is His fulness.

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What Shall We Render

—Anonymous