Families that are a cohesive unit are generally those who have a center to which they gather to especially when they grow older. There are always one or two people who are the indispensable lynchpin in keeping them together and they are usually the ones who are the best cooks or tell the most extravagant stories. Generally, if these familial corner stones are taken away, everything sort of falls apart like removing an essential piece in a game of Jenga.
In Churches, this linchpin personality is commonly a leader within the congregation. I’ve personally experienced what happens when a leader either passes on or simply moves on from their role as elder. The congregation is left with uncertainty and working through these changes is confusing since everyone wonders if the newbie will be the next Spurgeon or a well-oiled pharisee. If the latter should arise, then congregants usually join the elder in his exodus.
But working through this separation is also challenging for the linchpin figure. If their centrality is that effective, it’s because they’ve been preoccupied with a genuine care of their family or assembly. They have a true love for those who look up to them and want to see them continue in their unity as a family whether by blood or by the Holy Spirit. They want to see them continue unified!
The apostle Paul saw this very emotional separation coming. He was in prison and knew that his death loomed at the hands of the Beast. His fear was that when he left this world that the unity he worked so hard to achieve in the churches in Asia Minor would suddenly crumble.
The Text
For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen. (Ephesians 3:14-21)
On Your Knees
After a theological rabbit trail, Paul now continues with the original intent of the chapter. He comes before the Father on his knees in prayer on behalf of these Gentile believers. The expression “for this reason” introduces a return to the intercessory prayer. This prayer was offered to the Lord of glory on his knees. While prayer was offered in a standing position in certain circumstances (Mark 11:25; Luke 18:11) , bowing the knee reflected a greater reverence given to the One to whom he was praying to. It was a sign of desperation to pray on your knees (Ezra 9:5) and most importantly Christ left Paul (and us) an example in praying while bowing the knee to the Father (Luke 22:41). But this act of bowing the knee was more than just ritualistic, it was a demonstration of reverence to the Lord as Sovereign to whom you brought your worship and requests, petitions that He alone could fulfill (Romans 14:11; Philippians 2:10). That Sovereign was none other than the Father. Paul exalts our divine Patriarchal King in v.15 by stating that this Father is from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. All these creaturely families find their origins from one source. This wasn’t their former Greek gods made of clay, but the living God who gave everyone life. I knew a lady who had a god for every situation but when recommended to pray to the God of the scriptures, it was like offering her the worst dish on the menu. If our existence depends on Him, and He is the Sovereign Lord of all, then, like the apostle Paul, our petition brought to Him couldn’t have a greater ear. Prayer to Yahweh through Jesus Christ in the Holy Spirit is always heard and acted upon, but we sometimes simply lack the ears to hear and eyes to see the response. Being granted the sights and sounds to discover the response is simply another point of prayer.
Drawing From the Treasure of Glory
The petition of Paul begins with a desire to see these congregations strengthened with power, a strengthening granted according to the riches of His glory. If Christians are to not lose heart during tribulations, then something is needed to give them the vigor to push through. The riches of His glory are mentioned earlier in the epistle (1:18) as a divine inheritance and the power we must draw from to persevere is the same that had risen Christ from the dead (1:19-20). That divine glory is from which my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19). The significance of this shouldn’t be minimized to simple theological terms. We are in a time when persecution and tribulation is very real and being strengthened as believers in Jesus Christ is a crucial necessity. When our families, our churches and our livelihood are being threatened, we need to draw from the well of glory to be strengthened. Our stand will be costly in a time when we are susceptible to our government trying to quench us, and our nice woke activist neighbour would love nothing more than to see us bow before their flag. Never forget that the riches of glory are a treasure trove waiting for us to take. Paul prayed that this strengthening be received in power through His Spirit in the inner man. This Spirit is the seal of our inheritance but also where we receive wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Jesus Christ (1:17). The courage a Christian requires to become a bold witness in the face of persecution can only be granted by this Spirit in the inner man. This inner man is the growing in the likeness of Jesus Christ. Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison (2 Corinthians 4:16-17). May Yahweh grant us the wisdom to see these afflictions as to our benefit and give us the ability to walk through them to the glory of Jesus Christ.
