Lesson 40 July 20, 2003
3:14-15 introductory info preparing us for this prayer!
3:14 For this reason takes us back to vs:1 where he originally started this prayer;
"I bow my knees before the Father," We see Paul's motivation here.
Find here the order of prayer!
It is to be: to; through; by
That is; to the Father, through the Son and empowered by the Holy Spirit.
3:15 "from whom every family in heaven and on the earth derives its name."
The play on words!
path,r(
(pathr) Father;(14) patria, (patria) (15) family, a group sharing a common father, or ancestry; Lk 2:4God is the Father of those who have believed in Christ and Satan is the father of those who have not! John 8:39-44
Believers are called sons of God, by regeneration, Jn 1:11,12, and in 1 Jn 3:1-2;
While those who have not believed are not children of God at all, in fact what did Paul call them back in Eph 2:2-3, sons of disobedience" and "children of wrath."
3:16 - 19 Paul's prayer for the Ephesian believers;
These 4 requests are not to be looked at as separate petitions but they are all linked, in that each provides the basis for the next. There is a sequence involved.
3:16 Petition #1
I pray that according to the wealth of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner man, (NET)
Overall the thrust of Paul's petition is that the believer, you and me might have strength in our lives, spiritual muscle in our lives as we live day to day.
"that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory,"
** The power of the H/S, the strength of the H/S in our lives as believers is not given out of God's riches but according to God's riches.
** What is the measure or standard of the giving of strength?
1 Cor 16:13; has 4 present imperatives; used to describe what should be the habitual pattern in the life of the believer who is strengthened.
#1 "Be on the alert"; gregorew = alert; awake; be vigilant; speaks of being spiritually awake, spiritual alertness.
#2 "stand firm in the faith," means of being alert, having clear thinking.
- The faith can refer to 2 areas;
a. The body of truth as Word of God the, the whole body of revealed truth (Eph 4:5; 1 Tim 4:1; Jude 3 earnestly contend for the faith)
b. That body of truth that is the content of what you believe, what you have learned out of the revealed body of truth; Eph 3:17; 2 Ths 3:2
#3 "Act like men" (one word) avndri,zw = to conduct oneself in a manly or courageous manner. emphasis is on manly courage.
#4 The result is inner strength the capacity to be strong krataio,w
Summary 3:16!!
1. What Paul is praying for with these 4 petitions describes what is to characterize the normal Christian life!
2. God gives from Himself; that is on the basis of His character!
3. Therefore the measure of the resources given and the availability of them is infinite. see idea in Jn 1:16 "grace in exchange for grace"
4. The nature of the giving from the wealth of His glory is so that they would be strengthened, invigorated with power, not from themselves but by the means or agency of the indwelling Holy Spirit!
5. If this power and strength is not realized, there can only be one of two reasons.
6. The provider of the power, the strength is the Holy Spirit. H/S is an Enabler for the believer.
- This title for the Spirit not only communicates to us what He is to us, but it also conveys what we are apart from His ministry--without ability or enablement in our spiritual life.
7. The power and strength is directed toward the inner man.
8. What about this inner man? What is it?