"which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 2far 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." - Ephesians 1::20-21 (NASB)
The incredible power of God the Father was shown in what He did for Jesus. Bringing Jesus back to life shows God’s approval of Christ’s sacrifice and His authority over life and death, and His unlimited grace, surpassing earthly limits. Jesus was also placed at the right hand of God the Father, representing his honor, glory, supremacy, and shared rule over all creation, affirming his important role in God’s plan for salvation and control of the universe.
The “right hand of God” doesn’t mean a specific place, but rather the power Christ has. So, whether Stephen saw him standing or Paul said he was sitting at God’s right hand doesn’t matter in terms of His physical position. It’s more about emphasizing Christ’s supreme authority. Christ’s authority extends throughout heaven and earth, it signifies the vast kingdom and power of Christ. Therefore, stating that Christ only resides in heaven because he sits at the right hand of God is inaccurate. Although his human nature is in heaven and not on earth, the phrase “in heavenly places” does not limit the right hand of God to heaven. Instead, it emphasizes the heavenly glory, blessed immortality, and dominion over angels that our Lord Jesus enjoys. It also refers to the spiritual realm where believers exist presently, rather than in the future. This truth encourages us to contemplate the heavenly splendor and sovereignty of Jesus. We can see God’s favor and incredible power in Christ as if looking into a mirror.
The phrase “far above all rule and authority and power and dominion” may refer to different spiritual powers or angelic levels that are opposed to humanity. Jesus is higher than all angelic ranks. This idea counteracts the Gnostic false teachers’ emphasis on angelic levels that one must pass through to reach heaven. These ranks can also refer to systems in our world that allow humans to function without God, like philosophy, education, government, medicine, and religion.
The expression “and every name that is named” pertains to the Gnostic false teachers who utilized special names or passwords to navigate the angelic realms. They held the belief that possessing knowledge of these magical names would secure their salvation, similar to the principles of Kabbalah. However, Paul stresses that true salvation and communion with God can only be attained through the name of Jesus (see Philippians 2:9-11). In the Old Testament, an individual’s name symbolized their essence. Jesus unreservedly unveils the essence of God the Father (see John 14:8-14; 17:11).
“not only in this age but also in the one to come” – The Jewish belief in two distinct ages is rooted in the concept of the current evil age and the New Age of Righteousness to be ushered in by the Messiah. The onset of the New Age of Righteousness, symbolized by the Spirit, is identified with the events of Pentecost (read Joel 2:28-32, Matt. 12:32, Mark 10:30, Luke 16:8, 18:30, 20:34, 1 Tim. 6:17, 2 Tim. 4:10, Titus 2:12, and Heb. 6:5).
In this passage, Paul prayed for the Ephesian believers, as he would for us today. The prayer is for us to realize the incredible power at work in our conversion, which leads us to be both humble and confident. Humility comes from recognizing that we have been saved from sin, and our confidence comes from the all-powerful God who initiated our salvation. The power displayed in bringing us back to life, shown in Christ’s resurrection, is extraordinary and is already felt by us. It is the power of bringing life back, seen in giving life again. Jesus’ resurrection is not only an example, but also a promise. Our current spiritual life and our future resurrection are connected to it. Jesus was given a place of honor, power, and happiness at the Father’s right hand. The one who was once crowned with thorns now wears the crown of universal control, and the hand that was once nailed to the cross now holds the scepter of unlimited rule. Jesus, a man like us, is the ruler of everything: everything is under His control. The history of the church over the past twenty centuries or so strongly indicates that the exalted Jesus is the Head over all things for the church. The Head and body of the church are connected and have a relationship of life, power, and sympathy. The Head of the Church is also the Ruler of the Universe and provides blessings to the Church and the universe. Hallelujah!
Leave a Reply