For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, 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, 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 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.

— Ephesians 1:15–23


Despite the secularism and materialism of our culture, people have a deep longing for spiritual support, especially during times of tragedy. How Christians express this support—among themselves and to others—is crucial. Though many churches experienced burgeoning attendance as a result of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, most returned to normal numbers within a few weeks. Why? Pastor Tim Keller, whose Manhattan church remained at capacity long after the tragedy, said, “If you were not ready to offer spiritual support before the tragedy, trying to organize the church to offer it afterwards was too late.” What does meaningful spiritual support include? The apostle Paul offers us some clues in his words to the Ephesians.

Paul first commends the Ephesians for their faith in Jesus and for loving all the saints without discrimination or resentment (v. 15). Do the Ephesians do this perfectly? No, for Paul must later remind them that their salvation is by God’s grace and not by their works (Eph. 2:8–9), and much of the remainder of the book is his exhortation to them to overcome the barriers to unity (Eph. 4:3). So why does Paul give thanks for their faith and love when he knows that these are hardly complete in them?

Paul here demonstrates the faith that he so heartily commends and provides us with wonderful pastoral instruction on how to offer spiritual support to God’s people. By giving thanks for the good in others he knows to be imperfect, Paul indicates that, with eyes of faith, he sees them robed in Christ’s righteousness. He gives thanks for the fruit of the Spirit that he can see, even when he knows that it is yet to ripen. He commends what is incomplete in them in order to help mature and unite them.

Learning the art of commendation is important for all Christians, especially if we desire to form churches of spiritual support. Seeing people robed in a righteousness not their own and encouraging them on this basis to be more of what they should be communicates powerfully the heart of Christ.

May the Lord grant us the grace to encourage one another toward Christian maturity in this way, so that, together, we may provide a united gospel witness to a world in need of hope.

This material is adapted from chapter 5 of Bryan Chapell’s book Ephesians (Reformed Expository Commentary series, P&R Publishing, 2009).