Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Ephesians 1:22

"and he put all things in subjection under his feet, and gave him to be head over all things to the church," — Ephesians 1:22 (ASV)

The apostle winds up this opening chapter by underlining the exaltation of Christ. The verb “placed... under” (GK 5718) refers not only to the supremacy of Christ but also to the subjection of all things to him (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:27). Psalms 8:6 (cf. Hebrews 2:8) is clearly in Paul’s mind. The psalmist affirms humanity’s dominion on earth; here Paul claims that Christ, as God’s new man, has universal dominion. Human beings have largely forfeited their status through sin, but through Christ they are restored to their proper dignity. So far from constituting a threat to the realization of true humanity, the Christian gospel provides the only means by which it can be attained. Only at the end of the age will the consummation take place, when death itself will be finally overcome; yet even now the Christian becomes a new creation in Christ Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:17).

We might have expected the apostle to explain (cf. Colossians 1:15–20) that, as head over everything, Christ is head of his body, the company of believers. But that is not how he puts it. Instead, he says that Christ in his exaltation over the universe is God’s gift bestowed on the church. In other words, the head of the church is also the head of all things. The church can thus overcome all opposition because of the absolute Lordship of Christ.