Ephesians Chapter 3
Notes from our Bible study in Ephesians. Most of this information came from the Holmon Commentary and the NIV Discipleship Study Bible.
Victory in Christ
Ephesians Chapter 3 – Paul’s Prayer for Power
“We cannot all argue, but we can all pray; we cannot all be leaders, but we can all be pleaders; we cannot all be mighty in rhetoric, but we can all be prevalent in prayer. I would sooner see you eloquent with God than with men.” Charles Hadden Spurgeon
In a Nutshell
Paul informs his readers that God has revealed a great mystery to him, namely that both Jews and Gentiles are united as one body. Paul was called to share this message and he prays for them that they might be strengthened with power from His Spirit in the inner man so that they could mature spiritually, be able to comprehend the magnitude of God’s love, and be filled with the fullness of God.
Verse 1: Paul’s Prayer for Power
Paul starts his prayer in verse one, but interrupts it for the next 12 verses so that he can explain why he is praying for power. I believe that this was done prayerfully so that his reader would understand the importance of the information that he is sharing with them.
He starts with the phrase “For this reason” as he launches into his prayer. In verse 14 he starts with the same phrase.
What is the reason he is referring to in verse 1? That phrase is a summation phrase, meaning that it refers to something that has already been stated. The reason was just giving to them in Chapter 2, verses 13-22. The differences between Jews and Gentiles had been washed away with the blood of Jesus.
Paul continues to tell them that he was made a messenger to share this with them because Christ had broken down that barrier. After establishing his claim of authority, he then continues to explain in more detail about those reasons.
Historical Perspective
Where was Paul when he wrote this letter? He was a prisoner in Rome, but Paul did not consider himself to be a prisoner of Rome. He saw himself as a prisoner of Christ because he had been put in prison for following the direction and leadership of Christ.
Paul’s Great Mystery
Verses 2-5: Paul explains that this great mystery was not revealed by human teachings. It was a direct revelation from Christ. In chapter 2 Paul explained that this was revealed not in the Old Testament, but to the Apostles and prophets in the opening days of the New Testament. This was not something that the Jewish nation would have expected based on their past teachings. Somewhere there was a gap in knowledge and understanding and Paul said that Jesus had revealed to them this new understanding of unity among all believers regardless of race, color, or sex.
The word “mystery” in verse 6 does not mean something puzzling, but rather a “something that has not been previously made known.” The mystery is that Gentiles are fellow heirs with the promises of God.
Verse 7: The mystery now becomes the Gospel, which Paul explains he was specially commissioned to take this mystery Gospel message to the Gentiles.
Why does Paul say he was chosen for this mission? Because of God’s grace. He is referring back to Chapter 2 verse 8 when he said that it is by God’s grace that we have been saved.
Verse 8: Paul explains that he had no special gifts to be chosen for this mission. God does things in ways that are mysterious (unknown and unexplainable) to us. He does not search for the best resume or look at our talents or abilities. He calls those He desires to serve and then gives them the talent and abilities that they need to do what He asks them to do.
Verse 9: Paul says that his own personal Damascus road experience is how God chose to show the Jews and Gentiles the truth of this mystery. He was not just to tell them the mystery, but also to show them this mystery through his own experiences. Paul’s calling on the Damascus Road revealed this mystery, not just as some recently devised new way, but as something that had been planned since the foundations of the universe. God just waited to reveal it until recently through Paul and other apostles.
Why did God wait until this time to reveal the mystery? The answer lies in verse 10. God’s infinite wisdom showed that this was the right time.
Who should know this mystery? The rulers and authorities throughout heaven.
Historical/Social perspective
Many of the people in Paul’s audience believed that the heavenly rulers and authorities were angelic representatives of earthly rulers who held control of access to God’s thrones. Paul was revealing that only Jesus has that authority and power and that by revealing this mystery Jesus was showing the evil powers that He was establishing access to His throne for Jews and Gentiles alike.
