That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:
–Ephesians 1:17 ESV

Here are some considerations about the fact that Paul’s prayer is to “the Father of glory” …

In verse 17 is this phrase: “the Father of glory.” One meaning of this phrase is simply that God is glorious.

Glory is perhaps the most honor-laden word in Scripture. It speaks of renown and fame, weightiness and density, beauty and extreme value. The Hebrew word for glory is kabod, and includes the meaning of weight. Paul is praying to “the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory…”

Paul is saying that God is glorious; this is His most prominent feature. Could it be that by using the word, glory, Paul is saying that all of the attributes of God … holiness, love, righteousness, justice, omnipotence, omniscience, mercy, and so on … are all wrapped up under the banner of “glory?”

Here is a second possible meaning: Could it also be that Paul is saying that since God is the “Father of glory” that he begets glory in those who are created in his image? Since God is the “Father of glory,” and as the second Person of the Godhead, his Son Jesus Christ is equally glorious, therefore all who are part of his family, who are part of the body of Jesus Christ—are also made with the potential for glory. The “Father of glory and honor” begets glory and honor to his children.

The “Father of glory” is a great Patron and benefactor, revealing his immense honor. According to scholar Jerome Neyrey, in the ancient world, there existed a “code of patronage” [1] as part of the social system of honor and shame. In the “code of patronage,” the patron is honored by giving to his clients, while at the same time, the client’s honor is elevated.”

According to the code of patronage, it belongs to the patron to show exceptional favoritism to select individuals. “This is expressed clearly in the stories of both Old and New Testament persons, including Abraham, David, and Jesus.

God chooses to bless Abraham through land, protection, and descendants (Genesis 12:1–3); near the end of his life, David sings the praises of his Patron in 2 Samuel 22; and in Matthew 3:17, God speaks to Jesus saying, “This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased.” In all of these cases, God is the wealthy, honorable Patron who is demonstrating his honor and wealth by choosing to bless the “client.”

Neyrey writes, “The terms patron and client do not appear, but only a person unfamiliar with the culture would fail to recognize the singular favoritism David enjoys with God. Thus, when it says that God is “well pleased with him,” this declares for all to hear that God has elected Jesus, shown him special favor, and entered into a unique patron-client relationship with him.”

For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints,
I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers,
–Ephesians 1:15–16 ESV

Paul heard of their faith in the Lord Jesus, and their love toward all the saints. Here Paul is acknowledging that he’s heard about them—he is complimenting them for their faith and love. He is acknowledging that there is a certain renown about these believers, and thus this is way of giving them honor. Concerning these believers, their affections are directed upward in faith toward heaven and outward in agape love toward their community of believers.

Because of their faith and love, Paul prays, but it is not a quick one-time prayer. “I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering your in my prayers…” This is sustained prayer, unceasing prayer. It is prayer saturated with thanksgiving.

This surely is a figure of speech—hyperbole or exaggeration—that Paul does “not cease to give thanks…” But it reflects the passion, concern, and enthusiasm for the saints at Ephesus which is in his heart, and the sense of responsibility he feels for their growth and maturity in Christ. There is a deep relational connection between Paul and these believers and Jesus Christ.

There is an interplay between the Godhead (the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), an individual person (Paul), and groups of people (the community of believers receiving this letter)—which is so beautiful and characteristic of Christianity.

From the perspective of honor and shame, this verse displays Paul’s way of honoring the believers to whom he is writing. I wonder: was Paul aware that his letter would be read by believers in a variety of communities in Asia Minor—and on through the ages by believers all over the world—further enhancing the reputation and honor of this community of saints?

“who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.”
–Ephesians 1:14

At the end of this magnificent description (verses 3–14) of the blessings of God to those in Christ … is this phrase: “to the praise of his glory.” But it is the third time it appears in the passage. We observe a variation of this phrase in verse 6, and then again two more times in this passage:

1. In verse 6: “to the praise of his glorious grace…”
2. In verse 12: “to the praise of his glory.”
3. In verse 14: “to the praise of his glory.”

“The praise of his glory” is, indeed, the end for which all things are created, the overarching theme of the Story. But I also see three nuances relative to time in the above three Scriptures:

1. In verse 6: “to the praise of his glorious grace” refers to eternity past, because it follows the words in verse 5, “he predestined us for adoption as sons…”
2. In verse 12: “to the praise of his glory” refers to present tense believers—“that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory.” The little word be—this is refers to present time existence, the first generation of Christ-followers who believe in him in present moment of history.
3. In verse 14: “to the praise of his glory” refers to the Holy Spirit being “the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it…” It is a future time reality.

So we see the comprehensive nature of all of reality—eternity past, eternity in the present moment, and eternity future—all of it exists to the praise of his glory.

This means that all of life, all of eternity, all of the cosmos exists for the glory of God, and although there is indeed a cosmic fallenness and depravity from sin on this planet, it will one day all be healed. It will one day all be united in the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Beloved.

