Ephesians 3:15 Commentary - Dr Peter Masters

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Ephesians 3:15

Comments

What a beautiful expression. The whole family – the family of converted Jews as well as converted Gentiles. That must be what the apostle means because that is what he has been talking about earlier in the chapter. The angels in heaven, the family of angels. ‘Of whom the whole family,’ all the families, ‘in heaven and earth are named.’ This is talking about people – people already in heaven and people still on earth, who love the Lord, who are in the family of the King of kings. Saved people are one great family. We are the family of Almighty God the heavenly Father. This is a roll, a list, a family. The list, Paul has taught, goes back before time to the electing love of God. It consists of Jews and Gentiles, absolutely equal if saved in the heart and in the mind of God. This roll unites heaven and earth. The church on earth, those who are saved, and the people of God in heaven – all in the family, all equally loved. There are things that happen on earth and people are saved and we are blessed because of our prayers, and there are people in heaven whose prayers are still being answered, the prayers, that is, which they prayed on earth. There are people yet unsaved and their parents have gone to heaven as saved people, and their prayers for their offspring have not yet been answered. So we are linked. Just as our prayers are being answered, so their prayers, prayed when they were still on earth, are still to be answered in many cases. We are one family and God will hold open time until all the redeemed are brought in and only then, when the roll of the elect is completely won, Christ will come and all those saints who are with Christ in heaven will come with him and we will all receive our resurrection bodies together.

Application

Isn’t it astonishing that we can say this, that you and me, we are loved by God the Father of the family, just as much as the apostle Paul was loved? When you consider what he did, when you consider all that he suffered, when you consider his unending, constant labour of love for souls at such great cost, and yet there is no difference whatever between the extent of the love of God for you or me, and for someone like the apostle, or any other martyr. We are children in the one great family of the people redeemed by Christ in heaven and on earth – equally secure, equally loved, equally heard. The prayers of the apostle were heard on high and our prayers are heard on high.

Questions

There are some modern translations that put it this way. ‘Of whom every family …’ and that is ridiculous. That is total mistranslation and why they do it is hard to fathom, but the majority and the traditional translation, which is absolutely demanded by the context and vital, is ‘of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named.’

Outline

Purpose

Introduction

Ephesians 3:15 Commentary and Bible Study

Explain meaning of Ephesians 3:15