A Prayer for God's Family - Ephesians 3:7-21

By David Woods

The scripture text for today's lesson begins with Paul's discussion of his high calling as a minister of the Gospel. To be called to a full-time minister of the Gospel is indeed very wonderful. However, since the topic of our discussion is "A Prayer for God's Family" I want to focus most of our time on verses fourteen through twenty-one.

However, before we begin discussing these verses I want us to talk momentarily about the letter as a whole. The NIV Study Bible says that Paul did not write this letter to combat heresy or error in the church, as many of his letters were written for.

Rather, "Paul wrote to expand the horizons of his readers, so taht they might understand better the dimensions of God's eternal purpose and grace and come to appreciate the high goals God has for the church." (From the introductory notes to the book of Ephesians in the NIV Study Bible)

I like to state it this way:

Big Idea: God gives us the grace to live as we should.

But maybe I should state it more specifically: this is a prayer for sanctification. Paul is praying for four things for the Church of God - empowerment (v. 16), establishment (v. 17), enlightenment (v. 18), and infillment (v. 19). (Doctrinal Discussion, p. 75)

The verbs that Paul uses point to action that is completed in a moment of time, yet continue in their impact till today.

With this understanding that this is a prayer for entire sanctification, I would like to enter into a discussion of these verses.

The Jewish custom in praying was to stand and pray before God.

Discussion: What does it suggest about Paul's attitude concerning this prayer in that he "bowed his knees"?

The reason Paul felt compelled to pray this prayer is mentioned in verse thirteen - "that ye faint not."

Discussion: How does the Christian "faint", in a spiritual sense?
("The words 'not to faint' were translated four ways in New Testament days. It meant 'not to turn coward; not to lose heart; not to give in to evil; and not to behave badly.'" Teaching Tips, p. 77)

Discussion: How does entire sanctification solve the problem of "spiritual fainting"?

Discussion: How is the Christian "strengthened with might"? How does this affect one's spiritual life?

Note: The problem of the unsanctified Christian is in the "inner man." It is the problem of carnality - the sin principle with which we are all born.

Discussion: What does it mean to "dwell"?

The phrase "being rooted and grounded in love" is a parenthetical statement to Paul's prayer that the believers might comprehend and know the love of Christ.

Since it is a parenthetical statement, "being rooted and grounded in love" points back to the first clause of verse seventeen: "That Christ may dwell in your hearts."

Discussion: How does the work of entire sanctification establish us spiritually in a way that salvation and progressive spiritual growth cannot/does not?

Our relationship to Christ is likened to that of a bride to her husband.

The "Working with the Word" section of the teacher's quarterly says "The first [word picture] is a request for help not 'out of' but 'according to' the riches of His glory ... This seems to emphasize that when everything that Paul prayed for has been granted, God's great storehouse is just as full as it was before He granted Paul's request." (p. 75)

Discussion: What does it mean to know the love of Christ?

Discussion: How can one know the unknowable?

Discussion: Why is entire sanctification necessary, according to our scripture?