Paul now begins to exhort, and touchingly speaks of himself as “prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles.” He regarded no second cause, but accepted his imprisonment from the Lord Himself. Precious principle for our hearts at all times! But it was for Gentiles' sake he was suffering. Most of his afflictions were the fruit of Jewish hatred; so repugnant to them was the indiscriminate grace proclaimed by Paul, which leveled fleshly pretensions and distinctions to the dust.
But though the apostle commences to exhort, he goes off into a long parenthesis (not unusual in his epistles), extending from verse 2 to verse 21, in which he explains his knowledge of the mystery of Christ; and he prays for the saints. Doubtless they had heard of the dispensation (or, administration) of the grace of God, which had been given him toward the Gentiles. It was by revelation that the Lord made known to him the mystery, which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto His holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. Paul had had many visions and revelations of the Lord. The Lord's supper was directly revealed to him by the Lord, the manner of the rapture of the saints also; here he speaks of the mystery, Christ and the church. This had not been unfolded in other ages, but “hid in God.” The writings of the Old Testament prophets would be searched in vain for a hint of anything of the kind. Yet it was a purpose formed before the foundation of the world; but God had a time for its unfolding. Jewish apostasy and wickedness must reach their height; Christ must be presented to them and be rejected; redemption must he accomplished; the Son must he exacted as man by the right hand of God; and the Spirit must descend, ere God would open out the eternal purpose formed in His heart for Christ's glory All is now revealed: whence it is announced that the Gentiles should be fellow-heirs, and of the same body and partakers of His promise in Christ by the gospel.
If the time of revealing the mystery was divinely chosen, so also was the instrument. Be felt deeply the grace of the choice; he “became a minister according to the gift of the grace of God.” “Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given.” Elsewhere he expresses himself as “not meet to be called an apostle.” Called by the exalted Lord, when engaged in pursuing His saints to the death, he became His chosen vessel to bear His name before kings, and the Gentiles, and the children of Israel; to preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to enlighten all as to the economy of the mystery of Christ and the church. The result is that the heavenly beings now learn in the church—gathered into union with Christ its exalted Head—the manifold wisdom of God. They had seen His mighty work in creation, and had shouted for joy; they are now privileged to see something more wondrous far in character—the rich fruit of redemption, and the eternal counsels of God—the church formed on earth in time, by the Spirit, to have part in Christ's heavenly glory. What is God's purpose concerning the earth and the kingdom, as compared with this?
In chap. 2:18 the apostle has said, “Through Him we have access by one Spirit unto the Father"; here, “in whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of Him.” Therefore he would not have the saints discouraged by his sufferings; himself gloried in them: they were their glory. Devoted laborer! He had drunk deeply into the affections of the Head for His body the church; and it was his highest joy to serve Him by serving it and suffering for it.
He proceeds to pray for the saints, who were much upon his heart; he bows his knees unto “the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” We have noticed that his prayer in chap. i. is addressed to the God of our Lord Jesus Christ. Here he thinks of their state: he desired it to be good; he longed that they might walk at the height of God's thoughts as revealed.
Verse 15 is better thus— “of whom every family in heaven and earth is named.” There will be several quite distinct circles above and below, enjoying their measure of nearness in blessing. In heaven the church's place is distinct; so is also that of the spirits of just men made perfect (Heb. 12); and angels have their assigned portion; while on earth the Jews and the Gentiles have their respective places of blessing before God.
Having touched upon this passingly the apostle prays for the saints, that the Father would grant them, according to the riches of His glory, to be “strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man.” How forcibly this reminds us of man's inability to find out the things of God! Man not only needs a new nature, and the Spirit to instruct, but needs divine strengthening to receive divine thoughts in detail. This Daniel felt in his day (Dan. 10).
This was not all Paul prayed for, but “that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith.” This is quite a different thought from the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. This is always true, in virtue of redemption, whatever the spiritual state may be; but here we have the conscious enjoyment of Christ within Himself and His love the stay and delight of the soul. What do we know of it? We become thus “rooted and grounded in love,” and able to look out calmly, yet with wonder, upon the boundless sphere of glory opened, in the counsels of God, to our view.
But we comprehend the breadth, and length, and depth, and height (that is, of the mystery) “with all saints.” But there is more. The rich enjoyment of Christ's love, and the understanding of the varied counsels of God enlarge the affections: our hearts share with all the objects of the same wondrous grace—with all who are to have a part in the same glory with Christ. In chap. i. the apostle speaks approvingly of their “love unto all the saints “; and in chap. 6:18, he exhorts to prayer “with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.” This is God's way, though love does not necessarily show itself in the same way toward all. “We know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep His commandments” (1 John 5:22By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. (1 John 5:2)).
In verse 19 we reach the limit; farther we cannot go. He desires our hearts to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge that we may be filled with (into) all the fullness of God. It is not that the vessel can contain all; but it is placed in the fountain, as it were, and is thus filled to its utmost capacity. Are there not heights always to be reached, and depths still to be sounded? But we are enabled for all this by “the power that worketh in us “; which places this prayer in striking contrast with that in chap 1. There he speaks of the power which has wrought for us, displayed in the resurrection and exaltation of Christ; here it is power working in us by the Holy Spirit. Consequently, here we have experience. Fittingly does the apostle close with an ascription of praise; his heart, overwhelmed, could not do otherwise. The church's unique place stands forever. In the church, by Christ Jesus, he desires glory to God unto all generations of the age of ages.