Ephesians 3:20-21 (02/28/09)

Ephesians 3:20-21 (English Standard Version)

²⁰ Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, ²¹ to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Reread 14-19 for Paul’s prayer

v.20

Paul has many times asked God for “extravagant” blessings for his audience

· Phil 1:9

· Phil 4:19

· Col 1:9-14

· 1 Thess. 3:12

· 2 Thess. 1:3

· 1 Cor. 1:5

Armitage Robinson - “No prayer that has ever been framed has uttered a bolder request.”

· Paul had just been speaking of God’s purposes for his redeemed people and expressed the wish that we should “be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God (v.19)

o This is beyond comprehension. We cannot even imagine how to be filled with God’s own fullness. And yet, Paul goes further and prayed that God will do something we cannot even imagine in v.20

Then, Paul ends his prayer with a doxology which is a short, spontaneous ascription of praise to God as the one who can do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine.

· Possibly the greatest doxology in the Bible

The doxology beings with an ascription to God’s power (1^st element of Pauline doxologies)

He is “the powerful One” who can accomplish incredibly great deeds on behalf of his people.

· Romans 16:25

· Jude 1:24-25

(KJV) Ruth Paxson pyramid of this doxology:

Unto him

That is able to do

All that we ask or think

Above all that we ask or think

Abundantly above all that we ask or think

Exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think

According to the power that worketh in us

1^st step on the staircase:

“to him who is able” – God is able to “do” something – to make, cause, effect, bring about, accomplish, perform, provide, or create

· God is a worker. John Stott says he is neither idle, nor inactive, nor dead.

Contrast this to the fallen Israelites in Isaiah’s day who began to worship idols. God describes these idols in Isa. 44:18-19 & 41:21-24

· According to these verses the proof of the true God’s existence is that he is able to do things. The idols can do nothing, not even evil.

2^nd step on the staircase:

God is able to do what we ask.

“That is, the ability of God to work is not related merely to his own concerns and interests but extends to the concerns and interests of his people. It is a statement about prayer.” - (pg. 115)

Read James 4:3 – praying w/ wrong motives

1 John 3:21-22 – pray w/ confidence

· If we are open and honest before God, if we are doing what God in his Word has commanded us to do, and if we are seeking to please God in every possible way…then we can know that what we ask of God we will receive.

o God is able to (and will) do [what] we ask

“but I do not always pray for them, because I have no real confidence that God wants to do them through my life and ministry or that he wants to do them now. So I hold back, only thinking about them and only occasionally mentioning them as possibilities in my prayers.” (pg. 115)

· God is able to do the things we only think but are afraid to ask

Shouldn’t our prayer life become more and more bold? Shouldn’t our prayer life reflect our relationship/faith with/in God? Moses for example…

3^rd step on the staircase:

God is able to do all we can ask or think.

This should encourage us to stretch out spiritually and ask for more.

It is through God’s ability to give all we ask or imagine that encourages us to come with big petitions.

4^th step on the staircase:

God is able to do even more than all we might ask or imagine

Have you ever asked something of God (w/ the correct motives…) and he had something bigger and greater for you?

One example of this (above) is Abraham.

Abraham was told he would become a great nation and that he would bless him and that he would make him to be a source of blessing to others.

· Probably most of his life was spent praying for children, maybe just one son…

God gave him a son through his wife, and he had at least six others after that (Gen. 25:2)

· His “nation” grew so quickly that when Abraham had to fight against the 5 kings of the East, he got 318 trained men of war to pursue them.

The nation promised to Abraham was not limited to his natural descendants, the Jews but included the entire family of God collected from among all nations throughout all human history.

Abraham would testify that God is able to do more than we can ask or think.

Moses would testify that God is able to do more than we can ask or think.

David would testify that God is able to do more than we can ask or think.

· Tending sheep to being the first great king of Israel (replacing Saul) and through him descended the Messiah

o David says in 2 Sam. 7:18-22

5^th step on the staircase:

God is able to do immeasurably more than we can contemplate.

· Immeasurably – exceeding abundantly, infinitely more, far more abundantly,….

“far more abundantly” – rare compound adverb in Greek meaning “infinitely more than”

· There is no limit to what God can do.

Eph 2:6-7 – in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace

· Incomparable here has the same thought as in v.20

Simpy put, neither the size of the request (v.14-19) nor the unrestrained human imagination can put a limit to God’s mighty ability to act.

