Now he adds that we can go to the Father with boldness (parresia) and confidence (pepoithesis). There are some things which no earthly school can teach us, no earthly science explain. It is our relationship with Christ that opens up access to the Father. We can understand only if God makes known what otherwise would remain hidden. 'THE access' (Greek); the formal introduction into a monarch's presence. The higher up the church ladder, the more important the dose of humility! The result has misery beyond measure. Do you have a need? "Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible". faith in him, as Romans 3:22: see the like, Mark 11:22. https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/acc/ephesians-3.html. The sense is, that we may now come confidently and boldly to the throne of grace for mercy in the name of the Redeemer. "The New John Gill Exposition of the Entire Bible". A Prayer for the Ephesians. I need to understand that there is no limit to the number of people or the number of sins that can be covered by the blood of Christ. These words are very deep, and difficult to understand; for St. Paul does not tell us exactly of what he is speaking. That idea gains support elsewhere when Paul prioritizes various callings: “First apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracle workers, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, and various kinds of languages” (1 Corinthians 12:28). Paul did not intend it as an endorsement of rulers and authorities. παρρησία makes the intrans. 12 In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him. • “For as the body is one, and has many members, and all the members of the body, being many, are one body; so also is Christ. It is this Christ has procured for us. It is called to be the sign, promise, and embodiment of what God intends for the whole world, and to do so in the face of, and in witness to, the opposing powers of the world. I am publishing these once or twice a week, but you can read all of the available articles at our web-site, Ephesians 3:12 “In [Christ] and through faith i… The honor of reconciling the Father to the whole world must be given to Christ. Johann Albrecht Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament. Paul uses the word frequently to show that he is merely a servant of Christ (1 Corinthians 3:5, 9; 2 Corinthians 6:4; Ephesians 1:23; 6:21; Colossians 1:23, 25). that has been made” (John 1:1-3). by faith in Christ. (On this confidence see 2 Corinthians 3:4-6.) Boldness is not rashness; and faith is not presumption; but we may come without hesitating, and with an assurance that our prayers will be heard. By the faith of him; i.e. In whom we have boldness ... Like many other passages in the Pauline writings, this corresponds very closely to the book of Hebrews (Hebrews 4:16). Copyright StatementThese files are public domain.Text Courtesy of BibleSupport.com. "Schaff's Popular Commentary on the New Testament". parrēsian- means, properly, boldness of speaking; John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible, Robertson's Word Pictures in the New Testament, Greek Testament Critical Exegetical Commentary, Heinrich Meyer's Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament, Johann Albrecht Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament, Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible, Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges, John Eadie's Commentary on Galatians, Ephesians, Colossians and Philippians, ᾿εν ᾧ ἔχομεν τὴν παῤῥησίαν καὶ τὴν προσαγωγὴν, "Forgiven sinners do not come to God hesitantly, wondering about their likely reception. See the comments above on verse 5 for the meaning of hagios (saints). My wife and I have always had a strong confidence in God taking care of us. Paul has been talking about his call “to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ” (v. 8)—and to help people see what God had hidden for so long (v. 9). BibliographyIce, Rhoderick D. "Commentary on Ephesians 3:12". Wouldn’t we consider the person who possesses those fruits to be blessed with “the unsearchable riches of Christ”! There is something hopeful here. When Paul speaks here of “the principalities and the powers in the heavenly places,” he means the angelic host, both good and bad. Johnson says: "In Jesus Christ, all, both Jew and Gentile alike, can come boldly [with confidence] to God. It is the spiritual equivalent of the confidence displayed by a good athlete who "talks up a good game" with his teammates, manifesting at all times a winning attitude. This combination of belief and trust is what the Bible calls faith. By faith in that son, as we are about to approach; we will have a freedom for speech, an introduction, in confidence of receiving our request. The accumulation of substantives in this