TRV
Study This Verse
Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Ephesians 3:14–21. His two-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
We now come to the second part of this chapter, which contains Paul's devout and affectionate prayer to God for his beloved Ephesians. - For this cause. This may be referred either to the immediately foregoing verse, That you faint not, etc., or, rather, the apostle is here resuming what he began at the first verse, from which he digressed in those which are interposed. Observe,
I.To whom he prays - to God, as the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of which see Eph 1:3.
II.His outward posture in prayer, which was humble and reverent:
I bow my knees. Note, When we draw nigh to God, we should reverence him in our hearts, and express our reverence in the most suitable and becoming behaviour and gesture. Here, having mentioned Christ, he cannot pass without an honourable encomium of his love, Eph 3:15. The universal church has a dependence upon the Lord Jesus Christ: Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named. The Jews were wont to boast of Abraham as their father, but now Jews and Gentiles are both denominated from Christ (so some); while others understand it of the saints in heaven, who wear the crown of glory, and of saints on earth who are going on in the work of grace here. Both the one and the other make but one family, one household; and from him they are named CHRISTIANS, as they really are such, acknowledging their dependence upon, and their relation to, Christ.
III.What the apostle asks of God for these his friends - spiritual blessings, which are the best blessings, and the most earnestly to be sought and prayed for by every one of us, both for ourselves and for our friends.
1.Spiritual strength for the work and duty to which they were called, and in which they were employed: That he would grant you, according to the riches of his grace, to be strengthened, etc. The inner man is the heart or soul. To be strengthened with might is to be mightily strengthened, much more than they were at present; to be endued with a high degree of grace, and spiritual abilities for discharging duty, resisting temptations, enduring persecutions, etc. And the apostle prays that this may be according to the riches of his glory, or according to his glorious riches - answerable to that great abundance of grace, mercy, and power, which resides in God, and is his glory: and this by his Spirit, who is the immediate worker of grace in the souls of God's people. Observe from these things, That strength from the Spirit of God in the inner man is the best and most desirable strength, strength in the soul, the strength of faith and other graces, strength to serve God and to do our duty, and to persevere in our Christian course with vigour and with cheerfulness. And let us further observe that as the work of grace is first begun so it is continued and carried on, by the blessed Spirit of God.
2.The indwelling of Christ in their hearts, Eph 3:17. Christ is said to dwell in his people, as he is always present with them by his gracious influences and operations. Observe, It is a desirable thing to have Christ dwell in our hearts; and if the law of Christ be written there, and the love of Christ be shed abroad there, then Christ dwells there. Christ is an inhabitant in the soul of every good Christian. Where his spirit dwells, there he swells; and he dwells in the heart by faith, by means of the continual exercise of faith upon him. Faith opens the door of the soul, to receive Christ; faith admits him, and submits to him. By faith we are united to Christ, and have an interest in him.
3.The fixing of pious and devout affections in the soul: That you being rooted and grounded in love, stedfastly fixed in your love to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to all the saints, the beloved of our Lord Jesus Christ. Many have some love to God and to his servants, but it is a flash, like the crackling of throns under a pot, it makes a great noise, but is gone presently. We should earnestly desire that good affections may be fixed in us, that we may be rooted and grounded in love. Some understand it of their being settled and established in the sense of God's love to them, which would inspire them with greater ardours of holy love to him, and to one another. And how very desirable is it to have a settled fixed sense of the love of God and Christ to our souls, so as to be able to say with the apostle at all times, He has loved me! Now the best way to attain this is to be careful that we maintain a constant love to God in our souls; this will be the evidence of the love of God to us. We love him, because he first loved us. In order to this he prays,
4.For their experimental acquaintance with the love of Jesus Christ. The more intimate acquaintance we have with Christ's love to us, the more our love will be drawn out to him, and to those who are his, for his sake: That you may be able to comprehend with all saints, etc. (Eph 3:18, Eph 3:19); that is, more clearly to understand, and firmly to believe, the wonderful love of Christ to his, which the saints do understand and believe in some measure, and shall understand more hereafter. Christians should not aim to comprehend above all saints; but be content that God deals with them as he uses to do with those who love and fear his name: we should desire to comprehend with all saints, to have so much knowledge as the saints are allowed to have in this world. We should be ambitious of coming up with the first three; but not of going beyond what is the measure of the stature of other saints. It is observable how magnificently the apostle speaks of the love of Christ. The dimensions of redeeming love are admirable: The breadth, and length, and depth, and height. By enumerating these dimensions, the apostle designs to signify the exceeding greatness of the love of Christ, the unsearchable riches of his love, which is higher than heaven, deeper than hell, longer than the earth, and broader than the sea, Job 11:8, Job 11:9. Some describe the particulars thus: By the breadth of it we may understand the extent of it to all ages, nations, and ranks of men; by the length of it, its continuance from everlasting to everlasting; by the depth of it, its stooping to the lowest condition, with a design to relieve and save those who have sunk into the depths of sin and misery; by its height, its entitling and raising us up to the heavenly happiness and glory. We should desire to comprehend this love: it is the character of all the saints that they do so; for they all have a complacency and a confidence in the love of Christ: And to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge, Eph 3:19. If it passeth knowledge, how can we know it? We must pray and endeavour to know something, and should still covet and strive to know more and more of it, though, after the best endeavours, none can fully comprehend it: in its full extent it surpasses knowledge. Though the love of Christ may be better perceived and known by Christians than it generally is, yet it cannot be fully understood on this side heaven.
