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Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,
Ephesians 1:20 · King James Version
Parallel translations
  • WEB which he worked in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and made him to sit at his right hand in the heavenly places,
  • BSB which He exerted in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly realms,
  • NKJV which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places,
  • NASB which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places,
  • NLT that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

God's power was supremely displayed in raising Christ and seating him at his right hand. It points to the resurrection and exaltation as the measure of God's power for us.

Overview

Paul defines God's power by its greatest act: raising Jesus from the dead and exalting him to the place of supreme honor and authority, 'his right hand in the heavenly places.' This same power now works in believers (v. 19). The risen, enthroned Christ is the assurance and pattern of the believer's own resurrection life.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 31

  • Heb 10:12But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;
  • Mark 16:19So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.
  • Ps 110:1The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.
  • Acts 2:24–36Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.
  • Matt 22:43–45He saith unto them, How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying,
  • Heb 1:3Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;
  • Matt 28:18And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
  • Col 3:1If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
  • Phil 3:10That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
  • John 17:1–5These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee:
  • Matt 26:64Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.
  • Rom 8:34Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
  • Acts 5:31Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.
  • Rev 5:11–14And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands;
  • Mark 14:62And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.
  • Eph 2:5–6Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
  • Rev 1:17And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:
  • Rom 1:4And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:
  • Acts 7:55–56But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,
  • Acts 10:40Him God raised up the third day, and shewed him openly;
  • Eph 1:3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
  • 1 Pet 1:3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
  • Eph 4:8–10Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.
  • Heb 2:9But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.
  • John 10:30I and my Father are one.
  • Ps 16:9–11Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope.
  • Acts 4:10Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole.
  • Acts 26:8Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God should raise the dead?
  • Heb 13:20Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,
  • Rom 6:5–11For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
  • John 10:18No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (2)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Ephesians videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Ephesians 1:20YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on EphesiansMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

Every spiritual blessing is 'in Christ,' the head over all things for the church, in whom Jew and Gentile are made one new man by his blood.

How Ephesians 1:20 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.