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Texts -- Ephesians 3:4-21 (NET)

Context
3:4 When reading this, you will be able to understand my insight into this secret of Christ . 3:5 Now this secret was not disclosed to people in former generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit , 3:6 namely, that through the gospel the Gentiles are fellow heirs , fellow members of the body , and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus . 3:7 I became a servant of this gospel according to the gift of God’s grace that was given to me by the exercise of his power . 3:8 To me – less than the least of all the saints – this grace was given , to proclaim to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ 3:9 and to enlighten everyone about God’s secret plan– a secret that has been hidden for ages in God who has created all things . 3:10 The purpose of this enlightenment is that through the church the multifaceted wisdom of God should now be disclosed to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly realms . 3:11 This was according to the eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord , 3:12 in whom we have boldness and confident access to God because of Christ’s faithfulness . 3:13 For this reason I ask you not to lose heart because of what I am suffering for you , which is your glory .
Prayer for Strengthened Love
3:14 For this reason I kneel before the Father , 3:15 from whom every family in heaven and on the earth is named . 3:16 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 person , 3:17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith , so that, because you have been rooted and grounded in love, 3:18 you may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth , 3:19 and thus to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge , so that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God . 3:20 Now to him who by the power that is working within us is able to do far beyond all that we ask or think , 3:21 to him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations , forever and ever . Amen .

Pericope

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Hymns

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  • BagiMu Tuhan, Nyanyianku [KJ.8]
  • Berlutut di PalunganMu [KJ.115]
  • Di Salib Yesus di Kalvari [KJ.34] ( Down at the Cross / Glory to His Name )
  • Gapuramu Lapangkanlah [KJ.87]
  • Hai Dunia, Gembiralah [KJ.119] ( Joy to the World )
  • Jauh dari Sorga Datangku' [KJ.98] ( From Heaven Above to Earth I Come / Vom Himmel hock da komm ich her )
  • Kami Berdoa, Ya Roh Kudus [KJ.230]
  • Kasih Tuhanku [KJ.185]
  • Kau Mutiara Hatiku [KJ.324]
  • Mahakasih Yang Ilahi [KJ.58] ( Love Divine, All Loves Excelling )
  • O Roh Pencipta, Datanglah [KJ.229a]
  • O Roh Pencipta, Datanglah [KJ.229b]
  • Pandang, ya Bapa dalam RahmatMu [KJ.304]
  • Pujilah Khalik Semesta [KJ.303a]
  • Pujilah Khalik Semesta [KJ.303b]
  • Pujilah Tuhan, Sang Raja [KJ.10]
  • Roh Kudus, Turunlah [KJ.233]
  • T'lah Kutemukan Dasar Kuat [KJ.38]
  • Takhta Mulia di Tempat Baka [KJ.108] ( Thou Didst Leave Thy Throne )
  • Tuhan Allah, NamaMu [KJ.5] ( Grosser Gott, wir loben dich / Holy God, We praise Thy Name / Te Deum laudamus )
  • Tuhan, Ambil Hidupku [KJ.365a] ( Take My Life and Let It Be )
  • Tuhan, Ambil Hidupku [KJ.365b] ( Take My Life and Let It Be )
  • Tuhan, Ambil Hidupku [KJ.365c] ( Take My Life and Let It Be )
  • Turun, Roh Allah, dalam Hatiku [KJ.239] ( Spirit of God, Descend upon My Heart )
  • Ya Tuhan, Kami Puji NamaMu Besar [KJ.7]
  • Ya Yesus, Dikau Kurindukan [KJ.84]
  • [Eph 3:8] Unsearchable Riches
  • [Eph 3:14] O Lord, Our God, In Adoration
  • [Eph 3:15] Hail! Sweetest, Dearest Tie That Binds
  • [Eph 3:15] How Sweet The Hour
  • [Eph 3:15] Let Saints On Earth In Concert Sing
  • [Eph 3:16] Come, Gracious Lord, Descend And Dwell
  • [Eph 3:16] Spirit, Strength Of All The Weak
  • [Eph 3:17] Come, Dearest Lord
  • [Eph 3:17] Into My Heart
  • [Eph 3:17] Jesus Loves Me
  • [Eph 3:17] O Love, How Deep
  • [Eph 3:17] O The Deep, Deep Love Of Jesus
  • [Eph 3:17] O Thou Whose Gracious Presence Blest
  • [Eph 3:18] Jesus, Thy Boundless Love To Me
  • [Eph 3:19] Grander Than Ocean’s Story
  • [Eph 3:19] He Is All In All To Me
  • [Eph 3:19] His Love Is All I Need
  • [Eph 3:19] His Love Passeth Knowledge
  • [Eph 3:19] In The Heart Of Jesus
  • [Eph 3:19] It Passeth Knowledge
  • [Eph 3:19] Love Surpassing Human Love
  • [Eph 3:19] My Song Is Love Unknown
  • [Eph 3:19] O The Depth Of Love Divine
  • [Eph 3:19] Precious Love Of Jesus, The
  • [Eph 3:19] Sweeter As The Days Go By
  • [Eph 3:19] Tender Love Of Jesus
  • [Eph 3:20] How Glorious Is The Life Above
  • [Eph 3:21] Far Down The Ages Now
  • [Eph 3:21] Glory Be To The Father

