FOR THIS REASON I BOW MY KNEES
BEFORE THE FATHER: Toutou charin kampto (1SPAI) ta gonata mou pros ton
patera: (Ep 1:16, 17, 18, 19; 1Kings 8:54; 19:18; 2Chronicles 6:13;
Ezra 9:5; Psalms 95:6; Isaiah 45:23; Daniel 6:10; Luke 22:41; Acts 7:60;
9:40; 20:36; 21:5)
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PAUL'S TWO PRAYERS
IN EPHESIANS |
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First Prayer
(Ep 1:15-23). |
Second Prayer
(Ep 3:14-21) |
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Revelation |
Realization |
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Enlightenment
|
Enablement |
|
Light |
Life |
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Know what you are |
Be what you know |
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Know the power of God |
Experience the
fulness of God |
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Power working for us |
Power working in us |
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You in Christ |
Christ in you |
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Christ fulness Church |
Church fulness Christ |
Ruth Paxson
sees this prayer as a "process of realization" writing...
As we know from experience, the
realization of Christ's abundant life in us is a process. While we
become the potential possessors of the fulness of Christ the moment we
are reborn, yet the personal possession of that fulness is a continuous
process after the initial appropriation of it by faith. No matter how
much of that fulness one has enjoyed today, there is more beyond, and
every to-morrow should be for us unto still greater fulness.
The possibility of an answer to this
prayer seems so remote that there may be hesitancy in voicing the
petitions. The scope of the prayer staggers us. We know the wealth which
God has purposed and provided for us in Christ, but can it be procured?
Let us have our hearts set at rest on that question.
The prayer is buttressed at each end
by two reassuring phrases. "They should convince us that the realization
of our riches in Christ is based on something very stable and sure;
objectively upon "the riches of his glory," and subjectively upon "the
power that worketh in us." (The Wealth, Walk and Warfare of the
Christian)
For this reason
- this same phrase was used in
Ephesians 3:1.
Paul after digressing to explain God's eternal purpose in Ephesians
3:2-13, now resumes the thought of verse 1 (by repeating the same words) as he began his prayer.
Blaikie
explains for this reason...
Seeing that the Gentiles have now
equal privileges with the Jews; seeing that by faith in Christ Gentile
Christians have been brought as near to God, and have as good a right to
the good things of the covenant;—I take the steps now to be specified
for enabling them actually to possess these good things. On the one
hand, the apostle saw the believing Ephesians still comparatively poor
and needy; on the other hand, he saw all spiritual stores provided for
them: the question was how to get the one into contact with the other. (Blaikie,
W G: Ephesians in The Pulpit Commentary. Ages Software)
Hoehner
writes that...
Having stated that positionally the
Gentile and Jewish believers are “one new man” (2:15), which is the body
of Christ, Paul now prayed that they may be united experientially. He
desired that they might genuinely know and experience Christ’s love and
thus exhibit it toward each other. (Walvoord,
J. F., Zuck, R. B., et al: The Bible Knowledge Commentary. 1985. Victor).
MacArthur
writes that...
For this reason, therefore
(that our new identity makes us the dwelling place of God), Paul prays
for the Ephesians to use the power that their great status in Christ
provides. Because God’s power is in those believers, Paul prays that God
would enable them to employ the fullness of that power. Because
believers are the habitation of the triune, all–powerful God of the
universe, Paul prays that their unlimited energy from Him would be
manifested.
(MacArthur,
J: Ephesians. Chicago: Moody Press)
Wayne Barber
explains...
What reason? Remember, he started
this prayer in verse 1. You have got to jump all the way back to verse
1. He starts the prayer in verse 1, stops and puts a parenthetical pause
for 12 or 13 verses. Then he picks it back up in verse 14. He says in
verse 1, "For this reason I, Paul." You can figure out what the reason
is. Go back to chapter 2. There are some things he has told them in
chapter 2 that he wants them to understand. He wants them to not just
mentally know them, but he wants them to live in the reality of those
things... Paul has spent three chapters telling the people at Ephesus
what they have in the Lord Jesus Christ. He talked about the riches of
their salvation, the reasons of their salvation and the revelation of
their salvation. Now he says, since you are God’s dwelling on this
earth, for this reason, I bow my knees before the Father.
