May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;That being rooted and grounded — That is, deeply fixed and firmly established, in love. Ye may comprehend - So far as an human mind is capable.What is the breadth of the love of Christ — Embracing all mankind.And length — From everlasting to everlasting.And depth — Not to be fathomed by any creature.And height — Not to be reached by any enemy. read more
And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.And to know — But the apostle corrects himself, and immediately observes, it cannot be fully known. This only we know, that the love of Christ surpasses all knowledge. That ye may be filled - Which is the sum of all.With all the fulness of God — With all his light, love, wisdom, holiness, power, and glory. A perfection far beyond a bare freedom from sin. read more
17. Christ… in your hearts The powerful thought is, that Christ’s own spirit or temper may, by faith, or self-surrender on our part, supplant our own natural temper in our hearts, so that we may approximately live and speak as Christ would in our place. That In order that. Thus far he has prayed for the conditions that shall produce what follow. Rooted and grounded As Wordsworth finely says: “ Rooted like a plant, and therefore always alive and growing; and grounded as a... read more
18. With all saints Inasmuch as you Gentile Ephesians are built with all other saints into the structure of a glorious Church. Breadth, length, depth, height These are the four geometrical dimensions of a building, or other solid or spacial object. But of what object is it that Paul is praying that his Ephesians may comprehend these dimensions? The old Greek commentators, as well as Erasmus and Grotius, refer it to our redemption identical with the mystery of Ephesians 3:9. For... read more
19. Know As by conscious experience. Love of Christ His love to us as manifested in the redemption. Passeth knowledge The conciseness of St. Paul’s Greek justifies the rendering, that ye may know the knowledge-surpassing love of Christ. A contradiction in form in order vividly to impress the truth that the quality and surpassing amount may be apprehended, though it cannot be adequately comprehended. We know the ocean, yet the ocean immensely exceeds our knowledge. Filled Is the image... read more
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Wesley's Explanatory Notes - Ephesians 3:17
That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,Dwell — That is, constantly and sensibly abide. read more