The Apostle Paul wrote this letter (epistle) in accordance with the information that God and the Lord Jesus Christ revealed to him.
Ephesians 1:1 and 2:
1:1Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by means of (the) intention of God – to the (people) being holy and believing in Christ Jesus; .2grace to you and peace from God our Father and (our) Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul begins this letter by first identifying himself to the readers by name: Paul. Next he identifies himself by 'job-title' or 'work-function' relative-to his working or service relationship with Christ Jesus: apostle. He did not mention his trade or employment career-track whereby he earned money as wages so that he would be able to buy food and maintain himself in the physical realm when it was necessary for him as he traveled.
An "apostle" is a person sent-forth or sent-away by someone on a mission or specific-assignment to someone else, and in the context we see that Paul was sent-forth by Christ Jesus. Paul was Christ Jesus' apostle through God's intention. The will of God was the action or agency by way of which the initiated progress passed-through in order to reach its accomplishment; it was interposed between the start and the result of him being an apostle of Christ Jesus. Christ Jesus did not apostle Paul without this being God's will.
Also we should understand that Paul had not come up with this idea, he had not decided all by himself that he would make himself an apostle of Christ Jesus, nor did some committee or organization get-together and vote Paul into being an apostle of Christ Jesus. There was not some "unknown force" which was driving him to do the things he was doing, nor was he deluded into thinking that he was somebody else, nor did he decide that he was "good enough" to be an apostle to his neighbors or to the whole world, nor had he "forced" God or Christ Jesus into making him an apostle! It is only by means of God's intention, and therefore also the Lord Jesus Christ's intention, that certain holy-people may become apostles of Christ Jesus.
When Paul writes "Christ Jesus" he is emphasizing the truth that the Lord Jesus Christ is the resurrected, anointed-one of God. The word "Christ" means the "anointed-one" or "Messiah." In the lands and during the time-period of the writing of the Bible, holy oil was poured on the high priest of God to begin his ministry for God, and it was also used to anoint kings. Many people and things were anointed with holy oil to signify their making holy or sanctified for a specific purpose, etc., which can be read about in many scriptures in the Bible (refer to Exodus 30:22-33; Acts 2:36, and 4:27, and 10:38).
The word "Jesus" is explained in Matthew 1:21 by the Angel Gabriel when he spoke to Joseph:
Matthew 1:21:
.21She [Mary] will bring-forth a son and you [Joseph] will call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins."
"Jesus" means "God saves / Jehovah (Yahweh) the Savior," and the Lord Jesus Christ was given that name "Jesus" because he is the one who carried-out God's will to make it available for people to be saved, to be made-safe. It is by means of Jesus, the Christ, that people are able to be saved and thereby have a true and vital spiritual relationship with the only true God. Jesus Christ is God's son – he is alive today! Christ Jesus is now at God's right-side, second-in-command to God his Father.
Let us re-read verses 1 and 2 of Ephesians and continue with our study:
Ephesians 1:1 and 2:
1:1Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by means of (the) intention of God – to the (people) being holy and believing in Christ Jesus; .2grace to you and peace from God our Father and (our) Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul addressed this letter to the people who are presently and actively being holy and believing in Christ Jesus. The word "holy" is an adjective meaning: sanctified, set-apart from the state of being common, defiled or unclean against God, having come into the state of corresponding to the essence of God - holy-people. The word "believing" is an adjective meaning: faithful, trusting relative-to God - believing-people, believers. These holy-people (sanctified-people, Christians, saints, children of the only true God) had already believed what God says regarding Himself and His son, the Lord Jesus Christ (refer to Romans 10:9), and had received the gift of holy spirit from God by means of the Lord Jesus Christ. It was this holy spirit-life that allowed them to be holy and believing brothers in Christ Jesus. This truth concerning the spirit category could not change because all holy-people have the spirit of Christ in us. We are limbs of his one spiritual body, we are in Christ, similar to an arm or eye or leg being in the physical body. Therefore within the sphere of action of Christ all holy-people are holy and believing relative-to God Who is the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ and of all holy-people.
These people were children of God; God was their Father - spiritually. They also had their fleshy bodies with its soul-life so that they breathed and lived in the natural or physical realm too! The difference between holy-people and other people who have not believed what God says, is that holy-people have received the gift of holy spirit, but the other people do not have holy spirit-life within them and so they are not children of God and God is not their Father.
