Overall Overview
Ephesians chapter 3 centers on the second prayer that the Apostle Paul offers for the Ephesian church and all believers while he is in prison. Although there is a prayer in chapter 1, the prayer in chapter 3 is more direct and reveals the “inner maturity” of both the church community and individual believers with greater clarity. The recipients of this letter, in Paul’s words, are the “whole family in heaven and on earth,” and through this epistle, he conveys his earnest desire that the Father’s glory, the Spirit’s power, and the fullness of Christ’s love would strengthen the “inner person” of all believers.
Preaching on Ephesians chapter 3, Pastor David Jang emphasizes how essential Paul’s teaching on “the love of Christ” and “the fullness of God” is for both the church community and individual Christians. He explains the challenges the Ephesian church faced at that time (persecution, false teachings, etc.) and unpacks, theologically and spiritually, why Paul exhorts them not to lose heart.
In this writing, the sermon is organized under five main themes:
- Investigating the nature of love,
- Confirming hope in the midst of tribulation,
- Discussing the inner person and spiritual maturity,
- Proposing communal life and the practice of love, and
- Finally exploring the path that leads to God’s fullness and the completion of life.
Each section details Pastor David Jang’s central message and provides theological commentary on the corresponding text (Ephesians 3:14–21, with related references). During the sermon, biblical passages from 2 Corinthians 4–5, Revelation 2, Galatians, Colossians, etc., are quoted to show how various texts in the Pauline Epistles and other New Testament writings are interrelated.
1. The Nature of Love
Looking into the background of the Ephesian church’s loss of “first love,” we note that the Letter to the Ephesians is traditionally regarded as one of Paul’s prison epistles. The Ephesian church was a key community where Paul ministered personally for about three years, laying a strong foundation. This church is the first of the seven churches mentioned in Revelation chapter 2, having once been praised for its faith, labor, and perseverance, yet also rebuked for having “forsaken its first love.” Pastor David Jang explains that this “first love” refers to “the burning love for Christ and the fervor for the gospel” at the time the church was established. While the Ephesian believers were successful in defending themselves against heresy and maintaining their doctrine, their intense struggles caused their love to wane.
The love emphasized in Ephesians 3 stands out especially in verses 14–21, widely recognized as Paul’s “second prayer”for the church. Its focal point is “the love of Christ.” Paul wants the Ephesians, beset by worldly persecution and chaos, to come to know “the breadth and length and height and depth” of this love. Pastor David Jang draws from these verses to insist that “when the church grows weary from fighting or wavers under false teaching and tribulation, it must return to the foundation: the love of Christ.” This love is what Paul proclaims in Romans 8: that nothing—whether in heaven or on earth—can separate us from it. According to Pastor Jang, this is precisely “the core of God’s salvation plan.”
Regarding the concept of agapē love, the Greek language has several words for love, but the essential love referred to in Ephesians 3 and in the New Testament is “agapē”—the sacrificial, self-giving, and unconditional love. Represented most powerfully by the cross of Christ, agapē is not given based on any human achievement or merit; rather, it stems entirely from grace. Pastor Jang notes that the “atoning blood” is the pinnacle of agapē love. Likewise, 1 Corinthians 13 reminds us that if we lack love, even the most impressive displays of faith amount to nothing more than “a resounding gong.”
Summarizing how love is the focus of faith, Pastor David Jang states, “No matter how diligently the church holds to right doctrine or passionately pursues missions, if it loses ‘love,’ everything else becomes meaningless.” He explains that Paul’s elevated, profound prayer in Ephesians 3 is so beautiful precisely because “Paul wants the saints to know that love.” Ultimately, neither the church nor individual faith should strive after worldly success but should rather seek “the love of God” itself. This is the key point of the first theme.
2. Hope in the Midst of Tribulation
Examining Paul’s exhortation, “do not lose heart,” we see in Ephesians 3:13 that Paul encourages, “I ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering for you.” He then declares, “which is your glory.” Despite being imprisoned, Paul writes this letter from the heart of tribulation, fully aware of the spiritual and physical trials facing the Ephesian church. Yet he insists that such tribulations can become “God’s glory.” This idea dovetails with what Jesus told His disciples in the Gospels: “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).
