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the gospel and our fellowship with those who serve is called "fruit" (Phil. 4: 17), and in
contrast with the works of the flesh we have the "fruit of the Spirit" in Gal. 5: 22.
Growth and fruitfulness, though matters of everyday experience and controlled by sun
and shower, seed-time and harvest, yet remain a mystery and a miracle. The poet
plucking a flower from the crannies could say that did he know it root and all, and all in
all, he would know what God and man are. While we may dissent somewhat and believe
that there is a limit to "what may be known of God" from the works of His hand, our
consciousness of the miracle of fruit, flower and growth deepens with knowledge and
observation. This leads us to the third and closing part of the prayer, the prayer for
power.
If we have come to a complete end of ourselves, so complete that such terms as "dead
and buried" are to be taken in their fullest meaning, it is abundantly evident that "fruit"
and "growth" are possible only when life is present. Consequently the third clause is the
prayer that speaks of the "power of His resurrection".
MEANS.--"In (en) all might being strengthened, according to the power of His glory."
END.--"Unto (eis) all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness."
The words "strengthened" and "might" in the Greek are dunamoo and dunamis, words
generally translated "power". The phrase, "His glorious power", reads literally, "the
strength of His glory". When "glory" is used in this way it often includes the thought of
resurrection:--
"Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldst believe, thou shouldst see the glory of
God?" (John 11: 40).
"Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father" (Rom. 6: 4).
Here then is the power and strength of resurrection, the power that can alone produce
fruit and give the divine growth and increase. For this same power the apostle prayed in
Eph. 1: 19, 20:--
"And what is the exceeding greatness of His power to usward who believe, according
to the working of the strength of His might, which He wrought in Christ, when He raised
Him from the dead."
The "power" is often rendered "miracle", as in Acts 2: 22. We should not be wrong if
we sometimes quoted Rom. 1: 16 and Phil. 3: 10 as follows:--
"I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the miracle of God unto salvation."
"That I might know Him, and the miracle of His resurrection."
There are eight references to dunamis, "power", in Ephesians, Philippians and
Colossians, and three references in the closing epistle, II Timothy. Both numbers are
suggestive of resurrection. This great power, this strength of His glory is needed if those
who have died with Christ are to bring forth fruit unto God.