It is interesting to note that some Greek texts have the words "in Ephesus" inserted into this first verse because Ephesus may have been the first place to which Paul sent this letter to be read. However, Paul addressed this letter to the people being holy and believing in Christ Jesus throughout the whole area, not only at Ephesus itself. This, like many of Paul's letters, was an encyclical letter, which means that it was to be circulated around all the areas of Christians, not only in one location.
Paul's greeting to these people was: "grace to you and peace from God our Father and (our) Lord Jesus Christ." This was not some 'nice-phrase' that Paul made-up in his own mind thinking that it sounds good - no! Paul was writing by revelation from God or the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace is what is freely bestowed without any merit on the recipient's part; it includes reference to the attitude and quality of the one giving something favorable to another. Grace is not bestowed because somebody deserves a wage that is owed for something they said or did, nor because they begged so hard, nor because they forced the giver to give! Grace is bestowed because the giver wants to give by his own freedom of will to the recipient - it is completely unmerited favor from the giver to the recipient. Here, grace is being given to the people being holy and believing in Christ Jesus from God "our" Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
And peace! Oh, how everybody talks about peace and of wanting peace and striving for peace and fighting on behalf of peace, etc.! Paul writes that peace is given to these holy-people from God "our" Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Peace is a tranquil-harmony without strife. We may think of peace as the opposite of war, the opposite of conflict, the opposite of being at odds with the other party. Who are the other parties as far as holy-people are concerned? God and the Lord Jesus Christ. All of God's children are at peace with God their Father and their Lord Jesus Christ because it is given to them from God and the Lord Jesus Christ, therefore all Christians should behave peaceably with one-another too.
Paul includes the word "our" reminding them that God was their Father in the spirit category. Paul also gives Christ Jesus his title of "Lord." The word "Lord" refers to a master or an owner, one who has the authority or authoritative-power, the one from whom the directions and instructions are given and who is to be obeyed, the one who has the dominion over and exercises his lordship in relation to that-which his title of "Lord" or "Master" is being associated.
[Reference: John 8:29; Acts 2:1-4 and 36, 9:1-31, 18:19-20:1 and 16-38, 22:3-21, 26:2-23; Romans 1:7, 10:8-11; I Corinthians 1:1-3; Galatians 3:9; Ephesians 4:11-13; Colossians 1:1,2.]
Ephesians 1:3 and 4:
.3Blessed (is) the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the (One) having blessed us in every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies in Christ .4according as He selected us for-Himself in him before (the) throwing-down of (the) world (for) us to be holy and without-blemish down-before Him in love1,
God is blessed. The adjective "blessed" means: good-worded, well-spoken. The spoken-account of God's inner-thoughts is good/well. The words that come from God are good/well. God is in the continuing and lasting standing and state of blessedness. God - blessed, and this truth does not change.
He is the God (the First, Superior or Ultimate One, the One Who has power, executes judgment, and emanates what He is, His power and light) of our Lord Jesus Christ and He is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
God is also the One Who has already blessed us (all holy-people, collectively, all together) in every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies in Christ. The verb "to bless" means: to speak well of, to speak words that are good. God Who is blessed has already blessed all of us (holy-people who have received the gift of holy spirit) - how, in what way? God has blessed us:
God Who is blessed is the One having blessed us holy-people in every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies in Christ. And, God did this according as He selected us for Himself in Christ. God chose or picked-out all holy-people for Himself in Christ (again it is in Christ) prior-to the throwing-down of the world (in advance of the time when this ordered-arrangement was cast-down). To throw something down is as throwing a stone aimed at something in particular, or as scattering seed on the ground. This world has been thrown into its present state, and it will continue like this until the new heaven and earth come into being.
God's promise of the Christ is first recorded in Genesis 3:15, before God made Adam and Eve to leave the garden of Eden and many adverse things happened to the world and it is still being affected today (for more details regarding this, you may read my study of Appendix to Romans, the fall of Adam).
God selected us for Himself in Christ for us to presently and actively be holy and without-blemish (unblemished, no fault to be found because of some defect as a spot or damage in us) down-before Him in love1. All holy-people are in the full-sight or presence of God within God's love. This is referring to the holy spirit category.
