I BOW MY KNEES

I BOW MY KNEES

For this cause, I bow my knees to YOU MY FATHER, the Father of our Lord, Jesus Christ,

from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named,

that YOU would grant me, according to the riches of YOUR glory,                                  that I may be strengthened with power through YOUR Spirit in the inward man;

that Christ may dwell in my heart through faith; to the end                                  that I, being rooted and grounded in love,

may be strengthened to comprehend with all the saints                                                                                 what is the breadth and length and height and depth,

and to know Christ`s love which                                .                                                                                                 surpasses knowledge,                                  that I may be filled to all the fullness of YOU MY God.

Now to him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all                                  that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,

to him be the glory in the assembly and in Christ Jesus                                                                         to all generations forever and ever. Amen. THIS A  BEAUTIFUL PRAYER EXPRESSED TO THE EPHESUS CHURCH IN PAUL'S LETTER IN  EPHESIANS 3:14-21  (WEB Trans.--with a few pronoun modifications it's a beautiful personal prayer  for any believer) SADLY, ONLY A FEW GENERATIONS  LATER THE LORD JESUS MUST CALL        UPON THEM TO REPENT AND RETURN TO THAT FIRST LOVE. REVELATIONS 2:1-5  Verse 16 That he would grant you (ina dwi umin)  Sub-final clause with ina and the second aorist active subjunctive of didwmi, to give. There are really five petitions in this greatest of all Paul's prayers (one already in Luke 1:16-23), two by the infinitives after, two infinitives after  (katalabesqai, gnwnai), and the last claus.e (ina plhrwqhte)  Nowhere does Paul sound such depths of spiritual emotion or rise to such heights of spiritual passion as here. The whole seems to be colored with "the riches of His glory." That ye may be strengthened (krataiwqhnai  ). First aorist passive infinitive of (krataiow) late and rare (LXX, N.T.) from krataios, late form from kratos (strength). See Luke 1:80. Paul adds dunamei (with the Spirit). Instrumental case. In the inward man eis ton esw anqrwpon  ). Same expression in 2 Corinthians 4:16 (in contrast with the outward exw, man) and in Romans 7:22. Verse 17 That Christ may dwell (ina exiscushte (ina dwi (krataiwqhnai, katoikhsai) (katoikhsai ton Criston) . Another infinitive (first aorist active) after ina dwi. Katoikew  is an old verb to make one's home, to be at home. Christ (Criston)  accusative of general reference) is asked to make his home in our hearts. This is the ideal, but a deal of fixing would have to be done in our hearts for Christ. Being rooted and grounded in love (en agaph errizwmenoi kai teqemeliwmenoi). But it is not certain whether en agaph should go with these participles or with the preceding infinitive katoikhsai (dwell). Besides, these two perfect passive participles (from rizow, old verb, in N.T. only here and Colossians 2:7, and from qemeliow, see also Colossians 1:23) are in the nominative case and are to be taken with ina exiscushte and are proleptically placed before ina Verse Colossians 18 should really begin with these participles. Paul piles up metapho ers (dwelling, rooted, grounded). Verse 18 That ye may be strong(inaxiscushte). Sub-final clause again with ina and the first aorist active subjunctive of,(exiscuw) a late and rare compound (from ex, iscuw) to have full strength. Here only in N.T. To apprehend(katalabesqai ). Second aorist middle infinitive of katalambanw, old and common verb, to lay hold of effectively (kata-), here with the mind, to grasp (Acts 25:25). With all the saints (sun pasin tois agiois ). No isolated privilege. Fellowship open to all. Paul gives a rectangular (four dimension) measure of love,(breadth platos, length mhkos, height upsos, depth baqos  all common enough words). Verse 19 And to know (gnwnai te). Second aorist active infinitive with exiscushte. Which passeth knowledge (thn uperballousan ths gnwsews). Ablative case  (gnwsews after uperballousan (from uperballw) All the same Paul dares to scale this peak. That ye may be filled with all the fulness of God (ina plhrwqhte eis pan to plhrwma tou qeou). Final clause again (third use of ina in the sentence) with first aorist passive subjunctive of plhrow and the use of eiß after it. One hesitates to comment on this sublime climax in Paul's prayer, the ultimate goal for followers of Christ in harmony with the injunction in Matthew 5:48 to be perfect (teleioi) as our heavenly Father is perfect. There is nothing that any one can add to these words. One can turn to Romans 8:29 again for our final likeness to God in Christ. Verse 20 That is able to do (twi dunamenwi poihsai). Dative case of the articular participle (present middle of dunamai). Paul is fully aware of the greatness of the blessings  antgs  asked for, but the Doxology ascribes to God the power to do them for us. Above all (uper pa). Not simply panta, but uper beyond and above all. Exceedingly abundantly  (uperekperissou). Late and rare double compound (uper, ek, perissou) adverb  (LXX, 1 Thessalonians 3:10; 1 Thessalonians 5:13; Ephesians 3:20). It suits well Paul's effort to pilePelion on Ossa. That we ask (wn aitoumeqa   ). Ablative of the relative pronoun attracted from the accusative a to the case of the unexpressed antecedent toutwn.Middle voice (aitoumeqa) "we ask for ourselves." Or think (h nooumen). The highest aspiration is not beyond God's "power" (dunamin) to bestow.