Ephesians Series: Ephesians 1:16-Paul Regularly Expressed Thanks to the Father Because of the Recipients of the Ephesian Epistle

Ephesians 1:15 For this reason, after I myself heard about the faith among each and every one of you in the one and only Lord Jesus as well as you are practicing divine-love, which is on behalf of each and every one of the saints, 16 I never permit myself to cease regularly expressing thanks to the one and only God because of each and every one of you. I do this while disciplining myself to make it my practice of remembering each and every one of you during my prayers. (Lecturer’s translation)

Ephesians 1:16 contains a declarative statement ou pauomai eucharistōn hyper hymōn (οὐ παύομαι εὐχαριστῶν ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν), “I never permit myself to cease regularly expressing thanks to the one and only God because of each and every one of you.”

This assertion is followed by a temporal clause mneian poioumenos epi tōn proseuchōn mou (μνείαν ποιούμενος ἐπὶ τῶν προσευχῶν μου), “I do this while disciplining myself to make it a habit of remembering each and every one of you during my prayers.”

Therefore, in Ephesians 1:16, Paul is asserting in the declarative statement that he never permitted himself to cease regularly expressing thanks to the one and only God, i.e. the Father because of each and every one of the recipients of the Ephesian epistle.

This statement contains the figure of speech called “litotes,” which is statement negated in order to emphasize a positive notion, which in our context is that Paul always gave thanks to the Father because of the recipients of the Ephesian epistle.

In the temporal clause, he is asserting that he did this while disciplining himself to make it his practice of remembering each and every one of them during his intercessory prayers for them.

Now, in the declarative statement, the prepositional phrase hyper hymōn (ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν) means “because of each and every one of you.”

This indicated by the fact that the genitive second personal plural form of the personal pronoun su (σύ), which means “each and every one of you” and is the object of the preposition hyper (ὑπέρ), which means “because of” since the word is functioning as a marker of cause or reason with the implication of that which is beneficial.

Therefore, this would indicate that Paul never ceased giving thanks to the Father “because of” each one of the recipients of the Ephesian epistle.

However, most expositors interpret this preposition as a marker of benefaction, which would indicate that Paul never ceased giving thanks to the Father “on behalf of” or “for” the recipients of the epistle.

However, the Father who is receiving Paul’s thanksgiving would be the beneficiary of such thanksgiving and not the recipients of the Ephesian epistle.

Thus, it is better to interpret that the recipients of the Ephesian epistle were the reason why he never ceased giving thanks to the Father.

Therefore, this the prepositional phrase hyper hymōn (ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν) means “because of each and every one of you” and points back to the prepositional phrase Dia touto (Διὰ τοῦτο), “for this reason,” which appears in Ephesians 1:16, which itself points back to the contents of Ephesians 1:3-14.

As we noted, these verses reveal that the recipients of the Ephesian epistle are children of God who are in union and identified with Christ.

These verses are summarized in Ephesians 1:15 by the expression kagō akousas tēn kathʼ hymas pistin en tō kyriō Iēsou kai tēn agapēn tēn eis pantas tous hagious (κἀγὼ ἀκούσας τὴν καθʼ ὑμᾶς πίστιν ἐν τῷ κυρίῳ Ἰησοῦ καὶ τὴν ἀγάπην τὴν εἰς πάντας τοὺς ἁγίους), “after I myself heard about the faith among each and every one of you in the one and only Lord, who is Jesus as well as you practicing a love, which is divine in quality and character, which is on behalf of each and every one of the saints.” (Author’s translation)

In other words, Ephesians 1:3-15 makes clear that the recipients of the Ephesian epistle are regenerated children of God who are in union with Jesus Christ and identified with Him in His crucifixion, death, burial, resurrection and session at the right hand of the Father.

Therefore, the prepositional phrases hyper hymōn (ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν), “because of each and every one of you,” in Ephesians 1:16 and dia touto (Διὰ τοῦτο), “for this reason” and the temporal clause kagō akousas tēn kathʼ hymas pistin en tō kyriō Iēsou kai tēn agapēn tēn eis pantas tous hagious (κἀγὼ ἀκούσας τὴν καθʼ ὑμᾶς πίστιν ἐν τῷ κυρίῳ Ἰησοῦ καὶ τὴν ἀγάπην τὴν εἰς πάντας τοὺς ἁγίους), “after I myself heard about the faith among each and every one of you in the one and only Lord, who is Jesus as well as you practicing a love, which is divine in quality and character, which is on behalf of each and every one of the saints” in Ephesians 1:15 present the reason why Paul never permitted himself to cease regularly expressing thanks to the Father.

