Skip to main content

Power to Grasp

I find it intriguing, both delightfully so and sometimes annoyingly so, when words don’t seem to fit…

For example, normally when I think of the words “power to grasp”, I think of physical strength to grasp an object.

So when I read this verse, I was definitely intrigued:

 “may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ” (Eph 3:18)

 I can see grasping, in a tactile manner, to explore the dimensions of width, length, height and depth of an object.  I can also see the need for power to grasp things that could potentially be immense.  But how do you grasp those dimensions when it comes to love?  And where does power come in?

So I decided to see what words were used in other translations in order to get a sense of what it might mean.  Here are some ways other versions translate “power to grasp”:

 

  • Able to comprehend
  • May be strong to apprehend
  • Power to understand
  • Strong enough to grasp
  • Power to comprehend
  • Power to know
  • Strength to comprehend

 

While it seems incongruous that it would take physical strength or power to grasp the dimensions of His love, perhaps comprehending or understanding the dimensions of if it does make sense. 

In addition, from what I can gather, the “to grasp” in this context implies more than just comprehending or understanding but it means to “take hold of something and make it one’s own”. 

It should also be noted that there is a paradox here.  The love of Christ, that love that is so immense in its width, length, height and depth, is said to be, in the verse that follows, a love that surpasses knowledge.  So how can we know something that surpasses knowledge?

In our own strength or our own knowledge or own understanding, we can’t!  So Paul’s prayer is asking the Lord to provide divine strength and divine enablement for us to able to comprehend and understand the immensity and vastness of Christ’s love for us.

 May we have the power to grasp, together with others who are His, how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ!

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Not Just Idle Words

I own a 25 year old car.  The body might be falling apart but the engine runs great and it idles smoothly.  Such idling is good. Idling can also have to do with spending too much time doing nothing or being without purpose or being engaged in that which is pointless.  Such idling is not good. What if I were to tell you that I know of something that is the about as far as being without purpose as you can get?  Would you want it? Here is that something:  “They are not just idle words for you—they are your life. By them you will live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess.”  ( Deut 32:47) Other versions of the Bible use some different words for that first phrase in the verse and such can be helpful in assessing how important the words really are: “Not meaningless words…”   “These are not just useless words…”   “No empty word for you…”   “Not unimportant words…”   “Not useless words…”   ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Very Present

I love words that have multiple meanings but the same spelling.  Take the word “present” for example.  You may be thinking of “present”, as in a gift.  Gotta love those! But I’m thinking of “present”, as in existing now or occurring now. I’m also thinking of “present”, as in being at hand. Why those two latter ones, you might ask, why not just go with the gift! Well, I recently read Psalm 46, and here is the first verse:   “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” Some theologians suggest the word “present” in this Psalm has the meaning of “well proven”.  I certainly can appreciate that. But I’ve been wondering if “present” could include the meaning of “now existing or now occurring”.  That is, God is exists now and is occurring in our lives. Furthermore, I’ve been wondering if “present” could also include “being at hand”.  That is, God is here, right now, with us.   And with even further wondering, the wo...
Post a Comment
Read more

Be Amazed!

Be amazed… Jesus welcomed sinners …The Pharisees and legal experts were grumbling, saying, “This man welcomes sinners… (Luke 15:2) Jesus hung out with sinners …And when they saw it, they all grumbled, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.” (Luke 19:7) Jesus ate with sinners …And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” (Matt 9:11) Jesus was a friend of sinners …The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ (Matt 11:19) With Jesus being so welcoming, what did people do? People came to see Him …They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. “Sir,” they said, “we would like to see Jesus.” (John 12:21) People came to hear Him …Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. (Luke 15:1) People followed Him …While Jesus was having dinner at Levi’s house, many ta...
Post a Comment
Read more