“In v.20 Paul is not thinking of earthly blessings here. He is going beyond these to think of the blessings of God’s inexhaustible kindness toward us through Christ in eternity. Since eternity is immeasurable, so also are the works that God will do for us in the life to come.”

No one is with an excuse to say that I’m not Moses, Abraham, etc. Paul says the power to do these things is alive in his children.

· It is by the resurrecting power of God that these great promises are to be accomplished.

In chapter 1 Paul also tells us what he is praying for believers – that God’s effective power towards believers (1:19) was nothing less than the operation of his mighty strength exerted in the resurrection of Christ (1:20).

Now that same power which raised Christ from the dead, enthroned him in the heavenlies, and then raised and enthroned us with him, is at work.

~

v.21

Paul then leads into an ascription of glory which rightly belongs to God (2^nd element)

To give God glory is not adding something to him, but it is acknowledging who he is or what he has already done.

· Ps. 29:2

· Ps. 96:8

Affirmation not a wish

This is the only doxology in the NT where ‘church’ and ‘in Christ Jesus’ are together, but this fits the contexts of the first 3 chapters where we see:

· Through the community of the redeemed (Jews & Gentiles) the church is the masterpiece of God’s grace (2:7)

· the church is the realm of his presence and authority (1:22, 23, 2:22)

· the church is the instrument through which his wisdom is made known to the spiritual powers in heavenly realms (3:10)

This ascription by believers is only partial in that, in the final assembly with the new humanity, God will be perfectly glorified

· (3:13, 5:27)

God’s glory in the church cannot be separated from his glory in Christ Jesus.

Jesus is the mediator of God’s activity to us, and the mediator of our response of praise to the Father.

· Glory can be ascribed to God only within the realm of Christ Jesus

Throughout the generations forever and ever (3^rd element)

Glory is due to God for generations to come and right on throughout all eternity

· All eternity – unlimited sense

Concludes with “Amen” – a response spoken on solemn occasions in the OT to confirm a curse or adjuration. To accept a blessing. Or to associate oneself with a doxology

· Prayers & doxologies in the NT are strengthened and endorsed by Amen

The ‘Amen’ makes it clear that the ascription of praise is the spontaneous response of the whole congregation

This doxology mirrors 1:3-14 in its praise of God for mighty salvation, initieated in eternity, carried into effect in Christ, and intended to redound to the praise of Gods glorious grace for all eternity.

The prayer and doxology of chapter 3 is important in his teaching about love in the second half of the book.

McArthur - “To Him be glory” – Only when His children meet this level of faithfulness will Christ be fully glorified with the honor He deserves from His church.

John Stott says, “The power comes from him; the glory must go to him.”

In short, Paul praises God for giving believers strength through His Spirit; and through the full realization of God’s gracious purposes for us becomes possible.

McArthur – When the conditions of v.16-19 are met, God’s power working in and through believers is unlimited and far beyond their comprehension

Memory Bible Verse (03/02 - 03/08)

21Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; 22and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him.

- 1 John 3:21-22

In relation to Ephesians 3:7-9

I was thinking the same thing when Chris asked about how we react in waiting for God's decision in empowering us for ministry. In light of the fact that it is God's work it is really important for us to search out what obedience in waiting for for God's gift of grace in ministering the gospel looks like. Ministering the gospel is God's work and cannot be done effectively without the grace of the Holy Spirit but at the same time we are commanded to preach the gospel of Christ.
I cannot back this up with scripture and if anyone can please help me. If anyone is a servant or minister of God then they would know God's calling in their life. Would it be possible to be a Christian and not have been made a servant of God? I don't think so, so everyone that is born again and indwelt by the spirit would have an outpouring of the grace of God in some form of ministry. So what Paul is saying in this passage directly is that God has given him not just the grace of ministry but the grace of ministry to the gentiles and he directly acknowledges that it is not of his power but of the power of God.
The main point of what I am trying to say and please correct me if I am off is that as believers that claim to have the Holy Spirit in us we should all have been made servants in some form, so the question is not what do we do while we are waiting for God to make us something but that God has made us ministers so where do we minister?

Podcast: Ephesians 3:10-12 (02/07/09)

Here is our Podcast homepage where you can subscribe to our Podcast.

Here is the Ephesians 3:10-12 Podcast.

Ephesians 3:10-12 (02/07/09)

Ephesians 3:10-12 (English Standard Version)

10so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. 11This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, 12in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him.

v.10

We see the purpose/grand design of God’s salvation plan.

