(text and audio)
Title: That You May Know (Part One)
Intro:
Last week we began to look at the final words of Paul’s extended salutation, which makes up the entirety of chapter one of Ephesians.
As Paul draws his salutation to a close, he offers a blessing in prayer to the Church at Ephesus. Last week we began to look at this blessing at the first thing that Paul is asking God to bless the Ephesian believers with:
Paul asks that the Lord grant them “the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him”. (v.17)
And, if you recall, last week we studied that what Paul is asking that the Ephesian Church be blessed with a deeper wisdom and revelation of their already established knowledge. Essentially, what they already know, Paul wants them to know and love more deeply.
So today we turn our attention to the rest of the blessing, the rest of the prayer that Paul is asking for the Ephesian Church.
(read/pray) (read 18-23)
“…(that) the eyes of your understanding being enlightened…”
This phrase is what leads to the rest of the blessing.
Everything that Paul prays after this is contingent upon their eyes being opened and and their understanding being enlightened.
That you may know…
We are going to focus a lot on this phrase today, and in order to gain a full foothold upon the language I want us to look at a certain Greek phrase for a moment to confirm our understanding before moving on.
eis hymas eido
that ye may know
The word eido will be the word of main focus here. It is an interesting word because it translates both as “to know” and “to see”.
“Eido” appears over 600 times in the N.T. 281 times it translates as “to know”, 314 times it translates as “to see.”
So, Pastor Ben, which is it? To know or to see? Both. It’s a Greek word that, which very common in the Greek language, does not have a perfect translation into English, and that’s a real shame because it’s quite an important little word.
If I was to offer the best single English word, I would chose neither “to know” nor “to see” but rather “to perceive.”
Let’s take a look at some N.T. examples and I think you’ll see what I’m saying. Or you’ll know what I’m saying. Or you’ll perceive what I’m saying…or forget it, let’s just look already!
Matthew 2:9 (Just in time for Christmas)
When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.
Acts 26:27 (Paul, after his arrest in Jerusalem witnessing to King Agrippa)
King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you believe!
2 Timothy 2:23
Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels.
POINT: “eido” means more than to just know about something. It means to perceive (see) it and understand the implications.
So, with that being said, we will spend the rest of the time in today’s teaching looking at the first two of the five things that Paul is praying for the Church in Ephesus. Both of these appear in verse 18. Next week we will look at the last three things Paul is praying, which appear in verses 19-23.
- That you may know what is the hope of his calling
This first prayer from Paul is such a simple, yet powerful thought. He wants them to know, see, perceive the hope that is in the Gospel message itself.
As Matthew Henry States it:
There is a hope in this calling; for those who deal with God deal with trust. And it is a desirable thing to know what this hope of our calling is, to have such an acquaintance with the immense privileges of God’s people, and the expectations they have from God, and with respect to the heavenly world, as to be quickened thereby to the utmost diligence and patience in the Christian course.
We ought to seek after, and pray earnestly for, a clearer insight into, and a fuller acquaintance with, the great objects of a Christian’s hopes.
“Let me tell you something my friend. Hope is a dangerous thing. Hope can drive a man insane.”
(Can anyone tell me what this quote is from?)
― Red in Shawshank Redemption
Q: Why is hope so dangerous?
A: Because we wager everything on our Hopes becoming reality.
Q: What is a Christian’s hope?
A: That God is real. That Christ is real. That our sins are forgiven. That we are going to Heaven. And, that others may come to the same conclusion.
In other words: What do we hope in? That all of this is real! That our hopes, our lives are not in vain!
2. (That you may know) what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance
Henry:
Besides the heavenly inheritance prepared for the saints, there is a present inheritance in the saints; for grace is glory begun, and holiness is happiness in the bud.
There is a glory in this inheritance, riches of glory, rendering the Christian more excellent and more truly honorable than all about him: and it is desirable to know this experimentally, to be acquainted with the principles, pleasures, and powers, of the spiritual and divine life.
Let us endeavor then, by reading, contemplation, and prayer, to know as much of heaven as we can, that we may be desiring and longing to be there.
(Hard, honest conversation with Betsy at dinner)
It echoes perfectly what Paul also writes in Romans 8:18
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
Close:
As we close, I want to ask you a question: Can you see the distinct connection between these two concepts; hope and inheritance?
There is a “now” and “not yet” present at the same time. (Much like the concept of the Kingdom of God is both “now” and “coming”)
For God has guaranteed our inheritance, so it’s as good as done, but, because of the The Father’s divine plan, we must wait patiently upon His timing in all things.
But Henry reminds us that there is immediate blessing as well. We hope eternally in Heaven, but immediately in the growth we have with God through the fellowship of the church, studying of Scripture, and, perhaps most of all, the intimacy we can have right now in prayer with God.
And if there is one thing that the Enemy will always target, it is our hope. So we fight through scripture, prayer, and fellowship with other believers, to always be mindful of this very hope: that the things we are now suffering are not worth even being compared to the glory that will be revealed to us in the coming age.
Pray/QA