Verse 11: This “church plan” is consistent with God’s eternal plan that was established through Christ’s death on the cross. The church lets the world see that plan accomplished and in action.
Verse 12: The cross paved the way for forgiveness of sins and provides freedom and confidence to stand before the throne of God because our salvation cleanses us of sins, forgives us, and makes us holy.
Verse 13: God’s plan included many methods and ways to share the Gospel. Paul’s imprisonment was just one of those ways. Paul knew that this could be a discouragement for young Christians, so he urges them not to be sad for him and to press on.
Paul’s Prayer for Power Resumed
Verse 14: Here Paul repeats his opening phrase “For this reason” and continues his prayer. The kneeling posture represents humility and reverence as opposed to the standing position that was normal.
Verse 15: Prayer was directed to the Father of all fathers, for every family in heaven and on earth derives its existence and its family name from the Father. Our heavenly Father will listen to His children.
Verse 16: This prayer has 4 requests that build on each other. The first is “inner strength.” What this is not: power to keep going when it gets tough; self-discipline or positive thinking; mental renewal; self-help or getting a grip on yourself; or turning over a new leaf. It is the power of God through His Spirit in us.
Verse 17: The second request is for “deep faith.” This was not salvation, because Paul was speaking to Christians. This is faith which allows Christ to be at home in our hearts, not just an invited guest.
In the book “My Heart Christ’s Home” author Robert Munger describes it this way:
• The library is our mind
• The dining room is our appetite
• The living room is our fellowship
• The workshop is where we make things
• The closest are where we hide things
Has God been allowed to clean house in your life? What rooms are open to God in your life and what rooms have you not given Him access to yet?
The third request is a prayer for abundant love. Paul gives the qualities needed to be able to receive this prayer. Love must be the dominant theme of our life. Verse 18 explains it in more detail.
Verse 18: We must grasp ahold of how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ. To do this, we must become intimate with Christ and His ways. God’s love should be everything to us. Without His love we cannot have a love relationship with Him. Without it we have not been accepted and do not belong in His family. When we understand how precious we are to Him, then we have a sense of well-being. This sense of identity and being loved allows us to relate to others. Knowing God’s love is not an individual accomplishment. It occurs in the loving context of the church and involves the whole church body.
Verse 19: Paul wants the church and each member to know in a personal, emotional way, as well as an intellectual one, the love of Christ. We measure this love only with cosmic dimensions and understand it only by seeing His love for us at the cross. Praying that we can know it, ultimately expresses that it is beyond our full comprehension. His love for us is a mystery that cannot be fully understood or explained.
The final request is a prayer for God’s fullness. The inner strength of God’s Spirit is a gift that God gives to those who pray for it, leads to the indwelling of Christ, which leads to abundant love, which leads to God’s fullness in us…that is to be satisfied with God. The only way this will happen is if we pursue Him. Each step requires the previous step to be complete and when the final step is complete we are complete in God. We participate fully in His Kingdom on earth.
Paul’s Great Doxology
Verse 20: Paul’s prayer ends with spontaneous praise of God. His praise includes three things. First we see the sovereignty of God. God may choose to do whatever He wills. What He can do far exceeds what we can dream or imagine, much less ask for. That means He can answer our prayers far beyond what we even ask for.
Second we see the omnipotence of God. Bringing Jews and Gentiles together into His family to create the church is just one manifestation of that power.
Verse 21: Finally we see His glory. God’s manifested power, the church, has a purpose, which is to continue to bring God glory forever. As we see the power of God working through the church, we respond in praise and worship, giving God glory.
