JesusWalk Bible Study Forum: Q1. Incomparably great power - JesusWalk Bible Study Forum

(Ephesians 1:19) Why does Paul pray that God would open the Ephesians' eyes to discern "his incomparably great power"? What is wrong with their eyes? Where does this power operate according to 1:19? Which miraculous event does Paul use as an example of this level and type of power? Exposition

Greetings All!

Quote

Because their spiritual eyes, like ours often times, are closed. Due to a lack of faith, they are unable to see that "...all things are possible with God."

Where does this power operate according to 1:19?

It operates in each Christian and, by extension, in the church.

Which miraculous event does Paul use as an example of this level and type of power?

Paul uses the glorious resurrection of Jesus as his example.

In Christ,

Dave

What God has done is so wonderful and powerful it must be seen with spiritual eyes. They had nothing in the natural to compare it to so they can't comprehend what has happened and what it means. The power operates in the spiritual realm and must be looked at differently than natural happenings. The example of the power God has performed was the Resurrection. The power God used in the resurrection makes any power found on earth seem like no power at all. This even includes atomic power. Praise the Lord, the power used in the resurreciton is available to me. Nothing is too difficult through the power of God.

What God has done is so wonderful and powerful it must be seen with spiritual eyes. They had nothing in the natural to compare it to so they can't comprehend what has happened and what it means. The power operates in the spiritual realm and must be looked at differently than natural happenings. The example of the power God has performed was the Resurrection. The power God used in the resurrection makes any power found on earth seem like no power at all. This even includes atomic power. Praise the Lord, the power used in the resurreciton is available to me. Nothing is too difficult through the power of God.

Hi all-

1a & b.) Paul realized that we as finite beings would be unable to comprehend or recognize the capabilities of being able to call on the infinite and absolute powers of God to build His kingdom. It is extremely difficult to understand something intangible, not easily grasped. We have the tendency to look at what we cannot do versus what we can do through faith, and through the power at our disposal as a church family. "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we can not see." Hebrews 11:1
1c.) Through the saints..the believer is where the power operates through the Holy Spirit in us.
1d.) Through the glorious resurrection of Our Lord and Savior, our Kinsmen Redeemer, Jesus Christ!!

[FONT=Times]Hi Everyone;
I think that we as humans can't understand the alsome power of God, because we thin not to beleive in what we can't see, hear are touch.

Paul wanted the Ephesians eyes to be opened because he wanted them to see things the way God see them....not from a fleshly viewpoint the way we so often do.

Their eyes saw things the way the world sees things, not from a spiritual standpoint.

This power operates in the believer which is handed down from God to those who will accept it.

It was resurrection power Paul spoke of.

1ab) Paul wants them to really see and understand ALL that God has for them. "INCOMPARABLY great power", meaning that NO POWER can compare to to his. They were blind to the TRUE knowledge of God's power.
1c) This Power operates through the church=> us. It is for us to use. He has given us this great power
for the use of his will.
1d) Paul uses the event of God raising his son Jesus from the dead. THIS IS GREAT POWER!!! AND
THE BEST THING ABOUT IT IS THAT HE HAS GIVEN US ATHORITY TO USE IT ON HIS BEHALF!!!! AMEN!!!

(Ephesians 1:19) Why does Paul pray that God would open the Ephesians' eyes to discern "his incomparably great power"? What is wrong with their eyes? Where does this power operate according to 1:19? Which miraculous event does Paul use as an example of this level and type of power? After doing some reading on the Ephesian church, it seems to be that Paul is praying that the "eyes" of their understanding would be opened, by revelation from God, Himself. A lot of the early converted Jew's, tended to be "inclusive"...seperated, from the Gentile believers. Paul is praying that their eye's would see that the sacrifice, of the Son of God on the cross, was for all. Perhap's some of these Jewish believers were having a problem understanding this. Paul reminds them, that this Great Power, resides in them, this same Great Power, that raised Jesus from the dead, will keep us, and raise us also, on that day; Together, as one, in Him! "Therefore we, (Jew, and Gentile alike!) are buried with Him by baptism into death; that as Christ was raised from the dead by the Glory of the Father (Holy Spirit!) , even so we should walk in newness of life" Romans 6:4..

1. Why does Paul pray that God would open the Ephesians' eyes to discern "his incomparably great power"? .
These believers have had the blindness of lostness removed so they are now able to see Gods great power. His desire is for these believers to know the hope of His calling, the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and the surpassing greatness of His power. It is only with the enablement of His Spirit that we are able to understand and experience His great power, which is beyond anything we are capable of in our normal human experience.

