Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Ephesians 3:16

"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;" — Ephesians 3:16 (ASV)

Paul now sets out the content of his prayer in three items: vv.16–17a; 17b– 19a; 19b. As in 1:17–18, the prayer is concerned with the appropriation of God’s provision in Christ through the Spirit. The divine resources that make this possible are described as “his glorious riches” (see comments on “glory” in 1:6, 17; “riches” in 2:4, 7; cf. Romans 9:23). Paul asks God to endow his readers with spiritual blessings on this lavish scale. Earlier Paul used three terms to indicate aspects of God’s power . Now he reverts to them in the context of what is made available to the believer. The verbal form “strengthen” is the opposite of “be discouraged” in v.13. The Holy Spirit is the agent of this enablement, which is continually being provided to us (cf. Php 1:19). “Inner being” contrasts with the outward person that is wasting away (2 Corinthians 4:16), whereas the new self is daily renewed (Colossians 3:10).