6.1 Words and Phrases: Eph. 3:17-19
© 2015 Christ Revealed Bible Institute
In the lesson on the words and phrases of Romans 8:28-30, we gave only a brief introduction, leaving great vistas of truth found in those words and phrases unexplored. Then we looked at Covenant, that God relates with all things by Covenant – yet the Covenant through which He would relate with us is far more intimate than any other.
Jesus, the Word God is always speaking, is the Bond of that Covenant. Yet this God, this Jesus, this Word, this Bond – lives in our hearts, and we are woven together with the Father through this very Jesus. I want to give a conceptual picture of what that means.
Colors
First, here is my limited effort to place in our minds this reality of symmorphy, of the Father woven together with us through Jesus. Jesus’ part is to bind you and me together as one with the Father. Our part is to believe the Word. The Father’s part is to love through the Word.
Jesus begins with the color of Father and ends with our color, combining us together with every color in-between.
A Model of God’s PictureIn this model of the DNA structure, one side of the strand is Father, the other side of the strand is you or me.
The horizontal points of connection are Jesus personally and Jesus as Word, always both. Notice that, over and over, Jesus as Person/Spirit/Word connects on one side with you or me and on the other side with Father. We could spend an entire course applying DNA to Symmorphy.
Connections
God is a complex Being, to say the least. He is simple of heart, but complex in construction. We are created like Him – so that God can live in us and reveal Himself through us. The only way that can work is that in our makeup we have “millions of receptors” (figuratively speaking) designed for the specific purpose of combining with Word and thus being formed together with Father.
The Bible is large, complicated, and filled with Word, with many words, phrases, ideas, and concepts. Every Word God speaks is meant to connect Father and us together in a symmorphic bond, through Jesus Personal.
Catalyst
The Greek word “catalyst” was not used by any New Testament writer, but it is still useful to us. Kata means “down,” and lyst means “dissolve.” A catalyst is an in-between agent that allows two things that would not normally correspond to connect together through it, because each first connects with this bonding agent. Thus the catalyst “dissolves” a portion of each one, allowing the two to merge together.
In our case, Jesus, the catalyst between God and man, remains as the connecting bond – through every word God speaks. For that reason we apply our active faith to every word.
Verse 17
That Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love.
We could say it this way: “Jesus lives in my heart so that I, coming through faith, can be symmorphosed with Father, coming through love.”
Isn’t this just cool! You know, I’ve been trying to teach Symmorphy for years, I just did not have the vocabulary to make this fusion between Father and us explicit. Now I do. – All reality is built on Word and words.
Briefly, I want to connect us with Father through three words here: dwell, rooted, and grounded, all action verbs.
I Am at Home
- Katoikeó: to inhabit, to settle. I dwell in; I settle in; I am established permanently in; I inhabit.
- katoikéō (from katá, "down, according to," intensifying oikéō, "dwell, reside – living comfortably at home") – properly, settle down as a permanent resident, i.e. in a fixed (permanent) dwelling place as one's personal residence; - "to be exactly at home.“ [The force of the prefix (katá) suggests "down to the finest, exact details."] Adapted from biblehub.com
Rooted and Grounded
First we are talking about our being thrust into Love, into all of Father directed towards us. This is what Jesus does, thrusts us into, entwines us with, braids us together with, roots us into, builds us upon – LOVE. It’s His job; let Him do His job – by your faith that He IS.
- rhizoó: to cause to take root. – I cause to take root; I plant; I fix firmly; I establish.
- themelioó: to lay the foundation of. – I found; I lay the foundation; I firmly establish.
Verse 18
May be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height—
The depths of this verse come out from one word, typically, a verb – to comprehend, or, more specifically, to apprehend.
The width, length, depth, and height mean the same in Greek or in English, or in any language. They apply without limit. Do they mean this? Yes. Do they mean that? Yes. They mean in all directions without limit. They mean that our symmorphy with God, all our connections through Jesus are in every direction and without limit.
