Glory as God's essence, and the church as God's fullness

Scripture often calls God's very essence "glory." Since that essence is untouchable and unattainable, Scripture named it "glory" so that you may not demand an account but worship. Ezekiel is the first to call God's essence "glory," when in visions he saw God seated and added, "This was the likeness of the glory of the Lord" (Ezekiel 1:28). Interpreting this elsewhere, God says, "I multiplied visions and was likened through the prophets" (Hosea 12:10). So the "glory" Ezekiel spoke of is what God calls "the I." And Paul says, "He is the radiance of the glory"—of what glory?—"and the exact imprint of his substance" (Hebrews 1:3). Here, then, he calls him "God of our Lord Jesus Christ" according to the flesh, but "Father of glory" according to nature.

And every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come (Ephesians 1:21). For in this age we name thrones, rulers, dominions, authorities, powers, angels, archangels. But since there are countless orders of invisible powers unknown to us and therefore unnameable, and after the resurrection they will be known and will receive their titles from us along with that knowledge, for this reason he said, "and in the age to come."

And he gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all things in all (Ephesians 1:22-23). Through this he made clear that he calls the body of Christ—that is, the church—the fullness of God. Why "fullness"? Because it has been filled with God. For just as he fills all things in all, so also he fills the church, in that it is the body of Christ. So the church is the body of Christ and the fullness of God.

Of him who fills all things in all. For he is in heaven, working in a heavenly way, and on earth, working in an earthly way, and in angels, in the sun, but in each according to its own nature. For Scripture speaks about God from the things we share in, not from what he himself is; that is incomprehensible.

"World" is used in two ways: the created order, and the wicked system of human beings. Here Paul divided the two realities, calling human wickedness and sin "age," and the constitution of the universe "world," just as he also says in Galatians: "to rescue us from the present evil age" (Galatians 1:4). He means this present age. So he named the common human rebellion and error "age," of which those who now believe in Christ were once a part.

According to the ruler of the authority of the air, the spirit now at work (Ephesians 2:2). Through this the apostle clearly shows that the devil was not an angel from heaven, but a wicked aerial spirit. Even if the Lord says, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven" (Luke 10:18), he is not indicating the place from which he fell. Rather, since lightning falls swiftly from above, he compared the swiftness of the devil's fall to lightning, saying: as lightning rushes swiftly from heaven, so I saw his fall as swift.

Of the one now at work. He made clear that the devil does not always have his power; rather, human weakness became his power.

Doing the desires of the flesh and of the mind (Ephesians 2:3). From this it is shown that the flesh is not opposed to the soul; for it joined in agreement with sin.

And we were by nature children of wrath (Ephesians 2:3). Just as there are sons of hell, so also children of wrath.

Since he said "created," he says: creation means making something one's own possession. And he added "for good works" so that from now on you may build yourself up.

He did not say "closer" than those who believed from circumcision, but "near" (Ephesians 2:13).

Having destroyed the dividing wall of the fence, not the fence, but the dividing wall (Ephesians 2:14). What then is the fence?