The Epistle to the Ephesians distinguishes itself by, among other things, its style. Whereas the other letters were obviously written on the run, with some thoughts left hanging because the mind was moving faster than the hand, Ephesians shows careful rewriting in order to get it just right.

Thought moves along very ponderously. Synonyms are piled on each other and structural balance is carefully sought. Sentences tend to be unusually long with many dependent clauses. Sometimes the main verb is separated from its subject, it seems, indefinitely. The use of the nominal, verbal, and adjectival forms of the same root word makes for much redundancy.

In other words, the style of Ephesians in time became the ponderous style of formal liturgies. It is not surprising that those wishing to argue for a highly ecclesiastical Christianity find in Ephesians their basic document. Thus, the letter documents the transition of Christianity from a movement led by the Spirit to an institution founded on the apostles (2:20).

The section of the letter we are reflecting on this week is a rephrasing of the section that begins in 1:3: "Blessed be the God…who has blessed us." Following is an enumeration of how God has blessed us: he chose us, he destined us, he made known to us the mystery of his will, and he has sealed us with the Holy Spirit. Then the letter switches to thanksgiving: "I do not cease to give thanks…and pray that God" (1:16) will give you what is necessary in order to know.

We have arrived at the core of the matter: knowledge of God. The text makes two important points. The first has to do with what is indispensable in order to know God. This knowledge is possible only if God first provides the Spirit of wisdom and revelation (1:17). The important thing is that in this case wisdom and revelation go together to make sure that the first is understood in terms of the second. Already in verse 9 we have been told that what is involved is the "’mystery’ of his will," which is available only in "wisdom and insight."

It must be recognized that the word mystery here does not mean what we normally understand to be a mystery. Today we say "the ’mystery’ of the Incarnation" or "the ’mystery’ of iniquity." We mean that these facts, the presence of a divine being among human beings or the entrance of sin in God’s world, are beyond human comprehension. We should give up the search for an explanation even before we consider attempting one.

In these ancient documents, however, a "mystery" is something quite different. It is a piece of information quite capable of being grasped by human beings. The problem is not the limits of human comprehension, but the number of persons who have access to this information. A "mystery" is a piece of information available only to the few elect, having come to them by a private revelation.

The second important point is what we should know. The author lists three things: (1) "the hope to which he has called you"; (2) "the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints"; and (3) "the immeasurable greatness of his power in us who believe." These three really describe just one thing: the blessed condition in which those who believe find themselves.

The tension that makes the whole prayer necessary is the one in evidence when the readers are supposed "to know the hope." When either faith or hope becomes knowledge they cease being faith or hope. If we have knowledge, faith and hope become superfluous. But, of course, when our knowledge is based neither on our eyes nor minds but on "the eyes of the heart," we have gained insight into revelation.

What God accomplished by "the immeasurable greatness of his power" is that he

raised him [Christ] from the dead and made him sit at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come; and he [God] has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all. (1:20–23

This is the spelling out of what verses 9 and 10 said in six words: the mystery of his will, is "to anakefalaiosasthai the universe in Christ." English versions make it impossible to see the connection with verse 22 ("has made him the head over all things") because they translate the compounded Greek word as "to unite." The Greek makes clear that God has set up Christ as head over the universe (ta panta = "all things," in this case is a technical term better translated as universe). The "mystery" we are now privileged to know is that God has conquered the forces of the universe and has consolidated it in Christ.

Verse 22, then, introduces a totally new notion. The body of Christ encompasses the whole cosmos, with the head sticking out on top. God did it for the benefit of "the church, which is his body." To make sure we do not miss the point, there follows an explanation. The church, the body, is The-One-Who-Fills the universe with all, the Fullness.

There can be no more grandiose image of the church. It is the cosmic body of the risen Christ, who already has become the sovereign of the universe having put every other power or authority under his feet and fills all in all. Ephesians effectively does away with any future apocalyptic battle in order to subjugate the forces of evil in the universe. It is instructive to contrast this to 1 Corinthians 15:22–28.

Consider the following questions: What is the relation of faith and hope to knowledge? Is knowledge of God ever actually knowledge of God? Or is it only knowledge of God’s faculties and qualities, God’s compassion, God’s power? What kind of knowledge is that attained by "the eyes of the heart"?

Is the crowning of the cosmic church in Ephesians the foundation for the statement by Cyprian, a few centuries later: "There is no salvation for those outside the church"? Is the vision of a cosmos full of principalities, powers, rulers, thrones, and dominions one that must be endorsed in the twenty-first century?

Which scenario seems more comforting to you? The one in Ephesians, where Christ sits enthroned because God has already placed all the forces of the universe under his feet, or the one in 1 Corinthians, where he is engaged in subjugating the powers until the second coming?

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