Ephesians 1:19

And what the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of the strength of his might which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and made him to sit at his right hand in the heavenly places.

These two verses set forth the power of God, with Paul using a succession of very strong words to describe it. Beare describes these thus:

[@Dunamis] means the ability to accomplish, the cognate verb means "I am able."

[@Energeia] means power to work, not mere potential power but active power.

[@Kratos] means the power that rules, has dominion, especially over rational beings.

[@Ischus] means inherent strength, or might. It has more to do with potential, intrinsic might, whether active or not.[31]

Significantly, the climax, the very ultimate demonstration of God's power, was cited by Paul here as the resurrection of Christ. That is the act above all others and beyond all others that shows the unlimited power and ability of God to do all that he has promised to do for his children. Without the resurrection of Christ, the Christian gospel is stripped of all credibility and relevance for man; and that is why Paul never forgot to include it in the very heart of every message and every letter. As Markus Barth said, "If we kept silent about the resurrection, we would not be speaking of God."[32]

This reference to the ascension of Christ "is a declaration by inspiration of the fact recorded in Mark 16:19."[33] While it may be true as Wedel said, that "The modern church makes very little out of the ascension of Christ,"[34] there can be no doubt whatever that the early Christians made everything of it, as indicated by Paul's dramatic emphasis of it in the closing lines of this chapter.

[31] Ibid., p. 632.

[32] Markus Barth, The Broken Wall (London: Collins, 1960), p. 48.

[33] James Macknight, op. cit., p. 270.

[34] Theodore O. Wedel, The Interpreter's Bible (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1953), Vol. X, p. 633.