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he asked for prayer that he may have boldness in making known the mystery of the
gospel. What was the secret of the apostle's strength? How could he stand so firm,
though so forsaken and alone? The secret of his strength is ours too:--
"In Whom we have boldness and access with confidence through HIS
FAITHFULNESS" (for this meaning see reply to W.H.G.T. in Volume XII, pp. 91-94).
The man who has boldness, access, confidence before God, and knows that the One he
trusts is FAITHFULNESS itself, need fear the face of no man. Brethren, the time is
short. Signs thicken about us that the last days draw near. The perilous times into which
we enter call for such as Paul the apostle. "Quit you like men. Be strong."
#58.
The Prayer and its connections (Eph. 3: 14-21).
pp. 88 - 90
"For this cause I"--with these words chapter 3: opens. They are followed by the
name "Paul" and the fact that he is a "prisoner". The apostle however desires to make it
plain to the Ephesians that he is a prisoner in a sacred cause, a prisoner as an essential
part of his ministry, he is the prisoner OF Jesus Christ FOR you Gentiles.
He is now started upon a great explanation. What he intended to say when he
commenced with the words "For this cause I" is not revealed in the first thirteen verses of
this chapter. After he has shown that his imprisonment was indeed "for you Gentiles" by
enlarging upon the unique revelation which he had received, namely the mystery, he
rounds off the parenthesis as he had begun by referring to his sufferings "FOR you" as
being "your glory".
The chapter therefore stands thus:--
3: 1.
| "For this cause I"
(Paul's imprisonment "FOR YOU";
His unique ministry; Paul's sufferings "FOR YOU").
3: 14. | "For this cause I" (Then follows the prayer which had been in his heart when
he broke off into the illuminating digression of vv. 2-13).
It will be seen therefore that to get the right connection of the prayer, we must see it in
association with, and arising out of, the truth revealed in chapter 2: The Gentiles, who
previously had been aliens and foreigners, are now made nigh, created a new man, and
fitly framed together as a building, and grow into a holy temple in the Lord, in Whom,
said the apostle, "Ye also are builded together for an habitation of God in spirit". The
Vatican MSs reads "Christ" for "God" here. The key-word is "habitation", which in the
original is katoiketerion. The key-word in the prayer of 14-21 is katoikeo in the sentence
"That Christ may DWELL in your hearts by faith".