PAUL'S SECOND PRAYER—THAT DIVINE POWER MIGHT WORK IN THE EPHESIANS TO PRODUCE A SUITED STATE OF SOUL
Paul had told the Ephesians that he was a minister of the gospel to the Gentiles and they were Gentiles. They had believed the gospel, which told them they were to share equally with the Jews in the coming inheritance. But faith is a fragile plant, needing constant watering. Even the faith of the spiritual Ephesians could be shaken by the apparent inconsistency of the Apostle's position. He had told them they were to rule the universe with Christ but he himself was in chains and the kingdom he preached seemed remote. Paul implores them not to be discouraged because of the trials he suffered for them. They need to be strengthened by inner power, which only God can give. Such is the inlet to the Apostle's second prayer.
He begins with "for this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." But for what cause does he do this? Why for the same cause as in 3:1 The last link with the revealed secret before the great parenthesis is introduced. This shows that the Apostle has the revealed secret before him in both cases. Also each of the two apostolic prayers flows from the title of "the God of our Lord Jesus Christ" at the beginning of the first chapter. In the first prayer God is addressed as "the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory" here as "the Father" (of our Lord Jesus Christ) "of whom every family in the heavens and on earth is named." When Christ took "a bondman's form in the likeness of men" Phil. 2:77But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: (Philippians 2:7) God became the Father of glory to Him. "Father" implies a spring or source and it was God's thought to find glory in a Man that is, in His own Son as Man. But as a Father God would have a family, standing in the same relationship to Him as the Man in whom He has found all His glory. The family here however goes far beyond the Church, although we are included in it as those closest to His heart. It embraces all God's family in that universal sphere which the Church shall rule every family in the heavens and on earth. The Name of "Father of our Lord Jesus Christ" is now universal as the Name of Jehovah was localized as the Name of covenant relationship between God and the Jew. As already mentioned "every family" goes far beyond the Church, although including it. For example the Old Testament saints constitute a family although they form no part of the church. Babes, and children who died too young to hear or understand the gospel would constitute a family mentally retarded people too for God's principle is that He only judges responsible man.*1 Think how vast a family "the Church of the Firstborn" must be Heb. 12:2323To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, (Hebrews 12:23). The holy angels who never sinned are another family for it is "every family in the heavens and on earth" a wide expression. And then there is Israel on earth.*2
But out of all these great families Paul prays especially for the Ephesians that God would give them a gift. God had given Paul a gift to administer the grace of God to them 3:2. Further God had given Paul a gift of the grace of God 3:7 and finally a gift of "this grace" to preach the gospel to the Gentiles -.3:8. Now he asks from the same God who had given gifts to him so liberally, that the Ephesians might be given "according to the riches of His glory to be strengthened with power by His Spirit in the inner man." The inner man is the new man in Christ Jesus the holy and spiritual nature which receives, understands, and obeys divine communications. Our old nature cannot. The inner man is capacity the Holy Spirit is power. Notice how the power and the glory go together here verse 16 and at the close verse 20. Engines vary in size and kind that is capacity but they are all useless without some source of power to energize them. So with Christians. We remain idle, unable to do useful work for God unless the energy of the Holy Spirit moves us. It is sad to see a great turbine rusting in idleness sadder still to see a Christian whom God has endowed with capacity lying idle because the power of the Spirit is missing in his life. This always happens when we grieve the Spirit 4:30 by allowing the flesh in our life.
Now we move on from capacity the new man and power the Holy Spirit to another subject love. In the first prayer the eyes of the Ephesians' heart were to be enlightened. But here Christ is to dwell there through faith. "Being rooted and grounded in love in order that you may be fully able to apprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height" 3:17 it does not say of what but probably of the revealed secret, although we cannot dogmatize here. However we do know that the common thought that the love of Christ is meant is not tenable because this is considered separately after "height." But the effect of Christ dwelling in our hearts cannot be debated. It will stir our hearts' affections toward every other member of Christ's body on earth. We will love them as Christ loves us. If we are rooted and established in love we can, with all saints, grasp what is the breadth and length and depth and height. God does not communicate His thoughts to those who fail to display His nature as love toward "all saints" for He has no favorites in His family. But to return to "the breadth and length and depth and height." The measurements are not stated, but the terms would be meaningless unless they existed in some mind. The thought is that only God can measure what is involved. Nor are we told what is to be measured. We form a spiritual conception of these things, then, as Christ dwells in our hearts a knowledge of what is infinite, immeasurable to us but known to God the display of the divine glory in the revealed secret. The Apostle continues "and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge." The revealed secret gives us the scope of God's counsels. This is knowledge. But the love of Christ surpasses knowledge for it fills instead of merely measuring. It is also a measure we understand for the fullness of God is Christ. Oh to be filled with Christ. With such a thought we come to the doxology verses 20 and 21.