The word "love1" or the verb "to love1" comes from the Greek word agape which is God's kind of love. To love with His love means to love the same way as God loves, to manifest God's love towards another, whether it is towards God Himself, the Lord Jesus Christ, yourself, your Christian neighbor, or towards anyone else. God tells His children today (all who have the spirit of Christ within us) how to Godly-love by means of His previously-revealed written Word and also via our holy spirit-life whereby we receive information from Him regarding how to love in different specific situations. It is the carrying out of God's commandments, His Word, which is the correct usage or way to manifest God's kind of love according to His will (refer to I Corinthians chapter 13 and I John 5:1-3). It is not the same as the brotherly or friendly kind of love, nor is it the same as the emotional/feelings/sexual kind of love.
Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the One having blessed us (collectively, not as separate individual units) in every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies in Christ according as He selected us for-Himself in Christ before the throwing-down of the world for us to be holy and without-blemish down-before God in Godly-love.
Also, we ought to notice that the word "bless" is repeated three times by Paul in the opening of this letter giving great emphasis to God Who is blessed, and Who has blessed us in every spiritual blessing!
[Reference: Genesis chapters 1-3; Matthew 3:16 and 17; Luke 1:26-35; John 17:24; Acts 13:33; Romans 1:3 and 4, 8:19-21; I Corinthians 1:23-31, and chapters 12-15; II Corinthians 1:3; Galatians 3:14; Colossians 1:22; II Thessalonians 2:13; II Timothy 1:7-10; I Peter chapter 1; II Peter 3:12, 13; Revelation 21:1.]
Verses 5 and 6:
.5having marked us out-definitely-beforehand into sonship by means of Jesus Christ into Himself according to the good-consideration of His intention .6into (the) praise of (the) glory of His grace of-which He made us graceful in the (one) having been loved1,2,
God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, was able to do what is written in verses 3 and 4 because He had set the boundary regarding us beforehand. He set the limited-area, the horizon. He separated off the boundary in advance or ahead of it actually occurring. And, this boundary was and still is into sonship. It was with a view to, directed-to and resulting-in our being put or placed as sons of God Himself through Jesus Christ.
We were able to become God's sons through Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the agency by way of which the initiated progress passes-through in order to reach the accomplishment of placing us as God's sons. Without Jesus Christ and all he accomplished, none of us could become sons of God because none of us could receive holy spirit-life on a permanent basis, but only conditionally depending upon our walk/behavior. But through Jesus Christ, God has been able to give us His gift of holy spirit so that we are now His sons by birth (refer to Colossians 1:27).
God had marked us out definitely into sonship by means of Jesus Christ into Himself in accordance with the good-consideration of His intention (the willing-purpose with good-design of His will; God supposes this to be well and it is His will) into the praise of the glory of His grace. Praise means: applause or acclaim. God did this into, for, with a view to, directed-to and resulting-in praise of what? Praise of the glory (importance, splendor, renown) of His grace (His bestowed unmerited favor), of which grace God made us graceful in the one having been Godly-loved and continuing Godly-loved. God caused all holy-people to become graceful-people within the Christ who has been Godly-loved and who is still Godly-loved – again referring to the truth of our being in Christ.
[Reference: Luke 1:28, where the only other occurrence of the verb translated above as 'to make graceful' is used by the Angel Gabriel to Mary who was the mother of the Lord Jesus Christ; Romans 1:4, 8:15, 29, 30; Galatians 4:3-7; Colossians 1:13.]
Verses 7-10:
.7in whom we have the full-redemption by means of his blood, the dismissal of the falling-asides, according to the wealth of His grace .8of-which He exceeded into us in all wisdom and thoughtfulness, .9having made-known to us the mystery of His intention according to His good-consideration which He purposed in him .10into (the) stewardship of the fullness of the times to head-up all-things in Christ, the-things on the heavens and the-things on the earth in him,
It is again within the sphere of action of Christ that we holy-people presently and actively have (hold) the full-redemption. The word "full-redemption" here means: the complete releasing or liberation on receipt of ransom away-from captivity or bondage with its due guilt and punishment because of sin. Complete redemption is brought-about by complete expiation.