What does this mean for me today?

1. I pray, Lord, that you would give me passion for your presence, for your glory. As Moses prayed, “Lord, show me your glory.” Lord, show me your ways.
2. I see, O God, that I can live with more integrity concerning your glory. I fall far short, Lord Jesus, in expressing this passion for your honor.
3. When I fail to pray, I miss the transcendence of your honor and glory.

… according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.
–Ephesians 1:7–10 ESV

God has lavished on us “the riches of his grace” — and this is the crux of two mighty blessings:

1. redemption through his blood, and the forgiveness of our trespasses and sins, (v7) and
2. knowledge: “making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ” (v8)

Concerning this knowledge of his will:

1. It is not a small amount of grace/knowledge, but it is “lavished on us in all wisdom and insight”.
2. God’s will is no longer a mystery, but it is contained in the Person of Christ. God’s will is not an abstract set of principles, but rooted in a Person—the Lord Jesus Christ.
3. This plan is “for the fullness of time”—this is not just knowledge that is localized, not like local television news about what’s important today. God’s plan is for “for the fullness of time” and thus gives us insight into the big Story, the grand narrrative.
4. The plan is beautiful: it is designed to unite what is fractured—“to unite all things in him.” This uniting of all things in Christ implies that there is a cosmic brokenness in our world and that this brokenness will one day come to an end. For all things will be united in Christ, healed of sin and separation and conflict.
5. “things in heaven and on earth”—this tells us that this uniting all things in Christ—this healing of what is broken—will be total, comprehensive, universal.

What a hope! What a contrast to the Greek Gods who make fickle decisions because of whim, who are supernatural on the one hand, but also violent, emotional, unpredictable.

Also, what a message for the post-modern world which believes that meaning is created by the self, that there is not a meta-narrative, no Story above all stories. This transcendence is rooted in history-past and points with a living hope to history-future, full of goodness and hope and beauty. It implies we have a responsibility to share this message.

The responsibility to share this message is stated plainly in chapter three where Paul personalizes God’s call on his life inside of the grand Story. What is clear in Ephesians is that God’s choosing Paul to extend the blessing of Christ to the Gentiles is, “election with universal intent” as Lesslie Newbigin calls it. The whole Story is inherently missional. It gives Christ-followers such great honor, such great responsibility in God’s Story.

he predestined us for adoption through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.
–Ephesians 1:5–6 ESV

That God the Father “predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ” is an incredible bestowal of honor. To be “adopted as sons” meant taking on the family name of the Most High God. This has the following characteristics:

1. This adoption is predestined. It will, it must come to pass! This relational healing and restoration, this honor-laden relationship must come forth!
2. This adoption is through Jesus Christ: the mediator is none other than the Son of God Himself. This is no secondary ambassador, but the second Person of the Trinity in whom the adoption is transacted.
3. This adoption is “according to the purpose of his will.” There is a plan, an intelligent strategy, a Story with infinite meaning rooted in the mind of God. The sense of destiny rooted in eternal God is itself an expression of honor and glory, of weightiness and density. This is the very antithesis of a the modern belief in evolution which considers the human being a mere ‘accident.’
4. This adoption is “to the praise of his glorious grace.” What is the ultimate reason for all this? … honor and glory to God! … praise for the grace, the charis, the magnificent gift so undeserved, which has been poured out on his followers, those who are in Christ, in “the Beloved.”

even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love
–Ephesians 1:4 ESV

That we are so richly honored is evidenced by the fact that our lives have been chosen by God in eternity past to be “holy and blameless before him.” This verse has profound implications:

1. The infinite sovereign mind and power of God can tie together eternity past and present, heavenly and earthly dimensions, the divine and the human.
2. Being “chosen” is not merely something God gives to individuals. Notice that “…he chose us…” This truth is about a community and is in a letter being written to a community! Everyone in the community is being lifted in their honor—this is not a zero-sum game in which some gain honor while others lose.
3. There is a grand narrative, a Story above all stories—with purpose, plan, time, intelligence, creativity, relationship.
4. The ultimate reality, that is, the “goal of The Story above all stories” is that we are before him, radiant with glory and honor, completely unashamed in relational beauty: indeed, blameless! This idea of standing before God Almighty, not with guilt and shame—but blameless—is utterly astounding in conveying honor to the ones before him.
5. This holiness and blamelessness is—to come—it happens later on. In one sense, like God’s kingdom—it is already, for we are already forgiven—but is mostly not yet. Just as God in his sovereign power and infinite wisdom has the ability to choose us before the foundation of the world, he also has the ability to make us holy and blameless in eternity future. This is a psychological / spiritual place of peace and rest. It is the foundation of my security, my honor, my glory as an eternal living person.

This verse is so heavy-laden with honor and relational glory that it boggles the mind. Why would Almighty God the Father do this? It can only be because, “In love…”