and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power
Truth to Learn
God has already demonstrated how valuable we are to Him.
Behind the Words
“Exceeding” is from the Greek verb huperballō, which is made up of huper (hyper), meaning “above” or “beyond” and ballō, meaning “to throw.” Thus huperballō literally means “to throw beyond;” that is, “to go beyond” or “to exceed.”
The word “greatness” is from megethos, which means “magnitude” or, as in this verse, “greatness.”
The word translated “power” is dunamis (from which we get our English word dynamite). This word refers specifically to having the capability or authority to do something. So “power” is a good translation it as it is used here.
“Believe” is from pisteuō, which we saw back in verse thirteen. It means “to be firmly persuaded regarding some truth” or “to believe.”
The word “working” is translated from energeia (from which we get our English word energy). It refers to “active power” or “power in action.”
“Mighty” is from kratos, which refers to “demonstrated power,” that is, “vigor or might.”
Finally, the word “power” is from ischus. This is made up of is, meaning “strength” and echo, meaning “to have.” Thus, ischus refers to someone “having strength.”
Meaning Explained
First of all, notice how many words Paul used in this one verse to express God’s strength and power. Each of these words can have a number of subtle nuances that produce very similar meanings. It is as if Paul is trying to use every word he can think of to describe the exceeding greatness and magnitude of God’s almighty power at work.
One of the difficulties in understanding the Apostle Paul is the fact that he writes such lengthy, complex sentences. This particular sentence takes up seven verses and it contains almost 140 words! He started out this thought in verse fifteen by expressing his thanks for the growing faith and demonstrated love of the Christians in the church in Ephesus. Then he expresses the content of his prayers for these believers and, by extension, for all Christians. He prayed that the Father would have the Holy Spirit impart wisdom and reveal truths to us. The first of these truths is that we might understand the hope and assurance we have in God’s inviting us to have eternal life. The second truth is the magnificence of the inheritance that Jesus will receive from the Father. We, the church, the body of Christ, the bride of Christ, are that marvelous inheritance.
In the current verse Paul tells us about the third truth which he prays will be revealed to us. It is the incredible greatness of God’s active and demonstrated power, which is mighty in strength. The greatest part is that His powerful strength is displayed toward us, we who believe in Jesus Christ.
Application
Listen, God has demonstrated His incredible power for your sake because He loves you and wants to spend eternity with you. Yes, you! You are incredibly valuable to Him!
Copyright © 2015 Will Krause. All rights reserved
