Far Above AllEphesians 1:18-23

Magic Eye Stereogram

“Far Above All”

Ephesians 1:18-22“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, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things …”

“Far Above All”

Ephesians 1:22-23“under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.” (ESV)

“Far Above All”

Who is Jesus?• “If you judge a person’s greatness by historical

standards, ‘Jesus stands first.’” –H.G. Wells

• “Jesus is the most influential life ever lived on this planet.” –Kenneth Scott Latourette

• “Jesus was the greatest religious genius that ever lived.” –Ernest Renan

Christ Was Raised“The working of his great might that he

worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead” (19-20)

“Far Above All”

1 Corinthians 15:1-4“Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you ... by which you are being saved ... unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins ... that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.” (ESV)

“Far Above All”

1 Corinthians 15:14-17, 20“If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins … But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead.” (ESV)

“Far Above All”

Romans 6:3-5“Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.” (ESV)

“Far Above All”

1 Corinthians 15:51-57“Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet ... then shall come to pass the saying that is written: ‘Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?’ ... But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (ESV)

Christ Was Exalted“That he worked in Christ when he raised him

from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come” (20-21)

“Far Above All”

Ephesians 1:20-21“That he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.” (ESV)

“Far Above All”

Philippians 2:5-11“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (ESV)

“Far Above All”

Ephesians 1:20-21“That he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.” (ESV)

“Far Above All”

Psalm 110:1“The LORD says to my Lord: ‘Sit at my right hand,

until I make your enemies your footstool.’” (ESV)

“Far Above All”

Acts 2:22-24, 32-33“Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know— this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it … This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God.” (ESV)

“Far Above All”

Ephesians 1:20-21“That he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.” (ESV)

“Far Above All”

Supernatural Hierarchy• Rule (archē), earthly rule

•Authority (exousia), spiritual power and authority

• Power (dynamis), supernatural forces

•Dominion (kyriotēs), bestowed power

“Far Above All”

Ephesians 1:20-21“That he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.” (ESV)

“Far Above All”

Far Above All• “Above all that anywhere is, anywhere can be—

above all grades of dignity, real or imagined, good or evil, present or to come—the mighty power of God has exalted and enthroned Christ.”

—J.A. Robinson

Christ Is Head of All Things

“And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church,

which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all” (22-23)

“Far Above All”

A Literal Translation of 1:22-23“He is head over all things to the church, which is the body of him, the fullness of the one filling all things with all things.”

“Far Above All”

My Understanding• The church is the body of Christ (his bride). As

the body of Christ, the church contains a transforming power of Christ that can literally change lives. Those who belong to the body of Christ, are not only transformed by Christ, they are continually changed by his power. This transformational process will never end. Christ will continue to work in your life, but part of this transformation takes place in church. The church is more than a messenger of Christ’s power—it is an agent of Christ’s power. Christ fills and empowers the church—which is his body.

Christ Is Head of All Things

Is Christ in charge of you?