Ephesians 1:18 - Printer Friendly

ESV: having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,

NIV: I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people,

NASB: I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,

CSB: I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened so that you may know what is the hope of his calling, what is the wealth of his glorious inheritance in the saints,

NLT: I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called — his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance.

KJV: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,

NKJV: the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,

Paul's prayer moves from wisdom and revelation in 1:17 to add enlightenment and knowledge in this verse. The emphasis in this context is on understanding what God has already done and provided. This is not referring to new insights or predictions of future events. These believers already knew the facts of salvation and the believer's future hope with God. However, Paul wants them to better understand the importance of these blessings. This is key to maintaining passion for good works, instead of becoming spiritually joyless (Revelation 2:1–4).

Both salvation and eternity with the Lord are tremendous gifts. Salvation is by grace through faith in Christ (Ephesians 2:8–9) and came at the cost of Jesus' death on the cross. Eternity with the Lord is a future gift that each believer can anticipate in this life, yet will not experience until after this life. This future hope is a tremendous motivation for holy living, sharing one's faith, and for life eternal.

Ephesians 1:15–23 celebrates the value of our salvation in Christ. Paul's prayers for the believers of Ephesus not only include praise for their success, but an appeal for their growth. This passage heavily involves the supremacy of Christ. As believers, we are not only followers of Jesus, but also recipients of His blessings and power. Paul seeks to remind the Ephesian church that a complete understanding of Christ leads to a greater love and a stronger faith.

The first chapter of Ephesians contains two main passages. The first describes the blessings Christians have been given as a result of our salvation through Christ. Paul explains these through praises directed to God the Father. The second section both commends the Ephesians for their reputation, and prays that Christ would bring them into an even fuller and more aware faith.

The first three chapters of Ephesians are doctrinal, while the last three are practical. Chapter 1 establishes Paul's view on the value of our salvation in Christ, and the blessings we obtain from it. He does this in the form of praise, directed at God, and describing in detail what it means to have an inheritance in heaven. Later chapters will build on these ideas as Paul connects who we are in Christ to how we should live as Christians.

Ephesians follows a theme common in Paul's writings: connecting theory with practice. In this book, however, he goes into greater depth before making the transition. As a letter meant to be read by more than just the believers at Ephesus, this is an important look at how Christian belief should translate into Christian action. The first three chapters lay out spiritual ideas, the last three chapters show how these truths should be applied in the life of a mature believer. Paul focuses heavily on love, the unity of the Christian church, and the incredible value of our salvation through Christ.