That Christ may dwell by faith in your hearts; that being rooted and founded in charity,

“"That He would grant you according to the riches of His glory that ye may be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inward man; that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith." Mark with what insatiable earnestness he invokes these blessings upon them, that they may not be tossed about. But how shall this be effected? By the "Holy Spirit in your inward man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith." How again shall this be? However, he does not ask the whole of God, but demands of them also faith and love, and not simply love, but love "rooted and grounded," so that neither any blasts can shake it, nor any thing else overturn it. He had said, that "tribulations" are "glory," and if mine are so to you, he would say, much more will your own be: so that to be afflicted is no token of men being forsaken, for He who hath wrought so great things for us, never would do this. But how doth Christ dwell in the hearts? Hear what Christ Himself saith, "I and my Father will come unto him, and make our abode with him." He dwelleth in those hearts that are faithful, in those that are "rooted" in His love, those that remain firm and unshaken. "That ye may be" thoroughly "strong," saith he; so that there is great strength needed.”

“After the Apostle has treated of the dignity of his office, which pertains to his condition, here he consequently treats of those things which pertain to his affliction, namely, of his sufferings. Concerning this he does two things. First, he exhorts them not to be troubled on account of his tribulations, but to have patience; second, because divine help is necessary for a man not to be troubled, he sets forth a prayer beforehand, that they may fulfill this through divine grace, at the place "for this cause," etc. He says therefore first: from the greatness of my office and its firmness, which I have through faith in Christ, it happens that I suffer tribulations; but they do not trouble me, nor can they tear me away from Christ. Romans 8:35: "Who shall separate us from the charity of Christ? Tribulation?" etc.; as if to say: nothing. For which reason I exhort you and ask that you not lose heart in my tribulations, namely, lest on the occasion of my tribulations you fall away entirely from faith and from good works. Hebrews 12:3: "Do not grow weary, fainting in your minds." But I say that you ought not to lose heart, because they are for you, that is, for your benefit. 2 Corinthians 1:6: "Whether we are troubled, it is for your exhortation and salvation; or whether we are comforted, it is for your consolation; or whether we are exhorted, it is for your exhortation and salvation, which works the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer, that our hope may be firm for you, knowing that as you are partakers of the sufferings, so shall you be also of the consolation." Or he says "for you," that is, for your testing. Wisdom 3:6: "As gold in the furnace the Lord has tried his elect," etc. "Which is your glory," etc., namely if you do not lose heart, but stand strong in tribulations. For "he who shall persevere unto the end," etc. In another way: "which is your glory," that is, the endurance of our sufferings, is for you unto glory, in this, that God has exposed his apostles and prophets to tribulations and sufferings for the sake of your salvation. Hosea 6:5: "Therefore I have hewn them by the prophets, and I have slain them," etc. 2 Corinthians 1:14: "We are your glory, as you also are ours," etc. Next, when he says "for this cause," etc., he implores help for them through prayer, that they may profit through his exhortation. And first he sets forth the prayer; second, as though assured of being heard, he gives thanks, at the place "now to him who is able," etc. Again, the first is divided into three, because first he sets forth the object of the prayer; second, the intent of the prayer, at the place "that he would grant you, according to the riches," etc.; third, the fruit of the prayer, at the place "that you may be able to comprehend," etc. Now prayer is rendered able to be heard through humility. Psalm 101:18: "He has had regard to the prayer of the humble," etc. Ecclesiasticus 35:21: "The prayer of him who humbles himself shall pierce the clouds," etc. And therefore he immediately begins his prayer from humility, saying "for this cause," namely lest you fall away from the faith, "I bend my knees to the Father," etc., which is a sign of humility on account of two things. First, because he who bends the knee, in a certain way makes himself small, and subjects himself to him to whom he bends the knee: hence through this sort of act is shown the recognition of one's own frailty and smallness. Second, because in the knee is the strength of the body. When, therefore, someone bends the knee, he professes the weakness of his own strength. And hence it is that exterior bodily signs are exhibited to God for the conversion and spiritual exercise of the interior soul. In the Prayer of Manasseh: "I bend the knees of my heart," etc. Isaiah 45:23: "To me every knee shall bow," etc. Then he describes the object of the prayer, which is God, and describes him from two things: first from affinity, second from authority. For from affinity we are raised up to pray with confidence. And as to this he says "to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ," namely of whom we are sons. James 1:17: "Every best gift," etc. Isaiah 63:16: "For you, Lord, are our father," etc. But from authority is confirmed the confidence of obtaining what we ask, because he himself is the one "from whom all paternity in heaven and on earth is named." Here it could be asked whether there is paternity in heaven. It could be said briefly that in heaven, that is, in God or in the divine, there is paternity, which is the principle of all paternity. But this is not asked about at present, because it is known to every believer. But it is asked whether in the heavens, that is, whether in the Angels there is any paternity. To this I say that paternity exists only in living and knowing beings. Now there is a twofold life. One according to act, the other according to potency. Life according to potency is indeed to have the works of life in potency. Hence one who is sleeping, as regards exterior acts, is said to live in potency. But to live according to act is when someone exercises the works of life in act. In this way, not only he who gives the potency of life is the father of him to whom he gives it, but he who gives the act of life can also be called a father. Whoever, therefore, leads someone to some act of life — for instance, to acting well, understanding, willing, loving — can be called his father. 1 Corinthians 4:15: "For though you have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet not many fathers," etc. Since, therefore, among the Angels one enlightens, perfects, and purges another, and these are hierarchical acts, it is manifest that one Angel is the father of another, just as a teacher is the father of a disciple. But it is doubted whether the paternity which is in the heavens and on earth is derived from the paternity which is in the divine. And it seems that not; because we impose names in this way according as we know the things named; but whatever we know, we know through creatures; therefore the names imposed by us on the things themselves belong more and prior to creatures than to God himself. I respond and say that the name of some thing named by us can be taken in two ways: for it is either expressive, or significative, of a concept of the intellect — because words are marks, or signs of the passions, or of the concepts that are in the soul — and in this way the name is prior in creatures than in God. Or insofar as it is manifestative of the quiddity of the thing named exteriorly, and in this way it is prior in God. Hence this name "paternity," according as it signifies the conception of the intellect of the one naming the thing, is thus found prior in creatures rather than in God, because a creature becomes known to us prior to God; but according as it signifies the very thing named, it is thus prior in God than in us, because certainly every generative power in us is from God. And therefore he says: "from whom all paternity in heaven and on earth is named," as if to say: the paternity which is in the creatures themselves is, as it were, nominal or verbal, but that divine paternity, by which the Father gives the whole nature to the Son, without any imperfection, is true paternity. Next, when he says "that he would grant you," etc., he shows the intent of the prayer. And first he does this; second, he shows by what means he might obtain his purpose, at the place "through his Spirit," etc. He says therefore: I say that I ask that you not lose heart, but stand manfully. Yet I know that you cannot do this of yourselves without the gift of God, and therefore I ask "that he would grant you." James 1:17: "Every best gift," etc. And this indeed "according to the riches of his glory," that is, according to the abundance of his majesty and magnificence. Psalm 111:3: "Glory and riches are in his house." Proverbs 8:18: "With me are riches and glory." Riches, I say, which cause one "to be strengthened with might." Isaiah 40:29: "Who gives strength to the weary, and to those who have no might he multiplies force and strength." And this "in the inner man," because unless a man is strengthened in his interior parts, he is easily overcome by the enemy. Isaiah 9:7: "He shall confirm it and strengthen it in judgment and justice, from henceforth and forever." Then let that interposed clause be taken up again, namely "through the Spirit," in which he shows by what means he can obtain what he asks. For the Spirit himself, who gives strength, is the spirit of fortitude and is the cause of not losing heart in tribulations, whom we obtain through faith, which is most strong: because faith is "the substance of things to be hoped for," that is, it makes the things to be hoped for subsist in us. Hence 1 Peter 5:9: "Whom resist, strong in faith." And therefore he subjoins "that Christ may dwell through faith," and this "in your hearts." 1 Peter 3:15: "But sanctify the Lord Christ in your hearts." By what? I say that not only through faith, which, as a gift, is most strong, but also through charity, which is in the saints. And therefore he adds "rooted and founded in charity." 1 Corinthians 13:7: "It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things; charity never fails." Song of Songs, last chapter: "Love is strong as death." Hence, just as a tree without a root, and a house without a foundation, easily collapses, so a spiritual building, unless it be founded and rooted in charity, cannot endure.”

