Eph 3:14-21 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Eph 3:14-21: 3:14-21 Paul closes this section (1:3–3:21 ) with a second prayer for his readers. The first (1:15-23 ) was for their spiritual understanding, the second (3:14-21 ) is for their spiritual growth and empowerment. 3:14 When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray: Paul resumes what he started to say at the beginning of the chapter (see 3:1 ).

Summary for Eph 3:14-21: 3:14-21 ^a Paul closes this section (1:3–3:21 ^b) with a second prayer for his readers. The first (1:15-23 ^c) was for their spiritual understanding, the second (3:14-21 ^d) is for their spiritual growth and empowerment. 3:14 ^e When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray: Paul resumes what he started to say at the beginning of the chapter (see 3:1 ^f).
Summary for Eph 3:15-16: 3:15-16 ^g the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth (or from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name): There is a play on words between Father (Greek patēr, 3:14 ^h) and family (Greek patria). God is the Creator of everything, including every family—angelic or human, Gentile or Jew (see 2:14-22 ⁱ; 3:6 ^j). So he is the source of glorious, unlimited resources that he gladly gives his children.
3:17 ^k Having Christ ... make his home in your hearts is the source of spiritual power for life and ministry (see John 14:16-17 ^l, 23 ^m; 15:4-5 ⁿ; Gal 2:20 ^o).
3:18 ^p how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is: Christ’s love is great in every dimension (cp. Rom 8:38-39 ^q).
3:19 ^r May you experience (literally know) the love of Christ: The whole Christian life is based on the experience and personal knowledge of God’s grace and love in Jesus Christ (see Rom 12:1 ^s).

• it is too great to understand fully: Christ’s love is much greater than ordinary human love (see Rom 5:6-8 ^t).

• The believer’s life is made complete when it is filled with all the fullness of life and power by the presence of Christ within (see Eph 1:23 ^u; Gal 2:20 ^v; Col 1:27 ^w). The believer then is conformed to his image and reflects God (see Eph 4:14 ^x, 24 ^y; 5:1-2 ^z; Rom 8:29 ^aa; 2 Cor 3:16-18 ^ab).
Summary for Eph 3:20-21: 3:20-21 ^ac This doxology concludes the first section of the letter (see also Rom 16:25-27 ^ad; Gal 1:5 ^ae; 1 Tim 1:17 ^af; 2 Tim 4:18 ^ag; Jude 1:24-25 ^ah). 3:20 ^ai all glory to God: Because of the grace God has shown in Jesus Christ, he deserves nothing less.

• The mighty power at work within us is the power of the living God that raised Christ from the dead (see 1:19-20 ^aj). By that power, he is able to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think, because God is at work in the lives of his children (see Rom 8:31-39 ^ak; Phil 4:13 ^al; Col 1:29 ^am).
3:21 ^an The church—the community of believers, both Jews and Gentiles—is to be the reflection and full expression of the glory of God.