Abstract
This article proposes that Eph. 3.15 alludes to the Abrahamic covenant in Gen. 12.3; 22.18; 26.4; 28.14, and that this allusion is in keeping with the ecclesiological theme in Ephesians of gentiles and Jewish people in Christ participating in the same blessings and salvation as members of the household of God their father. This allusion establishes the relationship of the prayer in Eph. 3 to the epistle’s principal themes and demonstrates that the significance of the Abrahamic covenant for gentile salvation in Pauline theology may also be observed in Ephesians. Potential objections concerning text form, grammar, the absence of explicit mention of Abraham in Ephesians, and the identity of the families in the heavens are addressed.
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