Author: Will

Ephesians 4:2 – Humble, Gentle, Patience

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with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love,

Truth to Learn

As we serve God and others within the church, we need to keep in mind how He treats us.

Behind the Words

The word “lowliness” is translated from the Greek noun tapeinophrosunē. This is made up of tapeinos, meaning “lowly attitude or low social position” and a form of phrēn, which refers to “a person’s feelings.” Tapeinophrosunē refers to “an attitude of humility” or “humbleness.” This word implies an attitude about self (humble, not proud).

“Gentleness” is translated from praotēs, which refers to “meekness, mildness, or gentleness.” This word implies an attitude toward others (not harsh, demanding, or judgmental) and how we feel about what others do to us.

The word “longsuffering” is from makrothumia, which is a compound word made up of makros, meaning “long” and thumos, which refers to “fierceness” or “wrath.” It refers to the ability to patiently endure adversity or unfair treatment without getting angry.

Anechomai is the Greek verb translated here as “bearing with.” It is composed of ana, meaning “up” and a form of echo, meaning “to hold.” So, it means “to hold oneself up;” that is, “to restrain oneself.” When referring to our actions towards others, it means “to bear up” or “to patiently endure.”

Meaning Explained

In yesterday’s verse Paul urged us to live our lives in a manner that is consistent with our calling from God. In our discussion of that verse we talked about the fact that every Christian has a calling, that is, an area of service within the church. In today’s verse he tells us how we are to perform that calling. Whether your function involves a lot of responsibility or a little, you are to perform it with a humble spirit. This is especially true of a position that requires a lot of talent and/or training, or one of leadership. Let us take Moses as our example here. In spite of the stubbornness and rebellion of the Israelites even to the point of questioning his leadership, we are told this about him:

(Now the man Moses was very humble, more than all men who were on the face of the earth.) (Numbers 12:3)

In addition to having a humble attitude about ourselves, we are to perform our calling with meekness and gentleness towards others. Since every function within the church involves others, it is easy for some of us to get impatient or judgmental with those who don’t respond to us the way we want them to. Nonetheless, Paul tells us to be gentle with others. And this leads us to the third thing Paul teaches us about performing our calling. We are to do it with patient endurance. We are not to be easily angered or frustrated by what others do or don’t do. Instead, we are to restrain ourselves and patiently endure so that we can strengthen each other with our acts of love.

Application

This is a tall order that Paul gives us as we serve God within the church. None of us will do it perfectly. Nonetheless, if we keep in mind how gentle and patient God is with us, it will be easier for us to treat others the same way. Let us serve Him as humble, gentle, patient, supportive servants.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2011 Will Krause. All rights reserved.

Ephesians 4:1 – Serve One, Serve All

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I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called,

Truth to Learn

We are all called to serve in God’s church.

Behind the Words

“Prisoner” is from desmios, which is derived from the verb desmeō, meaning “to bind.” Thus, desmios means “someone in bonds” or “a prisoner.”

The word “beseech” is translated from the Greek verb parakaleō, which is made up of para, meaning “to the side of” or “near” and kaleō, meaning “to call.” Therefore, we can see that literally this word means “to call near.” In usage, the basic meaning is “to comfort,” “to encourage,” or “to challenge.”

“Walk” is from peripateō. This is made up of peri, meaning “around,” “through,” or “with respect to” and pateō, meaning “to walk.” This Greek word means “to walk around.” It is used as a reference to how a person lives his or her life.

The word “calling” is klēsis, which is derived from kaleō, “to call.” It refers to “an invitation.”

“You were called” is translated from the verb kaleō, “to call.” It is expressed in the aorist tense indicating past completed action which occurred at a point in time (not a process).

Meaning Explained

The Apostle Paul starts off this verse reminding his readers that he is a prisoner of the Lord. This is very similar to the way he started off the previous chapter. There, he did so to introduce his ministry to the Gentiles and the mystery regarding the church. Here, he reminds them that he is a prisoner because he is about to challenge his readers to live a life that is characterized by service to others rather than serving self. As a prisoner, he is a supreme example of this.

Most of the first three chapters of this letter were focused on teaching doctrine. In the remainder of the letter, Paul focuses on duty. Another way to say this is, previously he taught us what to believe; now he will teach us how to behave.

