Ephesians Series: Ephesians 1:15b-Paul Heard About the Justifying Faith of the Recipients of the Ephesian Epistle

Ephesians 1:15 For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 1:16 I do not cease to give thanks for you when I remember you in my prayers. 1:17 I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you spiritual wisdom and revelation in your growing knowledge of him, 1:18—since the eyes of your heart have been enlightened—so that you may know what is the hope of his calling, what is the wealth of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 1:19 and what is the incomparable greatness of his power toward us who believe, as displayed in the exercise of his immense strength. 1:20 This power he exercised in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms 1:21 far above every 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. 1:22 And God put all things under Christ’s feet, and he gave him to the church as head over all things. 1:23 Now the church is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all. (NET)

The noun pistis(πίστις), “faith” refers to making the non-meritorious decision to trust or place one’s complete confidence in the Person of Jesus Christ at the moment of justification for eternal salvation and the forgiveness of sins.

In other words, it refers to justifying faith meaning that the recipients of the Ephesian epistle exercised faith in Jesus Christ which resulted in God declaring them justified.

The noun kurios(κύριος), “Lord” is applied to Jesus Christ and is the object of the preposition en (ἐν), which is marking the Lord Jesus as the object of the faith, which the recipients of the Ephesian epistle exercised at the moment of their justification.

However, the preposition en could be interpreted as a marker of sphere an activity.

This would indicate that this faith not only encompasses the faith at the moment of justification but faith in the Word of God after justification, which results in spiritual growth and operating in the love of God.

The word is in fact used by Paul in this manner.

Others argue that Paul is not speaking of justifying faith here because if he meant to do so he would have employed the preposition eis instead.

However, this usage of the preposition en with the noun pistis and Christos as its object appears in Galatians 3:26 which speaks of the faith of the Galatian believers in Jesus Christ at their conversion.

Now, here in Ephesians 1:15, the noun pistisprecedes the noun agapē and this is also the case in Philemon 5, and in Colossians 1:4.

In Philemon 5, the former speaks of Philemon’s faithfulness to the Lord and Paul’s apostolic ministry.

Philemon 4 I continue making it a habit of giving thanks to my God always as I myself continue to make it a habit of remembering you during my prayers 5 because I continue to regularly hear about your divine-love as well as your faithfulness, which you continue to regularly demonstrate toward the Lord who is Jesus, which is for the benefit of each and every one of the saints. (Lecturer’s translation)

In 1 Thessalonians 3:6, the noun pistisalso precedes agapē but this time the former speaks of the faith of the Thessalonians which resulted in the Father declaring them justified, i.e. justifying faith.

1 Thessalonians 3:6 However, at this time, when Timothy has come back into our presence from all of you, and because he communicated by himself to both of us the good news of your faith as well as your divine-love and also that all of you are always remembering both of us with affection, because all of you greatly desire to see both of us just as we also greatly desire to see each one of you. (Lecturer’s translation)

The reference to the Thessalonians’ faith in 1 Thessalonians 3:6 refers to the Thessalonian’s post-justification faith in the Word of God.

It does not refer to justifying-faith since they were already declared justified by the Father through faith in His Son Jesus Christ.

This is indicated by the fact that in 1 Thessalonians 1:3 Paul associates their faith with work, which refers to their Christian service.

As we noted in our study of this verse, the Thessalonians’ faith in the Spirit inspired teaching of Paul, Silvanus and Timothy enabled them to perform work, which was produced by the Holy Spirit.

Their faith resulted in their obedience to the Spirit’s commands and prohibitions which were communicated to them by these three men.

Their faith resulted in their experiencing fellowship with the Trinity and with Paul, Silvanus and Timothy.

Then, in 1 Thessalonians 5:8, the noun pistisonce again precedes agapē but this time the former refers to the post-justification faith of the Thessalonian Christian community.