This is part three in a series on Ephesians. Please read the other parts of this series:
1. Ephesians Chapter 1 - Our Spiritual Blessings in Christ
2. Ephesians Chapter 2 - Our Spiritual Union with God
4. Ephesians Chapter 4, part 1 - Our Call to Unity and Holiness
5. Ephesians Chapter 4, part 2 - Our Call to Unity and Holiness
6. Ephesians Chapter 5 - Our Life of Love
7. Ephesians Chapter 6 - Our Obedience Leads to Victory
Victory in Christ
Ephesians Chapter 3 – Paul’s Prayer for Power
“We cannot all argue, but we can all pray; we cannot all be leaders, but we can all be pleaders; we cannot all be mighty in rhetoric, but we can all be prevalent in prayer. I would sooner see you eloquent with God than with men.” Charles Hadden Spurgeon
In a Nutshell
Paul informs his readers that God has revealed a great mystery to him, namely that both Jews and Gentiles are united as one body. Paul was called to share this message and he prays for them that they might be strengthened with power from His Spirit in the inner man so that they could mature spiritually, be able to comprehend the magnitude of God’s love, and be filled with the fullness of God.
Verse 1: Paul’s Prayer for Power
Paul starts his prayer in verse one, but interrupts it for the next 12 verses so that he can explain why he is praying for power. I believe that this was done prayerfully so that his reader would understand the importance of the information that he is sharing with them.
He starts with the phrase “For this reason” as he launches into his prayer. In verse 14 he starts with the same phrase.
What is the reason he is referring to in verse 1? That phrase is a summation phrase, meaning that it refers to something that has already been stated. The reason was just giving to them in Chapter 2, verses 13-22. The differences between Jews and Gentiles had been washed away with the blood of Jesus.
Paul continues to tell them that he was made a messenger to share this with them because Christ had broken down that barrier. After establishing his claim of authority, he then continues to explain in more detail about those reasons.
Historical Perspective
Where was Paul when he wrote this letter? He was a prisoner in Rome, but Paul did not consider himself to be a prisoner of Rome. He saw himself as a prisoner of Christ because he had been put in prison for following the direction and leadership of Christ.
Paul’s Great Mystery
Verses 2-5: Paul explains that this great mystery was not revealed by human teachings. It was a direct revelation from Christ. In chapter 2 Paul explained that this was revealed not in the Old Testament, but to the Apostles and prophets in the opening days of the New Testament. This was not something that the Jewish nation would have expected based on their past teachings. Somewhere there was a gap in knowledge and understanding and Paul said that Jesus had revealed to them this new understanding of unity among all believers regardless of race, color, or sex.
The word “mystery” in verse 6 does not mean something puzzling, but rather a “something that has not been previously made known.” The mystery is that Gentiles are fellow heirs with the promises of God.
Verse 7: The mystery now becomes the Gospel, which Paul explains he was specially commissioned to take this mystery Gospel message to the Gentiles.
Why does Paul say he was chosen for this mission? Because of God’s grace. He is referring back to Chapter 2 verse 8 when he said that it is by God’s grace that we have been saved.
Verse 8: Paul explains that he had no special gifts to be chosen for this mission. God does things in ways that are mysterious (unknown and unexplainable) to us. He does not search for the best resume or look at our talents or abilities. He calls those He desires to serve and then gives them the talent and abilities that they need to do what He asks them to do.
Verse 9: Paul says that his own personal Damascus road experience is how God chose to show the Jews and Gentiles the truth of this mystery. He was not just to tell them the mystery, but also to show them this mystery through his own experiences. Paul’s calling on the Damascus Road revealed this mystery, not just as some recently devised new way, but as something that had been planned since the foundations of the universe. God just waited to reveal it until recently through Paul and other apostles.
Why did God wait until this time to reveal the mystery? The answer lies in verse 10. God’s infinite wisdom showed that this was the right time.
Who should know this mystery? The rulers and authorities throughout heaven.
Historical/Social perspective
Many of the people in Paul’s audience believed that the heavenly rulers and authorities were angelic representatives of earthly rulers who held control of access to God’s thrones. Paul was revealing that only Jesus has that authority and power and that by revealing this mystery Jesus was showing the evil powers that He was establishing access to His throne for Jews and Gentiles alike.
Verse 11: This “church plan” is consistent with God’s eternal plan that was established through Christ’s death on the cross. The church lets the world see that plan accomplished and in action.