As you can see from Behind the Words, in this verse Paul uses several forms of the word kaleō (to call). This is typical Pauline style. He likes to play on words like this as a device to drive home his message. He is in prison because God called him to preach the gospel to Gentiles, thus angering religious Jews who thought he was perverting Judaism. He was more concerned with serving God than he was with protecting himself. In fact, before his final trip to Jerusalem, where he was arrested, he was told by a prophet that he would end up in chains:

When he [the prophet Agabus] had come to us, he took Paul's belt, bound his own hands and feet, and said, "Thus says the Holy Spirit, 'So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man who owns this belt, and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.' " (Acts 21:11)

Paul was totally dedicated to the ministry to which he had been called. Now he will be challenging us to be just as dedicated to the ministry to which each of us has been called.

Application

Every Christian has been called by God to serve within the body of Christ. Each of us has a function to perform for which God has specifically gifted us. There is no excuse for any of us not to be serving. Are you performing the ministry to which you have been called by God?

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2011 Will Krause. All rights reserved.

Ephesians 3:21 – Praise God!

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to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Truth to Learn

God deserves all our praise!

Behind the Words

The word “glory” is translated from doxa, from which we get our English word doxology. It is derived from the verb dokeō, meaning “thought or opinion, especially favorable human opinion.” The word doxa refers to “honor, praise, glory, splendor, excellence, or renown.”

“Church” is from the Greek word ekklēsia, a compound word made up of ek, meaning “out” or “out of” and a form of kaleō, meaning “to call someone.” Therefore, ekklēsia refers to “a called out group of people.” It was a common term for a congregation or “citizens who were called out to assemble for a public meeting.”

The word “generations” is translated from genea, which is derived from the verb ginomai, meaning “to come into being.” Initially this word simply meant “a generation,” but later it came to refer to “a space of time” or “a circle of time.” As it is used in this verse, it clearly refers to “generations.”

“Forever and ever” is an interesting expression. The Greek words are tou aiōnos tōn aiōnōn, which literally translate to “of the age of the ages.” So technically, “forever and ever” is a paraphrase, but it is probably the closest English expression to expressing the idea of the Greek words.

Meaning Explained

Paul is now closing the prayer for the members of the church in Ephesus (and by extension for all Christians). This prayer, which began in verse fourteen, contains four petitions:

  1. That the Father would strengthen us internally by the Holy Spirit
  2. That Christ would dwell in our hearts through faith
  3. That we might experientially know the love of Christ
  4. That we would be filled with all the fullness of God

Take a minute to recognize how effective Paul’s prayer is. All of us who are committed Christians experience all four of those things that Paul prayed for. Thank you, Paul!

In closing his prayer, the Apostle first proclaimed that God has more than enough power to do far more than we could ever ask or think, indicating how mighty He is. Now he proclaims a statement of the recognition that God deserves.

Notice that Paul proclaims the renown, the honor, and the praise that God is due (and which He receives) within the church. Outside the church, however, we see that God receives very little recognition for who He is or for what He has done. For the most part, those outside the church want to ignore God. Like ostriches, they think that if they hide their head in the sand by denying their own sinfulness or God’s sovereignty, they won’t have to face the consequences of their sins. How wrong they are, and how horrified they will be when they finally discover the truth and their fate.

Application

Like Paul, let us give God the recognition, honor, and praise that He is due. He deserves it all, and we owe Him all that we can possibly give to Him.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2011 Will Krause. All rights reserved.

Ephesians 3:20 – Mighty Prayer Power

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Ephesians 3:20  – Mighty Prayer Power

Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,

Truth to Learn

God is able to answer our greatest and mightiest prayers.

Behind the Words

“Now” is translated from the connective particle de, which usually serves to introduce a new thought or idea. It is variously translated as “and, but, now, or moreover.”

“Able” is translated from the Greek verb dunamai, meaning “to have the ability or power to do something.”

The words “exceedingly abundantly” are translated from the Greek word huperekperissou. This is a double compound word made up of huper (hyper) meaning “above” or “beyond,” ek, used as an intensifier, and a form of perissoteros, meaning “abundantly more.” Thus, you can see that this word expresses the idea of “more than a huge amount.”

