Ephesians 3:18

“may be strong to apprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth”

“We observe that the apostle now passes from our love (in which we are to be rooted and grounded) to Christ's love (which he prays we may know” (Stott p. 137). “May be strong”: “May be able to comprehend” (NASV). “May be fully able' (Alf). “To be eminently able, to have Full capacity” (Gr. Ex. N.T. p. 315). “To have full strength” (Robertson p. 533). “The preposition has the force of fully or eminently” (Vincent p. 384). “Apprehend”: Take eagerly, mentally seize and perceive. “To lay hold on with the mind, to grasp mentally. It carries the idea of personally taking mental possession” (Caldwell p. 145). This "full" comprehension is conditional. If you refuse to allow Christ to direct your life, if you spurn the opportunities to be strengthened by the Spirit's revelation and if you are apathetic about loving God or other Christians more, then you will never really realize the greatness of His love. “With all the saints”: With all other Christians.

“When Paul spoke of Christians comprehending the riches of God, he did not have in mind that only. few select saints could understand truth. Comprehension is available to all who obey Christ. Every Christian may know the greatest mysteries of Christ and obtain the fullest prize awarded to the faithful (1 Corinthians 9:24)” (Caldwell p. 145). Compare with 2 Timothy 4:8). “The disclosure of this mystery is the heritage of all the people of God: it is fitting that they should have an intelligent appreciation of it. There may be the further thought that the deep things of God are more likely to be apprehended by His children in fellowship one with another than in isolation. The idea that spiritual illumination is most likely to be received by followers of the solitary life has been widely held. Paul does not appear to have favored it either for himself or for his Christian friends” (Bruce p. 328).. think Bruce made. good point. Paul does not ever conceive of. relationship with God, apart from God's people. Something is wrong if. profess to be. Christian, but. refuse to be "with the saints" (Hebrews 10:24).

“What is the breadth and length and height and depth”: Of Jesus' love for us (Ephesians 3:19). “In all its width and length and height and depth” (TCNT). “Paul was simply referring to the great vastness or fullness of divine goodness. Together they express the grandeur of the love of Christ” (Caldwell p. 146). “It seems to me legitimate to say that the love of Christ is ‘broad' enough to encompass all mankind (especially Jews and Gentiles, the theme of these Chapter s), ‘long' enough to last for eternity, ‘deep' enough to reach the most degraded sinner (1 Timothy 1:13), and ‘high' enough to exalt him to heaven” (Stott p. 137). “It is as if Paul invited us to look at the universe--to the limitless sky above, to the limitless horizons on every side, to the depth of the earth and of the seas beneath us, and said, ‘The love of Christ is as vast as that'” (Barclay p. 132). Of course, we always need to remember that receiving the benefits of such love is conditioned upon obedient faith (Mark 16:16).