In Christ we have the full-redemption by means of (through) the shedding of Jesus Christ's blood (the price of the redemption). We have the dismissal (discharge, the setting-free, the leaving or letting go from concern, the remission of debt or punishment owed) of the falling-asides. Falling-asides are the actions of falling aside from the truth of God's Word, going aside from what is right. The basis for the falling-asides was the fact that we did not have holy spirit-life within us until the time that we believed what God says regarding Himself and His son, the Lord Jesus Christ.
In Christ we have the full-redemption by means of his blood, the dismissal of the falling-asides, in accordance with (in conformity and proportion to) the wealth of God's grace – again God's grace is brought to our attention and this time we are told of its richness – of-which grace God exceeded (abounded, over and above the number or measure already attained) into us holy-people in all/every wisdom and thoughtfulness. Wisdom is the skillful or expert application of personal-knowledge. Thoughtfulness is the thinking in the mind, the sensible and intellectual thoughts regarding what He intended to do. God did not just sit somewhere and think about it and never actually do anything about what He knew to be right - God did it, He performed His intention.
Paul wrote: ...in whom (Christ) we have the full-redemption by means of his blood, the dismissal of the falling-asides, according to the wealth of His grace of-which He exceeded into us in all wisdom and thoughtfulness, having made personally-known to us the mystery (secret) of His intention (will) in accordance with His good-consideration (as verse 5 above) which God purposed (put before Himself, proposed) in Christ.
The word “mystery” throughout Paul’s letters means “secret.” A mystery contains the details that are known and can be understood by those involved in it and by those to whom it has been revealed – it is not inexplicable to those involved in it.
God purposed His good-consideration within Christ into (with a view to, directed to) the stewardship (the duty of house-management, the administration of God's household-matters) of or pertaining-to the fullness of the times (the filling, the result of the action of filling, the full-contents, fulfillment of the specific-times, opportune-occasions, seasons) to head-up all-things in the Christ. God purposed His good-consideration in Christ into the stewardship of the fullness of the times to sum all-things up together under one who tops them all within the sphere of action of the Christ.
The "all-things" are those things that are actually super-positioned resting or based upon the heavens (literally referring to the areas above the earth, figuratively referring to God's spirit realm) and the things which are present upon and proceed-from the earth (literally referring to the area of earth, figuratively referring to the dignity and power of those on earth), all of which are continuing within Christ. All the-things on the heavens and the-things on the earth which are in Christ are to be headed-up in him (this excludes the people and spirits who oppose Christ, who are anti-Christ).
[Reference: Genesis 3:15; Acts chapter 2, 20:28; Romans 3:24-26, 8:23, 13:9, 16:25, 26; I Corinthians 1:30, 6:20, 7:23, 15:22-28, 51-57; Galatians 4:3-7; Ephesians 1:22, 3:3-6; Philippians 2:9-12, 3:20, 21; Colossians 1:14, 18-29, 2:9-15; I Thessalonians 4:13-17; I Peter 1:18-21; Revelation chapters 19-22.]
Verses 11 and 12:
.11in whom also we were allotted having been marked-out-definitely-beforehand according to (the) purpose of the (One) in-working all-things according to the deliberate-determination of His intention .12with-a-view-for us to be into praise of His glory, the (people) having hoped-beforehand2 in Christ,
It is again within the sphere of action of Christ also that we holy-people were allotted. We were caused to be the assigned-lot, made to become God's portion. Why? Because we had previously been marked out definitely (our boundary had been set, our limited-area, the horizon). God had separated off the boundary in advance or ahead of it actually occurring, in accordance with the purpose of the One (the thing put beforehand, what was proposed by God) Who is presently and actively in-working all things according to the deliberate-determination of His intention. God is doing work within, producing effects by being in work, energizing all things in accordance with the purposed-will after careful consideration proceeding-from His will, His active volition and desire apart-from any deliberation.
Why? For the purpose of causing us to be into praise of His glory - for, with a view to, directed-to and resulting-in praise (applause, acclaim) of God's glory (importance, splendor, renown). We are a source of applause of God's glory! How could this be? We are the people who have already been hoping and we are still hoping in the Christ in-advance or ahead-of our hope actually coming to pass.