Do you realize what you have in Jesus
Christ? Have you been listening or maybe you haven’t allowed God to
teach you in your spirit. You don’t realize that He is everything you
could ever look for. Maybe you don’t realize what you have, or maybe you
do, but you are not living in the reality of what that means on a day by
day basis. Paul says, "For this reason, I don’t want you to just know
it. I want you to live in it, in the reality of what I have just taught
you." (Ephesians 3:14: A Prayer for Fullness - 1)
For this reason
(5484)
(charin from charis = grace - which conveys the meaning of
for the pleasure of) is a marker of reason and implying a purpose or a
goal for something.. Synonyms = on account of, because of, for the sake
of. What purpose? So that they would not lose heart, become discouraged
or become fainthearted. So that they would get a proper perspective that
Paul's afflictions were for the believers at Ephesus, so that ultimately
their lives would be glorified, and give a proper opinion of their
heavenly Father. But they needed strength to stand fast, to bear under
the load...we see through a mirror dimly...we need to appropriate the
truth that afflictions today that are well borne are momentary and will
yield an eternal weight of glory. So Paul is interested in present glory
and future glory of the Ephesian believers.
S Lewis Johnson
has an interesting analysis of the relationship of this prayer to what
Paul has taught previously writing that...
I rather think that the Apostle
intended at this point (beginning of Ephesians 3) to launch into the
prayer, which he finally does launch into with
Ephesians 3:14
and following, in the third chapter. And I’d like to tell you why I
think that he probably intended to begin the prayer as he begins chapter
3: “For this cause I, Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you
Gentiles.” (Ephesians 3:1-note) Because this word
translated in Ephesians 2:22-note,
“an habitation of God,” is the same root that we find in
Ephesians 3:17-note,
that Christ may “dwell” in your hearts by faith. So, I rather
think that what the Apostle intended to do, was to reach this great
climax – the Jews and Gentiles are now reconciled to the Lord and
they’re reconciled to each other in this one body of the church – and at
this point he wanted to pray that that which has come to pass might be
realized in their experience. “For this cause, I Paul”—and notice
verse 14 begins, “For this cause I bow my knees unto the father
of our Lord Jesus Christ.” So I think that word habitation of the Lord
by the Spirit had gripped him, and he intended to pray now that Christ
would dwell in our hearts in this deep way suggested by this word, and
that would be the burden of his prayer...Now these same people of whom
he says these things are the ones of whom he says in verse 22 “In whom
ye also are built together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.”
This is an almost infinite distance between children of wrath and now
the dwelling place of the Lord God himself. And this is traceable to the
grace of God. So I’m not surprised, then, that the Apostle should want
to pray about this giving thanks and also urging the Lord through the
Spirit to bring to pass in our Christian experience this wonderful
relationship that we have with the Lord.
(Ephesians
3:1-13 Dispensation of Grace Audio/Pdf
)
Bow (2578)
(kampto) means to bend or incline some part of the body as
gesture of respect or devotion (eg, bowing one's neck as sign of
respect). To bend one's knees as a symbol of religious devotion is not
instructing us on a physical posture necessary for prayer but instead
suggests an attitude of submission, reverence and passion.
For example we
read the beginning of Ezra's impassioned plea...
at the evening offering I arose from
my humiliation, even with my garment and my robe torn, and I fell on my
knees and stretched out my hands to the LORD my God (Ezra 9:5)
In 2Chronicles
we see Solomon on bended knee at the dedication of the first
Temple, the writer recording...
Now Solomon had made a bronze
platform, five cubits long, five cubits wide, and three cubits high, and
had set it in the midst of the court; and he stood on it, knelt on his
knees in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and spread out his
hands toward heaven. (2Chr 6:13)
Comment: Oriental monarchs
were not noted for prostrating themselves publicly before anyone.
Solomon, however, built a scaffold so that all Israel could see him as
he knelt before God with hands spread to the heavens.
The psalmist
writes...
Come, let us worship and bow down;
Let us kneel before the LORD our Maker. (Psalm 95:6-note)
In Daniel we read
that...
when Daniel knew that the document
was signed, he entered his house (now in his roof chamber he had windows
open toward Jerusalem); and he continued kneeling on his knees three
times a day, praying and giving thanks before his God, as he had been
doing previously. (Daniel 6:10)
As Jesus prepares
for the most submissive, reverent and impassioned prayer in all eternity
Luke records that...
He withdrew from them about a stone's
throw, and He knelt down and began to pray, (Luke 22:41)
As Stephen was
stoned to death, Luke records...
And falling on his knees, he cried
out with a loud voice, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them!" And
having said this, he fell asleep. (Acts 7:60)
In an hour of
great need Luke records that...
