Ephesians 3.17c-The Church Age Believer Rooted and Grounded Spiritually
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Thursday August 29, 2024
Ephesians Series: Ephesians 3:17c-The Church Age Believer Rooted and Grounded Spiritually
Lesson # 177
Ephesians 3:14 For this reason, I make it my habit of bending my knees in the presence of the Father 15 from whom each and every family located in the heavens as well as located upon the earth is designated a name. 16 I make it a habit of occupying myself with praying that according to the wealth produced by His glory He would cause each and every one of you as a corporate unit to be given strength by means of power through the personal intermediate agency of His Spirit for the benefit of your inner being. 17 Namely that the one and only Christ’s power would dwell in your hearts through your faith …because each and every one of you are firmly rooted, yes specifically, because of all of you without exception are firmly established by means of the practice of divine-love. (Lecturer’s translation)
Ephesians 3:17 is composed of the following:
(1) complementary infinitival clause: katoikēsai ton Christon dia tēs pisteōs en tais kardiais hymōn (κατοικῆσαι τὸν Χριστὸν διὰ τῆς πίστεως ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ὑμῶν), “namely that the one and only Christ’s power would dwell in your hearts through your faith” (Author’s translation)
(2) causal participial clause: en agapē errizōmenoi kai tethemeliōmenoi (ἐν ἀγάπῃ ἐρριζωμένοι καὶ τεθεμελιωμένοι), “because each and every one of you are firmly rooted, yes specifically, because of all of you without exception are firmly established by means of the practice of divine-love.” (Author’s translation)
Now, the reader must be aware of the fact that the conjunction hina (ἵνα), which appears in Ephesians 3:18 introduces the assertion exischysēte katalabesthai syn pasin tois hagiois ti to platos kai mēkos kai hypsos kai bathos (ἐξισχύσητε καταλαβέσθαι σὺν πᾶσιν τοῖς ἁγίοις τί τὸ πλάτος καὶ μῆκος καὶ ὕψος καὶ βάθος), “you may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth.” (NET)
The thought from this assertion in Ephesians 3:18 is completed in Ephesians 3:17 with the causal participial clause en agapē errizōmenoi kai tethemeliōmenoi (ἐν ἀγάπῃ ἐρριζωμένοι καὶ τεθεμελιωμένοι), “because you have been rooted and grounded in love.” (NET)
This is indicated by the fact that both of these assertions form a single thought which are being introduced by the conjunction hina (ἵνα).
As we will note, the participial clause which completes Ephesians 3:18 is causal for emphasis.
Therefore, the translation of the conjunction hina (ἵνα) should be translated before the causal participle clause in Ephesians 3:17 rather than to begin Ephesians 3:18.
The complementary infinitival clause in Ephesians 3:17 parallels the infinitival clause direct object clause dynamei krataiōthēnai dia tou pneumatos autou eis ton esō anthrōpon (δυνάμει κραταιωθῆναι διὰ τοῦ πνεύματος αὐτοῦ εἰς τὸν ἔσω ἄνθρωπον), “to be given strength by means of power through the personal intermediate agency of His Spirit for the benefit of your inner being,” which appears in Ephesians 3:16.
In fact, the infinitival clause in Ephesians 3:17 explains the one in Ephesians 3:16.
Now, in Ephesians 3:17, the verb rhizoō (ῥιζόω) literally means “to be rooted” and figuratively it means “to be firmly established, to be strengthened.”
It means “to be established” as conceived of as if a plant being or becoming fixed in the ground.
In context, it is used in relation to the believer practicing the command the love of God as a result of obeying the Lord Jesus Christ’s Spirit inspired command in John 13:34 and 15:12 to love one another as He loves them.
Therefore, the verb rhizoō (ῥιζόω) refers to these Gentile church age believers “being firmly rooted” or “strengthened spiritually” by the practice of the love of God in their lives as a result of obeying the Lord’s command to do so.
This verb rhizoō (ῥιζόω) functions as a participle of cause, which indicates that these Gentile church age believers would be able to comprehend with all the saints, what is the breath, length, height and depth of Christ’s love for them “because” they have been firmly rooted by means of obeying the Lord’s command to love one another.