“Ask” is from aiteō, which we saw back in verse thirteen, meaning “to ask” or “to beg.” It is expressed here in the middle voice, so it could be interpreted as “ask for ourselves.”

The word “works” is from the verb energeō, which means “to be actively at work.” It is expressed as a participle.

Meaning Explained

Before we get to today’s verse, let’s look at something we left out of yesterday’s verse. The second half of that verse contained the fourth in a series of petitions in Paul’s prayer to God the Father. He prayed that we might be filled with all the fullness of God. But, what does he mean by “the fullness of God?” The best way to answer this question is by Scripture itself. In Colossians 2:9 Paul said, “For in Him [Christ] dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.” So, when Paul prayed that we might be filled with all the fullness of God he was asking that we be completely filled with Christ.

Paul now closes his prayer with a doxology. Translating this doxology is a little tricky, let’s see why. The words “above all” are part of an independent clause associated with the verb translated “do.” The next clause in the Greek text begins with “exceedingly above” and is associated with “all that we ask or think.” Therefore, the first part of this verse should probably be translated as, “Now to Him who has the power to do beyond all, exceedingly above all that we ask for ourselves or think …”

This doxology proclaims the power that the Father has to answer our prayers. Since the word translated “works” is a participle, it indicates a continual working, not an off- and-on thing. Also, God’s power (His ability) is greater than that possessed by any created thing. It is so great, according to Paul, that it exceeds that which is necessary to satisfy anything we could ask for and above all that we could even think of asking.

Paul’s expression “the power that is working in us” is probably a reference to the Holy Spirit of God, for it is the Holy Spirit that manifests God’s power to mankind.

Application

When we pray to God the Father, we should not pray selfishly. Neither should we pray sheepishly; that is, we should not be afraid to ask God to do great and marvelous things. Rather, we should pray boldly, so that when our prayers are answered the credit can go to no one other than our great and powerful God. Answered prayers bring praise to God alone!

In God’s service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2011 Will Krause. All rights reserved.

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Ephesians 3:19 – Knowledge by Experience

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Ephesians 3:19  – Knowledge by Experience

to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Truth to Learn

You can only really know God’s love by experience.

Behind the Words

There is a tiny Greek particle that is left out of our translation here. It is the word te, which is a particle of connection meaning “and, also, or even.” Thus, this verse should start out, “and to know …”

The word translated “to know” is the infinitive form of ginōskō, which refers to “knowing something completely, usually by experience.” So, we could say “to fully know.”

“Passes” is from huperballō, which is made up of huper (or hyper), meaning “above” or “beyond” and ballō, meaning “to throw.” Thus, we see that huperballō literally means “to throw beyond.” In general usage the meaning is “to exceed” or “to go beyond.” It is expressed here as a participle (being beyond).

“Knowledge” is from gnōsis. This is derived from ginōskō, which we just looked at.

Putting all this together we see that the opening part of this verse could be translated, “and to know by experience the love of Christ which is beyond knowing …”

Meaning Explained

We are in the middle of a worshipful prayer of the Apostle Paul which he is praying for his beloved friends in the church at Ephesus. By extension, this prayer is presented on behalf of all Christians. The first two of the four petitions in this prayer were that God the Father would strengthen our inner man by means of God the Holy Spirit and for Christ to dwell in our hearts through faith.

The third petition began in verse seventeen and ends in today’s verse; it is “that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— and to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge.”

The crux of all this is in today’s verse: “for us to fully know (by experience) the love of Christ which is beyond intellectual knowledge” [my paraphrase]. Not only does Paul pray that we might understand how huge and all-encompassing (width, length, depth, and height) God’s love is, he also prays that we might know that which is unknowable.

There are many people (saved and unsaved) who talk about the love of God but who don’t really know God’s love. According to Paul, it is not something that you can study and learn about by reading books and listening to others talk about. Sure, you can recognize God’s love at work, but you can’t gain a full understanding of it that way. Only those who have experienced God’s love through His mercy, His grace, His miraculous provision, and His comfort in times of need, can really know what it’s like.