Again this is within Christ because he is the instrumental and efficient cause of our having a hope to hope-beforehand. We have believed what God says regarding Himself and His son, the Lord Jesus Christ, and part of this belief is regarding an event which has not occurred yet. It is still future to us today, and we continue to have this hope (that-which we expect to come to pass at some future time based on what God says and we believe it). Our hope is that the Christ will come to be present and will gather us all together with him and will carry-out all that God tells him to carry-out.
[For more information regarding our hope, you may read my studies on I Thessalonians, II Thessalonians, and chapter 15 of I Corinthians, plus the Book of Revelation and many references written in the old covenant writings. Also see Romans 8:23-28; Colossians 1:12; II Timothy 1:9, 10.]
Verses 13 and 14:
.13in whom also you – having heard the word of the truth, the good-message of your salvation, in which also having believed – were sealed with the spirit of the promise, the holy (spirit) .14which is (the) deposit of our inheritance into full-redemption of the acquisition into praise of His glory.
It is again within the sphere of action of Christ also that you.... Paul changes from using the terms "we" or "us" to the term "you" referring specifically to the people he is writing to, the people who are being holy and believing in Christ Jesus, thus emphasizing that they too are and have exactly the same spiritually in Christ as Paul, the apostle, from God's spiritual point of view.
In whom also you...
...were sealed with the spirit of the promise, i.e. the holy spirit. It is in Christ also that God has sealed you up with the holy spirit of the promise. God has securely-fastened you, He has put His mark of authentication and approval, ratification, on and within you. He made you fast, as when using a seal to ensure something is secure, like sealing a letter so it is not opened and read by anyone except by the one to whom the letter is addressed. You were sealed with/by/in the spirit of the promise, that is the holy spirit.
What promise? The word "promise" means a proclamation or the declaration of the message of one's own intention. God's first record of His declaration of the message of His own intention regarding the Christ is in Genesis 3:15. This promise contained information regarding the promised seed who is the Christ and the results of his accomplishments, which include the making-available of holy spirit-life permanently to mankind, and this was prophesied about and recorded throughout the old covenant writings. Today, all who believe what God says regarding Himself and His son, the Lord Jesus Christ, receive holy spirit and in the future we will receive everything associated with it having become sons of God because we have the spirit of Christ in us!
In Christ also you holy-people – having heard the word of the truth, the good-message of your salvation, in which also having believed – were sealed with the spirit of the promise, the holy spirit which presently and actively is the deposit (the earnest, token, the first-part of the whole to guarantee to us recipients that we will also receive the remaining part of the whole of the same kind) of our inheritance (our assigned-lot, the heir's portion which belongs to us because we are heirs) into or resulting-in full-redemption of the acquisition into praise of God's glory. God's glory is again referred to (refer to verses 6 and 12 above). All holy-people are God's acquisition (that-which He has made us to be around/about Himself). God has made us to be what we are spiritually preserving us for the fullness of His promise to come to pass in the future. We holy-people will receive all that is due to us and God will receive all that is due to Him in accordance with His promise.
[Reference: Matthew 27:66; Mark 1:15; Luke 24:49; John 6:27, 14:16-20, 16:12-16, 17:17; Acts 1:4,5, 2:1-4, 33, 38, 39, 13:26; Romans 4:3, 9-13, 5:1, 2, 16:27; I Corinthians 15:50-57; II Corinthians 1:18-22, 3:17 and 18, 5:5; Galatians chapter 3; Ephesians 4:30; Philippians 1:11, 3:20, 21; Colossians 1:27; I Thessalonians 4:13-17, 5:9; II Thessalonians 2:13, 14; II Timothy 2:15; James 1:18; I Peter 1:3-13, 23-25.]
Verses 15 and 16:
.15Because-of-this I also – having heard the belief according to you in the Lord Jesus and the (belief) into all the holy-people – .16do not stop being thankful on behalf of you making remembrance to-myself on my prayers
Paul tells them: on this account I also – when I had heard the belief in the Lord Jesus which you holy-people have (I heard the words you spoke and the actions you performed manifesting your faith/trust in the Lord/Master Jesus) and the belief which you are manifesting into (with a view to, directed to) all the holy-people....