Peter sent them (the widows) all out
and knelt down and prayed, and turning to the body, he said, "Tabitha,
arise." And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter, she sat up. (Acts
9:40)
Comment: The
effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much. Jas 5:16
Knees (1119)
(gonu) refers to the specific part of the leg and by synecdoche (
figure of speech by which a part is put for the whole) signifies the
whole person as in Php 2:10 (note) In the early church
kneeling became customary for individual and public prayer expressing
subjection, abasement, and petition.
Johnson
writes that
the knees that the Apostle mentioned
suggest humility and earnest entreaty. Of course, we can get down on our
knees, and that doesn’t mean that we are humble or that we are engaged
in earnest entreaty. But it is certainly consonant with that. When we
get down on our knees, well that is an outward attitude of humility. So,
the Apostle here is thinking about the reality when he says “for this
cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. He
suggests that the way we ought to approach God is with the spirit of
humility. (Prayer
for Realization of God)
John Eadie
writes that...
The posture is the instinctive
expression of homage, humility, and petition: the suppliant offers his
worship and entreaty on bended knee. (John Eadie, D., LL.D. The Epistle
of St Paul to the Ephesians)
Bowing our knees
before the Father signifies submission to a higher authority (see Ps
95:6-note). You are submitting your will to God's will, in essence
saying, "God, whatever you want is what I want." In addition, in
Scripture bowing one's knee in prayer is often associated with an
intense emotion (see Ezra 9:5, 6, Da 6:10, Acts 20:36)
The way in which
Jewish people often prayed in Paul's day was by standing and looking up
into heaven although there are OT and NT examples of people
kneeling in prayer. And if you've been to the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem,
undoubtedly you have witnessed pious Jewish men standing and rocking
back and forth as they intone their prayers.
This must have
been quite an experience for the Roman soldier chained to Paul!
It is not the
posture but the attitude of one's heart which is the important issue
when seeking the face of our Father. And so we see that Abraham stood
before the Lord when he prayed for Sodom (Ge 18:22), Solomon stood when
he prayed to dedicate the temple (1Ki 8:22). David “sat before the Lord”
(1Chr 17:16) when he prayed about the future of his kingdom and finally
that Jesus “fell on His face” when He prayed in Gethsemane (Mt 26:39).
Phillips
comments on "bow the knee" writing that...
According to court etiquette in
Paul's day, when someone approached the throne he bowed the knee. True,
God is our Father, just as He is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
True, we are bidden to come boldly to Him. True, He loves us with an
everlasting love. True, we have instant access to Him day or night.
True, no request is too great or too small to be brought to Him. True,
no earthly child in our culture goes down on his knees before his human
father. But our Father is God. The Scriptures clearly teach that God
should be approached with reverence and awe. Evidently Paul knelt when
he prayed. This posture helped to remind him of the awesome majesty and
nobility of the One he knew he could address as Father. (Phillips,
J. Exploring Ephesians)
Before
(4314)
(pros) expresses direction - toward, on the side of, in the
direction of. It can serve as a marker of closeness of relation or
proximity. It is interesting to note that the word for prostrating
oneself before another in adoration and worship begins with the preposition
pros (proskuneo - see
4352)
The idea behind
pros of the subject facing God which speaks of the
consciousness which Paul had when he prayed - he truly believed he was
in the presence of the Almighty and that he was directing his prayer to
the All Knowing God Who was listening while he prayed.
Vincent
notes that...
The preposition pros, with the
accusative case (as in Eph 3:14), denotes motion towards, or direction
and is also often used in the New Testament in the sense of with; and
that not merely as being near or beside, but as a living union and
communion; implying the active notion of intercourse. (Word
Studies)
Father (3962)
(pater) speaks of the Supreme Deity, Who is the responsible for
the origin and care of all that exists. Father is the same
appellation Jesus always used in prayer, and the one He used in teaching
His disciples to pray (Matthew 6:9-note).
Father is God's family
name which can be uttered with its full significance only by His
children, those in the family having been born again by His Spirit. As
John 1:12 makes clear even though all men are made in the image of God,
not all men are His children...
He (Jesus) came to His own (Jews),
and those who were His own did not receive (take into their possession,
join themselves to) Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave
the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His
name, who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of
the will of man, but of God. (John 1:11, 12, 13)
Pater is
one of the titles for God and is a name which combines the aspects of
supernatural authority and care for His people. Note that the word
“Abba” is the Aramaic word for “Father.” Aramaic is the language
which the Jews spoke in Palestine in the first century. Thus the words
“Abba, Father,” were a formula familiar to the bilingual Palestinian
Church.
