Here the subject is complete and one feature is intentionally compared with the other.

This evident correspondence may be set out thus:

A | Redemption. |

a The forgiveness of sins.

b According to riches of grace.

B | He abounded.

C | Us.

B | Wisdom and prudence.

A | Mystery. |

a The mystery of His will.

b According to His good pleasure.

C | Himself.

Teaching may necessitate "here a little and there a little, line upon line and precept

upon precept", but redeeming grace overflows and knows no reservation; "My cup

runneth over".

We pass from "grace abounding" the beginning of our salvation, to meditate upon

another superlative that is associated with its goal and end.

For this we turn to Eph. 3: where the apostle balances the great chapters of doctrine

(1:-3:) with the corresponding chapters of practice (4:-6:), and bridges the interval by a

prayer, a prayer which leads on and up until the believer reaches the very goal of the

To be able to follow intelligently, or in faith, the apostle in this prayer of

Eph. 3: 14-21 demands at the very least a fairly comprehensive understanding of the

revelation contained in the first three chapters, a revelation that can never be appreciated

apart from what is known as "Dispensational Truth". The mystery in its uniqueness must

be perceived, the entirely new ministry of Paul as the prisoner of Christ Jesus for us

Gentiles must be accepted, and the new and high calling that seats the believer at the very

right hand of God where Christ sitteth, must be believed and entered, before this great

climax prayer can be endorsed or uttered. The reader to whom such things are strange, or

but dimly seen, may feel tempted to turn away from such apparent spiritual pride, such

high sounding claims, such Pharisaic separation; but there awaits us in this prayer a

rebuke to any such overbearing presumption, for the very foundation upon which all our

hopes ultimately rest is declared to be beyond our knowledge.