High, Deep, Long and Broad
At the beginning of v.17, we find the completion of the first prayer item. Paul’s knee bending was so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. While the Spirit of Christ dwells in us when we believe on Him, the continued realization of this fact may be dulled through trials, and Paul prays that by faith they may continue to look for Him in their hearts. We are not so spiritual as to treat real tribulations and persecution as a walk in the park. We need to be reminded often that Christ is with us in these trials, and we desperately need to be granted the wisdom of God by faith to recognize that presence. With Christ being in us, we have the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27) which is a greater richness than any earthly treasures and no amount of money can compare.
The second petition is a desire to see these believers in Asia Minor be rooted and grounded in love resulting in knowing the love of Christ. With the apostle preparing to depart from this world to be with Christ, he wanted the recipients to possess the love of Christ, a sacrificial love for one another. Those who surrounded them in Asia Minor were Greek scholars who took “facts don’t care about your feelings” a little too far. Knowledge without love has the ability to destroy rather than to strengthen. The knowledge is only solid and results in a growing effect if it is well rooted and grounded. Paul uses similar language in Colossians 1:23 & 2:7 where it is linked with the hope of the gospel and established in the faith. His petition is firstly for the recipients of the letter to join with all the saints globally to understand what the breadth and length and height and depth is. This expression can be derived from Job 11:8-9:
“They are high as the heavens, what can you do?
Deeper than Sheol, what can you know?
“Its measure is longer than the earth
And broader than the sea.
While originally, this was speaking of the all-encompassing wisdom of God, Paul could be referring to the fullness of the love of Jesus Christ which surpasses any knowledge. When he departs, it will be the divinely comprehensive love of Christ that will keep them together as one, not head knowledge from Socrates.
My Cup Runneth Fulleth
One of the most crucial aspects of Christian wisdom is to know Christ and to know His love for them. This is greater than any knowledge that the Greeks could envision that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16). It even surpasses our own knowledge and Paul’s petition is something that we would be wise to grow into in 2023. It needs to become more than common knowledge or a theological cliché but that we live and think with it in mind. Christ’s love for us surpasses breadth, length, height, and depth. It is sacrificial love from a Divine King who laid down His life on our behalf and continues to love us by interceding for us before the Father. The extent that we should understand this is to be filled up to all the fullness of God. Our cup is to run full in our embracing of the love of Christ and that filled cup is called the fullness of God. The desire is to experience the fullness of God en toto and when we transition into chapter 4, we will begin seeing what this looks like on a more pragmatic level.
No Prayer Is Too Big
The filling up in v.19 needs divine power to step in to grant this fullness of God. While Paul knew the Father is able to accomplish this, he seems to be asking for the Father to take it to another level. When we think our prayers are over the top, we should look at the apostle’s prayer in v.20. Ask anything according to His will and it will be given to you. But if anyone can provide this level of divine fullness, it’s God.
God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed; (2 Corinthians 9:8)
It is through the power that works within us that He grants these requests. This is the same God who Paul said in Romans:
Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret for long ages past, but now is manifested, and by the Scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God, has been made known to all the nations, leading to obedience of faith; to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, be the glory forever. Amen. (Romans 16:25-27)
A Doxological Conclusion
The doxology at the end of this chapter is a stunning vocalization of what churches, even in our progressively superior 2025 mindset should embrace. We should ask ourselves: Is our focus as a people upon the radiance and beauty of God as our supreme and sovereign? Does my church act as if Christ is Lord and God is glorious? God is to be glorified in both the church and in Jesus Christ. Both are mentioned here because the church, being “in Christ”, can’t glorify God separated from Christ. Any sort of thanksgiving can’t be given unless it is done through Christ (Ephesians 5:20). When the apostle states that this is to all generations, he is articulating that in future ages, believers will be continually ascribing praises to God as Postmillennialists believe. It also seems to predict that there will be a church giving praises to God’s glory in the future. In every age, Yahweh will be glorified by His church in Jesus Christ (Galatians 1:5). In other passages where the expression “forever and ever, amen” is used, there is generally a reason given:
It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all. Yet for this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. (1 Timothy 1:17)
The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed, and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom; to Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen. (2 Timothy 4:18)
Let’s pray that the churches in Canada be strengthened, exhibit the love of Christ and be a united front in the face of these uncertain days.
The Moncton Herald 