Questions

Sermon Illustrations

Biblical Resources; Ephesians 2:18; Romans 5:1-2; Ephesians 3:12; Don’t Quit …; Qualities Needed in Parenting; We Have Access!; 2 Peter 1:11; Ephesians 4:11-15; Passion for Praise; Believers are Partakers; Categories of Angels; Football Scenario; Greek Words; Inspiration

Resources/Books

Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • Chapters 1-9, as we have seen, contain discourses that Solomon evidently wrote urging his sons to choose the way of wisdom for their lives.92At 10:1 we begin the part of the book that sets forth what the wise way is in a vari...
  • 8:5 Centurions were Roman military officers each of whom controlled 100 men, therefore the name "centurion."They were the military backbone of the Roman Empire. Interestingly every reference to a centurion in the New Testamen...
  • Luke organized his narrative so Jesus' praying in the garden follows immediately His instructions to the disciples about their preparing for the crisis to come. The present pericope shows Jesus' proper approach to it and the ...
  • The difference between this teaching and Jesus' parables in the Synoptics now becomes clearer. Jesus proceeded to compare Himself to the pen gate as well as to the Shepherd. He also described Himself leading His sheep into th...
  • The raising of Lazarus convinced Israel's leaders that they had to take more drastic action against Jesus. John recorded this decision as the high point of Israel's official rejection of God's Son so far. This decision led di...
  • 17:24 Here Jesus' request clearly included the Eleven with all the elect. He wanted them all to observe (Gr. theorosin) the glory that the Father would restore to the Son following His ascension (v. 5; cf. 1 John 3:2). This a...
  • 3:17-18 If Peter's charges against his hearers were harsh (vv. 13-15), his concession that they acted out of ignorance was tender. Peter undoubtedly hoped that his gentle approach would win a reversal of his hearers' attitude...
  • Luke recorded this incident to show the method and direction of the church's expansion to God-fearing Gentiles who were attracted to Judaism at this time. This man had visited Jerusalem to worship, was studying the Old Testam...
  • Luke now returned to Peter's continuing ministry in Judea. Luke apparently recorded the healing of Aeneas and the raising of Tabitha to show that the gospel was being preached effectively in a region of Palestine that both Je...
  • 10:44 Peter did not need to call for his hearers to repent on this occasion. As soon as he gave them enough information to trust Jesus Christ, they did so. Immediately the Holy Spirit fell on them filling them (v. 47; 11:15; ...
  • Paul's original readers would have had another question because of what he had written in chapters 1-4. Is this method of justification safe? Since it is by faith, it seems quite unsure. Paul next gave evidence that this meth...
  • 8:5 Here Paul began to elaborate the difference between "flesh"and "Spirit."This distinction is difficult to grasp because both terms have more than one meaning. To "walkaccording to the flesh"(v. 4) means to carry out in con...
  • Now Paul put the remnant aside and dealt with Israel as a whole. Even while Israel resists God's plan centered in Messiah, the Lord is at work bringing Gentiles to salvation. Gentile salvation really depends on Israel's coven...
  • The apostle brought together words and ideas from his earlier epistles as well as from this one in this doxology.16:25 The apostle was confident that God could do for his readers what they needed (cf. 1:11; Eph. 3:20). The go...
  • Paul's reference to the Holy Spirit's power (vv. 4-5) led him to elaborate on the Spirit's ministry in enlightening the minds of believers and unbelievers alike. The Corinthians needed to view ministry differently. The key to...
  • Paul proceeded with a second supporting argument to correct the Corinthians' perversion regarding women's head coverings.11:7 Men should not cover their heads in Christian worship because they are the glory of God. Whereas Pa...
  • Paul turned next to show that the resurrection of Christ makes the resurrection of believers both necessary and inevitable. The consequences of this fact are as glorious as the effects of His not being raised are dismal. Thos...
  • Paul brought his revelation of the resurrection to a climax in this paragraph by clarifying what all this means for the believer in Christ. Here he also dealt with the exceptional case of living believers' transformation at t...