In other words, he regularly gave thanks to the Father for the recipients of the Ephesian epistle because they were regenerated children of God who are in union with Jesus Christ and identified with Him in His crucifixion, death, burial, resurrection and session at the right hand of the Father.

Therefore, Ephesians 1:16 completes Paul’s thought in Ephesians 1:15 because the contents of the latter presents the reason for the declarative statement in the former.

Therefore, this indicates that Paul never permitted himself to cease regularly expressing his thanks to the Father because of the recipients of the Ephesian epistle while disciplining himself to make it his practice of remembering them during his prayers to the Father because he heard about their faith at justification and that they were practicing the command to love one another.

In other words, he regularly gave thanks to the Father for the recipients of the Ephesian epistle while interceding in prayer to the Father for them because they were not only believers but because they were also practicing the command to love one another after their justification through faith alone in Jesus Christ alone.

That the Father declared them justified through faith in His one and only Son, Jesus Christ manifested the fact the Father elected them by predestinating for the purpose of adoption as sons (cf. Eph. 1:3-4).

It also manifested the fact or served as evidence that they were redeemed by the Lord Jesus Christ substitutionary spiritual and physical deaths on the cross in that they were experiencing the forgiveness of their sins (cf. Eph. 1:7).

It also manifested the fact or served as evidence that they were the beneficiaries of the Father’s infinite grace (cf. Eph. 1:8-9) and were now a part of Christ’s millennial kingdom (cf. Eph. 1:10).

Furthermore, it serves as evidence or manifested the fact that the Father claimed them as His own possession because of having been predestinated according to His predetermined plan in eternity (cf. Eph. 1:11).

Their faith at justification indicated that the recipients of the Ephesian epistle were sealed by means of the omnipotence of the one and only promised Holy Spirit (cf. Eph. 1:13).

This sealing ministry of the Spirit is the down payment of their inheritance until the rapture when He redeems them by giving them a resurrection body and rewards for faithful service (cf. Eph. 1:14).

Therefore, these manifestations of or this evidence of the recipients of the Ephesian epistle being declared justified by the Father through His Son, Jesus Christ are the reasons why Paul never ceased expressing his thanks to the Father.

Ephesians 1:16 mentions one of the essential elements of a productive prayer life for the church age believer, namely, thanksgiving (Matt 15:36; 26:27; Mark 8:6; 14:23; Luke 22:17-19; John 6:11; 23; 11:41; Acts 27:35; 28:15; Rom. 1:8; 7:25; 1 Cor. 1:4; 11:24; Eph. 5:20; Col. 1:12; 3:17; Phlp. 1:3-4; 4:6; 1 Thess. 1:2; 2:13).

Colossians 4:2 Each of you must continue to make it your habit of being dedicated to persevering in prayer while at the same time continuing to exist in a state of being vigilant in it with thanksgiving. (Lecturer’s translation)

1 Thessalonians 5:18 Each and every one of you must continue to make it your habit of giving thanks in each and every circumstance because this is God’s will for each and every one of you because of your union and identification with the Christ who is Jesus. (Lecturer’s translation)

Now, as we noted, the apostle Paul in Ephesians 1:16 asserts that he never permitted himself to cease regularly expressing thanks to the one and only God, i.e. the Father because of each and every one of the recipients of the Ephesian epistle.

Notice that Paul “regularly” did this.

The present tense of the verb eucharisteō is a customary present, which is used to signal a regularly occurring action.

Therefore, this would indicate that Paul, “regularly” or “made it his habit of” expressing thanksgiving to the Father because of each one of the recipients of the Ephesian epistle.

Furthermore, the present tense of the verb poieō, which appears in the temporal clause in Ephesians 1:16 is also a customary present, which is used to signal a regularly occurring action.

Therefore, this would indicate that Paul continued to “regularly” or “make it his habit or practice” of remembering the recipients of the Ephesian epistle while interceding in prayer to the Father for them.

Therefore, the declarative statement and the temporal clause, which follows it, in Ephesians 1:16 brings out one of the characteristics of an effective and productive prayer life, namely, perseverance (Matt. 26:39-44; Luke 11:9-10; 18:1-8; 21:36; Rom. 12:12; 15:30; Acts 1:14; 6:4; 12:5; Eph. 6:18; 1 Thess. 5:17; 1 Tim. 5:5; 2 Tim. 1:3; Col. 1:9; 4:2, 12; Heb. 10:22).

Matthew 7:7 Ask repeatedly, and it will be given to you; seek repeatedly, and you will find; knock continuously, and it will be opened to you. (Lecturer’s translation)