Page 426 - Demo

3:14 Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians is that they may be “rooted and grounded in love,” for only if they put down roots will they grow in understanding of the vastness of Christ’s love. To live by faith is not always simple or easy. A deep understanding of Christ does not come without deep roots—deep prayer.
EPHESIANS 
least of all the holy ones, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the inscrutable riches of Christ,g 9and to bring to light [for all]* what is the plan of the mystery hidden from ages past in God who created all things,h 10so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the principalities and authorities* in the heavens.i 11This was according to the eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord, 12in whom we have boldness of speech and con dence of access through faith in him.j 13So I ask you not to lose heart over my a ictions for you; this is your glory.k
Prayer for the Readers.* 14For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15from whom every family* in heaven and on earth is named, 16that he may grant you in accord with the riches of his glory to be strengthened
with power through his Spirit in the inner self,l 17and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, rooted and grounded in love,m 18may have strength to comprehend with all the holy ones what is the breadth and length and height and depth,n 19and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be lled with all the fullness of God.o
20Now to him who is able to accomplish far more than all we ask or imagine, by the power at work within us,p 21to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
The Abbey of Mont-Saint-Michel, France, founded on solid rock, suggests the metaphor Paul uses in his letter to the Ephesians: All Jews and Gentiles who
are members of the family of God are part of a building, of which the apostles and prophets are the foundation and Christ the all-important cornerstone. In the letter to the Ephesians, Paul says that those who have been given the Holy Spirit now form God’s holy temple. This building Christ has built is the Church, which is made up of Christ’s followers.
g. [3:8] 1 Cor 15:8–10; Gal 1:16; 2:7–9.
h. [3:9] Rom 16:25; Col 1:26–27.
i. [3:10] 1 Pt 1:12.
j. [3:12] Rom 5:1–2; Heb 4:16.
k. [3:13] Col 1:22, 24; 2 Tm 2:10.
l. [3:16] 6:10; Rom 7:22; 2 Cor 4:16; Col
1:11.
m. [3:17] Jn 14:23; Col 1:23; 2:7.
n. [3:18] Col 2:2.
o. [3:19] Col 2:3, 9.
p. [3:20] Rom 16:25–27; Col 1:29.
414
*
* *
*
[3:9] [For all]: while some think this phrase was added so as to yield the sense “to enlighten all about the plan. . .,” it is more likely that some manuscripts and Fathers omitted it accidentally or to avoid the idea that all con icted with Paul’s assignment to preach to the Gentiles (Eph 3:8) speci cally.
[3:10] Principalities and authorities: see note on Eph 1:15–23 regarding Eph 3:21. [3:14–21] The apostle prays that those he is addressing may, like the rest of the church, deepen their understanding of God’s plan of salvation in Christ. It is a plan that a ects the whole universe (Eph 3:15) with the breadth and length and height and depth of God’s love in Christ (Eph 3:18) or possibly the universe in all its dimensions. The apostle prays that they may perceive the redemptive love of Christ for them and be completely immersed in the fullness of God (Eph 3:19). The prayer concludes with a doxology to God (Eph 3:20–21). [3:14–15] Every family: in the Greek there is wordplay on the word for the Father (patria, patēr). The phrase could also mean “God’s whole family” (cf. Eph 2:21).