Ephesians Part 16

Ephesians 3:17-21

Experiencing God’s Vast Love

Meeting Purpose

To explore the vastness of God's love through Paul's prayer in Ephesians 3.

Key Takeaways

Love as an Experiential Seizure: The Greek word katalimbano (comprehend) means to be experientially "seized" by God's love, not just to understand it intellectually. This love is so overwhelming it makes earthly desires seem like "trash."

Four Infinite Dimensions: Paul describes God's love with four dimensions: Breadth (limitless, breaking down all human divisions), Length (eternal, from past to future), Height (transcendent, pulling us to God's throne), and Depth (penetrating our deepest shame).

Knowing the Unknowable: We are called to "know" a love that "surpasses knowledge." This is experiential knowledge from intimate relationship, not academic study. Our capacity to be filled by God's fullness is an eternal process of growth.

Imagining the Unimaginable: God's power is huper-ek-perissou—a Paul-invented word meaning "super abundantly over and above" anything we can ask or imagine. This power is the Holy Spirit at work within us.

Topics

Grasping the Ungraspable: Experiential Love

The study focused on Ephesians 3:17–21, specifically the language Paul uses to describe God's love.

The Greek word katalimbano (comprehend) signifies an experiential "seizure" by love, not just intellectual understanding.

Usage Examples: Seizing a body (Mark 9), being caught (John 8), being overtaken (1 Thess).

This love is so overwhelming that it makes earthly desires seem like "trash" in comparison, causing "the things of this earth to grow strangely dim."

Anecdotes of Experiential Love:

Dwight Moody: Overwhelmed by God's presence, he physically couldn't contain the joy and asked God to stop.

Jim Snedeker: Experienced an overwhelming sense of God's love while working as a janitor, leading him to write a song.

Wilson Campoverti: After a brain aneurysm, he was so taken up with God's presence that he lost all questions and only wanted to be with God.

Knowing the Unknowable: Four Infinite Dimensions

Paul uses four dimensions to describe God's love, each with a specific Greek word and meaning.

1. Breadth (plateaus)

Meaning: Vast, limitless scale.

Significance: Wide enough to dismantle all artificial human boundaries (social, gender, national, etc.).

Impact: Shifts focus from personal needs to the needs of others; solidifies identity in Christ.

2. Length (megos)

Meaning: Abundant, massive, huge (related to mega).

Significance: Eternal duration—from eternity past (chosen before the foundation) to eternity future. God's love never gives up or runs out.

Impact: Provides confidence and peace during prolonged trials and regrets.

3. Height (hypsos)

Meaning: Loftiness, high position (related to hyper).

Significance: Reaches to God's throne, pulling us up to participate in divine glory, far above any spiritual enemy.

Impact: Rescues us from accusations, failure, and depression.

4. Depth (bathos)

Meaning: Deep water, inexhaustible abundance, hidden mysteries.

Significance: Penetrates human depravity, shame, and even death. It reaches into the parts of our hearts we hide from everyone.

Impact: Most clearly seen at the Cross, where God's love went to the greatest depths.

Rodney's Book Recommendation: Learning to Be Loved by David Bowden and Mark Green (Hobby Lobby).

Theme: We must learn to accept God's complete love and forgiveness, especially men who often expect consequences for their actions.

Imagining the Unimaginable: God's Power

Paul invented the Greek word huper-ek-perissou by stacking three words:

perissos (abundant, overflowing)

ek (out of, not founded)

huper (over, above, completely surpassing)

Meaning: "Super abundantly over and above" anything we can ask or imagine.

Power Source: This power is the Holy Spirit at work within us—the same "strengthening power through his Spirit" mentioned in verse 16.

Context from Kevin: Paul's ability to express the inexpressible comes from his vision of paradise (2 Cor 12), where he heard words "not lawful for a man to utter."

Next Steps

For Personal Contemplation:

What evidence of God's active love did you see last week, and how can you be more prepared to see it?

Where do you build walls, and how can God's love tear them down?

How have your prayers and life underestimated God's love?

Action Items

Facilitate group reflection on 3 questions from today's session

If you were asked to produce evidence of God’s active love in your life this past week, what would that be? How can you be better prepared to give evidence next time you are asked?

Because as men we are prone to isolate or only engage in comfortable circles; where are you most tempted to put up impenetrable walls? How can the dimensions of God’s love tear down those walls?

In what ways have your prayers and life’s struggles underestimated God’s love?