Application

If you’ve never gone through times of difficulty in your Christian walk, if you’ve never felt helpless and had to rely completely on Him, if you’ve never felt trapped by your own sinfulness, begging for His mercy, if you’ve never fallen before God with a completely broken spirit, then you don’t really understand His love. If you have, then you know by experience the kind of love that only God can show! Praise be to God!

In God’s service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2011 Will Krause. All rights reserved.

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Ephesians 3:18 – Foundational Understanding

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Ephesians 3:18  – Foundational Understanding

may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height—

Truth to Learn

Christian lives must be based on and rooted in Jesus Christ.

Behind the Words

“May be able” is translated from the verb exischuō, a compound word made up of ex, used as an intensifier and ischuō, meaning “to have strength.” Exischuō means “to be in full strength” or “to be abundantly able.” It is expressed here in the subjunctive mood, indicating the possibility or probability of this happening.

The word “comprehend” is from the Greek verb katalambanō. This word is made up of kata, used as an intensifier and lambanō, meaning “to take.” Thus, katalambanō means “to completely take” or “to firmly take hold of.” The context indicates that it is a “taking to one’s mind,” that is, “understanding” or “comprehending.”

“Saints” is from the Greek word hagios, which is based on hagos, meaning “that which inspires awe.” The basic meaning of hagios is “that which is set apart from common use to be used in the service of God.” Therefore, hagios is sometimes translated “holy” or “sanctified.” All Christians have been set-apart from the world and set-apart to God, which is precisely the meaning of the word “saint.” In the Bible this term does not refer to someone who has been declared to be a saint by the church, but someone who has been declared righteous by God.

Meaning Explained

In our discussion of yesterday’s verse, we mentioned that the end of that verse belongs with this verse. When we put them together we read:

that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height—

So, what does it mean to be rooted and grounded in love? This could be taken to mean that as Christians all of our actions and deeds spring forth from the ideal of perfect love. Or, it could be taken to mean that all of our deeds and actions spring forth from God who is love according to the Apostle John:

He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. (1 John 4:8)

Paul uses two separate metaphors to express the source of our knowledge of His love. The first is a botanical metaphor: the source of our understanding is that into which our roots are sunk for nourishment. The second is an architectural metaphor: the base on which we build our understanding is the foundation of our lives – Christ.

Now Paul tells us that as we derive our spiritual nourishment from Him and as we build our life and service on Him, we will understand the width, length, depth, and height of … We will find out “of what” in tomorrow’s verse.

Application

Is your life built upon faith in Jesus Christ? Are your deeds based on the foundation that has been laid for us by Jesus, the Apostles and Prophets? If not, you won’t really understand God. If so, you will comprehend God and His love for you.

In God’s service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2011 Will Krause. All rights reserved.

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Ephesians 3:17 – Indwelling Christ

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Ephesians 3:17  – Indwelling Christ

that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love,

Truth to Learn

Christ dwells in the heart of every Christian.

Behind the Words

“Dwell” is from the Greek verb katoikeō, which is made up of kata, meaning “down” used here as an intensifier, and oikeō, meaning “to dwell” or “to reside.” Thus, katoikeō means to dwell permanently. In Greek it represents a distinct difference from paroikeō, meaning “to dwell temporarily.”

The Greek word translated “hearts” is kardia, from which we get the medical term “cardiac” referring to the heart.

The word “rooted” is from the Greek verb rhidzoō, which is based on the noun rhidza (from which we get the botanical term rhizome, meaning “a root”). It is expressed here in the perfect tense indicating past completed action with an ongoing effect, where the emphasis is on the effect.

“Grounded” is translated from themelioō, which is indirectly based on the verb tithemi, meaning “to put in place.” Themelioō means “to put a foundation in place.” This word is also expressed in the prefect tense.

Meaning Explained

Paul is in the midst of worshipping God through prayer. It is a prayer specifically for the Christians in the church at Ephesus, but in general it is intended for all Christians. As we noted in yesterday’s verse, there are five specific petitions contained in this prayer. The first, which we looked at yesterday, was that God the Father would strengthen our inner man; this is to be done by God the Holy Spirit.