These holy-people believed in the Lord Jesus and were manifesting it forth into all the holy-people. They were not limiting the evidencing of their belief towards only a certain so-called 'special' group or an 'inner circle' as though some were a 'class above the rest,' nor were they showing preferential treatment towards some. Paul had heard the belief according to them in the Lord Jesus and the belief into all the holy-people. Some Greek texts include the words "the love1" thus the phrase would read "...Lord Jesus and the love1, the (love) into all the holy-people...." Refer also to Philemon 1:5.
Because-of-this emphatically I also ... do not stop from being thankful (I do not willingly come to an end or make myself cease the activity of expressing my gratitude) on your behalf while I make remembrance to-myself of you (bring you to my own mind, my memory, and so I make mention of you) during the time of my prayers (my communications to and with God, my general speaking towards/with God).
Verses 17-19:
.17in order that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you spirit of wisdom and revelation in full-knowledge of Him, .18the eyes of the heart having been lightened2 with-a-view-for you to have known2 what is the hope of His calling, what (is) the wealth of the glory of His inheritance in the holy-people, .19and what (is) the super-throwing greatness of His ability into us, the (people) believing, according to the in-working of the strongness of His strength,
Paul does not stop being thankful on behalf of the holy-people making remembrance to himself on his prayers: for the purpose and result that our Lord Jesus Christ's God, Who is the Father of glory (glory issues from God), would give (willingly present) to you holy-people spirit characterized-by and consisting-of wisdom (the skillful or expert application of personal-knowledge) and revelation (the process of things being uncovered or revealed as though removing a veil to expose what had previously been hidden) within the full, clear and exact personal knowledge of God.
Paul made remembrance of the holy-people to whom he wrote during his prayers to God: in order that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you spirit of wisdom and revelation in full-knowledge of God – and this is available for God to do because the eyes of the heart of you holy-people have already been lightened and are still lightened by God.
The word "eyes" literally means: the organs of sight which require light to shine from objects or on objects and the receptors in the eyes to receive that reflected light in order to see those objects. The eyes themselves do not emit rays of light. Light is required for vision. The light-receptors in the physical eye must receive light such as daylight in order for a person to see what is outside of the eye around him/her. But figuratively the word "eyes" means: the total availability to see or perceive God's light. The word "heart" literally means: the organ which keeps the fleshy body alive by circulating the blood; but figuratively it means: the center or core of a person's being, the seat of his whole personal self and life – here referred to as one group or body of people having one heart.
God, Who is Light (I John 1:5), has already and still does give light to the eyes of the heart of all holy-people. He causes light to shine on (pours light upon) our heart's eyes. God is the source of true light in the spirit category and all that emanates from Him is light.
Paul wrote: ...the eyes of the heart having been lightened and continue lightened for the purpose of you holy-people to have known and to still know (perceive, see, whereby what is known is known because it has come within the knower's sphere of perception or circle of vision, see to the end of perceiving and knowing with the mind) - to know what presently and actively is:
Re-reading verses 17-19:
.17in order that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you spirit of wisdom and revelation in full-knowledge of Him, .18the eyes of the heart having been lightened2 with-a-view-for you to have known2 what is the hope of His calling, what (is) the wealth of the glory of His inheritance in the holy-people, .19and what (is) the super-throwing greatness of His ability into us, the (people) believing, according to the in-working of the strongness of His strength....
[Reference: Isaiah 11:2; Acts 20:32; Romans 6:4, 9:23; I Corinthians 2:9-16, 4:5, 6:14; II Corinthians 1:21, 22, 3:8-18, 4:3-6; Philippians 3:21; Colossians 1:9-11, 27, 2:12; II Thessalonians 2:9; Hebrews 9:15; I Peter 1:4; I John 2:8. For more information regarding the hope, you may read my studies on I Corinthians chapter 15, I Thessalonians, and II Thessalonians.]
Verses 20-23:
.20which He in-worked in Christ, having raised him up out-from dead-people and having caused (him) to-sit-down in His right-side in the heavenlies .21super-above all rulership and authority and ability and lordship and every name being named not only in this age but also in the (age) being about to (come) .22and "He subjected all-things under his feet," and He gave him (who is) head over all-things to the church .23which is his body (which is) the fullness of the (one) filling all-things in all-people.
