Ephesians 1:15–23 — Knowing the Hope, Power, and Lordship of Christ

Estimated reading time: 10–12 minutes
Key passage: Ephesians 1:15–23
Central theme: Paul prays that believers will know God more deeply, understand the hope of their calling, grasp the greatness of God’s power, and recognize the universal lordship of the risen Christ.

“I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers…”
— Ephesians 1:16

Three Study Questions

What does Paul mean when he prays that God would give believers “the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him”?
What are “the hope to which he has called you” and “the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints”?
What does Paul mean when he says that Christ is seated “far above all rule and authority and power and dominion,” and what does that mean for Christians today?

1. Who Wrote Ephesians?

The letter identifies its author as:

“Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God.”

—Ephesians 1:1

The traditional Christian understanding is therefore that the apostle Paul wrote Ephesians.

Modern scholarship is divided. Some scholars accept Pauline authorship, while others argue that vocabulary, style, sentence structure, and certain theological emphases differ from Paul’s undisputed letters and may point to a later disciple writing in Paul’s name.

The ancient church, however, consistently received Ephesians as Pauline.

For the purposes of interpreting the passage, the most important point is that the letter presents itself as apostolic instruction rooted in Paul’s theology of Christ, the church, salvation, and God’s cosmic purpose.

2. When Was It Written?

If Paul wrote Ephesians, the most likely date is approximately AD 60–62, during his imprisonment.

This corresponds naturally with the imprisonment described near the end of Acts, when Paul was held in Rome.

Ephesians belongs with the group of letters traditionally called the Prison Epistles:

Ephesians
Philippians
Colossians
Philemon

Some scholars have proposed Caesarea or another imprisonment, but Rome remains the traditional and most common setting.

3. To Whom Was It Written?

Ephesians 1:1 addresses:

“the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus.”

There is an important textual issue here.

Some very early manuscripts do not contain the words “in Ephesus.” This has led many scholars to suggest that Ephesians may originally have circulated as a broader letter intended for several churches in Asia Minor, with Ephesus becoming the location most strongly associated with it.

This possibility fits the letter’s relatively general tone. Unlike some other Pauline letters, Ephesians contains few personal greetings or specific local controversies.

Whether addressed specifically to Ephesus or circulated among several congregations, the audience consisted largely of Christians living in the Roman province of Asia.

4. Original Language and Manuscript Evidence

Ephesians was written in Koine Greek.

Its Greek is notably elevated and rhetorically elaborate. Ephesians 1:3–14, for example, forms one extraordinarily long sentence in the Greek text.

The earliest substantial surviving manuscript evidence for Ephesians includes Papyrus 46, usually dated to around AD 200.

The original autograph has not survived.

Important fourth-century manuscripts such as Codex Sinaiticus and Codex Vaticanus also preserve Ephesians.

This manuscript evidence allows scholars to compare ancient textual witnesses and evaluate variants.

5. Literary Context

Ephesians 1:15–23 comes immediately after one of the most sweeping descriptions of salvation in the New Testament.

In Ephesians 1:3–14, Paul praises God for:

Election
Adoption
Redemption
Forgiveness
Revelation of God’s purpose
Union with Christ
Inheritance
The sealing of believers with the Holy Spirit

Then, beginning in verse 15, Paul moves from praise to prayer.

The structure is important:

What God has done → Paul gives thanks → Paul prays that believers will understand what God has done.

Christian knowledge is therefore more than possessing information.

Paul wants believers to comprehend spiritually the reality they have already received in Christ.

6. The Passage

Paul says that because he has heard of their:

“faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints”

he continually gives thanks for them.

He then prays that God will give them wisdom and revelation so that they may know him more fully.

His prayer focuses especially on three realities:

The hope of God’s calling
The riches of God’s inheritance
The immeasurable greatness of God’s power

That power is then defined by what God did in Christ:

Raised him from the dead
Seated him at God’s right hand
Placed him above every power
Put all things under his feet
Made him head over all things for the church

The prayer therefore moves from the believer’s inner understanding to the cosmic lordship of Christ.

7. “The Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation”

Paul prays:

“that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him.”

The Greek word translated “knowledge” is:

epignōsis — ἐπίγνωσις

It often carries the sense of deep or mature knowledge.

Paul is not suggesting that the Ephesian Christians know nothing about God. They already believe.

He is praying that they will know God more fully.

“Wisdom” here is not simply intelligence.

“Revelation” does not necessarily mean new doctrines beyond the gospel.

Rather, Paul is asking God to enable believers to perceive more deeply the significance of what he has already revealed in Christ.

Christian maturity therefore involves more than accumulating facts about God.

It means increasingly understanding:

Who God is
What God has done
What God has promised
Who believers are in Christ

8. “The Eyes of Your Hearts Enlightened”

Paul uses an unusual expression:

“having the eyes of your hearts enlightened”

In biblical thought, the heart is not merely the seat of emotion.

It includes:

Thought
Will
Understanding
Moral perception
Desire

Paul therefore prays that the believer’s whole inner person would perceive spiritual reality correctly.

There is a difference between:

knowing a doctrine

and

seeing its significance.