Turning our attention to the circumstances of the early church and modern church, Pastor David Jang references the widespread hardships experienced by the first Christian communities. Phrases such as “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed…” (2 Corinthians 4:8–10) reveal that the early believers faced constant persecution and suffering. In Ephesus, believers struggled under false teachers and the prevailing pagan culture, easily leading to discouragement. Likewise, the modern church remains exposed to constant pressure, such as secularization, value conflicts, and moral or intellectual challenges. Therefore, discovering the “grounds for not losing heart” is vital.
How is it possible not to lose heart? Paul points to the power of the cross—“the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ”—to show that no tribulation can sever believers from salvation or from God’s love (Romans 8:35–39). Ephesians 3:16 and onward describe the indwelling of the Holy Spirit (the Spirit’s power) as the foundation for strengthening the inner person, making it possible for believers not to lose heart. As seen in Revelation 2, the Ephesian church’s ability to discern false teachers and protect sound doctrine, while also supporting one another, underscores the significance of church unity. Because the church is a “communal entity,” no believer needs to fight alone.
Considering a life that glorifies God even amidst tribulation, we recall 2 Corinthians 4:17–18, where Paul says, “For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison.” The secret to transforming hardship into glory is already revealed in the cross, where Christ took suffering and death and made them the “channel of salvation.” Pastor David Jang encourages his audience, stating that “hardships do not destroy your life; rather, they can become a divine tool that redefines it,” spurring believers on toward hope.
3. The Inner Person and Spiritual Maturity
Regarding the concepts of the “inner person” and the “outer person,” Ephesians 3:16 reads, “that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being.” Paul differentiates between the outer person and the inner person, referencing 2 Corinthians 4:16, which shares a similar thought: “Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.” This shows that the physical and worldly aspects of life pertain to the “outer person,” while the spiritual and internal reality pertains to the “inner person.” This inner person refers to our true being, made in God’s image (Imago Dei). Pastor David Jang stresses that for believers, “the truly important aspect is the ‘inner person,’” for although the flesh grows old and fades, the spirit is carried into God’s eternal kingdom.
How does the inner person become strong? Ephesians 3 teaches that “through the Spirit’s power” our inner person is strengthened, not simply by willpower or self-help methods, but by the Spirit’s own work. Pastor David Jang mentions the church tradition about James (the Apostle) having calluses on his knees from prayer, often referred to as “camel knees,” pointing to prayer as the key means by which the inner person grows. Additionally, Scripture is our “spiritual nourishment,” supplying life to our inner self. The growth of the inner person is not a solitary effort but occurs within the church community—through shared love, fellowship, and encouragement.
Considering the outer person’s decay and the inner person’s renewal, Paul compares himself to a jar of clay in 2 Corinthians 4:7, highlighting the “treasure” inside it—namely, the believer’s faith and the Spirit’s indwelling. Though jars of clay are fragile and can be easily broken, the treasure within determines their true value. In a similar way, our outer person may weaken under trials, illness, or the natural aging process, but if our inner person is being renewed, we need not lose heart and can continue moving forward.
Ultimately, the growth of the inner person is Paul’s heartfelt desire for the Ephesian church and for “every family in heaven and on earth.” This continual spiritual development in our inner humanity leads us deeper in fellowship with God, culminating in love. Pastor David Jang underscores that “Christlikeness in the church” is measured not by outward success or “visible revival,” but by “the day-to-day renewal of our inner person by the Spirit.”
4. The Church Community and the Practice of Love
Looking to the Ephesian church and other early churches as models, Revelation chapter 2 portrays the Ephesians as believers who, nurtured by Paul’s gospel teaching, refused to “tolerate wicked people” and tested those claiming to be apostles, thereby safeguarding the purity of the gospel. Yet in so doing, they abandoned their first love. This shows that in the course of upholding truth, they allowed love to grow cold. Pastor David Jang warns that “no matter how crucial doctrine is, if love is missing in how we treat people, we are not witnessing to the gospel but slipping into a rigid legalism.”
How, then, do we practically live out love? The unity of believers in the Holy Spirit is the primary foundation for such practice. Ephesians 4:3 and onward instructs, “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace,” and emphasizes that all ministries and gifts within the church exist to build up “one body” in Christ. Love within the church is visibly expressed in caring for one another, aligning with James 2’s principle that “faith without works is dead.” Healing conflicts through love involves grappling with personal disagreements among believers and engaging with the world that opposes Christ. Fulfilling Jesus’ command to “love your enemies” (Matthew 5) becomes the vehicle by which the church’s true power is manifested.
