Ephesians 3:17-21

Eph 3:17

That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,

 

Dwell - “Settle down or Inhabit”

 

Paul’s second desire for the Ephesians was that not only that they would be mightily strengthened in the Lord, but that Christ would dwell within them.  This is a saying which is common in the Scriptures because God is continually conveying to us the relationship that we have with Him and His Son.  He continues to remind us that it is He who will strengthen us and guide us because we belong to Christ.  That connection to Christ comes through faith and we previously saw that it is the faith of Christ and not ours.

 

Then the second part of the verse speaks of rooting and grounding which speaks of being firmly established in the love which is not only the love for each other as brethren but also love for the Lord and that love is not an emotional love as we are told in Scripture what love is.

 

And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it. (2 John 1:6) 

 

The true love that the Christian exhibits is when we are walking in obedience to the commandments of God and the commandments of God are contained in the whole of Scripture.  The biblical synonyms for the commandments would be laws, precepts, statutes, judgments, etc.  If you turn to Psalm 119, you will see all the words that God uses to describe His Word.  Now we do not keep those commandments to gain salvation, we keep them as a result of salvation unto the glory of God.  A Christian becomes firmly rooted in love, when we are firmly rooted in the teachings of Scripture and not the teachings about Scripture (AKA man‘s teachings), then we are able to be rooted in love for the Savior and the brethren.

 

Eph 3:18

May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;

 

Comprehend - “Grasp, understand or perceive

Breadth - “Width”

Length - “as is”

Depth - “Deepness”

Height - “as is”

 

This verse is tied into the next one as we are being told that as Christians we should comprehend or try to grasp within our mortal minds the love of Christ.  In the city of Ephesus was a great temple to Diana, and Paul may have had this structure in mind when he began to use these architectural terms to try and use an earthly object to describe something heavenly.  Anyone who lived in Ephesus would have known and seen this structure.  In modern times, we can apply the same principles to large buildings.  We look at these huge structures and see the same structural terms.  However, when compared to the love of Christ, the earthly structures fail in comparison.  In this verse we are asked to comprehend the love of Christ.  How can earthly people fathom the hugeness of the love of Christ?  Paul may have had another structure in mind and that was the city in Heaven called “Foursquare.”  It contained all four measurements the Apostle Paul is speaking about. 

 

And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal.  (Revelation 21:16)

 

Eph 3:19

And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

 

Passeth - “Surpass or exceed”

Filled - “Make full, complete, or supply fully”

 

Paul now concludes his thought on the love of Christ.  In the last verse he asks us to comprehend it, to see if we can grasp the immensity of the love of Christ but in this verse he tells us that the love of Christ surpasses knowledge.  The knowledge of man is limited, even about things of this earth.  How much more limited is man, even regenerate man, concerning the depths of Christ?  We could not even fathom 1/1000 of it.  This is why Paul tells us that the love of Christ exceeds or surpasses knowledge, or better yet, surpasses the ability of man to comprehend that love.  This is why we read that we are to accept the things of God on faith.

 

Then the Bible goes on to tell us that through the love of Christ, which conveys salvation to the Elect of God, that we are filled or “supplied fully” with all the fulness of God.  This is the great goal of the believer to be full with all the divine wisdom and knowledge that the human being can possibly be filled with.

 

And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. (John 1:14) 

 

For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; (Colossians 1:9) 

 

The filling of the believer is all that God can place into His regenerated children, which can be, wisdom, spiritual understanding, grace, truth, etc.  The fulness of God in the believer is all that comes with salvation as we have seen.

 

Eph 3:20

Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,

 

Able - “be able or have power to do”

Exceeding - “Over or more than”

Abundantly - “Beyond all Measure or superabundantly”

Above - “Profuse or Extraordinary”

 

This verse has become one of the most beloved benedictions used in the church down through the ages.  After we were told of the spiritual power and fulfillment the believer can have in their life, the chapter ends up with this tremendous revelation of the majesty of God.  It begins with “Unto Him” which leaves no room for misinterpretation that this verse is pointing to God Himself.  First we are told that he is able to do all things that we ask or even think.  How shallow are our prayers some times in that we treat or even perceive God as one having minimal powers.  This word “able” is actually a cognate of the word “dunamis” which means “ability, might or force.”  It means that God possesses the power and ability to do all that he says He can do.

 

Then the verse tells us that God can do exceedingly which means more than we can even think or even understand.  He attaches this word to the word “exceeding” which is the word “huper” in the Greek and it means that God can do over or more than we can even understand.  As humans we will never be able to comprehend the depths of the power that God has.  Even when he created the entire universe and all the stars we see every night, he speaks of it as a mediocre event.  And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.  (Genesis 1:16)   It is like when we stop at the store on the way home from work and tell our spouse, “ oh by the way I picked up milk on the way home.”  God’s power is so immense that making the universe only warrants 5 words in this verse.

 

Then the word “above” is attached to abundantly which means that God can do for us what He deems necessary beyond all measure that we can even think of.  He opened the Red Sea so Israel could go through and He allowed the sun to stand still for 24 hours so Joshua could have victory over the Amorites.

 

And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day. (Joshua 10:13) 

 

God is the God of the Sun, the Seas, the Universe, and everything is under His power since he is the one who created it all.  Paul wants us to know that God is always greater than what our human minds can fathom, even the regenerated mind.  What the Bible is getting across to us is that God is able to aid in every situation which comes into our life and we need not fear that God will let us down as man does.

 

Eph 3:21

Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

 

The Glory of God is that He is the one who formed the Church or the called out assembly of redeemed Saints.  All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.  (John 6:37)   Notice this important phrase “throughout all ages.”  Many feel that the church had its beginning at Pentecost but that is not true, that is when the last days began, actually they began at the cross.  The church age really began before the foundation of the world and will continue until the last day.  Those whom God has written in the Lamb’s Book of Life which were predestined for salvation, were not only those who were saved after the cross, but were saved before the cross.  Abel was definitely saved and also Abraham, so was Joseph.   It is interesting to note that the Church of Jesus Christ has been growing since creation and will continue to grow until the last one becomes saved.

 

Now dovetailing that particular teaching is another great insight, “world without end.”  We know specifically from Scripture that this present world is going to come to an abrupt end and will be burned.  (2 Peter 3:9)  The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.  Then how could the world without end be a true teaching?  Very simple, when one looks at the different passages in the Abrahamic Covenant, we see how God uses the word “forever.”  It is the same principle here.  God is inserting the prophecy of the New Heaven and the New Earth which will be without end.  Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.  (2 Pet 3:13)  And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. (Revelation 21:1)   Peter was looking for it and John saw it!  This is what the Scripture is speaking of when it speaks of “world without end.”  God also speaks of this same event in the Old Testament and He connects it with salvation as Paul does in Ephesians 3:21.  But Israel shall be saved in the LORD with an everlasting salvation: ye shall not be ashamed nor confounded world without end.  (Isaiah 45:17)  “World without end” is speaking of the new, eternal earth wherein will dwell righteousness, as 2 Peter 3:13 states.

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