Bible Commentaries
Ephesians 3

Verse 8

PAUL’S HUMILITY

‘Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ.’

Ephesians 3:8

This deep and genuine self-abasement in an Apostle of exalted eminence may well excite our admiration, but it also invites us to come and learn of him that we may have a clearer view of our own deficiencies. It also calls on us to examine ourselves—and ascertain how far we may be entitled (as was the Apostle) to that blessing which our Saviour has promised to those who are meek and lowly in heart.

I. In what did St. Paul’s humility consist?—How did it manifest itself? Clearly not in words alone. There is so much honesty and integrity in his writings as at once to impress us with the conviction that the humility which appears in his language was also to be found in his heart and life.

( a) In reading the writings of this Apostle, we may notice the entire submission of his mind to the mind of God—the simple and hearty reception which he gave to every Divine truth.

( b) The writings of St. Paul prove the greatness of his humility, by showing us that the highest spiritual attainment could not make him forget his own sinfulness.

( c) The humility of St. Paul was also manifested in the low opinion he had of himself when compared with his Christian brethren—he speaks in the text not the unmeaning language of compliment, but the language of godly sincerity.

( d) But St. Paul’s humility was also apparent in his constant and simple dependence upon Christ. If ever man had anything in himself on which he might build his hopes it was surely this Apostle.

II. Consider now by what means that spirit of self-abasement which reigned in St. Paul’s heart may be maintained in our hearts. In making this inquiry let us ever remember that, in spiritual things, we have no power in ourselves to do anything as of ourselves—we are not able to plant a single spiritual grace in our hearts—and when the spiritual seed has been planted there, we have no power to preserve it alive and cause it to bring forth fruit. Every spiritual grace is the gift of God for Christ’s sake—His free gift.

( a) One of these means is this— a frequent remembrance of our former iniquities, and an abiding sense of our present sinfulness.

( b) However high then may be the attainment of any believer, let him with this great apostle consider his past life.

( c) And in contrast with our polluted, sunken state, it must increase our humility frequently to meditate on the purity and majesty of God.

( d) If we would become more like St. Paul we must look more to Christ. ‘Learn of Me,’ says our Saviour, ‘for I am meek and lowly in heart.’ To Him then should we apply to subdue the pride of our hearts, as well as blot out the sins of our lives; He is our Sanctifier, as well as our Saviour, to Him also should we look as a bright example of humility.

Rev. Dr. Brewster.

Verse 17

LOVE BASED ON KNOWLEDGE

‘Rooted and grounded in love.’

Ephesians 3:17

Sentimental love is seldom the genuine article, since those who feel most say the least. And the idea that religion should be grounded on sentiment, and reserved for those who ‘have a genius for it,’ is utterly false. It was intended for all men, not merely to gratify natural tastes and aptitudes. It should act at first on the heart as a strong remedy, not as a soporific to lull it into false security. It is hardly a paradox to say that the really good man has very rarely a genius for religion.

If, however, we regard love not as a mere sentiment, but as something more solid to employ St. Paul’s phrase, ‘the root and groundwork’ of the character, we shall find that it is possible to love even that which did not seem at first attractive.

I. Love seeks for further knowledge, and that knowledge frequently produces love. Supposing anyone were to profess devotion to some art—say, music—and we found that he had never taken the trouble to gain any knowledge about it, to learn either to play or sing, to ascertain what were its laws, or how good music could be distinguished from bad. Would you believe he had any real love of music? The first beginning of any sort of love is the desire for further knowledge. Or we may regard the matter from another standpoint—namely, that of knowledge producing love. As a rule our propensity is to despise and to underrate that which we do not understand. Imagine, however, a little knowledge of some pursuit overcoming the initial dislike of it, and further acquaintance with the subject causing enthusiasm. Is it not easy to realise how, with increasing knowledge, when we see it in all its bearings, its breadth and depth, and length and height, that the early enthusiasm turns to a strong abiding passion, and that that which we almost hated before we had knowledge, we have loved in proportion as our knowledge increased? It is the same with persons. ‘Love at first sight’ is not to be compared with the love which is increased by fuller knowledge, for the latter has borne the sternest of tests and is proved true.

