Ephesians

3:14-21

3. Paul's part in the mystery - making all one in Christ, 3:1-21

ii] Paul's prayer - one in love

In writing this letter, Paul has started out to pray for the Ephesian believers on a number of occasions, but has been sidetracked by some particular issue of theology raised in the prayer. Paul now brings his prayer to a conclusion. He begins the prayer by addressing God as Father, v14-15. The first prayer request is for inner strength through life's troubles, v16, and the second for a knowledge of God's love, v17. Paul then summarizes these requests in a prayer for spiritual maturity, that his readers might be filled with all the fullness of God, v18-19. The prayer ends with a doxology, v20-21.

The Greek in v15-19 is one sentence. The "for this reason" picks up on v1 where Paul was about to pray, but then spoke of his ministry. In v14 he begins the prayer again, addressing God as Father.

kamptw pres. "I kneel" - bow. The Jewish posture in prayer is to stand with head bowed. Our translators obviously have "catholic" leanings. "I offer up prayer for you to the Father."

pasa patria "the whole family of believers" - every family. The word "family" refers to any group with a single ancestor. The NIV is obviously taking the phrase to refer to the church as God's family, but the Greek is "every family". Paul is referring to groups of heavenly beings, eg. angels, and groups on earth, racial or tribal groupings, even different species. "From whom every family in heaven and earth takes its name", NEB.

onamazetai (onomazw) pres. pas. "derives its name" - is named. Of giving a name to a thing or person, and where named, ascribe rights and authority belonging to that which is named. Naming is not just labeling. God, as the sovereign creator, gives each group its "name" and therefore confers the rights associated with that group.

"I pray" - Added for meaning.

iJna + subj. "that" - that [he may give to you]. Forming a dependent statement defining the content of the prayer.

dw/ (didwmi) aor. subj./opt. "-" - he may give. Most likely subjunctive is original, but the variant optative dw/h has some support. "I pray that .... he may grant", NRSV.

krataiwqhnai (krataiow) aor. pas. inf. "he may strengthen you" - to be fortified, strengthened, braced, empowered. The infinitive is possibly complementary, completing the sense "may give", "may give to become empowered", with the dative dunamei being instrumental, "by/with power" = "I pray that ....he may strengthen you with power". On the other hand the infinitive may form an object clause; "I pray that ..... he may grant that you may be strengthened ..... with power", NRSV. Given the context, this empowering from God is a strengthening to stand firm in the face of suffering, 3:13. "To be strengthened by His Spirit with power permeating your inmost being", Weymouth.

eiV ton esw anqrwpon "in your inner being" - in the inward man. The prepositioneiV rendered "in" usually means "into, to", but sometimes takes the sense "in", a local sense rather movement toward. This is most likely the sense here. The meaning of this phrase is probably the same as "heart" (our conscious center) in v17. It is the "center of one's personality, the thoughts, will, emotions and whatever else lies at the center of our being", O'Brien.

katoikhsai (katoikew) aor. inf. "so that [Christ] may dwell" - that [Christ] might dwell. This second infinitival clause is a restatement of the prayer request v16, not an explanation of "strengthening", and therefore the NIV's purpose or result clause "so that" is misleading, ie. it introduces a dependent statement; "and that Christ may dwell in your hearts", NRSV.. Paul prays that the Father "may grant you inward strength and power through his Spirit, that through faith Christ may dwell in your hearts in love", REB.

en taiV kardiaiV uJmwn. "in your hearts" - in the hearts of you. Christ is known to us in the all-encompassing word "love". He is the compassionate one - the self-giving, other person centred, caring one. "Christ relates to us (dwells in our heart) in love."

en agaph/ errizwmenoi teqemeliwmenoi perf. pas. part. "[and I pray that you] being rooted and established in love" - in love having been rooted and having been founded. This phrase is often understood as a second prayer request, the two participles being taken as expressing a wish, cf. Bruce. It is even possible, although unlikely, that they are imperatival, "be rooted and grounded in love", Barth. Yet, it is probably better to understand the phrase "[you], being rooted and established in love", as establishing the basis of the first prayer point, even summarizing the prayer, and so serving as a lead into the second prayer point; "with deep roots and firm foundations, may you ....", REB. As such the participles are adjectival, "[you] who are rooted and grounded in love." The participial phrase would then sit with the following hina clause which forms the second prayer point; "[I pray] that you, who have been rooted and grounded in love, may be strong to grasp ..."

