How to Speak about God (Ephesians 3:20-21)

It is obvious that this doxology by Paul marks a break in this letter. So far, Paul has been focussing on various doctrines; now he comes to focus on practical issues, although we should not imagine that he does not included doctrines in the second half of his letter. Paul’s method here is a reminder that it is appropriate to have a statement of praise at any time.

What is a doxology

Many people confuse a doxology with a benediction. At a basic level, a doxology is something we say to God and a benediction is something that is said to us by a divine spokesperson. A doxology is a set of words that describes one or more of the divine attributes and it can be said to the three persons of the Trinity or to one of the three Persons.

Who is addressed here?

The divine Person who is praised here by Paul is God the Father. Yet the other two persons are also mentioned. The Holy Spirit is ‘the power at work within us’ and Jesus is mentioned as bringing glory to the Father. So we have here an example of when we think of the one Person, we also think of the three Persons in their different roles.

The Father is addressed in his role as the Answerer of prayer. I suppose that one question that may come to mind when we pray is this: ‘How keen is the Father to answer our prayers?’ Another question that may arise is, ‘How capable is the Father of answering our prayers?’ Both questions are answered by Paul’s statement that the Father can do far more than we can ask or think.

The Father is also spoken to as the One who receives glory. To receive glory is to be given the highest praise possible. We would not be surprised to be told that the angels glorified God when they saw his work of creation. After all, all of them together could not create anything, but they saw their God create millions and millions of things in his creation.

When we think of his ability to answer prayer, we should note what Paul says about it. He points out that God can do abundantly more than Paul could ask or think about. We know that Paul had great thoughts of God, yet even his best thoughts fell short of how great God is. Paul prayed for many amazing things, even as expressed in his prayer in Ephesians 3, but God can do more than that.

Paul also says that God could do much more than the combined prayers and anticipations of the Ephesians and Paul put together. We don’t know what the Ephesians would have prayed for, although we can imagine that they would have wanted the disappearance of the worship of Diana from their city, they would have wanted many more converts, and they would have wanted the gospel to spread in the surrounding regions. However big their combined prayers, God was bigger and able to answer them abundantly.

Yet since he connects the answers to the ‘power that is at work within them’, it looks as if Paul has sanctification in mind as he prays. He knows that the Father can do wonderful things in the inner lives of those who once were dead in sins. Perhaps this is Paul’s way of encouraging his readers to believe that what he will go on to describe in the following chapters could be achieved in their lives. We can understand that, no doubt. In these chapters, Paul speaks about using spiritual gifts, walking in love, having spiritual homes, and engaging in spiritual warfare. As we read his words we will ask, who can bring all this about in our lives. Paul gives us the obvious answer – God the Father can do so.

In the Upper Room, Jesus said to his disciples: ‘If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples’ (John 15:7-9). We can see in that set of verses that there is a connection between answered prayer and the Father being glorified. There is also a connection between abiding in Christ and his word abiding in us and answered prayer.

Where is the Father glorified?

Paul mentions two places where he desires that the Father will be glorified. One is the church and the other is Christ Jesus. How is the Father glorified in the church? Many answers could be given to that question, and here are some.

The Father, who chose his people before the world began, is gloried when they are converted, and he will be glorified when the number is completed. The Father is glorified as sinners become Christlike, remade in the image of his Son. The Father is glorified as believers are enabled to overcome indwelling sin and the devil. The Father is glorified when the answers he gives to prayer are accomplished.

The Father is also glorified in his Son as he fulfils his role as Mediator. In John 17:1, Jesus prayed: ‘Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you…’ In verse 4, he says to the Father, ‘I have glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do.’ The immediate context is the cross, and we know that Jesus by his achievements on the cross brought glory to the Father. But his bringing glory to the Father did not cease at Calvary or with the resurrection. He ascended to heaven with the aim of bringing glory to the Father. How is he doing that today?

One way in which he does it is by building his church. Human analogies don’t always work, but we could say with regard to the church is that the Father is the architect and Jesus is the builder (as well as the cornerstone). He seeks for lost sinners until he finds them, and each time he does he brings glory to the Father.

Once he finds them, Jesus fulfils the roles of prophet, priest and king in regard to each of them. He does this by the Holy Spirit. We are taught by him, we are strengthened by him, we are protected by him. In those three roles, he does other activities as well. For him, it is a constant activity and he always brings glory to the Father.

A third way in which Jesus works as the Mediator is by bringing residents to the Father’s house. His people enter heaven at the close of their lives on earth. The Father is glorified as his house becomes inhabited by the perfected spirits of the just.

Jesus will bring great glory to the Father when he delivers up the kingdom to God. Recall Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 15:24: ‘Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power.’ At the second coming it will be seen how much Jesus has done to bring great glory to the Father. And after that, in the eternal ages, even as Paul indicates here in our text, Jesus will bring glory to the Father, and in ways beyond our comprehension now his people will be involved in the providing of glory to the Father. All we can say is that we have a very high calling.