Grace was given to Paul to announce the riches of Christ (v.8) and to enlighten all to the mystery of plan (v.9) – so that the wisdom of God would be made known (v.10)

“manifold” – variegated, very many sided

Used to speak of the richly diversified nature of the divine wisdom

In this context, the variegated wisdom references God’s diverse ways of working which led to multiracial, multi-cultural community being united into the body of Christ

wisdom is closely tied to mystery – mystery is shaped by God’s wisdom (wisdom designed plan) and God’s wisdom is revealed by the mystery (plan reveals God’s wisdom to rulers authorities).

This is not only God’s wisdom, but it is also He who reveals it.

Although Paul is active in his missionary work, preaching the riches of Christ and revealing God’s hidden purpose, only God can make known his wisdom.

The enlightening of the principalities and powers in the heavenly places is effected through the church. Pretty cool huh?

“church“ – should be seen as having two meanings

Metaphorically of a heavenly gathering around Christ in which believers already participate – i.e. believers can enjoy fellowship with Christ and are personally related to Christ and one another.

The latter meaning makes sense in this context where the manifold wisdom of God is being made known to the spiritual rulers through the church

“Through the church” – signifies not evangelism, social action, etc., but rather “the very existence or this new multiracial community in which Jews and Gentiles have been brought together in unity in the one body is the manifestation of God’s richly diverse wisdom.”

This unity is nothing less that “the unity of the Spirit” (4:3) which believers must be zealous to maintain

“rulers and authorities” – whom “this object-lesson of divine wisdom is displayed.

Rulers and authorities – include the whole host of heavenly beings, good and bad alike.

The evil powers have already been defeated through Christ’s death and now await their final overthrow

The testimony given to the rulers is not explicitly stated, but it is inferred that the church provides the angelic powers with a tangible reminder that their authority has been decisively broken and that all things are to be subject to Christ.

These powers cannot hinder the advance of the gospel to Gentiles or their incorporation w/ the Jews into Christ’s body

The consummation of God’s plan was drawing nearer every day and the reconciliation b/w Jews and Gentiles is a token that his final purpose in Christ was about to reach its conclusion

F.F. Bruce suggests that the church appears as God’s pilot scheme for the reconciled universe of the future’ It gives promise that there will be a time when all mutually hostile elements in creation will be united in Christ. “The church is not only the pattern, but also the means God is using to show his purposes are moving triumphantly to their climax.”

The presence of the church and the body of Christ means that the authority of the rulers has been broken and the gospel will not be hindered, and all things are to be subject to Christ. What an encouragement to believers engaged in spiritual warfare and await the final day.

v.11

God’s revealing of his wisdom to the heavenly realms was his intention from all eternity.

It is now accomplished in Christ Jesus.

1:11 – men and women in Christ to be his inheritance were chosen according to God’s eternal plan, just like here where it says that what has been made known through the church to the powers can be traced back to eternity.

“eternal” – before all time.

Planned – Accomplished – Now Await Final Outcome

This verse refers to the accomplishment of God’s plan not simply the formation of the plan before all time.

Lordship mentioned in this verse suggests the fulfillment of the divine plan not just formation.

The parallel expression at 1:11 has to do w/ God’s achieving his purpose.

v.12

Now that we see the salvation plan, the meaning for believers is seen in verse 12.

As we saw in 2:18, through Christ both Jew & Gentile have access ‘in one Spirit to the Father’

Verse 12 enforces the notion that believers presently have boldness and confident access to God that cannot be hindered by the hostile powers and authorities.

The verse begins with “in him” which means that only through Christ can we boldly and confidently access God.

*The final words of the verse “through his faithfulness” focus on Christ’s obedience to His Father’s will which is what allows us to approach the throne of grace.

“As his place in the presence of God is unchallengeable, so is theirs [believers], because they are ‘in Him’”

Only in this verse are the two words boldness and access seen together. This forms one idea with the second idea of confidence simply strengthening the notion. – “the boldness to enter confidently”

“Paul has gone out of his way to make this declaration of assurance as strong as possible for his readers. They need to know that this privileged and certain access to the Father is theirs.”

“boldness” – [context] joyful confidence to enter the presence of God, based on Christ’s saving work. Fearless and unrestricted way Christians can draw near to the throne of grace (Hebrews 4:16) and by which they enter the heavenly sanctuary through the blood of Jesus (Hebrews 10:19)

“with confidence” – assurance and certainty with which believers may enter God’s presence. We see Paul’s example of this in v.14-19.

Podcast: Ephesians 3:7-9 (01/17/09)

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Here is the Ephesians 3:7-9 Podcast.

