Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers;
Paul never stops thanking God for the believers and naming them in his prayers. He does this after hearing of their faith in the Lord Jesus and their love to all the saints. His thanksgiving flows into asking the Father of glory to give them the spirit of wisdom and revelation in knowing Him, with the eyes of their understanding enlightened. That enlightened sight is to know the hope of His calling, the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and the exceeding greatness of His power toward those who believe. That power is the mighty working by which He raised Christ from the dead and set Him at His own right hand far above all rule and authority, with all things put under Him as head of the church.
Setting and Meaning
Paul did not stop giving thanks for the believers, but continually thanked God for them and kept them in remembrance whenever he prayed. His thanksgiving was unceasing, a steady offering of gratitude joined to constant intercession on their behalf. He thanked God for them and remembered them in prayer as an ongoing practice, not as an occasional act.
He did this after hearing of their faith in the Lord Jesus and their love toward all the saints. It was the report of that faith in Jesus and that love for all the saints that moved him to continual thanks and prayerful remembrance. Those for whom he gave thanks in this way were the saints at Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus. The verse stands in the first chapter, which sets forth the privileges of the Christian.
Prayer for Wisdom
Paul's unceasing thanksgiving flows on without break into intercession that the God of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, would give the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him. That prayer asks for enlightened hearts, for eyes of understanding enlightened to know Him. The enlightenment sought is for knowing the hope of His calling. It is likewise for knowing the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints.
That same enlightenment is for knowing the exceeding greatness of His power toward those who believe. That power is according to the working of His mighty power which He wrought in Christ in raising Him from the dead and setting Him at His own right hand in heavenly places. There He is set far above all rule and dominion and authority, with all things put under Him as head of the church.
Call to Believers
Unceasing thanksgiving for believers and mentioning them in prayer belongs to seeking God with the whole heart. To the one who seeks Him thus, God is a present help in every time of need. This thankful and prayerful condition is what God desires for those connected with His work in churches and institutions.
Paul's continual thanking of God for believers and remembering them in his prayers is an example calling to persevering prayer, and persevering prayer receives answers. With its context, the verse is addressed to believers to give hope and courage and to increase faith and confidence in God. It shows them themselves in a different light, so that they become God's workmen learning lessons from Him. Working as Christ worked means working with efficiency from God and not from self, and this is sanctification.
As part of the first chapter laying out the Lord's order for His work, the verse requires no lessening of zeal, fervor, and energy in saving souls ready to perish. Yet that order forbids consuming all time and means in one line of work for a class that with scarcely an exception cannot honor and glorify God. Such a class does not properly represent the refined, elevated character of the truth. To sink interests deeply in such a work while the work for God's vineyard as a whole is neglected brings disproportion and sways the work into wrong lines contrary to that order.
Paul never stops thanking God for the believers and naming them in his prayers. He does this after hearing of their faith in the Lord Jesus and their love to all the saints. His thanksgiving flows into asking the Father of glory to give them the spirit of wisdom and revelation in knowing Him, with the eyes of their understanding enlightened. That enlightened sight is to know the hope of His calling, the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and the exceeding greatness of His power toward those who believe. That power is the mighty working by which He raised Christ from the dead and set Him at His own right hand far above all rule and authority, with all things put under Him as head of the church.
Setting and Meaning
Paul did not stop giving thanks for the believers, but continually thanked God for them and kept them in remembrance whenever he prayed. His thanksgiving was unceasing, a steady offering of gratitude joined to constant intercession on their behalf. He thanked God for them and remembered them in prayer as an ongoing practice, not as an occasional act.
He did this after hearing of their faith in the Lord Jesus and their love toward all the saints. It was the report of that faith in Jesus and that love for all the saints that moved him to continual thanks and prayerful remembrance. Those for whom he gave thanks in this way were the saints at Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus. The verse stands in the first chapter, which sets forth the privileges of the Christian.
Prayer for Wisdom
Paul's unceasing thanksgiving flows on without break into intercession that the God of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, would give the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him. That prayer asks for enlightened hearts, for eyes of understanding enlightened to know Him. The enlightenment sought is for knowing the hope of His calling. It is likewise for knowing the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints.
That same enlightenment is for knowing the exceeding greatness of His power toward those who believe. That power is according to the working of His mighty power which He wrought in Christ in raising Him from the dead and setting Him at His own right hand in heavenly places. There He is set far above all rule and dominion and authority, with all things put under Him as head of the church.
Call to Believers
Unceasing thanksgiving for believers and mentioning them in prayer belongs to seeking God with the whole heart. To the one who seeks Him thus, God is a present help in every time of need. This thankful and prayerful condition is what God desires for those connected with His work in churches and institutions.
Paul's continual thanking of God for believers and remembering them in his prayers is an example calling to persevering prayer, and persevering prayer receives answers. With its context, the verse is addressed to believers to give hope and courage and to increase faith and confidence in God. It shows them themselves in a different light, so that they become God's workmen learning lessons from Him. Working as Christ worked means working with efficiency from God and not from self, and this is sanctification.
As part of the first chapter laying out the Lord's order for His work, the verse requires no lessening of zeal, fervor, and energy in saving souls ready to perish. Yet that order forbids consuming all time and means in one line of work for a class that with scarcely an exception cannot honor and glorify God. Such a class does not properly represent the refined, elevated character of the truth. To sink interests deeply in such a work while the work for God's vineyard as a whole is neglected brings disproportion and sways the work into wrong lines contrary to that order.