II. No knowledge is worth having which is not in some degree based on love.—You cannot teach anything till the learner is either interested or realises its importance to himself; since by so doing he shows a desire to have a mastery of something which he understands to be a prime necessity. Genius is said to be the capacity for taking infinite pains; but this really means that the enthusiasm, the love for what he undertakes, makes the man of genius realise the importance of bringing it as near as possible to perfection.

III. What can be of more importance than the knowledge of God?—Success, wealth, comfort, ease are not the best ends of life. No good man, to whatever religion or philosophy he may be attached, will ever tell you this. The highest ends, they will all agree, are to be true to ourself, to do our duty to our fellow-men, to follow the highest ideals it is possible for us to conceive. And if we realise this, however hard it may be to conceive of the nature of God, we are yet face to face, not with mere abstractions, but with some very concrete realities. You may read your Bible from cover to cover and not discover any theories about God’s essence, transcendence, infinitude. From the wrestling of Jacob at Penuel to the vision of St. John at Patmos one thing is plain—that the mind of man cannot conceive Him in His entirety any more than the eye can see Him. What is revealed is, however, before all things practical. God is Justice, Righteousness, Love. God watches over His people, hears their prayers, is to them as a Father. And to seek God is to strive to carry out those things which both revelation, nature, and conscience declare to be His Will.

The love we are called upon to feel is not beyond our reach. It is the gift of the Father through the Son, and it can become the root and the foundation of the life of each one of us. By it Christ may dwell in your hearts and mine through faith; to the end that, being rooted and grounded in love, we may be strong to apprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Rev. Canon Foakes-Jackson.

Verse 19

THE LOVE OF CHRIST

‘To know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge.’

Ephesians 3:19

Well does St. Paul speak of ‘the love which passeth knowledge.’ We may go on to know more of it, but we can never know it all.

I. We ourselves would always be conscious of this love which ‘our Saviour has to us,’ but too often the sense of it grows faint; it is intermittent or seems to be suspended altogether, so that we lose the strength and joy that it cannot fail to bring when we realise it; but thank God, it comes back to us again.

II. It will help us ‘to keep ourselves in that love,’ if we will bear in mind one or two things.

( a) Let us be persuaded that the love of God is real and unchangeable for all ‘who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope which has been set before them’ in the gospel. God says to such, ‘I have loved thee with an everlasting love, therefore with loving kindness have I drawn thee.’ While we have too frequent cause to doubt our own love to Him, and must ever be ashamed when we think how poor and cold it is at its utmost, let us never grieve Him by doubting His love to us.

( b) Let it be one of the ultimate facts, one of the postulates which you must always take for granted, that Christ loves you. You are to believe it because God has revealed it, and not because of the comfort and joy which the knowledge of it may have given you in the past. Never let go your hold upon the truth that ‘God is love’; that God in Christ loves you. There you have ‘the hope of the gospel’ from which you must never let yourself ‘be moved away.’

III. The sense of God’s love will vary in the degree in which we ‘abide in Christ.’—We shall know more of it in the measure that we surrender ourselves to Him in a life of obedience to His holy will and commandment. As we abide in Him and His life flows into our being, the experience of His love to us will grow and deepen.

—Rev. F. K. Aglionby.

(SECOND OUTLINE)

LOVE A LIVING POWER

The sublimity of this chapter universally recognised. Some precious doctrinal truths are clearly stated; but the end of all doctrine is that it may transform the life. And so in closing verses Apostle dwells upon the most practical lesson of all—the love of Christ.

Text seems at first sight paradoxical; but there is a knowledge, just as there is a science, ‘falsely so called’; and the love of Christ cannot be interpreted by it.

But to the humble believing soul it may be given to know something of its breadth and depth, and length and height.

The spotless Life, the atoning Death, the triumphant Resurrection—these tell us much of His love, and His abiding Presence in His Church makes His love a living Power to-day. It is—

I. A drawing force—attracting men to God.

II. A restraining force—forbidding men to offend.

III. A constraining force—urging men on to duty, and investing it with a new beauty of character.

IV. A growing force.—When once planted in the heart it increases.

V. A continuing force.—‘Nothing shall separate us from the love of Christ.’

And then when the glory comes we shall know even as we are known.