A person may intellectually affirm resurrection, grace, eternal life, or the lordship of Christ while living as though none of them were true.

Paul prays for illumination that transforms understanding.

9. “The Hope to Which He Has Called You”

The first thing Paul wants believers to know is:

“what is the hope to which he has called you”

Biblical hope is not wishful thinking.

It is confident expectation grounded in God’s promise.

The believer’s hope includes:

Final redemption
Resurrection
Eternal life
Participation in God’s renewed creation
Full communion with Christ

Paul’s emphasis is not primarily:

What do you hope will happen?

but:

What has God called you toward?

Christian hope begins with God’s initiative.

10. “The Riches of His Glorious Inheritance”

Paul next speaks of:

“the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints”

This phrase can be understood in two related ways.

It may mean:

the inheritance God gives to his people

or:

God’s people themselves as his inheritance.

The Greek permits discussion.

The Old Testament frequently describes Israel as God’s possession or inheritance.

For example:

“For the LORD’s portion is his people.”

—Deuteronomy 32:9

Ephesians may therefore be echoing Israel’s covenant language and applying it to the people of God in Christ.

Either way, Paul emphasizes extraordinary value.

Believers belong to God and participate in what God has promised.

11. “The Immeasurable Greatness of His Power”

The third thing Paul wants believers to understand is:

“the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe”

Paul then explains what this power looks like.

It is the same divine power that:

“raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places.”

Christian confidence is therefore grounded not in human optimism but in resurrection power.

The resurrection is the decisive demonstration that death, sin, and hostile powers do not have the final word.

12. Christ at the Right Hand of God

Paul says Christ is seated:

“at his right hand in the heavenly places.”

This draws heavily on Psalm 110:1:

“The LORD says to my Lord: ‘Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.’”

The right hand symbolizes:

Royal authority
Victory
Honor
Participation in divine rule

Paul is not primarily describing physical geography.

He is describing Christ’s exalted status.

The crucified Messiah is now enthroned.

13. “Far Above All Rule and Authority”

Paul says Christ is:

“far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named”

The Greek terms include:

archē — rule, principality
exousia — authority
dynamis — power
kyriotēs — dominion or lordship

In the ancient world these terms could refer to:

Political authorities
Spiritual powers
Angelic beings
Cosmic forces

Paul’s point is broader than identifying exactly which beings belong to each category.

Whatever powers exist, Christ stands above them all.

No emperor.

No spiritual being.

No political authority.

No demonic power.

No cosmic force.

Nothing possesses authority equal to Christ.

14. “Not Only in This Age but Also in the One to Come”

Paul adds:

“not only in this age but also in the one to come.”

Jewish thought often distinguished between:

this present age

and

the age to come

The present age is marked by sin, suffering, death, and rebellion.

The age to come is associated with God’s final reign and restoration.

Paul teaches that Christ’s authority extends over both.

His lordship is not temporary.

15. “He Put All Things Under His Feet”

Paul now draws on Psalm 8:6:

“You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet.”

Psalm 8 originally speaks about humanity’s God-given vocation within creation.

Paul applies this language to Christ.

Jesus represents the fulfillment of humanity’s intended rule under God.

The one who humbled himself unto death is now exalted above all creation.

16. Christ as Head of the Church

Paul says God:

“gave him as head over all things to the church”

Christ is not merely head of the church.

The wording is stronger.

He is:

“head over all things for the church.”

The one who rules over creation is the same Christ who belongs to and cares for his people.

This means the church does not exist independently of Christ.

Its authority, mission, identity, and life derive from him.

17. “The Fullness of Him Who Fills All in All”

Paul concludes with one of the most difficult expressions in the passage.

The church is:

“his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.”

The precise meaning of “fullness” has been debated.

At minimum, Paul describes an extraordinarily close relationship between Christ and his church.

Christ fills all things, yet the church is described as his body.

The church therefore participates in Christ’s mission and presence in the world.

This does not mean the church completes something deficient in Christ.

Rather, Christ expresses his life and reign through the community united to him.

Answer to Study Question 1

What does Paul mean by “the Spirit of wisdom and revelation”?

Paul is praying that believers will understand more deeply what God has already revealed in Christ.

He is not encouraging endless pursuit of secret spiritual information.

Christian revelation centers on Christ.

The believer needs divine illumination to grasp:

God’s character
God’s calling
God’s promises
God’s power
Christ’s lordship

Knowledge of God should therefore grow throughout the Christian life.

Answer to Study Question 2

What are the hope and inheritance?

The hope of God’s calling is the future toward which God has summoned believers:

Resurrection
Eternal life
Final redemption
Participation in God’s restored creation

The inheritance emphasizes the extraordinary privilege of belonging to God and sharing in his promised kingdom.

Paul wants Christians to understand that salvation is not merely forgiveness of past sins.

It includes a future secured by God.

Answer to Study Question 3

What does Christ’s authority over every power mean today?

Paul declares that no political, spiritual, social, or cosmic authority ultimately rivals Christ.

Christians therefore should not treat any earthly power as absolute.

Governments matter.

Institutions matter.

Culture matters.

Spiritual powers are taken seriously in Scripture.