2. What is wrong with their eyes?
They were formally blind to spiritual things. "2 Cor 4: 4 In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God." Now as new believers they will see things that they never imagined before. "18 Open my eyes, that I may behold
wondrous things out of your law. Psalm 119"

3. Where does this power operate according to 1:19?
This power operates in the believers, Christs body, His church.

4. Which miraculous event does Paul use as an example of this level and type of power?
The Resurrection of Christ.

Blessings,
Terry

Hi everyone, so nice to be back! hope like me you're blessed, refreshed and raring to go! I missed you all Well let's get to it

Q1. (Ephesians 1:19) Why does Paul pray that God would open the Ephesians' eyes to discern "his incomparably great power"?

Paul is concerned that all the churches he planted would grow in their love for God and for one another. Hence, the greater their understanding of God, just as it is for us, the greater will be their love for Him and for one another, the Church, the body of Christ here on earth. Living the Christian walk is no easy task, especially if we try to go it alone. When we try to live the life that should be ‘In Christ’ under our own efforts we fail miserably. This is why Paul believed it was so important for the body of Christ to ‘See’ and reach out in faith to their God who is limitless in power and authority. Paul was saying “You’re not on your own in this walk and you’re not limited to your own ability, resources, status. God has immeasurable wealth in which you can tap into for ALL your needs”.

What is wrong with their eyes?

Paul would be all too familiar with ‘Blindness of the heart’ especially as one who was used to wreaking havoc amongst the Christians (Acts 9:1) So, speaking from personal experience he could relate to a ‘Hardness of the heart’ and ‘Eyes that don’t see’, ‘Ears that refuse to hear’. And so on. (Acts 28:26-27) One of Jesus’ favourite sayings when He was teaching the people was “[color="red"]he who has ears to hear, let him hear[/color]”. A pretty dumb saying you might think on the face of it. After all, if Jesus was speaking to the physically deaf they wouldn’t hear a word He spoke to them! Of course we know that Jesus is speaking about their Spiritual ears. Likewise when Paul speaks of the blindness of their hearts. I vaguely recall a poem that describes two men in a prison cell looking out of their window one night. One looked up and saw prison bars the other saw nothing else but stars. We need to look beyond our circumstances which are in the natural and SEE the Supernatural.

Where does this power operate according to 1:19?

This power is available to all who Truly Believe. It is God’s power at work within us. And guess who limits that power? We do! By our unbelief, our lack of faith in a God who never fails. And yet we have all the evidence that is needed to prove the authenticity of God’s power in our lives through the greatest miracle that can ever take place. Our Salvation. Paul puts it this way ‘That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved’ Rom 10:9-10. Like driving a car, we can have a six thousand horse power engine under the bonnet but if we choose to put the gear shift into ‘Idle’ there’s no way we’re going anywhere in a hurry! God gives us the power, it’s up to us how fast and how far we choose to go. Get your pedal to the metal

Which miraculous event does Paul use as an example of this level and type of power?

As I have already said, the greatest miracle that can take place in an individual’s life is to receive their Salvation. Why? I believe it’s because it is a mirror image of Jesus’ resurrection. Which is why Paul uses this as an example of God’s awesome power at work. When we receive Jesus as our personal Lord and Saviour we are inviting that same awesome power into our lives. You can receive untold wealth, complete healing from all kinds of infirmities, promotion at work and so on. However, these things are only temporal and expire when we do. But Salvation is the greatest gift we can receive or give away because it is for all eternity. No wonder Paul uses Jesus' resurrection as his example of God’s tremendous power. And so, I would offer again these words of Paul’s as a prayer ‘I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead’.Phil 3:9-11

God's incomparable power is available to US who believe! The people's eyes were closed to the reality that they, too, could recieve this mighty power. WE must open our hearts and minds to the Holy Spirit. God's power can operate through us! He promised! This power was manifested in Christ when God raised Him from the dead and seated Him at God's own right hand in the Heavenly Realms!

Paul prays the the Church at Ephesus would realise the power it has. This is the power of the risen Christ -- the power that the Holy Spirit gives us to reach out to those in need and make a differnece in out hurting world. May we all see - understand -- and use this great power we have as the Body o Christ reaching out into the world with His love and His grace.

Pastor Ralph, on Apr 27 2003, 11:00 PM, said:

The Ephesians were living in the world. They hadn't an inkling of the awesomeness of the power of God. God's power is beyond the imagination. It is totally without price. And it cannot be earned. It is a gift from God to all who would believe. It operates in all of us. Paul uses the resurrection to show the strength and level of God's power. God raised His son, the Christ, from the dead and set Him up at His own right hand to rule all the Heavenly realms - with all authority, power, dominion and strength.

Paul wanted the Ephesians to see the works that the Lord was doing to the Christian community not with their mortal eyes but with their spiritual eyes. He wanted them to see the big picture. He wanted them to view the workings of the Lord in a macro level in order for them to see that the Lord, indeed, is alive and is actively participating in the growth and development of the church that Jesus has founded. Paul knew that if they do not do this, they wil not be able to see anything beyond the limits of their humanity.