5.He prays that they may be filled with all the fulness of God. It is a high expression: we should not dare to use it if we did not find it in the scriptures. It is like those other expressions, of being partakers of a divine nature, and of being perfect as our Father in heaven is perfect. We are not to understand it of his fulness as God in himself, but of his fulness as a God in covenant with us, as a God to his people: such a fulness as God is ready to bestow, who is willing to fill them all to the utmost of their capacity, and that with all those gifts and graces which he sees they need. Those who receive grace for grace from Christ's fulness may be said to be filled with the fulness of God, according to their capacity, all which is in order to their arriving at the highest degree of the knowledge and enjoyment of God, and an entire conformity to him.
The apostle closes the chapter with a doxology, Eph 3:20, Eph 3:21. It is proper to conclude our prayers with praises. Our blessed Saviour has taught us to do so. Take notice how he describes God, and how he ascribes glory to him. He describes him as a God that is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think. There is an inexhaustible fulness of grace and mercy in God, which the prayers of all the saints can never draw dry. Whatever we may ask, or think to ask, still God is still able to do more, abundantly more, exceedingly abundantly more. Open thy mouth ever so wide, still he hath wherewithal to fill it. Note, In our applications to God we should encourage our faith by a consideration of his all-sufficiency and almighty power. According to the power which worketh in us. As if he had said, We have already had a proof of this power of God, in what he hath wrought in us and done for us, having quickened us by his grace, and converted us to himself. The power that still worketh for the saints is according to that power that hath wrought in them. Wherever God gives of his fulness he gives to experience his power. Having thus described God, he ascribes glory to him. When we come to ask for grace from God, we ought to give glory to God. Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus. In ascribing glory to God, we ascribe all excellences and perfections to him, glory being the effulgency and result of them all. Observe, The seat of God's praises is in the church. That little rent of praise which God receives from this world is from the church, a sacred society constituted for the glory of God, every particular member of which, both Jew and Gentile, concurs in this work of praising God. The Mediator of these praises is Jesus Christ. All God's gifts come from his to us through the hand of Christ; and all our praises pass from us to him through the same hand. And God should and will be praised thus throughout all ages, world without end; for he will ever have a church to praise him, and he will ever have his tribute of praise from his church. Amen. So be it; and so it will certainly be.
Historical interpretation
Three Centuries of Reception
4 surviving comments on this verse. Each one is dated, so this reads as a timeline rather than a list.
Select a marker to jump to its quote. Markers stagger vertically where authors wrote within a few decades of each other.
Paul also, they affirm, very clearly and frequently names these Aeons, and even goes so far as to preserve their order, when he says, "To all the generations of the Aeons of the Aeon."
"Unto Him be the glory," he concludes, "in the Church and in Christ Jesus, unto all generations forever and ever. Amen."
Well does he close the discourse with prayer and doxology; for right were it that He, who hath bestowed upon us such vast gifts, should be glorified and blessed, so that this is even a proper part of our amazement at His mercies, to give glory for the things advanced to us at God's hands through Jesus Christ.
"The glory in the Church." Well might he say this, forasmuch as the Church alone can last on to eternity.
This glory does not extend over the present time only, as if terminating in the age to come. Rather it extends throughout all generations and all ages. It is eternally ineffable. It abides, develops and increases.
God is to be worshiped both in the present life and in the next. Having thus revealed God’s goodness to them, he proceeds to urge them on to the particular virtues.
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Summary
Ephesians 3:21 concludes Paul's profound prayer for the Ephesian believers with a magnificent doxology, a declaration that all glory belongs to God eternally. This verse encapsulates the ultimate purpose of God's redemptive work: His inherent and manifested glory is to be perpetually acknowledged and displayed within the church, empowered and mediated solely through Christ Jesus, extending without cessation throughout all generations and into eternity itself, affirmed with a resounding "Amen."
