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"By the effectual working of His power" Moffatt translates "By the energy of His
power", which recognizes the presence of the Greek word energeia. This word is found
only in Paul's epistles, and as follows. The faith of the inworking of God, associating the
believer with the mighty power of resurrection now (Eph. 1: 19; Col. 2: 12), and lastly,
the Satanic travesty, with its corresponding retributive justice in connection with the
apostasy of the last days (II Thess. 2: 9, 11). The word energeo `to inwork and energize'
occurs four times in Ephesians thus:
PURPOSE. "According to the purpose of Him Who worketh all things after the counsel
of His own will" (1: 11).
FAITH. "His power to usward who believe . . . . . which He wrought in Christ when He
raised Him from the dead" (1: 20).
DISOBEDIENCE. "The spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience" (2: 2).
FULNESS. "Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we
ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us" (3: 20).
What a full parenthesis this chapter of Ephesians is, started as it was by the claim
made by the Apostle to having received a peculiar ministry associated with his
imprisonment. Yet there is more to be considered before this great claim concerning the
Mystery and the Gentiles is fully vindicated. This, which is contained in the six verses
that follow, will occupy our wondering attention as we study its wording and its
implications next time.
No.63.
The Secret Chamber
(3: 1 - 13).
The Mystery and the principalities and powers (3: 10).
pp. 81 - 84
We have seen that the unsearchable riches of Christ, which Paul was commissioned to
preach among the Gentiles, were associated with the Mystery hid in God and revealed for
the first time to him as the prisoner of Christ Jesus. We pick up the thread of the
argument in Eph. 3: 9, where we read "And to make all men see what is the fellowship
of the mystery". In article No.54 we discussed the revised reading `dispensation' instead
of `fellowship' here, and now take the revised reading for granted. Ellicott's note is "The
reading koinonia `fellowship' has only the support of cursive MSS and is a mere
explanatory gloss". `To make all men see' kai photisai pantas. The literal translation of
these words must evidently be `and to enlighten all', photisai being a part of the verb
photizo.
There are four references to `light' in Ephesians, and one of them tells us that
`whatsoever doth make manifest is light' (Eph. 5: 13). In Colossians where the same
theme as that of Eph. 3: 1-13 is being unfolded, we read concerning the Mystery which
had been hid `but now is made manifest to His saints' (Col. 1: 26). Here we have the
same word `make manifest' phaneroo, that is used in Eph. 5: 13, and the same word