Ephesians 1:15-23 (Part 1)

I. Paul's praise for the believers - characteristics of genuine Christianity.
a. Faith in the Lord Jesus.
b. Love toward all the saints.
-Gal. 5:13

II. Paul's prayer for the believers - growing in spiritual wisdom and insight.
-II Pet. 1:3
a. Spiritual wisdom
-Ps. 24:7, 29:3
-revelation = apokalupsis = uncovering, revealing
-Peter O'brien "The mystery had already been made known in Christ, but the readers needed to grasp its full significance, not the least of all their own place within it."
-knowledge = epignosis = knowledge, recognition
-I Cor 13:12
b. Spiritual vision
-heart = kardia; center of knowledge, understanding, and thinking; place of thought and moral judgment, volition
-enlightened = photizo = enlighten, illuminate, give like. Greek Exegetical Key "It refers to the ministry of the Holy Spirit who continually illuminates spiritual truth."
-John Stott "What Paul does in Ephesians 1 and therefore encourages us to copy, is both to keep praising God that in Christ all spiritual blessings are ours and to keep praying that we may know the fullness of what he has given us."