Ephesians 1:19-21
Context1:19 and what is the incomparable 1 greatness of his power toward 2 us who believe, as displayed in 3 the exercise of his immense strength. 4 1:20 This power 5 he exercised 6 in Christ when he raised him 7 from the dead and seated him 8 at his right hand in the heavenly realms 9 1:21 far above every rule and authority and power and dominion and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.
1 tn Or “immeasurable, surpassing”
2 tn Or “for, to”
3 tn Grk “according to.”
4 tn Grk “according to the exercise of the might of his strength.”
sn What has been translated as exercise is a term used only of supernatural power in the NT, ἐνέργεια (energeia).
5 tn Grk “which” (v. 20 is a subordinate clause to v. 19).
6 tn The verb “exercised” (the aorist of ἐνεργέω, energew) has its nominal cognate in “exercise” in v. 19 (ἐνέργεια, energeia).
7 tn Or “This power he exercised in Christ by raising him”; Grk “raising him.” The adverbial participle ἐγείρας (egeiras) could be understood as temporal (“when he raised [him]”), which would be contemporaneous to the action of the finite verb “he exercised” earlier in the verse, or as means (“by raising [him]”). The participle has been translated here with the temporal nuance to allow for means to also be a possible interpretation. If the translation focused instead upon means, the temporal nuance would be lost as the time frame for the action of the participle would become indistinct.
8 tc The majority of
9 sn Eph 1:19-20. The point made in these verses is that the power required to live a life pleasing to God is the same power that raised Christ from the dead. For a similar thought, cf. John 15:1-11.