1 Thessalonians 5:8 However, because each and every one of us belongs to a particular group of individuals who are sons belonging to that which is characterized by the day, let each one of us continue to be sober-minded. Specifically, by clothing ourselves with a breastplate which is faith as well as divine-love, likewise a helmet which is a confident expectation of salvation. (Lecturer’s translation)

In this verse, the noun pistis means “faith” but does not refer to justifying faith but rather the Thessalonian’s post-justification faith in the Word of God.

This is indicated by the fact that Paul is addressing the conduct of the Thessalonian Christian community who were already declared justified by the Father through faith in His one and only Son, Jesus Christ.

In 1 Timothy 1:14, we once again see the noun pistispreceding agapē.

1 Timothy 1:14 In fact, the grace originating from our Lord was infinitely more than sufficient as expressed by means of faith resulting in love which are because of my union with Christ who is Jesus. (Lecturer’s translation)

The noun pistis in 1 Timothy 1:14 speaks of Paul’s faith in Jesus Christ resulting in justification and his post-conversion faith that resulted in his obeying the command to love one another as Christ loves.

This is indicated by the fact that he is speaking in the context of his pre-conversion conduct towards the Lord and His church and is seeking to contrast it with the Lord’s gracious conduct toward him.

Now, unlike 1 Thessalonians 3:6, 5:8, Philemon 5 and 1 Timothy 1:14, the noun pistis in Ephesians 1:15 has a prepositional phrase modifying it as is the case in Colossians 1:4.

This is significant because in Pauline passages, where the word is clearly used in regards to justification or the conversion experience of a Christian, a prepositional phrase follows the word.

For example, in Romans 3:22 and Galatians 2:16, the noun pistis is followed immediately by the prepositional phrase διὰ πίστεως Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ.

Romans 3:21 But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction. (NASB95)

Galatians 2:16 nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified. (NASB95)

In Galatians 3:26, the noun is immediately followed by the prepositional phrase διὰ τῆς πίστεως ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ.

Galatians 3:26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. (NASB95)

In Romans 3:26, the word is followed immediately by the prepositional phrase ἐκ πίστεως Ἰησοῦ.

Romans 3:24 being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; 25 whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; 26 for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. (NASB95)

Therefore, we can see that in each of these passages, the noun pistis is speaking of justifying faith or faith by the sinner at the moment of conversion, which is indicated by a prepositional phrase, which immediately follows the word and modifies it.

In Colossians 1:4, the noun pistis is immediately followed by the prepositional phrase ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ.

Colossians 1:1 Paul, an apostle owned by Christ who is Jesus by the will of God, along with Timothy our spiritual brother, 2 to the saints located in Colossae, specifically the faithful brothers and sisters in union with Christ: Grace to all of you resulting in peace from God our Father. 3 We continue making it our habit of giving thanks to God namely the Father of our Lord, who is Jesus, who is the Christ when we make it our habit of occupying ourselves with praying on behalf of each and every one of you as a corporate unit 4 since we heard about your faith in Christ, who is Jesus and in addition your love which you continue to regularly demonstrate for the benefit of each and every one of the saints. (Lecturer’s translation)

Therefore, based upon Pauline usage of pistis in these passages referring to justifying faith or the faith of the sinner at conversion, the noun pistis in Ephesians 1:15 should be interpreted as referring to justifying faith or the faith of the recipients of the Ephesian epistle at the moment of their conversion exclusively.

Thus, the word should not be interpreted as referring to faith in the Word of God after conversion exclusively or a combination of justifying faith and post-conversion faith in the Word of God.

Thus, when Paul uses the expression πίστιν ἐν τῷ κυρίῳ Ἰησοῦ in Ephesians 1:15, it is referring to justifying faith or faith in the Word of God after conversion which results in the Christian living in the love of God or both.

In other words, it speaks of the faith exercised by the recipients of the Ephesian epistle which resulted in the Father imputing or crediting His Son, Jesus Christ’s righteousness to them, which resulted in the Father declaring them justified.

Thus, it speaks of their faith at the moment of their conversion to Christianity.