The second petition of Paul’s prayer is for Christ to dwell in our hearts through faith. In translating from any language into another language there are situations where the exact meaning of the source language is difficult to express in the target language. This is the case here. It appears from the translation that Christ may dwell in our hearts through faith, but then again, He may not. That is NOT what the Greek text says. In fact, in the Greek the verb translated “dwell” is expressed as an infinitive, so a literal translation might be “that Christ to dwell in your hearts …” but that doesn’t make sense in English. This particular infinitive is an aorist infinitive which indicates completed action, so we could actually translate this as “that Christ dwells in your hearts …” Paul is praying to the Father for all those in Ephesus to be born-again Christians.

Notice, also, that from verses fourteen through seventeen Paul is praying to the Father to strengthen by the Holy Spirit and to indwell the believer with Christ (the Son) through faith. All three persons of the Godhead are at work together here in the lives of believers.

Based on the Greek grammatical structure of this and the following verse, the second half of this verse is actually part of the next verse, so we will look at it tomorrow.

Application

Does Christ dwell in your heart (a completed action)? If you have accepted His blood, through faith, as payment for your sins, then He does. This indwelling is not a process; it doesn’t gradually happen. It happened once and for all the moment you believed the gospel message.

In God’s service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2011 Will Krause. All rights reserved.

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Ephesians 3:16 – Prayer of Strength

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Ephesians 3:16  – Prayer of Strength

that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man,

Truth to Learn

The Apostle Paul prayed for strength for us in our time of need.

Behind the Words

“He would grant” is from the verb didōmi, meaning “to give.” It is expressed here in the subjunctive mood, indicating the possibility of this occurring.

The expression “riches of His glory” is a reference to the wealth of goodness that God possesses.

The words “to be strengthened” are translated from the verb krataioō, which means “to increase in strength and power.”

“With might” is from dunamis (from which we get our English word “dynamite”), meaning “power or might.”

“Inner” is translated from esō, meaning “inside” or “that which is within.”

Meaning Explained

We mentioned in verse fourteen that Paul is bowing in worship to the Father. The particular form of worship here is a prayer for his friends in the church in Ephesus (and by application, for all believers).

This prayer of Paul’s contains five petitions, the first of which is identified here. He prays that we might be strengthened with might. On the surface that appears to be a redundant statement. How else would we be strengthened but with strength or might? It appears that what Paul is asking is that God would strengthen us “with His might.” After all, we have very little strength within ourselves. By ourselves we are no more than sinners on a downhill road to Hell. But – through God’s power and the abundance of His glorious riches, He can strengthen us with His mighty strength.

That this is Paul’s intention is borne out by the next phrase, “through His Spirit.” The way that God gives us some of His strength is through the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is God’s channel of blessing to us.

In the previous two verses we talked about the “ranking” of the three persons of the Godhead. This is not to say that any one of the three is more important than either of the other two. It’s just that for the purpose of dealing with the finite minds of fallen mankind, they have established a hierarchy. Each one of the three persons performs a necessary function. The Holy Spirit, as mentioned in this verse, is the one who enables God-given abilities within us. He is, in a sense, the conduit through which the power and enabling of God is “fed” to us. Thus, the “gifts of the Spirit” referred to in 1Corinthians and Hebrews, are really gifts of God, but they are given to us through the Holy Spirit.

In today’s verse Paul makes it clear that the strengthening power is not a physical or muscular strengthening. It is an inner strength. It is the inner strength which has allowed Christians throughout history to endure incredible hardships, and it reflects all the glory of God back on Him.

Application

Do you need inner strength to get you through a difficult situation? Rest assured that the Apostle Paul has already asked the Father to give you that strength. He prayed for you!

In God’s service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2011 Will Krause. All rights reserved.

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Ephesians 3:15 – Father, God

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Ephesians 3:15  – Father, God

from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,

Truth to Learn

God, the Father, is the head of our holy family.

Behind the Words

“From” is translated from the Greek preposition ek, which most often translates as “out of.” When used with the genitive case, as it is here, it indicates “coming from the origin or source of something.”

The word “whole” is from pas, which can be translated as “all, any, every, or the whole.” Expressed here in the singular defining a singular noun (family), it expresses the idea of “all” or “the whole.”