The church’s mission toward the world remains grounded in proclaiming the gospel. Just as the Ephesian church navigated a pagan environment while spreading the good news, so must the contemporary church contend with humanistic and hedonistic cultures by serving the world through the gospel. Taking social responsibility involves extending love beyond church walls to the poor and marginalized. We see this reflected in Paul’s ministry of collecting offerings (2 Corinthians 8–9) and in the early church’s charitable works (Acts 2–4). Moreover, Pastor Jang underscores that the everyday lives of individual Christians—within their families, workplaces, and local communities—ought to shine like the Ephesian believers did. A Christian without love is like “salt that has lost its saltiness.”
Contemplating the recovery of that “first love” and the communal dimension of faith, the prayer in Ephesians 3 is not merely for individual blessings but serves as the cornerstone for “the entire church community to become one in love.” Paul beseeches that believers “together grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ” (Ephesians 3:18–19). Pastor David Jang insists that “if a church does not have love as its root, even if it seems effective at first, it will soon fracture and grow cold.” This underscores, repeatedly, how critical communal love is.
5. God’s Fullness and the Completion of Life
Regarding God’s fullness (plērōma), Ephesians 3:19 states, “that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” In the New Testament, the Greek word plērōma signifies “being filled to the brim.” Colossians 2:9 likewise identifies Jesus Christ as the one “in whom all the fullness of deity dwells bodily.” Pastor David Jang interprets this concept of fullness by highlighting the paradox of Christ’s kenosis (“self-emptying”)—that though Jesus “emptied” Himself and came to this earth, He thus made all things truly full.
Considering perfection through love, recall how Jesus said, “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48). Paul, in Ephesians 3:18–19, clarifies that this perfection is approached by grasping “the breadth and length and height and depth” of God’s love. We can thus conclude that God’s love is the only path for us to reflect His perfection. Therefore, “growing in Christlikeness through love” is the fundamental goal of our faith.
Looking at the church and Christ Jesus as the source of glory, Ephesians 3:21 declares, “to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever.” God, who is invisible, reveals Himself in this world “through the visible church and the image of Christ.” In the modern context, when the church becomes “a light in the ruins, bearing a good testimony and practicing love,” that alone brings glory to God. Pastor David Jang concludes his sermon by emphasizing this very point.
Relating the completion of life to God’s plan, Paul’s prayer that “you may grasp this love and be filled to all the fullness of God” transcends church expansion or formal growth in piety; it signals the ultimate fulfillment of God’s creative intention and redemptive plan for humanity. Love is “the essence of creation,” and as Christ’s redemption—accomplished on the cross—shines more fully in the lives of all believers, that consummation takes concrete shape within history.
Conclusion and Closing Remarks
Summarizing Pastor David Jang’s sermon on Ephesians 3:14–21 under these five themes, we find that Paul’s gospel-oriented and theological emphases can be encapsulated as follows:
- The Nature of Love: The “first love” to be recovered by the church—agapē, sacrificial love—is at the heart of faith.
- Hope in Tribulation: Even amid hardship, believers should not lose heart. The cross and the Holy Spirit’s power uphold the saints, transforming suffering into glory.
- The Inner Person and Spiritual Maturity: True strength and growth come from the continual renewal of the inner person, not the outer self.
- Church Community and the Practice of Love: While preserving truth, we must not forsake love. We are called to share the gospel and serve the world through acts of love.
- God’s Fullness and the Completion of Life: Attaining God’s perfection through love is the ultimate goal of faith, bringing glory to God throughout all ages.
These five topics are not merely distinct doctrinal points but rather form one cohesive whole that leads both the church and individual faith into “the core of the gospel.” Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 3 concludes with the central petition, “to know the love of Christ,” which underscores that this is the church’s and every believer’s foremost task. Through biblical exposition, Pastor David Jang proclaims that, notwithstanding the challenges and trials of our times, we must prioritize “the love of Christ,” be strengthened in our inner person through the Spirit, and stand as a loving community, encouraging one another. Ultimately, when this love is fully restored, both individuals and the church will be “filled with all the fullness of God” and will become a worshiping community that glorifies Him “throughout all generations, forever and ever.”