Johnson
comments concerning father writing that
In a sense, this is Paul’s lesson
from the Lord’s Prayer. Jesus said, after this manner therefore pray ye,
our Father who art in heaven. As I’ve often said, and others...we
don’t really catch the full force of this, because the idea of having a
heavenly father as God is very common to us. But in the days of the
Apostle Paul, in the days of the Lord Jesus Christ, it was not common at
all. In the Old Testament, so far as I can tell, there is no instance in
which an individual prayed to God as his Father individually. So
that when the Lord Jesus said after this manner therefore pray ye, our
Father which art in heaven, he was giving something that was
astoundingly new. That is that we had the right to call upon God as our
Father. Paul is still living in the newness and uniqueness of that. And
we should never lose the force of that, either, that we can get down
upon our knees and call God in heaven Father, is a most amazing thing.
If God is a Father, then that not only suggests power, possessions, but
also concern and love. When people talk to you about God, ask them a
question: what God are you talking about? Is your God the Father of our
Lord Jesus Christ? And if they say no, then go ahead and say it, “Your
God is not my God.” That’ll give you an opportunity to have a little
conversation, a little theological conversation. And it might do them
some good, and I know it’ll do you some good. (Prayer
for Realization of God)
Thou art coming to a king,
Large petitions with thee bring,
For his grace and power are such
None can ever ask too much
O'Brien in
his excellent commentary on Ephesians has a note regarding "Father"
writing that...
The one to whom he bows in homage is
called Father, which in the ancient world was not only a term
of intimacy but also one that had overtones of dignity and authority. A
father not only sought the good of his family but also ruled the clan or
family unit. The God whom the apostle approaches in prayer is a
powerful and loving heavenly Father. Paul has already asserted that
through Christ believers have access in one Spirit to the Father (Ep 2:18;
cf. Ep 3:12); here he boldly and confidently avails himself of this
access to make intercession for his readers in their need. Because the
Father will surely respond to the petition of even his lowliest servant,
as Paul himself was (Ep 3:8), his prayer may confidently be addressed to
him. (O'Brien,
P. T. The Letter to the Ephesians. W. B. Eerdmans. 1999
or
computer version)
John MacArthur
writes that...
Because God is our heavenly Father,
we do not come to Him in fear and trembling, afraid that He will rebuff
us or be indifferent. We do not come to God to appease Him as the pagans
do to their deities. We come to a tender, loving, concerned,
compassionate, accepting Father. A loving human father always
accepts the advances of his children, even when they have been
disobedient or ungrateful. How much more does our heavenly Father
accept His children, regardless of what they have done or not done? Paul
approaches the Father with boldness and confidence, knowing that
He is more willing for His children to come to Him than they ever are of
going to Him. He knows that God has been waiting all the while with a
Father’s heart of love and anticipation. (MacArthur,
J: Ephesians. Chicago: Moody Press)
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Come, dearest Lord, descend and dwell
By faith and love in every breast;
Then shall we know, and taste, and feel
The joys that cannot be expressed.
Come, fill our
hearts with inward strength,
Make our enlarged souls possess,
And learn the height, and breadth, and length
Of thine unmeasurable grace.
Now to the God
whose power can do
More than our thoughts or wishes know,
Be everlasting honors done
By all the church, through Christ his Son.
-- Isaac Watts
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INNER
STRENGTH -
A large company extracts contaminating substances from steel drums by
suction. Powerful pumps draw the materials out of the barrels, but the
workers must carefully regulate the force of these pumps. If they take
out too much air, the drums will collapse like paper cups because the
outer pressure will exceed the inner pressure.
Likewise, when adversity and hardship come into our lives, unless God
empowers us from within we will be unable to withstand the pressures
from without. True, we get solid support from loved ones and Christian
friends, but it is our spiritual inner man, "strengthened with might
through His Spirit," that sustains us and keeps us from crumbling.
The Spirit works to strengthen us and renew our minds as we read God's
Word and pray. If we neglect the Scriptures, seldom talk with the Lord,
and stop fellowshiping with Him, we will grow weak and vulnerable. Then
we will be unable to withstand the pressure of temptation or trouble.
Let's ask the Lord to develop our inner strength so that when life's
blows and burdens press upon us we will not cave in. - David C. Egner (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
Help us, O Lord,
when troubles come
To trust Your Word and not succumb,
And help us not to turn aside
But in Your strength and love abide. -DJD
The power of Christ in You
is greater than the pressure of troubles
around you.
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