A good example would be the resurrection of Lazarus and, on a greater level, the resurrection of Jesus Christ. A good number of scholars and scientists and what nots have tried, in vain, to explain these events. They tried to bring these miracles down to the human level by trying to explain what happened in sceintific terms. In a way, they have limited everything, even the concept of God, to the human level. They have become too focused on their belief that "everything can be explained in scientific terms" that they fail to see the glory and grandeur of God's miracles that are happening around them.

This is what Paul was trying to prevent from happening when he prayed that the Ephesians would "open their eyes." Paul knew that the power was operating in a level that is beyond the capability of the human body. As such, it would be impossible for the Ephesians to detect without them opening their spiritual eyes.

Why does Paul pray thar God will open the Ephesians spiritual eyes to discern God's great power?
Paul wants the Ephesian believers to experience for themselves the fullness of God's power, so that they can encourage more and more converts through signs, wonders and powerful, couragious preaching.

What is wrong with their eyes?
Their spiritual eye were not aware that the same power that raised Jesus was available for all believers. They knew in their minds the good news that God raised Jesus but the implication that they could also tap into that same power had not yet been revealed to them.

Where does this power operate?
The power is directed towards believers, not only disciples and apostles; nor only ministers and specially gifted peoople, but to all who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.

What miraculous event does Paul use?
The raising from death to eternal life of Jesus.

Why does Paul pray that God would open the Ephesians eyes to discern "his impomprably great power?" What is wrong with their eyes? Where does this power operate according to 1:19? Which m;iraculous event does Paul use as an example of this level and type of power. Paul knows that the people are not understanding what Jesus had done and the implications of it. They did not know what was now available to all who would believe in his mighty power. His power gives believers hope and an inhiritance in the coming glorious kingdom! The Problem is not with their eyes, that is an analogy. The problem is with their belief system. In modern terminology we would say they had a faulty world view. This throbbing power emanates from "His imcomprably great power for us who believe." This great power comes from the God of our Lord Jesus Christ. The example Paul gives is the resurrection and ascencion of Jesus to be seated at the "right hand of God." This was considered to be a place of honor in Biblical times.
In summation, Paul was striving to get the people in Ephesus to understand about the great reward waiting for those who accepted Jesus as Savior. He used language that people of that day would understand to explain, what we might call slang today. He was trying to get his point across in the best way he could. He knew what was waiting for those who accepted the Saving Grace of Jesus Christ.

[color="red"]Why does Paul pray that God Would open the Ephesians eyes to discern "His incomparably great power?" [/color]
[color="blue"]Paul wanted them to see the spiritual benefits that God has to offer. Paul wanted them to have the spirit of wisdom and revelation. Only God can give true wisdom and revelation.[/color]

[color="red"]What is wrong with their eyes? [/color]
[[color="blue"]color=yellow]We can have our eyes open and still not see the things God will have us to see. Paul wanted the Ephesians to have a spiritual eye fully open to the blessing of God.[/color][/COLOR]

[color="red"]Where does this power operates according to 1:19?[/color][color="orange"]This power operate in those who believes[/color]!

[color="red"]Which miraculous event Paul use as an example of this level of power?[/color]
[color="purple"]The example Paul use is the power God use to raise Jesus from the dead. It is indeed a blessing for those that believe(the church) , this power is for us. I am praying that our eyes are open to receive the spirit of wisdom and revelation.
[/color]

That they will now the hope of his calling (Chrit in you the HOPE of glory); the riches of the inheritance with the saints; and the mighty power that is available to the believer. This will give a full understanding of all that God has for them.

Unless their eyes are enlightened, they will not be able to understand spiritual things. (Thhe things of God are spiritually discerned.) This enlightment will enable them to be increased in their faith.

This mighty power operates in those who believe. The Word preached not mixed with faith is not profitable.

The example of the resurrection power that raised Jesus from the dead.

Pastor Ralph, on Apr 27 2003, 11:00 PM, said:

[color="red"][color="red"]Why does Paul pray that God would open the Ephesians' eyes to discern "his incomparably great power"? What is wrong with their eyes? [/color][/color]

[color="purple"]Because as believers our eyes can be blinded to what the word of God is really saying..He wanted us to really get what the scripture is truly saying..[/color]


[color="red"]Where does this power operate according to 1:19? [/color]

[color="purple"]In us the church..[/color]


[color="red"]Which miraculous event does Paul use as an example of this level and type of power? [/color]

[color="purple"]The resurrection of Jesus Christ..[/color]



[color="blue"]Praise the Lord Jesus,
Michelle[/color]