Ephesians 1:15-23
For this reason I too, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which exists among you and your love for all the saints, 16 do not cease giving thanks for you, while making mention of you in my prayers; 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him. 18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might 20 which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 22 And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.—Ephesians 1:15-23
We hear a lot of talk about power these days: who has it and how they use it. It gets measured in various ways, like fame, money, and politics. In Week 5 of our study through Ephesians, we see real power and what that means.
We hear a lot of talk about power these days: who has it and how they use it. It gets measured in various ways, like fame, money, and politics. In Week 5 of our study through Ephesians, we see real power and what that means.
Small Group Discussion Questions
- Share two of your most significant observations.
- When did you feel powerless? What was that like?
- Share one application you plan to put into practice.
- What is the primary thing Paul asks for in this prayer? Why does he place such emphasis on this request?
- Why does Paul end this prayer highlighting Christ’s authority and power in the “heavenly places” (1:20)? How does this impact our confidence in prayer?
Dig Deeper: Heavenly Places (ἐπουράνιος “Epouranios”)
The Greek term epouranios (“heavenly”) occurs 19 times within the New Testament. Paul uses the unique phrase en tois epouraniois (“in the heavenlies”) five times in Ephesians to refer to a heavenly realm within the created order. According to Paul, God has blessed believers with every spiritual blessing en tois epouraniois (Eph 1:3); Christ reigns at the right hand of God en tois epouraniois (Eph 1:20); believers have been seated with Christ at God’s hand en tois epouraniois (Eph 2:6); “rulers and authorities” exist en tois epouraniois (Eph 3:10).
Believers fight against spiritual forces of evil, as we learn in Ephesians 6:12: “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places (en tois epouraniois).
Does the thought of spiritual war frighten you?
Read 2 Kings 6:14-17
What happened in this story? What did Elisha’s servant learn?
How does 2 Kings 6:17 help us understand Ephesians 1:18? How can our hearts help us know things we cannot see?
Read Romans 8:37-39
How does this knowledge shape your understanding of your place in the world? How might we live differently if we completely accepted this truth?
Believers fight against spiritual forces of evil, as we learn in Ephesians 6:12: “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places (en tois epouraniois).
Does the thought of spiritual war frighten you?
Read 2 Kings 6:14-17
What happened in this story? What did Elisha’s servant learn?
How does 2 Kings 6:17 help us understand Ephesians 1:18? How can our hearts help us know things we cannot see?
Read Romans 8:37-39
How does this knowledge shape your understanding of your place in the world? How might we live differently if we completely accepted this truth?
Posted in Sermon Notes