Ephesians 4.6c-God the Father Possesses Authority Over Every Church Age Believer
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Thursday December 12, 2024
Ephesians Series: Ephesians 4:6c-God the Father Possesses Authority Over Every Church Age Believer
Lesson # 210
Ephesians 4:1 Therefore, I myself, the prisoner because of the Lord’s will, exhort and encourage each and every one of you as a corporate unit to live your lives in a manner worthy of your effectual calling with which each and every one of you as a corporate unit have been effectually called 2 with the fullest expression of that which characterizes humility resulting in that which characterizes gentleness. Specifically, by each and every one of you as a corporate unit continuing to make it your habit of tolerating one another with that which characterizes patience by means of the practice of divine love. 3 In other words, by all of you without exception continuing to cause yourselves to make it a habit of making every effort to maintain the unity produced by the Spirit by means of the bond, which produces a peace, which is divine in quality and character. 4 It is defined by one body as well as one Spirit just as each and every one of you as a corporate unit were also effectually called into the state of experiencing one confident expectation of blessing which was produced by your effectual call. 5 It is also defined by one Lord. It is also defined by one faith. It is also defined by one baptism. 6 It is defined by one God, namely the Father of each and every one of us as a corporate unit. The one possessing authority over each and every one of us as a corporate unit as well as working through each and every one of us as a corporate unit and in addition bodily in union with each and every one of us as a corporate unit. (Lecturer’s translation)
The third elliptical assertion in Ephesians 4:6 contains the prepositional phrase epi pantōn (ἐπὶ πάντων), “possessing authority over each and every one of us as a corporate unit.”
The nominative masculine singular form of the definite article ho (ὁ), “the one who” is not only modifying the prepositional phrase epi pantōn (ἐπὶ πάντων), “over all,” but also the prepositional phrases dia pantōn (διὰ πάντων), “working through each and every one of us a s a corporate unit” and en pasin (ἐν πᾶσιν), “bodily in union and in fellowship with each and every one of us as a corporate unit.”
The article is converting each of them into a noun or in other words, it is nominalizing each of them for the purpose of describing God the Father further for the readers.
In other words, the article nominalizes these prepositional phrases in order to present three descriptions of God the Father and His relationship to the members of the Christian community.
In this third elliptical assertion, Paul again uses the genitive masculine plural form of the adjective pas (πᾶς), which as it did the first time he used it, functions as a substantive with the referent of this word being the Christian community.
Again, this word not only pertains to the members of the Christian community in their totality but is also used in a distributive sense emphasizing no exceptions.
The latter idea we noted emphasizes the members of this community as individuals whereas the former emphasizes them as a corporate unit.
However, this time the adjective pas (πᾶς) is the object of the preposition epi (ἐπί), which functions marker of authority, which emphasizes the church is under the Father’s sovereign authority over each and every member of the body of Christ.
The term “sovereignty” connotes a situation in which a person, from his innate dignity, exercises supreme power, with no areas of his province outside his jurisdiction.
As applied to God, the term “sovereignty” indicates His complete power over all of creation, so that He exercises His will absolutely, without any necessary conditioning by a finite will or wills.
Isaiah 40:15 Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket, and are regarded as a speck of dust on the scales; Behold, He lifts up the islands like fine dust. (NASB95)
Isaiah 40:17 All the nations are as nothing before Him, they are regarded by Him as less than nothing and meaningless. (NASB95)
Daniel 2:19 Next in a vision during the night the mystery was revealed to Daniel. Then Daniel showered the God of the heavens with adoring praise, honor, recognition and worshipful thanksgiving. 20 Daniel responded and said: “God has had His name showered with adoring praise, honor, recognition and worshipful thanksgiving from eternity past and in addition this will continue throughout eternity future because He inherently is wisdom as well as power. 21 Namely, He determines the appointed times as well as the durations of time. He deposes kings as well as elevates kings. He gives wisdom to wise men as well as knowledge to those who possess the capacity to receive understanding. 22 God reveals unfathomable events, yes events which are hidden. He alone knows what is in the darkness. Specifically, the light resides in Him. 23 For the benefit of You, O God of my fathers, I myself give thanks, yes and praise too because You gave to me wisdom, yes and power too. Indeed, now You have made known to me what we requested from You because You made known to us the king’s secret.” (Lecturer’s translation)
The apostle Paul also taught that the nations receive their time and place as a result of the sovereignty of God (Acts 17:22-34).
Psalm 66:7 He rules by His might forever; His eyes keep watch on the nations; Let not the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah. (NASB95)
The humanity of Christ in hypostatic union has been promoted by the Father as the supreme ruler of history as a result of His victory over Satan at the Cross.
Colossians 2:9 For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form 10 and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority. (NASB95)
Philippians 2:5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus 6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped 7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name 10 so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth 11 and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (NASB95)
1 Timothy 6:13 I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who testified the good confession before Pontius Pilate 14 that you keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ 15 which He will bring about at the proper time -- He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords 16 who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen. (NASB95)
