within the Ephesian community. The basis of growth in the Christian life is to understand who God is and who we are in Christ. Thus Paul asks first that God will grant a spirit of wisdom and revelation that opens believers’ awareness to the great things of God. We know God because God chooses to reveal himself. In 1:18, we find a participial phrase stating that the eyes of their hearts have been enlightened. This phrase can be understood in two ways, either as part of Paul’s request or as a statement
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