  • This salutation contains the three elements common in all of Paul's epistles and other correspondence of his day: the writer, the addressees, and a greeting."This salutation exhibits undoubted resemblances in form to secular ...
  • 4:16 In view of the reasons just sited, the apostle restated that he did not lose heart (cf. v. 1). However, Paul's sufferings, while not fatal, were destroying his body. Nevertheless even this did not discourage him for even...
  • In the first subsection he explained his need to present this evidence.11:1 Paul found it necessary to remind and reveal to the Corinthians some of the evidences of the Lord's commendation of his ministry (cf. 10:18). He call...
  • Paul had cited his freedom to minister without the Corinthians' financial support and his sufferings in ministry as grounds for boasting. He next mentioned the special visions and revelations that God had granted him. He refe...
  • Paul related other events of his previous ministry, specifically his meeting with the Jerusalem church leaders. He did so to establish for his readers that although he was not dependent on anyone but God for his message and m...
  • "Continuing the perspective of salvation history introduced in vv. 13f. and developed in vv. 15-22, Paul gives further consideration to the place of the law in the divine economy by showing the relation between law and faith ...
  • Paul's frequent references to the church as a mystery, previously unknown but now revealed, identify the apostle's main purpose in writing as having been the exposition of the mystery of the church (1:9; 3:3-4, 9; 5:32; 6:19)...
  • The Book of Ephesians enables us to view God's creation from an alpine altitude. When we study this book, it is as though we have climbed a high mountain peak because the book gives us that kind of perspective on what God has...
  • I. Salutation 1:1-2II. The Christian's calling 1:3-3:21A. Individual calling 1:3-2:101. The purpose: glory 1:3-142. The means: knowledge 1:15-233. The motive: grace 2:1-10B. Corporate calling 2:11-3:191. Present unity 2:11-22...
  • In most of his epistles Paul began by setting forth foundational truth and then concluded by applying that truth to the lives of his readers. This pattern is very obvious in Ephesians where the first three chapters deal with ...
  • ". . . the first three chapters are one long prayer, culminating in the great doxology at the end of chapter 3. There is in fact nothing like this in all Paul's letters. This is the language of lyrical prayer, not the languag...
  • Christians should bless or praise (Gr. eulogetos, speak well of) God the Father for bestowing these blessings. Paul was thinking of God as both the Father of believers (v. 2) and the Father of His Son (v. 3). God has already ...
  • The spiritual blessings that have come to us are the work of all three members of the Trinity. God Himself is the basis of these blessings.1:4 The first blessing is election. God has sovereignly chosen some people for salvati...
  • 1:17 Paul returned to his concept of God as the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ (v. 3; cf. Matt. 6:9). He combined with this fact the idea that all glory belongs to the Father (vv. 6, 12, 14; cf. Acts 7:2; 1 Cor. 2:8).Paul as...
  • Essentially Jesus Christ's death has resulted in peace between Gentile believers and Jewish believers and peace between Gentile believers and God.2:14 To understand this verse we must discover what dividing wall Paul had in m...
  • 2:19 Because of this union Gentile believers are no longer strangers (foreigners) and aliens respecting Israel. They are fellow citizens with Jewish believers in the church, God's new household (1 Tim. 3:15). Christians are a...
  • Paul began to pray for his readers again (cf. vv. 1, 14), but he interrupted himself to tell them more about the church. What he said in this section gives background information concerning the church as a mystery.3:1 "For th...
  • Paul had explained that Jews and Gentiles are one in Christ (2:15). Therefore he prayed that they might experience the unity that was theirs spiritually in their relations with one another. Verses 14-19 are also one sentence ...
  • Practical application (chs. 4-6) now follows doctrinal instruction (chs. 1-3).
  • Paul had explained the unity of Jewish and Gentile believers in the church and had prayed for the realization of that unity in experience (2:11-3:21). He now told how to attain a spiritual walk, namely a life that manifests t...