Context
Literary Context
This verse serves as the climactic conclusion to Paul's second major prayer in the letter to the Ephesians, which commenced in Ephesians 3:14. Following an exposition of the mystery of Christ revealed to the Gentiles (Ephesians 3:1-13), Paul bows his knees to the Father, praying for the believers' inner strengthening by the Spirit, for Christ to dwell in their hearts through faith, and for them to be rooted and grounded in love, comprehending the immeasurable breadth, length, depth, and height of Christ's love (Ephesians 3:16-19). This leads to the powerful declaration of God's ability to do "exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think" (Ephesians 3:20). Therefore, Ephesians 3:21 is the natural and fitting doxological response, redirecting all praise and honor back to the omnipotent and loving God who accomplishes such wonders.
Historical & Cultural Context
Paul wrote Ephesians likely from Roman imprisonment (c. A.D. 60-62), addressing a church in Ephesus, a prominent city in Asia Minor known for its temple of Artemis (Diana) and a rich tapestry of pagan worship, magic, and philosophical schools. In such a polytheistic environment, Paul's emphatic declaration of singular glory to the one true God, specifically "in the church by Christ Jesus," was a radical counter-cultural statement. The concept of "glory" (Greek: doxa) would have resonated with both Jewish and Hellenistic audiences, though with different connotations. For Jews, it evoked the kabod of Yahweh, His manifest presence and majesty. For Greeks, it could refer to reputation or honor. Paul redefines this glory as belonging uniquely to God, revealed and mediated through Christ, and uniquely displayed through a new community—the church—composed of both Jew and Gentile, a profound unity previously unknown.
Key Themes
Ephesians 3:21 powerfully encapsulates several major themes woven throughout the book of Ephesians. The overarching theme is God's sovereign plan of redemption and unification in Christ, which culminates in His glory. The verse highlights the centrality of Christ Jesus as the mediator and means through whom God's purposes are achieved and His glory is manifested. It emphasizes the unique role of the church as the primary sphere where God's manifold wisdom (Ephesians 3:10) and glory are displayed, not just to humanity but also to the heavenly realms. Finally, the phrase "throughout all ages, world without end" underscores the eternal nature of God's glory and His redemptive plan, ensuring that His praise is not confined to a temporal moment but extends into everlasting perpetuity, reflecting the eternal scope of God's love and power described in Ephesians 1:3-14.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
This term signifies honor, renown, splendor, and majesty. It speaks to God's inherent nature—His intrinsic excellence and radiant being—as well as His visible manifestation of power, holiness, and perfection. In the context of a doxology, it denotes the praise, worship, and honor ascribed to God in recognition of His character and mighty acts. The desire for God's dóxa to be acknowledged is foundational to biblical worship.
Literally meaning "a calling out," this term refers to a popular meeting or, more specifically in the New Testament, a religious congregation. Paul uses it to denote the universal Christian community, the collective body of believers called out of the world and united in Christ. The profound implication here is that the church is not merely a recipient of God's blessings but is divinely purposed to be the instrument and sphere through which God's glory is made manifest to the world and to the spiritual realms.
This word, often translated as "age," "perpetuity," or "world," carries the sense of an indefinite or unending duration, often implying eternity. The phrase "throughout all ages, world without end" (literally "to all generations of the age of the ages") is a strong Hebraic idiom emphasizing an unending succession of time and generations, highlighting the eternal scope of God's praise and His enduring sovereignty. It signifies that God's glory is not limited by any temporal boundaries but extends into infinite perpetuity.
Verse Breakdown
"Unto him be glory"
This opening phrase immediately establishes the recipient and purpose of the doxology. "Him" refers back to God, who is "able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think" (Ephesians 3:20). The phrase "be glory" is a volitional expression, a fervent wish or prayer that glory should be given to God, acknowledging His supreme worthiness of all honor, praise, and adoration. It is a declaration that God's inherent splendor is to be recognized and celebrated.
"in the church"
This specifies the primary sphere or context through which this glory is manifested. The church, as the body of Christ, is not merely a passive recipient of God's grace but is actively designed to be the living demonstration of His power, wisdom, and love. It is within the community of believers, through their transformed lives, unified fellowship, and corporate worship, that God's glory is made visible to a watching world and even to the spiritual authorities (Ephesians 3:10).
"by Christ Jesus"
This crucial phrase identifies the indispensable means or agent through whom God's glory is actualized in the church. Christ Jesus is the mediator, the one through whom believers have access to God and through whom God's redemptive plan is accomplished. It is through His atoning sacrifice, His indwelling Spirit, and His ongoing headship over the church that believers are enabled to live lives that bring glory to God. Without Christ, there is no true glory for God in humanity.
"throughout all ages, world without end."
This double expression emphasizes the eternal and unending duration of God's glory. "Throughout all ages" (Greek: geneas tou aiōnos) refers to every successive generation and period of time, while "world without end" (Greek: tōn aiōnōn) signifies an eternity beyond any conceivable temporal limit. Together, they form a powerful Hebraic idiom for "forever and ever," asserting that God's glory and the praise rendered to Him are not confined to any specific era but will endure perpetually, endlessly.
