Ephesians 3:18
may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth,
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The verse calls us to "comprehend with all the saints," highlighting that grasping the vastness of Christ's love is not a solitary pursuit but a shared journey with fellow believers. This communal aspect suggests that our understanding deepens and expands not in isolation, but in fellowship and mutual encouragement with the entire body of Christ.
Paul is praying that the Ephesians might be strengthened inwardly to grasp the immense scope of God's plan in Christ. This prayer builds upon the revelation of the mystery of the gospel, which unites Jews and Gentiles into one body, and it follows his own intense desire that believers be rooted and grounded in love. He wishes for them to comprehend dimensions beyond human understanding, so that they might be filled with the fullness of God.
Paul prays for believers to be 'strengthened' to comprehend something vast and almost beyond understanding. What does this kind of spiritual 'strength' look like, and why is it necessary for grasping God's love?
Paul's prayer isn't just a wish; it's a petition for divine empowerment. The Greek word for 'comprehend' (katala-bestai) implies not just intellectual understanding, but a deep, full apprehension – like grasping something with your hands. To do this, he prays believers will be 'strengthened' (exischysēte), meaning to be fully able, empowered by God's Spirit.
This strength isn't for mundane tasks, but for the monumental work of understanding the immeasurable love of Christ. It's a strength that comes from God's riches (Ephesians 3:16), enabling us to grasp dimensions that naturally elude us: the breadth, length, height, and depth of Christ's love.
Breadth, length, height, and depth – these are not just geometric terms. What do these vast dimensions reveal about the nature and scope of Christ's love for us?
When Paul speaks of the 'breadth and length and height and depth' of Christ's love, he's using powerful imagery to convey its immeasurable scope.
These are not separate measurements but a unified picture of a love that encompasses all of reality and all of human experience.
Understand the original words
hagiōn · Greek Noun
Those who are sanctified and set apart as God’s holy people. It refers to the entire community of believers who share in the grace and calling of God.
This passage speaks of the unfathomable nature of God's wisdom, using similar imagery of incomprehensible dimensions like height, depth, breadth, and length. It highlights that God's vastness is beyond human capacity to fully grasp, paralleling Paul's prayer for comprehension of Christ's love.
Psalm 139:7-10This Psalm explores the omnipresence of God, questioning where one could flee from His presence. It touches on the 'height' of heaven and the 'depth' of Sheol, mirroring the immense scope of God's reach and power that Paul seeks for the Ephesians to comprehend.
1 Corinthians 13:12Paul states that we 'see in a mirror dimly' but will one day 'see face to face,' highlighting the partial nature of our current knowledge compared to future full understanding. This resonates with the Ephesians' struggle to comprehend the immeasurable love of Christ, which is only partially understood now but will be fully known later.
Colossians 1:26-27This passage describes the mystery of Christ 'in you, the hope of glory,' which is also described as something that transcends human understanding. It connects the indwelling of Christ with the profound mystery of God's plan, similar to how comprehending the dimensions of Christ's love leads to understanding God's fullness.
Revelation 21:15-16bengelEphesians 3:18: "May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;"
Ephesians 3:18 . Ἐν ἀγάπῃ , in love ) of Christ: Ephesians 3:19 , note.— ἐῤῥιζωμένοι καὶ τεθεμελιωμένοι , rooted and founded [ grounded ]) The root is, of a tree—the foundation , of a house. A Syllepsis[49] precedes, which must thus be explained: that you may have Christ dwelling in you, being rooted , comp. Colossians 2:2 , note; unless the Nominative rather agrees with you may b…
pulpitEphesians 3:18: "May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;"
Verse 18. - May be made strong to comprehend with all the saints. The subject to be comprehended is not only beyond man's natural capacity, but beyond the ordinary force of his spiritual capacity. The thing to be grasped needs a special strength of heart and soul; the heart needs to be enlarged, the mental "hands of the arms" need to be made strong (Genesis 49:24). But the attainm…
The verse calls us to "comprehend with all the saints," highlighting that grasping the vastness of Christ's love is not a solitary pursuit but a shared journey with fellow believers. This communal aspect suggests that our understanding deepens and expands not in isolation, but in fellowship and mutual encouragement with the entire body of Christ.
Paul is praying that the Ephesians might be strengthened inwardly to grasp the immense scope of God's plan in Christ. This prayer builds upon the revelation of the mystery of the gospel, which unites Jews and Gentiles into one body, and it follows his own intense desire that believers be rooted and grounded in love. He wishes for them to comprehend dimensions beyond human understanding, so that they might be filled with the fullness of God.
Paul is praying that the Ephesians might be strengthened inwardly to grasp the immense scope of God's plan in Christ. This prayer builds upon the revelation of the mystery of the gospel, which unites Jews and Gentiles into one body, and it follows his own intense desire that believers be rooted and grounded in love. He wishes for them to comprehend dimensions beyond human understanding, so that they might be filled with the fullness of God.
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Paul doesn't want believers to grasp these dimensions alone. Why is it important to comprehend Christ's love 'with all the saints'?
The prayer for believers to comprehend the love of Christ is explicitly linked to doing so 'with all the saints.' This highlights that our understanding of God's vast love is meant to be a communal experience.
It's a reminder that faith isn't a solitary pursuit but a journey taken together, in fellowship with all who belong to Christ.
The description of the New Jerusalem's dimensions, with its equal length, width, and height, uses literal measurements to represent its perfection and completeness. This echoes Paul's use of spatial dimensions to convey the immeasurable and complete nature of Christ's love and God's plan for His people.
"may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth," — The verse calls us to "comprehend with all the saints," highlighting that grasping the vastness of Christ's love is not a solitary pursuit but a shared journey with fellow believers. This communal as…
