Ephesians 3:21 Commentary - Dr Peter Masters

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Ephesians 3:21

Comments

The true church is a demonstration of God’s glory. It is through the church that God makes known in the world his great glory. And in particular, what aspect of that glory we learn in these verses. The church, the truly saved souls, the redeemed of the Lord, are like the temple of Old Testament days. The temple was the place where God in a sense resided. The temple in olden times (and the tabernacle before it) was full of symbols of the grace of God. That was the place where God was seen to dwell on earth, the focal point of his interest and his communication with men and women. But even then, because it applies to all ages, it was true converts, those in whom there was a work of grace who demonstrated best the glory of God, and that is the role of the church worldwide – to be the means for the demonstration of the glory of God.We have seen in verse 10 that the angels receive their education into the grace of God by observing the church on earth. After all, there is no salvation in heaven, there is no saving of sinners in heaven, there are no sinners there, there is no work of redemption and salvation. If the angels wish to see the great mercy of God and his tenderness of heart and his grace in salvation, they look upon the church, and they see people condemned and cast off who nevertheless are able to come to Christ and find salvation and walk with him. That is exactly the point that is repeated here in verse 21 – ‘Unto him be glory in [or by] the church by Christ Jesus,’ because the church shows the work of Christ and the fruit of the saving work of Christ. Only believers can show or manifest or reveal the glory of God. Only true believers can do that, those that have a work of God within. Unbelievers cannot show or demonstrate anything of God’s worth.It is his beneficial, transforming and sanctifying power that glorifies him throughout all ages, world without end. The Greek says, ‘of the age of ages’. History is the age. What are the ages? Well you could divide them up as, the Old Testament era, the New Testament era, the eternal hereafter. The three great ages of time and eternity. And each one of those ages is divided up by many other ages. Let us say generations.

Application

This is a great comfort; it tells us that the church will never be destroyed because it is through the true church, through the work of God in the lives of Christian people, converted people, that God makes his glory known throughout all ages. It will not end, ever; it will be changed. The world will end one day; according to the judgement of Christ, it will be destroyed. But particle by particle, somehow, it will be amazingly reconstituted. So yes, the world will end, but at the same time, the world will not end because it will be rejuvenated, remade, blended with all the spiritual essence of heaven and made the everlasting dwelling place for the resurrected people of God with Christ their Saviour.

Some people think that if a church can make a tremendous noise and racket and clamour, that is bringing glory to God. Bringing glory to God is to have an understanding of him and to think of him and to worship him in the context of that understanding, to direct intelligent thoughts or words towards him. That’s glory. Did you understand that? It isn’t to have, say, a gigantic orchestra just to make a noise – there is no intelligence in that, there is no thought, there are no sentiments, ideas, concepts. God is not appreciated, he is not exalted, he is not made known. To bring glory to God involves the mind and thought. Let us sing as enthusiastically as we can.

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Ephesians 3:21 Commentary and Bible Study

Explain meaning of Ephesians 3:21