not fail to observe one essential feature.  We read a threefold `Him' before we

read a threefold `Us'.  This order can never be reversed when we are dealing

with grace.  Of what value would it be to be told that we were destined to sit

at the right hand of God in heavenly places, unless we are already assured that

Christ is there, and there on our behalf?  Consequently we observe in the next

place that when we read the threefold `Us', we read at the same time a threefold

`together'; not one of these blessings can be enjoyed apart from this union with

the ascended Christ.  Possibly it is already beginning to dawn upon us `what is

the exceeding greatness of His power to us-ward' if such a destiny and such a

fellowship are indeed ours.  The first thing to consider is that this

exceedingly great power is `according' to something.  It is the outworking of a

Kata, the Greek preposition translated `according to', when it governs the

genitive case retains its primary meaning `down', but when it governs the

accusative case, as it does in the passage under review, it often has the

meaning of conformity and is translated `according to'.  It would be outside the

range of these studies to attempt a lengthy disquisition on the origin,

development and character of prepositions, but the reader may be helped if he

remembers that prepositions are associated with movement or rest, each one

having its own direction, ek moving `out', eis moving `into' and the like.  Kata

in its two modes represents either a movement that is vertical, `down' when used

with the genitive, and horizontal `along' when used with the accusative.

Whatever is the subject under consideration, if it be in the accusative, kata is

conceived as going `along' with it, hence the term `according to'.  Kata occurs

twenty-four times in Ephesians, always with the accusative.  The following are

the occurrences in the first chapter of Ephesians, and this horizontal movement

`going along with' should be supplied mentally as each passage is considered:

Eph. 1:5

According to the good pleasure of His will.

7

According to the riches of His grace.

9

According to His good pleasure.

11

According to the purpose of Him.

11

Who worketh all things after (or according to) the counsel.

15

After I heard of your faith (the faith according to you).

19

According to the working of His mighty power.

It will be seen that where it is used of God, kata is associated with

pleasure, purpose and power, or the riches of His grace, and in two passages it

is further allied with work.  In the first case God is represented as One Who

worketh all things according to the counsel of His own will; in the other the

great power to us-ward who believe is said to be according to the working of His

mighty power.  We can therefore only hope to receive an answer to the prayer

`what is ... the power to us-ward ...' when we know with what it is in `accord'.

There is in this passage a multiplying of terms that denote power.  Dunamis,

power, miracle, dynamic; energeia, energy, inworking; kratos, strength, in the

sense of ability to holdfast, and ischus, strength in its prevailing power.  All

these terms are focused upon one tremendous event, the resurrection of Christ.

When the Scripture speaks of the great act of creation, both power and

wisdom are ascribed to God, but no such combination of these terms for strength

is used as is used of the resurrection.  In creation `He spake', it was `done'.

When He commanded it stood fast, but resurrection is in another realm.  Sin,

redemption, righteousness, moral evil and spiritual antagonism call for power

beyond that demanded by creation.  This power is defined as that which He