“May be able to comprehend with all saints,.... This is the end of their being rooted and grounded in love, that they, together with the rest of the saints interested in it, might have a larger and more comprehensive view of what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; not of God himself, who is incomprehensible by finite minds, and is not to be found out to perfection; see Job 11:7 but either of the great mystery of salvation, particularly the mystery of the calling of the Gentiles mentioned in the beginning of the chapter; or of the spiritual building, the church, the dimensions of which are given, Rev 21:15 or rather of the love of God, which in its length reaches from one eternity to another; in its breadth to all the elect, in all ages, places, and nations; and in its depth to saints in the lowest state of life; and in its height to bring them to an exalted state in glory.”

“That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith - In this as well as in many other passages, and particularly that in Eph 2:21 (note), the apostle compares the body or Church of true believers to a temple, which, like that of Solomon, is built up to be a habitation of God through the Spirit. Here, as Solomon did at the dedication of the temple at Jerusalem, Ch2 6:1, etc., Paul, having considered the Church at Ephesus completely formed, as to every external thing, prays that God may come down and dwell in it. And as there could be no indwelling of God but by Christ, and no indwelling of Christ but by faith, he prays that they may have such faith in Christ, as shall keep them in constant possession of his love and presence. God, at the beginning, formed man to be his temple, and while in a state of purity he inhabited this temple; when the temple became defiled, God left it. In the order of his eternal mercy, Christ, the repairer of the breach, comes to purify the temple, that it may again become a fit habitation for the blessed God. This is what the apostle points out to the believing Ephesians, in praying that Christ κατοικησαι, might intensely and constantly dwell in their hearts by faith: for the man's heart, which is not God's house, must be a hold of every foul and unclean spirit; as Satan and his angels will endeavor to fill what God does not. That ye, being rooted and grounded in love - Here is a double metaphor; one taken from agriculture, the other, from architecture. As trees, they are to be rooted in love - this is the soil in which their souls are to grow; into the infinite love of God their souls by faith are to strike their roots, and from this love derive all that nourishment which is essential for their full growth, till they have the mind in them that was in Jesus, or, as it is afterwards said, till they are filled with all the fullness of God. As a building, their foundation is to be laid in this love. God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, etc. Here is the ground on which alone the soul, and all its hopes and expectations, can be safely founded. This is a foundation that cannot be shaken; and it is from this alone that the doctrine of redemption flows to man, and from this alone has the soul its form and comeliness. In this, as its proper soil, it grows. On this, as its only foundation, it rests.”

“That--So that. dwell--abidingly make His abode (Joh 14:23). Where the Spirit is there Christ is (Joh 14:16, Joh 14:18). by faith--Greek, "through faith," which opens the door of the heart to Jesus (Joh 3:20). It is not enough that He be on the tongue, or flit through the brain: the heart is His proper seat [CALVIN]. "You being rooted and grounded in love" (compare Eph 3:19), is in the Greek connected with this clause, not with the clause, "that ye may be able to comprehend." "Rooted" is an image from a tree; "grounded" (Greek, "founder," "having your foundations resting on"), from a building (compare Notes,, see on Eph 2:20-21; Col 1:23; Col 2:7). Contrast Mat 13:6, Mat 13:21. "Love," the first-fruit of the Spirit, flowing from Christ's love realized in the soul, was to be the basis on which should rest their further comprehension of all the vastness of Christ's love.”