Paul continues teaching about the in-working of the strongness of God's strength: which God actively in-worked (did work within, produced effects by being in work, energized) within the Christ (the Anointed-one, the Messiah). How?
The phrases "out-from the right-sides" and "with/by/at/in/to the right" are sometimes used literally, as being at the right-hand side or the right hand of someone or something. This can also be used metaphorically referring to a place or position of authority, power, honor, blessing, grace, approval, and excellence; being an extension of the power, etc, of the one whose side he/she is at. It is also used as the agency whereby someone is placed into such a position, or given one or all of these.
God in-worked in the Christ, having raised him up out-from dead-people and having caused him to sit-down in His right-side in the heavenlies (God's spirit realm) super-above (up-above, on-top, up-over) all or every:
1. rulership (first-placed, chief or dignified-hierarchical position - which some spirits and people have been given or have taken for themselves), and
2. authority (authoritative-power or permitted-right – which some spirits and people have been given or have taken for themselves), and
3. ability (able-power, capability – which some spirits and people have been given or have taken for themselves), and
4. lordship (mastership or dominion – which some spirits and people have been given or have taken for themselves), and…
…all or every:
5. name (the word "name" incorporates the fullness of everything involved with the one named) presently being named (being given a name, which includes all it represents and stands-for - which some people and spirits have been given or have taken for themselves) – not only in this age (not alone during the present duration of life), but on the contrary, also in the age that is presently and actively on the point of taking-place, in the process of arriving.
God has already revealed and recorded in writing in His written Word a lot of information regarding events, people, spirits, that have not occurred yet. The next age will begin when the Lord Jesus Christ will come to be present to gather all holy-people together with him and begin the day of the Lord. And, the Lord Jesus Christ's name is and will be super-above every name being named; and of course, being super-above all of this, Christ is not super-above his Father, the only true God! Christ is super-above all other spirits and also super-above all of mankind who may or may not take their instructions from the spirit-realm and sphere of influence, whether the only true God's realm or whether satan's realm.
Paul continues: and…
6. "He subjected all-things under his feet"…
God caused all-things to be subject under (to be arranged in the position of being underneath, legally in complete submission or subjection to) Christ's feet. This is a reference to what God had previously foretold to King David, the prophet, and he wrote this prophecy down so that God's people would know it and could read it and remember it too. It is recorded in the old covenant writings in the Book of Psalms:
Psalm 8:6:
Thou madest him [Christ] to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet.
Paul continues: and…
7. He gave Christ who is head over all-things to the church which is his body which is the fullness of the one filling all-things in all-people.
God actively gave (willingly presented) Christ, who is head over, beyond, super, above or in excess of all-things, to/for the church. God caused him to be the head. God made him the chief-part. God placed Christ in the position or function of being the head of the church.
The word "church" comes from the Greek word ekklesia, which comes from two words meaning "out from" and "called," so together it means "called out from." A church is an assembly of people called out from other people for any reason. It does not refer to a particular type of building or a house, even though the church or assembly may meet in a particular type of building or in a house. In this letter, Paul writes exactly what group of people are called out from-among other people to whom God gave Christ being the head over all-things: this church presently and actively is Christ's body.
God gave Christ who is head over all-things to the church which (she who/which) is his body, and Christ's body is the fullness (the filling, the result of the action of filling, the full-contents, fulfillment) of the one, Christ, who is presently causing himself to fill (making-full with himself, fulfilling) all-things within all-people (referring to all the holy-people, Christians). Christ is the head and all Christians are limbs/members of his one spiritual body because Christ fills us with his own fullness – we have the spirit of Christ in us.
[Reference: Psalm 110:1; Matthew 22:44, and 28:6 and 18; Mark 16:6; John 20:11-17; Acts 1:9-11, 2:24; Romans 4:24, 25, 8:37-39, 12:5; I Corinthians 6:14-17, 12:12-14, 27; 15:23-28, 51-57; II Corinthians 1:9, 13:4; Philippians 2:9-11; Colossians 1:13-19, 24(b)-27, 2:9-12, 17, 3:1, 11; I Thessalonians 4:13-17; Hebrews 2:8, and 10:12 and 13; I Peter 3:22. Note: verbs with a superscript 2 (2) immediately following them indicate the "perfect" tense - details are provided in the "Relevant Notes" link of this study.]