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Body of Christ - The Church (Eph.1:15-23)

“Therefore, I, too, hearing of your faith in the Lord Jesus and of your love for all the holy ones, do not cease giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation resulting in knowledge of him. May the eyes of [your] hearts be enlightened, that you may know what is the hope that belongs to his call, what are the riches of glory in his inheritance among the holy ones, and what is the surpassing greatness of his power for us who believe, in accord with the exercise of his great might, which he worked in Christ, raising him from the dead and seating him at his right hand in the heavens, far above every principality, authority, power, and dominion, and every name that is named not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things beneath his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of the one who fills all things in every way (Eph. 1:15-23).”

The earthly congregation has been joined to the heavenly congregation of angels.  Paul is praying that God grant the Ephesians the spirit of wisdom and revelation through Jesus Christ which will reveal God’s will and the glory resulting from his call for all who believe, the promise of eternal life.  First John tells us, “The Son of God has come and has given us discernment to know the one who is true. And we are in the one who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life (1 John 5:20).”  God’s mighty power is shown through the resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ who now sits at the right hand of God with everything subjected to him for all eternity.  Christians have been called to a sharing in Christ’s glory and the risen Christ is the head of the Church, his body; “For as in one body we have many parts, and all the parts do not have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ and individually parts of one another (Rom. 12:4-5).”  Christ is all in all (Col. 3:11), “For in him the fullness was pleased to dwell (Col. 1:19).”  The Church is the beneficiary of God’s plan through Jesus Christ and therefore it shares in the kingship of Christ, the head.  Christ is the source of the Church’s existence, but Christ is also the goal of the Church’s existence. 

Almighty God, we are your Church, the Body of Christ, seeking to grow in knowledge and love of Christ that we may lead others to our Lord in accordance with the vocation in which you have called us.  Grant us the discernment to know what is true and just and the strength to do what is right in your eyes.  This we pray through Christ our Lord.  Amen!

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Reference:

Raymond E. Brown, Joseph A. Fitzmyer, & Roland E. Murphy, (Eds.). (1990, 1968). The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentis Hall, Inc.



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