"Amen."
This Hebrew word, transliterated into Greek and English, serves as a solemn affirmation, meaning "so be it," "truly," or "let it be affirmed." It seals the doxology, expressing profound agreement, conviction, and certainty that the declaration of God's eternal glory, manifested in the church through Christ Jesus, will indeed come to pass and endure forever. It is a corporate declaration of faith and assent.
Literary Devices
Ephesians 3:21 is a powerful example of a Doxology, a formal expression of praise and glory to God. It functions as the grand finale of Paul's prayer, shifting from petition to adoration. The phrase "throughout all ages, world without end" employs Hyperbole and a form of Hebraic Idiom (specifically, a double genitive of time or a superlative expression of eternity, "to all generations of the age of the ages") to emphasize the absolute and unending nature of God's glory. This repetition and intensification underscore the limitless scope of God's reign and the perpetual nature of the praise due to Him. The entire verse also serves as an Inclusio for the prayer begun in Ephesians 3:14, bringing it to a triumphant and worshipful close.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Ephesians 3:21 profoundly underscores the ultimate purpose of all creation and redemption: the glory of God. It reveals that the church, far from being merely a social organization or a human construct, is divinely ordained as the primary earthly sphere where God's manifold wisdom and power are displayed. This display is not achieved through human effort alone but is entirely dependent on and mediated "by Christ Jesus," establishing His indispensable role as the Head of the church and the means of our access to the Father. The eternal scope of this glory assures believers that God's redemptive plan is sovereign, will ultimately triumph, and will endure forever, inviting us into an unending symphony of worship that transcends time.
Reflection and Application
Ephesians 3:21 serves as a foundational reminder for every believer and for the church corporately: our ultimate purpose is to bring glory to God. This doxology challenges us to examine whether our individual lives and our collective church activities truly reflect this divine mandate. It calls us to live Christ-centered lives, recognizing that it is only "by Christ Jesus" that we can genuinely honor God. Our faith, our service, our relationships, and our worship should all be expressions of God's glory, demonstrating His transformative power to a watching world. The eternal nature of this glory provides immense hope and stability, assuring us that our efforts in glorifying God are not fleeting but contribute to an everlasting purpose. It invites us to participate joyfully in God's eternal plan, knowing that His praise will never cease.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What is a doxology, and why is Ephesians 3:21 considered one?
A doxology is a liturgical expression of praise to God, typically a short hymn or a verse that attributes glory, honor, and power to Him. Ephesians 3:21 is considered a doxology because it is a direct and fervent declaration of praise, attributing "glory" to God, affirming His supreme worthiness, and concluding with a solemn "Amen." It marks the culmination of Paul's prayer, shifting from petition and theological exposition to pure adoration.
What is the significance of "in the church" in this verse?
The phrase "in the church" is profoundly significant because it identifies the church as the primary sphere or instrument through which God's glory is made manifest on earth. It implies that the church is not merely a building or an organization, but the living body of Christ, composed of believers whose transformed lives, unity, and corporate worship visibly demonstrate God's power, wisdom, and love to the world and even to spiritual beings (Ephesians 3:10). It highlights the church's divine purpose as a vessel of God's glory.
How does "by Christ Jesus" relate to the church giving glory to God?
The phrase "by Christ Jesus" is critical because it clarifies the indispensable means through which the church can give glory to God. It emphasizes that human effort alone is insufficient. It is only through Christ's redemptive work, His ongoing mediation, His indwelling Spirit, and His headship over the church (Colossians 1:18) that believers are empowered to live lives and engage in worship that truly honors God. Christ is the bridge, the enabler, and the very source of the church's ability to fulfill its glorious purpose.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Ephesians 3:21 finds its ultimate Christ-centered fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ, who is Himself the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of His being (Hebrews 1:3). The glory given to God "in the church" is made possible only because Christ Jesus, through His incarnation, sinless life, atoning death, resurrection, and ascension, perfectly glorified the Father (John 17:4). He is the Head of the church (Ephesians 1:22-23), and it is through His indwelling Spirit that believers are empowered to live lives that reflect God's character and bring Him honor. The church, as Christ's body, becomes the earthly extension of His glorifying work, a living testament to God's redemptive power made manifest through the Son. Ultimately, the eternal nature of this glory, "throughout all ages, world without end," points to the consummation where Christ will present the church to Himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle (Ephesians 5:27), and where God's glory will be the light of the New Jerusalem, with the Lamb as its lamp (Revelation 21:23). Thus, Christ is not only the means but also the very essence of the glory that is eternally ascribed to God.