Verse 12: The cross paved the way for forgiveness of sins and provides freedom and confidence to stand before the throne of God because our salvation cleanses us of sins, forgives us, and makes us holy.
Verse 13: God’s plan included many methods and ways to share the Gospel. Paul’s imprisonment was just one of those ways. Paul knew that this could be a discouragement for young Christians, so he urges them not to be sad for him and to press on.
Paul’s Prayer for Power Resumed
Verse 14: Here Paul repeats his opening phrase “For this reason” and continues his prayer. The kneeling posture represents humility and reverence as opposed to the standing position that was normal.
Verse 15: Prayer was directed to the Father of all fathers, for every family in heaven and on earth derives its existence and its family name from the Father. Our heavenly Father will listen to His children.
Verse 16: This prayer has 4 requests that build on each other. The first is “inner strength.” What this is not: power to keep going when it gets tough; self-discipline or positive thinking; mental renewal; self-help or getting a grip on yourself; or turning over a new leaf. It is the power of God through His Spirit in us.
Verse 17: The second request is for “deep faith.” This was not salvation, because Paul was speaking to Christians. This is faith which allows Christ to be at home in our hearts, not just an invited guest.
In the book “My Heart Christ’s Home” author Robert Munger describes it this way:
• The library is our mind
• The dining room is our appetite
• The living room is our fellowship
• The workshop is where we make things
• The closest are where we hide things
Has God been allowed to clean house in your life? What rooms are open to God in your life and what rooms have you not given Him access to yet?
The third request is a prayer for abundant love. Paul gives the qualities needed to be able to receive this prayer. Love must be the dominant theme of our life. Verse 18 explains it in more detail.
Verse 18: We must grasp ahold of how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ. To do this, we must become intimate with Christ and His ways. God’s love should be everything to us. Without His love we cannot have a love relationship with Him. Without it we have not been accepted and do not belong in His family. When we understand how precious we are to Him, then we have a sense of well-being. This sense of identity and being loved allows us to relate to others. Knowing God’s love is not an individual accomplishment. It occurs in the loving context of the church and involves the whole church body.
Verse 19: Paul wants the church and each member to know in a personal, emotional way, as well as an intellectual one, the love of Christ. We measure this love only with cosmic dimensions and understand it only by seeing His love for us at the cross. Praying that we can know it, ultimately expresses that it is beyond our full comprehension. His love for us is a mystery that cannot be fully understood or explained.
The final request is a prayer for God’s fullness. The inner strength of God’s Spirit is a gift that God gives to those who pray for it, leads to the indwelling of Christ, which leads to abundant love, which leads to God’s fullness in us…that is to be satisfied with God. The only way this will happen is if we pursue Him. Each step requires the previous step to be complete and when the final step is complete we are complete in God. We participate fully in His Kingdom on earth.
Paul’s Great Doxology
Verse 20: Paul’s prayer ends with spontaneous praise of God. His praise includes three things. First we see the sovereignty of God. God may choose to do whatever He wills. What He can do far exceeds what we can dream or imagine, much less ask for. That means He can answer our prayers far beyond what we even ask for.
Second we see the omnipotence of God. Bringing Jews and Gentiles together into His family to create the church is just one manifestation of that power.
Verse 21: Finally we see His glory. God’s manifested power, the church, has a purpose, which is to continue to bring God glory forever. As we see the power of God working through the church, we respond in praise and worship, giving God glory.
This is part three in a series on Ephesians. Please read the other parts of this series:
1. Ephesians Chapter 1 - Our Spiritual Blessings in Christ
2. Ephesians Chapter 2 - Our Spiritual Union with God
4. Ephesians Chapter 4, part 1 - Our Call to Unity and Holiness
5. Ephesians Chapter 4, part 2 - Our Call to Unity and Holiness
6. Ephesians Chapter 5 - Our Life of Love
7. Ephesians Chapter 6 - Our Obedience Leads to Victory
Comments