Ephesians Devotionals
Bob Morris
1: 22-3 For the Church
And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.
Similar to the unexpected phrase “for us who believe” (verse 19) is the phrase “for the church” here. Surely Christ’s supremacy is for the glory of God. Clearly he is head over everything because that is his rightful place as the much-loved only Son of God. But there it is: for the church.
Perhaps a clearer way of expressing the thought here is to say that God has made the head of all things [also] the head of the church. This implies that the church as the body of Christ has authority (power and license) to be active in the world under his direction. He reigns supreme in the church and beyond it. When Christ sends the church into the world, he says, in effect, “All authority in heaven and earth is given to me, but not everyone knows that; I am recognized as 'head of all' by you, the church, but the world has yet to acknowledge the headship I have been given, so as you go into the world, make disciples/followers of every ethnic group”.
The church as a whole, not just individuals, is his body. As we collectively acknowledge his Lordship (headship), we become a touchstone and a signpost of reality for the world. “Jesus is Lord” was the oldest and simplest creed of the church. It remains ostensibly the lowest common denominator of the World Council of Churches member bodies. But even more, it is the essence of the mission message. Jesus Christ rules. The longing for justice, peace, integrity and unalloyed joy that every human experiences are found in bowing before him. The church has discovered and experienced this wonderful truth, and confidently shares this message with a world that is unconsciously but equally under Jesus’ lordship. There is no room for triumphalism or a spiritual superiority complex. It is what D.T. Niles described as one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread. We know where to find nourishment for the soul, so we share the good news.
Paul has prayed that our knowledge will increase. The greater our knowledge of him (17), of our hope and inheritance (18), and his incomparable headship over everything (19), the greater is our responsibility to tell the world of his love and grace. It is said that the greatest sin in the desert is to know where water is and not to tell. The greatest sin in the world is to know a loving God and not to invite others to that relationship. But even more, he has made us collectively his body, his interface with the world, tangible evidence of his existence, and he has given us everything of himself that is necessary to present him to the world.
One day the whole universe will be filled with the fullness of Christ. Even now the church is. The mark of the church is love for one another (John 13: 35) and God is love. The big theme of Chapter two is unity and the breaking down of all the walls that man has created. God is one and Jesus prayed that we would be one just as the Triune God is one (John 17: 20-21). As Markus Barth has written, “The Church is created and destined to be the visible, audible, tangible, and public manifestation of the life, love, and power of the risen Christ.” That is at least part of what it means to be the fullness of him.
Father in heaven, grant us as the body of Christ the unity which you share with the Son and Holy Spirit. Grant us a love for one another that goes beyond human likes and dislikes and witnesses to the supernatural character of the Church.
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