Last night, we were studying Ephesians 3:14-21 at our Sunday evening Bible study. I've studied Ephesians a lot over the years, but last night this jumped off the page at me: "know this love that surpasses knowledge" (v. 19)
Some would take this to be some esoteric kind of love that is warm and fuzzy and that Paul's words "surpasses knowledge" would simply mean a love that is "more than words" (as the glam rock band Extreme sang about in 1991).
While the love of God is so immense, "wide, long, high and deep" as Paul wrote in v. 18, I was impressed by the context of the chapter and where this phrase sits in relation to the remainder of the book. Ephesians ch. 3 is the "pivot" chapter of the letter. It's that chapter that swings the transition from the doctrinal basis of our salvation by grace alone, through faith alone in Christ alone, to practical application.
In view of the context of this statement, I'm pretty convinced (knowing what is to come) that Paul is encouraging us to experience the love of Christ beyond mere knowledge and beyond warm feelings. We are called to live out that love in the community of the Church and the world in which we live. I'm certain that this phrase, "love that surpasses knowledge," is Paul's way of saying "don't just have words of love and knowledge of love. Have a life of active and interactive love" (see also I Corinthians 8:1). The remainder of Ephesians will then open up to practical instruction for love in action in all spheres of our lives.
As Jesus said in John 13:35 "the world will you know you are my disciples by how you love one another."
