To Him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.
Truth to Learn
God is mighty in position and power, deserving of our worship now and for all eternity.
Behind the Words
Some translations begin this verse with “To Him be the glory and the dominion …” The best Greek manuscripts, however, do not contain the Greek word for glory, so we have left it out in our translation.
The word translated “dominion” is the Greek word kratos, which literally means “strength” or “might,” but it carries more of the meaning “especially manifested power” or “dominion.” It is, again a recognition of God’s superiority in terms of power and authority. It is recognition that God is great and powerful having supreme authority and power, and we are small and weak having little, if any, authority and power.
The expression “forever and ever” comes from the Greek eis tous aionas, which literally means “unto the ages.” An age refers to a period of time or the collection of events within that period of time. The Greek expression, eis ton aionon (unto the ages) is interpreted as “unto eternity” or “until the end of the ages.”
“Amen” is a transliteration (a word brought directly from one language into another) of the Hebrew word meaning, “to be firm, steady, or trustworthy.” It is sometimes translated as “it is truth.” At other times it is translated as “verily,” as in “Verily, verily, I say unto you.”
Meaning Explained
Today’s verse starts with “To Him.” The obvious question is “To whom?” The answer lies in the first part of yesterday’s verse, “The God of all grace.” So, we could read today’s verse as, “To the God of all grace be the dominion throughout all eternity. Amen”
Peter is, as we all should be, ascribing praise, worship, and reverence to the one who is most powerful and mighty and who shall be so throughout all of time and eternity!
He closes his benediction with the word amen, which, as we noted above, is not a Greek word but a Hebrew word. It is not simply a formula type word for ending a prayer as we so flippantly use it today. In the New Testament it is often translated as “verily” or “truly.” Its most basic meaning, however, is, “this is true with absolute certainty!” It is not so much a period on the end of a prayer as it is an exclamation point.
To the God of all grace be the dominion throughout all eternity. Amen
Application
How easily and carelessly we toss about a verse like this. Think about what it means. First of all, we are recognizing that God is supreme and we are but lowly creatures. By implication we are recognizing that He is the one who made everything that exists out of nothing. Next, we are saying that He deserves recognition for who He is, and that recognition includes worship and praise. Finally, in expressing this, we admit that He transcends time and that His exalted position will continue long after time has ceased. This is the truth!
In God's service, for His glory,
Copyright © 2017 Will Krause. All rights reserved