To Apprehend
- Katalambanó: to lay hold of, seize.
- I seize tight hold of; I arrest; I catch; I capture; I appropriate; I overtake; I perceive; I comprehend.
- katalambánō (from katá, "down, according to," which intensifies /lambánō, "aggressively take") – properly, take hold of exactly, with decisive initiative (eager self-interest); to grasp something in a forceful (firm) manner; (figuratively) to apprehend (comprehend), "making it one's own.“
Seized
Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Philippians 3:12
Our goal is to grasp the meaning of the ruling verb of Ephesians 3:18 – comprehend. Comprehend includes, but means much more than, “knowing about.” Let me paraphrase Philippians 3:12, using the same word two times, katalambánō.
Since we have been seized in the grip of the Almighty through Christ Jesus, let’s also seize hold of the resurrection and all the life found in it.
– Then Ephesians 3:18 – May be able to seize hold of all the extent of God in us. –
Verse 19
To know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
The Greek word for “to know,” ginosko, holds a range of meaning from simple perception to sexual intercourse. It is the Greek word John used for Jesus’ prayer – this is age-abiding life, that they may GINOSKO You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.
Paul is extravagantly excessive in his superlatives. That means he casts everything as beyond all, beyond all, beyond all. When Paul says that “to know” is “beyond knowing,” he meant the furthest reaches of the word’s meaning – far beyond, far deeper, than sexual intercourse.
Union
To know the love of Christ which passes knowledge.
Let’s go back to the DNA diagram. On our side is faith, yet our faith is the faith of the Son of God – connection! On God’s side is love, yet the Father’s love is the love of Christ – connection!
Faith that works by love – connection.
This knowledge is the absolute bond inside of us, the bond of Christ Jesus, faith on our side and love on the Father’s side, sealing Father and us together inside of absolute LOVE. Rest utterly at all times in that Love. KNOW that Love.
Filled with All of God
That you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
Paul and God are just too much! Yet here we are dealing first with the words, not yet the largest statement in the universe, a statement bigger than all other things God says put together.
Filled with all the fullness of God. All we can do at first is simply contemplate the words. We must allow these words to settle ever more deeply into our beings.
- That - hina: in order that, that, so that (for this purpose).
- Filled - pléroó: to make full, to complete. I fill; I fulfill; I complete. plēróō (from plērēs, "be full") – properly, fill to individual capacity, i.e. to the extent it is appropriate.
- With/unto - eis: to or into (indicating the point reached or entered). eis (a preposition) – properly, into (unto) – literally, "motion into which" implying penetration ("unto," "union") to a particular purpose or result.
- All - pas: all, the whole, every kind of; the total picture including every part.
- Fullness - pléróma: fullness, a filling up. (a) a fill, fullness; full complement; (b) fullness, filling, fulfillment, completion. plḗrōma – "sum total, fullness, even (super) abundance.”
The meaning is unmistakable; the revelation is forever.
All of God
- Of God - theós (of unknown origin) – properly, God, the Creator and owner of all things.
- – [Long before the NT was written, (theós) referred to the supreme being who owns and sustains all things.]
We fit God; God fits us. We are designed to enter into all symmorphy with God.
Beyond All
This “filled with all of God” is not the general sense as in God filling all things because He is omnipresent. This custom design is unique to God’s elect and to the Person of God’s heart.
But the second most important verse in the Bible is not complete without Ephesians 3:20. Here Paul’s excessiveness knows no bounds.
Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.
Beyond, beyond, beyond ALL we could ever imagine – according to the dynamite energizing us!
Let It Be
Look again at the DNA. All of the dynamite energizing this symmorphic union to be our only reality comes entirely out from the Father, flowing through Christ, and cementing us, entwining us, braiding us together with Himself.
This is the Father’s intention. This is the Father’s determination.
This is the Father’s work. This is the Father’s doing.
We have one job to do – Christ living as us. We BELIEVE that He IS.
Let it be to me according to Your word.