sentence, boldness, access, confidence, shows that there was no word which could express what Paul felt in view of the complete reconciliation of men to God through Jesus Christ. As the παρρησία and the προσαγωγή meet in one idea the τήν does not require to be repeated. He does not say what it is, the breadth and length, and depth, and height of which we are to comprehend and take in. "Our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named." In times past, there had been a deep division between Jew and Gentile—between the circumcised and the uncircumcised. Ephesians 3:12-21 New International Version (NIV) 12 In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. It seems to point out the manner or frame of soul in which the προσαγωγή is enjoyed, and it is involved in the very idea of παῤῥησία. Thus, as the ἐν ᾧ expresses the fact that Christ is the ground of our παρρησία and προσαγωγή, and the ἐν πεποιθήσει the state of mind in which we enjoy these blessings, so this clause declares the means by which they become our actual possession. The church is called to be the community where the world still encounters God in human lives. The word προσαγωγη, rendered access, signifies such an access as is by manuduction. Copyright StatementThese files are public domain and are a derivative of an electronic edition that is available on the Christian Classics Ethereal Library Website. It is rather the free, joyful mood of those reconciled to God, in which they are assured of the divine grace (the opposite: fear of God’s wrath). BibliographyEllicott, Charles John. His grace which was bestowed on me was not futile, but I worked more than all of them; yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me” (1 Corinthians 15:10). https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/hac/ephesians-3.html. Ephesians 3:12 Parallel Verses [⇓ See commentary ⇓] Ephesians 3:12, NIV: "In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence." "Commentary on Ephesians 3:12". "To know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge." The Psalmist says, “My frame wasn’t hidden from you, when I was made in secret, woven together in the depths of the earth.” He goes on to say, “How precious to me are your thoughts, God! God answers prayer, not silence. Verses 1-21. Grammatically, we are driven to recognise that the Revised Version is more correct than the Authorised, when it reads 'every family,' instead of 'the whole family.' By whom we have free access — Such as those petitioners have, who are introduced to the royal presence by some distinguished favourite. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. The article before the nouns has much the force of “our boldness and access”. The wisdom of God is “many-sided” (verse 10; NRSV “in its rich variety”) like a gem with countless facets, sparking new light each way it is turned, so that not only are Jews and Gentiles brought together in Christ, but all divisions will be healed. ‘That faith whose object is Jesus is the means to all who are Christ’s: first, of “boldness,” for their belief in the Divine Mediator gives them courage; secondly, of “access,” for their realization of His glorified humanity warrants and enables them to approach the throne of grace; and, thirdly, these blessings are possessed “in confidence,” for they feel that for Christ’s sake their persons and services will be accepted by the Father’ (Eadie). PRISON AND PRIVILEGES (Ephesians 3:1-13)To understand the connection of thought in this passage it has to be noted that Ephesians 3:2-13 are one long parenthesis. It cannot mean free-spokenness towards the world, as is erroneously supposed by Olshausen, for such an idea is totally foreign to the train of thought. The author looks back and says that the unity of the church in Christ was revealed not just to Paul, but to all the apostles, despite the disagreements reflected, for example, in Galatians. EPHESIANS iii. Hebrews 3:6; Hebrews 4:16; Hebrews 10:19; Hebrews 10:35; 1 John 2:28; 1 John 3:21; 1 John 4:17; 1 John 5:14; also Wisdom of Solomon 5:1, and see Grimm in loc. Pastors of churches—especially pastors of large churches—will bless their congregations by being honestly humble. https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/jfu/ephesians-3.html. 1871-8. in whom we have boldness and confident access through faith in Him. The whole verse, moreover, is not so much a simple addition to the preceding statement as rather an indirect appeal to personal experience, in confirmation of what was said of the fulfilment of God’s eternal purpose in Christ Jesus our Lord, the ἐν ᾧ having, as Ell. The Greek word parresia (boldness) has to do with freedom to speak openly and frankly. 1 John 2:28; 1 John 4:17. Ephesians 3:1. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH A FAMILY.