The second prayer may now be briefly summarized. It concerns the effects of our union with Christ. Christ dwells in our hearts by. faith v.17 then we survey the outreach of His glory Isa. 7:1111Ask thee a sign of the Lord thy God; ask it either in the depth, or in the height above. (Isaiah 7:11) et seq. can be connected with this then we are filled with Christ v.19 and then at the close the power of God in us but here it is that God may be glorified "unto Him be glory in The Church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen." because Christ dwells in our hearts by faith. All is to deepen our practical enjoyment of the love of Christ.
A Comparison of the Two Prayers
From what we have considered of the second prayer it can be clearly seen that it is subjective as the first prayer was objective. It is about our state, as the first prayer was about our standing. Each prayer can be better understood by comparison with the other. Many of the expressions used stand in contrast to one another, and a comparison of them is worthwhile.
The power and the glory are the parent thoughts of both prayers. The Apostle, for example, begins and ends both prayers with "glory." In the first prayer he begins by addressing "the Father of glory" i.e. God seeking His glory and ends with the glory of Christ (a Man in supreme authority sitting on God's throne, and Head of the Church the Man in whom God has found all His glory): It is the glory of Christ of which the. Apostle writes. It is God's thoughts about the glory of His own Son.
“O God! Thou now hast glorified
Thy holy, blest, eternal Son
The Nazarene, the Crucified
Now sits exalted on Thy throne.”
The second prayer begins with "the riches of His glory" and ends with glory in the Church by Christ Jesus throughout eternal ages. This is the application of the knowledge imparted to us in the first prayer to our actual state so we may glorify God. Again the second prayer is based on the riches of His glory while in the first prayer we are to be to the praise of His glory. The first prayer is concerned with the power which worked for us in Christ's resurrection, raising us up with Him the second prayer is concerned with the power working in us "now unto Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power which works in us." From these comparisons two common themes, differing in their application, emerge the power and the glory. In both prayers these parent thoughts are cemented together by love "the bond of perfectness" Col. 3:1414And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. (Colossians 3:14). Thus it was the love which the Ephesians had to all the saints 1:15 which made the Apostle bow his knees in the first prayer. In the second prayer it is the love of Christ which is the spring of the doxology at the close a note of worship, which, now it has been struck, will continue throughout eternal ages.
In the first prayer the Apostle is concerned that we might see certain truths he sets before our eyes for example the inheritance and have our affections stirred by them so we understand our portion. In the second prayer it is more the working of divine power in us to produce a state of soul ending in the worship of the One who transcends all knowledge and leads us into what exceeds knowledge 3:19 the love of Christ. It is remarkable that the second prayer differs from the first in that it has a clearly defined termination "Amen." You cannot go beyond divine love. "There abideth these three faith, hope, and love." "Faith in the Lord Jesus" 1:15 was followed by "the hope of His calling" 1:18 and ends with "the love of Christ" 2:19. "And now these three remain faith hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." 1 Cor. 13:1313And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity. (1 Corinthians 13:13). Love "is the bond of perfectness" Col. 3:1414And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. (Colossians 3:14).
Paul's Two Prayers for the Ephesians and His Two Requests for Their Prayers
Later on in Ephesians we will come across an astonishing thing. Just as the Apostle prays twice for the Ephesians, so he makes two requests for their prayers. Even an Apostle needed the prayers of other believers. What is even more astonishing is that the Apostle's prayer requests are related to his own two prayers. We know that both of the Apostle's prayers were answered and those that were offered up for him too although this is going ahead of our subject. Prayer, while simple, and ever efficacious before the throne of grace, has thus a special teaching in Ephesians. It is related to the doctrine of the one body. Paul prays to the Head who answers his requests through His members they in turn pray to the Head for Paul and the Head answers their requests in Paul. What a golden link of unity prayer is in Ephesians.