And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.
Parallel translations
- WEB and to know Christ’s love which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
- BSB of the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
- NKJV to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
- NASB and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled to all the fullness of God.
- NLT May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Paul prays they would know Christ's surpassing love and be filled with God's fullness. It seeks experiential knowledge of an immeasurable love.
Overview
The climax of the prayer is 'to know Christ's love which surpasses knowledge.' This is a paradox: to know experientially a love too great to be fully comprehended. The goal is that 'you may be filled with all the fullness of God' — to be saturated with God's own life and character through union with the loving Christ.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 21
- Eph 1:23Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.
- Col 2:9–10For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
- Col 1:10That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;
- 2 Cor 5:14For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead:
- 1 Jn 4:9–14In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.
- John 1:16And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.
- Phil 4:7And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
- Rev 7:15–17Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.
- Gal 2:20I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
- Rev 22:3–5And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:
- Eph 5:2And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.
- 2 Pet 3:18But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.
- Eph 3:18May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;
- Phil 2:5–12Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
- Matt 5:6Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
- John 17:3And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.
- Eph 5:25Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
- Rev 21:22–24And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.
- Ps 43:4Then will I go unto the altar of God, unto God my exceeding joy: yea, upon the harp will I praise thee, O God my God.
- Phil 1:7Even as it is meet for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart; inasmuch as both in my bonds, and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers of my grace.
- Ps 17:15As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.
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Christ at the center
Every spiritual blessing is 'in Christ,' the head over all things for the church, in whom Jew and Gentile are made one new man by his blood.
How Ephesians 3:19 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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