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Ephesians

About this book
Chapter 3

1 For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles 2 if indeed you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for you, 3 that by revelation the mystery was made known to me, as I wrote before briefly.⁠ 4 When reading this, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ 5 (which was not disclosed to people in former generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit), 6 namely, that through the gospel the Gentiles are fellow heirs, fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus. 7 I became a servant of this gospel according to the gift of God’s grace that was given to me by the exercise of his power. 8 To me—less than the least of all the saints—this grace was given, to proclaim to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ 9 and to enlighten everyone about God’s secret plan—the mystery that has been hidden for ages in God who has created all things. 10 The purpose of this enlightenment is that through the church the multifaceted wisdom of God should now be disclosed to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly realms. 11 This was according to the eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord, 12 in whom we have boldness and confident access to God by way of Christ’s faithfulness. 13 For this reason I ask you not to lose heart because of what I am suffering for you, which is your glory. 14 For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named. 16 I pray that according to the wealth of his glory he will grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner person, 17 that Christ will dwell in your hearts through faith, so that, because you have been rooted and grounded in love,⁠ 18 you will be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and thus to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge,⁠ so that you will be filled up to all the fullness of God. 20 Now to him who by the power that is working within us is able to do far beyond all that we ask or think, 21 to him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Texts in conversation

Compare 1 Enoch 82:2 and Ephesians 3:19

Pseudepigrapha, Apocalypses · New Testament

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Summary

Ephesians uses apocalyptic language similar to 1 Enoch 82, describing the love of Christ that surpasses understanding similarly to how Enoch describes the wisdom that surpasses understanding.

Passages

1 Enoch 82:2

Pseudepigrapha, Apocalypses
1 And now, my son Methuselah, I am recounting and writing down all these things for you, and I have revealed everything to you, and given you books about all these: so keep, my son Methuselah, the books from your father’s hand, and make sure that you pass them on to future generations. 2 I have given you and your children Wisdom, so that you and they can pass it on to their children through the generations, this Wisdom that surpasses their understanding. 3 And those who comprehend it will not rest, but will listen attentively to learn this Wisdom, and it will please them more than the finest food.
300 BCE – 100 CE (scholarly estimate) Read in 1 Enoch

Ephesians 3:19

New Testament
17 that Christ will dwell in your hearts through faith, so that, because you have been rooted and grounded in love, 18 you will be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and thus to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you will be filled up to all the fullness of God. 20 Now to him who by the power that is working within us is able to do far beyond all that we ask or think, 21 to him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
90–100 CE (scholarly estimate) Read in Ephesians

References

"... The final line of verse 2 indicates that Enoch’s wisdom is divine wisdom, for it exceeds the human capacity to understand it. A similar notion appears in Isaiah 55:8–9, of God’s design to forgive Israel. Related language occurs in Philippians 4:7 and Ephesians 3:19 with reference to the peace of God that surpasses all understanding and the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge ..."
George W. E. Nickelsburg, A Commentary on the Book of 1 Enoch Chapters 1-36, 81-108 (Minneapolis: Fortress, 2001), 343.

References are not endorsements of their contents. Read each reference in full to understand its author's intentions in using these texts.

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1 Enoch 82:2 and Ephesians 3:19

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