But none occupies Christ’s throne.

Christian confidence ultimately rests not in:

Governments
Markets
Military strength
Political movements
Religious institutions
Human leaders

but in the risen and exalted Christ.

Old Testament Background

Several Old Testament passages stand behind Ephesians 1:15–23.

Psalm 110:1

“Sit at my right hand…”

This provides the background for Christ’s exaltation.

Psalm 8:6

“You have put all things under his feet.”

Paul applies humanity’s creation vocation ultimately to Christ.

Deuteronomy 32:9

“The LORD’s portion is his people.”

This helps illuminate the language of inheritance.

Together these passages show that Paul’s Christology is deeply rooted in Israel’s Scriptures.

Conversation Partners

John Chrysostom

Chrysostom emphasized that Paul prays for believers who already possess faith.

Christian growth therefore does not end at conversion.

The believer continues growing in knowledge of God.

His contribution

Faith begins the Christian life; deeper understanding should follow.

Augustine

Augustine repeatedly emphasized the need for divine illumination.

Human reason is real and valuable, but spiritual truth ultimately requires God to enlighten the mind.

His contribution

Paul’s prayer for enlightened hearts reminds us that theological knowledge is not merely intellectual achievement.

Martin Luther

Luther strongly emphasized that Christian hope rests on what God has accomplished in Christ rather than on human merit.

The resurrection and exaltation of Christ provide objective grounds for confidence.

His contribution

Christian assurance begins with God’s action, not our spiritual performance.

John Calvin

Calvin emphasized that Paul directs believers beyond earthly appearances toward Christ’s heavenly reign.

The church may appear weak in the world, yet its head reigns over every power.

His contribution

Visible weakness does not mean Christ has lost authority.

John Wesley

Wesley emphasized growth in holiness and knowledge of God.

Faith should increasingly affect the heart, understanding, and conduct.

His contribution

The “eyes of the heart” should not merely perceive truth; enlightened understanding should produce transformed living.

Karl Barth

Barth strongly emphasized the lordship of Jesus Christ over every competing human authority.

No political ideology, nation, church institution, or human leader may claim ultimate allegiance.

His contribution

Ephesians 1:21 challenges every attempt to make something other than Christ absolute.

A Balanced Theological Perspective

Ephesians 1:15–23 brings several themes together.

Knowledge and revelation

Christianity values understanding, but Paul believes genuine spiritual understanding ultimately depends upon God.

Present faith and future hope

Believers already belong to Christ but still await the fullness of redemption.

Resurrection and power

God’s power is defined not primarily by spectacle but by the resurrection of Jesus.

Christ and the church

The church derives its identity from Christ and exists under his authority.

Christ and the cosmos

Jesus is not merely a private spiritual teacher.

Paul presents him as Lord over creation.

Contemporary Application

Pray for understanding, not merely information

Bible study can accumulate facts without changing the heart.

Paul prays that believers will actually perceive the reality of what they study.

Remember the source of Christian hope

Christian hope does not depend upon optimism about human society.

It rests upon God’s promises.

Measure power by the resurrection

The greatest demonstration of divine power is not domination but God raising the crucified Christ from death.

Refuse to absolutize earthly authority

Christians may respect governments and institutions without treating them as ultimate.

Christ alone is Lord.

Remember whose church it is

The church belongs to Christ.

Neither clergy, denominations, theologians, political movements, nor congregations possess the church.

Christ is its head.

Discussion Questions

Why does Paul pray for greater knowledge of God when the Ephesians are already believers?
What is the difference between knowing theological facts and having “the eyes of your heart enlightened”?
What does Christian hope provide that ordinary optimism cannot?
How should Christ’s supremacy affect Christian attitudes toward political authority?
What kinds of “powers” compete for our allegiance today?
What does it mean practically to say that Christ is head of the church?
How might a church behave differently if it truly believed Christ ruled “over all things”?

Berean Reflection

Paul does not pray primarily that the Ephesian Christians will become wealthier, safer, or more influential.

He prays that they will see.

He wants them to see:

The hope God has given
The inheritance God has promised
The power God has demonstrated
The authority God has given to Christ

That is significant.

One of the greatest spiritual problems is not always that God has failed to provide.

Sometimes we have failed to recognize what God has already given.

Paul therefore prays for enlightened hearts.

The Christian life begins with faith, but it continues through deeper understanding.

And the center of that understanding is not ourselves.

It is Christ:

raised from the dead,
seated at God’s right hand,
above every authority,
head over all things,
and Lord of his church.

Scripture as Our Final Authority

Chrysostom helps us understand Christian growth.

Augustine reminds us of our need for divine illumination.

Luther directs us toward confidence in God’s action.

Calvin emphasizes Christ’s reign over earthly appearances.

Wesley reminds us that knowledge should transform life.

Barth warns against giving ultimate allegiance to human powers.

Each can help us read the passage more carefully.

None determines its meaning for us.

Scripture remains our final authority.

And Ephesians 1:15–23 directs our attention ultimately not toward any interpreter, tradition, institution, or human power, but toward:

Jesus Christ, raised from the dead and seated above every rule, authority, power, and dominion.