  • 4:1 "Therefore"or "then"refers to what Paul had said in chapters 1-3. To walk worthily or in balance means to harmonize one's conduct with his or her calling. Calling here refers to God's calling to live in unity as Jews and ...
  • Having described the basis of Christian unity Paul next explained the means by which we can preserve it, namely with the gifts that the Spirit gives.4:7 Whereas each believer has received grace (unmerited favor and divine ena...
  • The resumptive inferential particle translated "Therefore"marks the beginning of a new paragraph in Paul's thought (cf. 4:1, 17; 5:1, 15). He related three commands concerning walking (living) in the light in these verses and...
  • That this section is distinct from the five that precede it is evident from two facts. Paul introduced it differently, and the emphasis in it is on God's resources. Earlier Paul urged the strengthening and growth of the body ...
  • Paul's anticipation of his defense before Nero brought him back to the present in his thinking. His exposition of the mystery of the church to his readers had ended. He had also explained their proper conduct in view of their...
  • Abbot, T. K. A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Epistles to the Ephesians and to the Colossians. International Critical Commentary series. Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1897.Aldrich, Roy L. "The Gift of God."Biblioth...
  • So far everything Paul had written about Christ other New Testament writers also revealed, but what follows in verse 18 is uniquely Pauline.In 1 Corinthians 12:12-31 and Romans 12:4-8 Paul used the human body to illustrate th...
  • Paul's role in the household of God (the meaning of "stewardship") was that of a servant who fully expounded God's revelation for the benefit of his Gentile readers."He was a servant of the church, but in the deepest sense he...
  • Paul thanked God for changing him to enable Timothy to appreciate the fact that God can transform even the worst of sinners and enable His saints to accomplish supernatural feats. What precipitated Paul's testimony here was t...
  • Paul explained his reason for writing this epistle and, in particular, what he had just said. He did so to impress on Timothy a view of the church that was foundational to all his instructions in this letter.3:14-15 In view o...
  • 2:1 Paul's charge in this verse is a general one. Specific responsibilities follow. On the basis of what he had already written Paul urged his son (Gr. teknon, lit. child, an affectionate term) to let Christ's grace empower h...
  • Peter reminded his readers that the prophets had predicted that Jesus Christ's life, as their own lives, would include suffering followed by glory. He mentioned this to encourage them to realize that their experience was not ...
  • Peter drew application for his readers and focused their attention on how they should live presently in view of the future.3:11 Peter believed that an understanding of the future should motivate the believer to live a holy li...

Expositions Of Holy Scripture (Maclaren)

  • The whole family in heaven and earth.'--Eph. 3:15.GRAMMATICALLY, we are driven to recognise that the Revised Version is more correct than the Authorised, when it reads every family,' instead of the whole family.' There is in ...
  • That Be would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man.'--Eph. 3:16.IN no part of Paul's letters does he rise to a higher level than in his prayers, and non...
  • That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; ye being rooted and grounded in love.'--Eph. 3:17.WE have here the second step of the great staircase by which Paul's fervent desires for his Ephesian friends climbed towards tha...
  • That ye, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge.'--Eph. 3:18-19.THIS constitutes the third of the petitions in...
  • The breadth, and length, and depth, and height.'--Eph. 3:18.OF what? There can, I think, be no doubt as to the answer. The next clause is evidently the continuation of the idea begun in that of our text, and it runs: And to k...
  • That ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.'--Eph. 3:19.THE Apostle's many-linked prayer, which we have been considering in successive sermons, has reached its height. It soars to the very Throne of God. There can be...
  • 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, 21. Unto Him be glory in the Church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages. world without end. Amen....
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