The word “family” is translated from patria, which is derived from pater, meaning “father.” Patria expresses a group of people descendent from the same father. Thus, the most accurate translation of the opening of this verse is “from whom the whole family …” as we have in our translation here.

Meaning Explained

Continuing from yesterday’s study, we saw that Paul was expressing the notion of bowing his knee, that is worshipping, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. In that verse we made a special point that of the three persons of the Trinity we are to worship and pray to the Father, not the Son or the Holy Spirit.

You may recall back in verse eleven we talked about the plan that the three persons of the Godhead put together before anything was created. As part of that plan, those who would be saved were chosen (Ephesians 1:4) and the method of revealing the mystery of the church was determined. Another significant part of that plan was how the three persons of the Trinity were to relate to each other. The father was to be the highest in authority, which Jesus (the Son) affirmed:

Then Jesus said to them, When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things. (John 8:28)

He made similar statements in John 5:19; John 5:30; John 7:28; and John 14:10. Likewise, Jesus told us that both He and the Father had authority over the Holy Spirit:

But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you … (John 14:26)

But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth … (John 15:26)

And, it is with this same authority, given by the Father, that Jesus sent His disciples:

So Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” (John 20:21)

Now Paul tells us that he worships the Father and identifies Him as the supreme authority, saying from Him the whole family gets its name. Not the name “Christian,” for that only describes those of us in the church age who are saved, but the family of God the Father of the righteous in heaven and earth.

Application

Christians have a very special place in the family of God. Not only are we His children, but we have been set-apart as the bride of His Son. We will inherit His eternal estate and we will live in His home with Him forever! Hallelujah!

In God’s service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2011 Will Krause. All rights reserved.

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Ephesians 3:14 – Worship Him

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Ephesians 3:14  – Worship Him

For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

Truth to Learn

God wants us to worship Him.

Behind the Words

The phrase “For this reason” is translated from toutou charin. Toutou means “this” and charin is the direct object form (accusative case) of charis, which means “a favor or a gift.” When charin is used as a preposition, as it is here, it means “through favor of” or “because of.” Therefore, toutou charin means “because of this” or “for this reason.”

“Bow” is from kamtō, which means “to bend;” that is, “to bend the knees in homage or worship.”

“Father” is translated from patēr, which generally refers to “the male parent.” In its plural form it refers to both father and mother. Here it refers to the first person of the Godhead.

The phrase, “of our Lord Jesus Christ” does not appear in the oldest Greek manuscripts and probably should be omitted.

Meaning Explained

Paul started off the first verse of this chapter with the same expression, “For this reason.” He then got side-tracked with an explanation of his ministry of revealing the mystery of the church. Now he finally gets back on track. So, what is Paul referring to when he says, “For this reason?” In order to answer that question, we have to look back at the end of chapter two. There Paul talked about how we Gentiles were once far away from God, without Christ, strangers from God’s covenant promises to Israel, and having no hope since we were without God. He also says that now, through Jesus Christ, we Gentiles have access to God along with the Jews. Then he told us that we are being built as God’s temple as His dwelling place.

Because of this, because we Gentiles now have the same access to God that the Jews have had, Paul says he bows in humble submission to God the Father. Notice that he does not say that he bows to Jesus, but to “the Father.” Nowhere in Scripture are we told to worship Jesus, bow to Jesus, or pray to Jesus. Neither are we told to worship, bow to, or pray to the Holy Spirit. Now, before you get out your clubs and prepare to beat me as a heretic, let me be clear that the Father, the Son, and the Spirit are each (and all) God. We ARE told to worship God, to humble ourselves to God, and to pray to God. But we are not told specifically to worship Jesus or the Holy Spirit, or to pray to either one of them. Jesus said:

But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. (John 4:23)

But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. (Matthew 6:6)

I may be accused of splitting hairs here, but if the Father wants us to worship Him and we are told to pray to Him, then we shouldn’t start our prayers with, “Dear Jesus …”

Application

Because of what God has done for us, because He has given us access to Himself through the sin-cleansing blood of Jesus Christ, let’s bow to Him and worship Him with all our heart! Without His plan and His work, we would be destined for Hell.

In God’s service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2011 Will Krause. All rights reserved.

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