God.  This energizing power is again introduced at the close of the central prayer,

Eph. 3: 20. This prayer asks that the believer may be "strengthened with might by His

spirit in the inner man" this time combining the words dunamis and krataioo which form

a part of the combination of power revealed in Eph. 1: 19, 20. Then, having included in

his request such a glorious possibility as that of Christ dwelling in the heart by faith, the

comprehension with all saints of what is the breadth, length, depth and height, the

"knowledge surpassing love of Christ" (using the word hyperballo as in Eph. 1: 19), and

having nothing less as a goal than being "filled with (eis unto, or up to) all the fullness of

God", introducing the word pleroma, as in Eph. 1: 23 the Apostle comes to the question

of what possible guarantee can there be for an affirmative answer to so mighty a petition.

That guarantee, once again is "the power that worketh in us" (Eph. 3: 20).

The word "power" is veiled from the English reader, who may not realize that the verb

dunamai is translated "able" not only in Eph. 3: 20, but in 3: 4 "may" and 6: 11, 13

and 16 "able".  When the Apostle wrote the parallel epistle to the Colossians, he

employed the words "strengthened with all might according to His glorious power"

(Col. 1: 11). Here the words are dunamis, dunamoo and kratos, and when referring to his

own ministry he again attributes any success he may have achieved to "His working,

which worketh in me mightily", using the words energeia, energeo and dunamis

(verse 29). In Philippians there is but one occurrence of dunamis, namely in Phil. 3: 10

"the power of His resurrection" which the Apostle was most eager to know, and one

occurrence of dunamai, in connexion with the same theme, "the out-resurrection", where

in view of the transfiguration of this body of humiliation to a body of glory like unto that

of the risen Lord Himself, he once again falls back upon the same mighty power

"according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto Himself"

(Phil. 3: 21). Here there is not only the recurrence of the words energeia and dunamai,

but a further reference to the exaltation of the Lord, with all things in subjection beneath

His feet, that we have found already at the close of the first chapter of Ephesians.

Finally this same mighty power was the basis of the Apostle's confidence, even in

view of desertion and death. "I am persuaded", he said, "that He is able to keep that

which has been entrusted, against that day" (II Tim. 1: 12). Had we confined our reading

to the closing verses of Eph. 1:, we should have been impressed with the tremendous

power at our disposal who believe, but as we contemplate its application both to the

Apostle and to the believer in view of ultimate glory, we must surely exclaim "what

manner of persons ought we to be", upheld and energized by such a wealth of power!

Before proceeding to the examination of the closing verses of  Eph. 1:  we are

reminded by a glance at the structure that there is another reference to inworking power

in Eph. 2: 2; we therefore include this passage, in order that the intended contrast shall

be appreciated. We will not attempt to deal with Eph. 2: 1; this will come better in its

place in the exposition, but go straight to the terms "the Prince of the power of the air, the

spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience". Here, by antithesis, this mighty

power, this "Ruler of the authority of the air" is set over against the exalted Lord, his

sphere of activity being "the course or age of this world" and "now". He too employs a