inheritance in the saints
19 and what the exceeding greatness of His power to us- ward who believe, according to the working of the might of His strength
20 which He wrought in the Christ when He raised Him from the dead and made Him to sit at His right hand in the heavenly order
,
21 far above all rule, and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named not only in this age but also in that which is to come.
mneivan poiouvmeno"
] The object of you and your faith is naturally supplied from the preceding clause (Rom. 1:9; Philm. 4).
17.
i{na
...]
that, in order that
.... The two titles which the Apostle applies to
GOD bring out his confidence and the full scope of his prayer.
oJ qeov"... jI. C.
]
the God of our Lord Jesus Christ
, the GOD whom He acknowledges and at the same time reveals. Comp. Eph. 1:3 note; and see also 1 Cor. 11:3; 15:27 f.
oJ path;r th'" dovxh"
]
the Father of glory
, from Whom all Divine splendour and perfection proceed and to Whom they belong; the source and the object of all revelation.
For th'" dovxh" compare Acts 7:2 oJ qeo;" th'" dovxh" (Ps. 19:3 (18:3)). James 2:1 to;n kuvrion hJmw'n jI. C. th'" dovxh" . 1 Cor. 2:8 to;n kuvrion th'" dovxh" . Heb. 9:5 Ceroubei;n dovxh" .
For oJ pathvr compare James 1:17 oJ p. tw'n fwvtwn . 2 Cor. 1:3 oJ p. tw'n oijktirmw'n . Heb. 12:9 oJ p. tw'n pneumavtwn .
On
hJ dovxa
see Additional Note.
dwv/h uJmi'n pn. sof. k. ajpokaluvy
.] On Wisdom and Revelation see Dr Dale,
Ephesians
, p. 133 [v. App. p. 158].
pn. sofiva" kai; ajpok. ejn ejpign. aujtou'
]
a spirit of wisdom and revelation.
In all corresponding phrases the spirit is that through which the principle or power or feeling or characteristic, to which it is referred, becomes effective in the man. So we read of
pneu'ma pra/ovthto"
(1 Cor. 4:21; Gal. 6:1);
pneu'ma aJgiwsuvnh"
(Rom. 1:4);
pneu'ma douleiva", pneu'ma uiJoqesiva"
(Rom. 8:15);
pneu'ma katanuvxew"
(Rom. 11:8);
pneu'ma deiliva"
(2 Tim. 1:7);
pneu'ma zwh'"
(Apoc. 11:11); and in a definite form
to; pneu'ma tou' kovsmou
(1 Cor. 2:12);
to; pneu'ma th'" plavnh"
(1 John 4:6);
to; pneu'ma th'" ajlhqeiva"
(John 14:17; 15:26; 1 John 4:6);
to; pneu'ma th'" pivstew"
(2 Cor. 4:13);
to; pneu'ma th'" cavrito"
(Heb. 10:29);
to; pneu'ma th'" profhteiva"
(Apoc. 19:10);
to; pneu'ma tou' noov"
(Eph. 4:23).
In accordance with this usage the spirit of wisdom and revelation will be that spirit, that influence and temper, through which wisdom and revelation, wisdom and the materials for growth in wisdom, enter into human life. Such a spirit is a gift of the Paraclete Who takes of that which is Christ's and declares it to believers (John 16:12 ff.). Through it the Christian is at once able to test and to receive and to communicate Divine truths (1 Cor. 2:6 ff.).
The characteristic work of the Spirit is indeed the revelation of the Son, through Whom the Father is known. He comes in the Son's name (John 14:26), even as the Son came in the Father's name (John 5:43). So it is that till the Mission of the Paraclete the Son could not be known by men. This fact explains the remarkable form of the Lord's words in Matt. 11:27, oujdei;" ejpiginwvskei to;n uiJo;n eij mh; oJ pathvr, oujde; to;n patevra ti" ejpiginwvskei eij mh; oJ uiJov", kai; w|/ eja;n bouvlhtai oJ uiJo;" ajpokaluvyai . The absence of a second clause after oJ pathvr shews that the sentence took shape before the Revealer of the Son had been sent.
This work is not for one age but for all ages. It finds its application ejn