The perfect tense of the verb rhizoō (ῥιζόω) is an intensive perfect which emphasizes the present state of these believers existing in the state of being firmly rooted by means of practicing the command to love one another as a result of the past action of practicing the Spirit inspired command to love one another.
The passive voice of this verb indicates that these Gentile church age believers receive the action of being firmly rooted by means of obeying the Lord’s command to love one another.
The participle rhizoō (ῥιζόω) functions as a nominative of simple apposition which means that it defines or describes what it means to be able to comprehend the four dimensions of Christ’s love for oneself.
Thus, it defines or describes this as being firmly rooted by means of obeying the command to love one another.
The apostle Paul employs this verb in Colossians 2:7 in relation to the spiritual growth of the church age believer just as he does here in Ephesians 3:17.
In fact, just as he does in Ephesians 3:17, Paul employs the noun pistis (πίστις) for the post-justification of the believer in Colossians 2:7.
Colossians 2:6 Therefore, just as all of you accepted the teaching concerning your union and identification with the Christ, who is Jesus, who is the Lord, so all of you continue to make it your habit of living your lives in fellowship with Him. 7 Specifically, all of you are to do this by being firmly rooted, yes by all of you being built up by means of your identification with Him. Namely, by all of you being established by means of your faith just as all of you were taught while overflowing with gratitude. (Lecturer’s translation)
Now, in Ephesians 3:17, the verb themelioō (θεμελιόω) is also employed in a figurative sense and means “established” since it pertains to a person in the state of being stable in their souls.
It means “to be or become strengthened as conceived of as a foundation that is laid.
Therefore, the word expresses the idea of these individuals being established or stable in their souls as a result of practicing the command to love one another.
The perfect tense of this verb themelioō (θεμελιόω) is an intensive perfect which emphasizes the present state of these believers existing in the state of being established in their souls as a result of the past action of practicing the command to love one another.
The passive voice of this verb themelioō (θεμελιόω) indicates that these Gentile church age believers receive the action of being firmly established by means of obeying the Lord’s command to love one another.
The participle form of the verb themelioō (θεμελιόω) also functions as a participle of cause, which would indicate that these Gentile church age believers would be able to comprehend with all the saints, what is the breath, length, height and depth of Christ’s love for them “because” they have been established in their souls by means of obeying the Lord’s command to love one another.
The participle conjugation of the verb themelioō (θεμελιόω) also functions as a nominative of simple apposition which means that it defines or describes what it means to be able to comprehend the four dimensions of Christ’s love for oneself.
Thus, it defines this as being established in one’s soul by means of obeying the command to love one another.
This verb themelioō (θεμελιόω) also is used in Colossians 1:23 in relation to the spiritual growth of the believer.
Colossians 1:23 Of course, if and let us assume that it is true for the sake of argument each one of you continues to persevere according to the standards of the Christian faith so that each one of you is established, and thus solid individuals. In other words, so that each one of you is not moved away from the confident expectation (of blessing) produced by obedience to the gospel which each one of you has obeyed. This gospel was publicly proclaimed throughout all creation which is under the heavens, of which I myself, Paul became a servant. (Lecturer’s translation)
Now, in Ephesians 3:17, the conjunction kai (καί) helps to form the figure of hendiadys which indicates that the verbs rhizoō (ῥιζόω) and themelioō (θεμελιόω) are not referring to two different concepts.
Rather, they are referring to one since both of these words speak of the souls of the recipients of this epistle being firm in their conviction that they are objects of Christ love for them by means of obeying His command to love one another.
This figure would indicate that themelioō (θεμελιόω) is intensifying or advancing upon the idea expressed by the verb rhizoō (ῥιζόω) in the sense that the verb themelioō (θεμελιόω) is intensifying or advancing upon the meaning of the verb rhizoō (ῥιζόω).
Therefore, this indicates that when Paul asserts that the recipients of the Ephesian epistle would be firmly rooted by means of obeying the command to love one another, he means that they would be firmly established in their souls by means of obeying this command.
This would constitute these Gentile church age believers comprehending with all the saints the four dimensions of Christ’s love for them.
