In this message we reflect on the final section of Paul’s prayer in Ephesians chapter 3. Paul concludes his prayer with, “Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”
This final section of the prayer is called a doxology. If you’ve been in Christian circles for any length of time, you might have come across an old hymn written by Thomas Ken that is entitled: The Doxology. (Some of you are now singing the 25-word hymn in your minds…) But a doxology isn’t actually a specific hymn that was penned in the 1600s, rather it’s a compound word with two roots.
- Doxa – which means glory
- Logos – which means a word, or a plea, or a reason.
A doxology is essentially a word of praise. It’s one of the ways that we assign worth or glory to something or someone.
Here’s a trustworthy statement, “our theology must lead to doxology.” This is the whole point of theological study. RC Sproul states that “knowledge of the Lord’s character and His work should inspire heartfelt praise, for why learn about God if we are not moved to fulfill the purpose for which we are created — to worship and glorify the Creator (Isa. 43:7)? When studying theology does not prompt us to adoration, we must question whether we are more concerned to puff ourselves up with knowledge than to glorify God.”
We explore here the theme of glory as we conclude chapter 3 of Ephesians.
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