iJna + subj. "-" - that [you may have power, be strong enough, be able]. Forming a dependent statement expressing the content of the second prayer point. The need for "[divine] power" indicates the difficulty of achieving what follows.

katalabesqai (katalambanw) mid. inf. "to grasp" - to grasp, find, understand (in the middle voice). The infinitive is complementary, completing the sense of "may be able". To understand what? Whatever it is, "all the saints" know it, and we are to grasp how wide, long, etc. it is. O'Brien lists the following suggestions from the main commentators, i] the mighty power of God, ii] the mystery of salvation, iii] the manifold wisdom of God, iv] the matchless love of Christ. O'Brien suggests it is "Christ's all encompassing love", "the love of Christ", Hoehner, and given the context this does seem the best solution. The NIV (following Phillips?) adds the words "is the love of Christ", and although not in the Greek, and certainly something more than a dynamic equivalent, the phrase is a reasonable stab at the meaning.

sun pasin toiV aJgioiV "with all the saints" - "With all the Jewish believers."

gnwnai (ginwskw) inf. "to know" - to know [the love of Christ surpassing knowledge]. "May be able .... to know", ie. the infinitive is again complementary." The phrase "to know this (the) love of Christ that surpasses knowledge" serves to further develop the idea of divine love which Paul's readers must "grasp" (understand). This is assuming that it is "love" that we must "gasp".

agaphn tou Cristou "love of Christ" - The ever present problem we face with the objective, or subjective, genitives again greets us in this verse. It is obviously not objective, our love for Christ, but may be subjective, or probably, possessive/adjectival, "Christ's love".

thn uperballousan (uperballw) pres. part. "that surpasses" - the excelling, surpassing. The participle, with the genitive "of knowledge", forms a participial clause function adjectivally modifying "love". for the love that surpasses it is easy to think in terms of a mystical presence of Christ within, but we are probably safer to think in terms of God's grace in Christ for lost humanity. Of course, a personal awareness of God's grace does transcend our knowledge of systematic theology.

iJna + subj. "that [you may be filled]" - that. Possibly introducing another dependent statement, "I pray that .....", possibly even summing up the two prayer points. Yet, it seems more likely that it introduces a purpose/result clause "so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God", NRSV. In Colossians, Paul states that believers are already full, full in their incorporation in Christ, cf. 1:19, 2:9, 10. The New Testament always carries the tension of our being perfect in Christ, along with our need to strive toward perfection. So here, Paul prays that his readers may be filled "to the measure of all the fullness of God", NIV, or better, "filled with all God's fullness", Wallace. O'Brien suggests Paul is praying that his readers may "be all that God wants them to be", ie. "spiritually mature."

tw/ dunamenw/ (dunamai) pres. pas. part. "to him who is able to do" - to the one being able. The participle functions as a substantive. "Now to him who by the action of his power is able to do all", Moffatt.

uJperekperissou adv. "immeasurably" - superabundantly, exceeding all boundaries, far beyond. The doxology is a short praise to the God who is not only able to do as Paul has prayed, but will do it, and do it superabundantly. The doxology expresses Paul's reliance on God's intention to always do as he has promised. "Is able to do so much more", TEV.

h doxa (a) "glory" - Used here in the sense of praise offered to God by a worshipping community.

th/ ekklhsia/ (a) "the church" - The assembly of worshipping believers, not the institution or building.

en th/ ekklhsia/ kai en Cristw/ Ihsou "in the church and in Christ Jesus" - The sense is a little difficult to grasp and this is caused by the meaning of the preposition "in, within, by." The NIV opts for a local sense, "in", but an instrumental sense is possible, "by". It is even possible that it takes separate meanings in each phrase, "glory in the church, through our union with Christ Jesus", TNT, although a local sense for both seems likely. Note that the linking conjunction kai is missing in some manuscripts, but this is possibly a consequence of the order being questioned, ie. "in the church" being placed before "in Christ Jesus". If the conjunction is dropped the order can be read "in Christ Jesus in the church". The point though is clear enough: "God is to be glorified in the church because his power and splendor are displayed there and he is glorified in Christ Jesus because Christ's work, which pleased the Father, made the church possible", Hoehner

Ephesians Introduction

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