Ephesians 3:7-9 (01/17/09)

Ephesians 3:7-9 (English Standard Version)

7 Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God’s grace, which was given me by the working of his power. 8To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, 9and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things,

v.7

v.7 closes the thought in verse 2 by re-referencing “the grace of God given to me”’, but also preps for verse 8.

This rhetorical device makes the point that everything Paul talked about, revelation of the mystery to him, the Gentiles inclusion in the Body, and Paul’s commission, comes from and can only be understood in context with God’s overflowing grace. (O’Brien 237)

Paul spoke on the revelation of the mystery to him, now he speaks about preaching the mystery through him.

He recognizes his own unworthiness in that he was an opponent of the Lord Jesus

Paul didn’t choose to be a servant of God, he was “made a servant” of the gospel by God.

God’s gift of grace was the cause of his reception of this commission

Paul uses this phrase “ministers” when describing himself and his colleagues to imply that he is on the same footing as servants through whom God works. (O’Brien 238)

1 Cor. 3:5

McArthur wrote that “No man can make himself a minister (lit. servant) of God, because the calling, message, work, and empowering of genuine ministry to ad for God are His prerogative alone to give.

Acts 26:16

Through the working of his power

This phrase gives insight into Paul’s understanding of his missionary task

1) This phrase is linked with “God’s grace given to me”

God’s gracious gift was due to the working of God’s divine power

“Just nothing short of God’s mighty intervention could transform him from being a persecutor into a Christian, so it took that same almighty and effective working to make him into a “servant of the gospel.”

2) Working and Power in other contexts both reference the ongoing might work of God

Paul was conscious that day by day he experiences God’s power in his fulfillment of his missionary calling

1 Cor. 15:10

Everything Paul became and achieved were the result of God’s grace, God’s choice of him, God’s call to him, & God’s enabling power.

v.8

less than the least of all God’s people has this grace been given

Other places Paul “builds himself up” .:sarcasm:.

1 Cor. 15:9 – least among the apostles

1 Tim 1:15 – first and foremost of sinners

Paul creates a new form of this Greek adjective – leaster, less than the least

He wasn’t thinking here in the general terms of the sinful flesh, etc.

“He considers lifelong weakness, temptation, and failure to be characteristic of all believers.”

Here he was thinking of his violent persecution of the church of God

1 Cor. 15:9

~

Although Paul was very aware of his unworthiness to bear witness to Jesus, this didn’t hinder him from assuming his missionary responsibilities in relation to the Gentiles.

He knew very well that God called him to this task and fulfilled it energetically.

~

Paul’s use of the unsearchable riches of Christ is unusual in that usually “gospel” or some reference to the gospel is used.

This phrasing is used to “show that his proclamation is about the wealth of divine grace and glory which Christ possesses in himself and which he lavishly gives to others.

Unsearchable – unfathomable, impossible to comprehend

“They are too vast to explore completely and too deep to fathom”

McArthur describes the unsearchable riches of Christ as “all God’s truths, all His blessings, , all that He is and has.”

This phrase is somewhat paradoxical at first glance in that in v.3 Paul writes that the mystery was “revealed” to him, but now he describes the message of the riches of Christ as unfathomable.

Christ revealed himself to Paul, but the apostle didn’t fully comprehend all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge hidden in him.

Col. 2:2-3

“So in revealing himself God had graciously given himself to men and women, but he is not comprehended by them, nor does he submit himself to humankind’s intellectual or technical control. Revelation creates rather than annihilates wonder, awe, and respect.”

v.9

to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God

This is not the same thing as in v.8, this is not just a restatement.

The verb to bring to light means “to give light to, shed light upon”.

What is enlightened here is the administration of this mystery, that is, how God chose to accomplish his purpose.

Through Paul’s preaching of the unsearchable riches of Christ to the Gentiles, men and women came into a relationship w/ God through his Son.

They were joined with Christ in his death and resurrection, became fellow-members, along with Jewish Christians of the same Body.

God was putting into action his age-old plan and Paul had the privilege of revealing this magnificent, divine administration to all people.

who created all things

The God who redeemed his people and reconciled them through Christ’s death is the same God who created everything.

God’s mystery was planned from eternity, before the foundations of the earth.

Eph. 1:4-5

Salvation and unity of Gentiles and Jews was God’s plan all along

And on the final day he will consummate his work of re-creation and bring all things together in unity in his Son, the Lord Jesus.

Eph. 1:10