Now come back to the bowing. Paul, who considers himself the chief of sinners, bows in the presence of deity. Humility in that situation is not unexpected. The family implications, though, that the use of the word Father in this context brings most certainly is.
Paul was a man guilty of hunting God’s followers. Rebellion unto murder is no small conviction. Is it intuitive that Paul would then call God, whom he had so prominently affronted, Father? No, that is not natural, but that is what Paul does. He does not do this out of impudence, but out of invitation. God hunted him, found him, and offered him forgiveness. Those things being accepted Paul was welcomed into incredible intimacy.
Do not forget to bow in God’s presence. We are so familiar with the concept of God as revealed in the Bible and taught in our churches, the ceremonies, and worship patterns that we risk diminishing God. Learn from men like Paul who spiritually thrive while juggling competing God-person vantage points.
See how neither God’s bigness nor the bigness of forgiven sins threatens our connection? Think on these things. They are not to be taken lightly, but if taken will lighten our steps.
Not big enough
Let us step back a bit from the grandiose connection which has arisen in looking at Paul and God. Come with me all the way down to my Monday morning moments of lesson preparation so you can see how God’s bigness was revealed and built up in my life. Look at the quote that Urbana 1990 Bible which lives by our kitchen table. That is the one I read from as Chris Griggs taught me.
14 For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15 from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. (Ephesians 3:14-15–NIV 1984)1
Way back in 2016 when I began composing for this website the holders of NIV’s worldwide copyright limited use of their version to 1,000 verses. Use of more required formal permission. The English Standard Version (ESV) is less restrictive so I use that here. After I had spent time and thought on Paul’s letter in the familiar 1984 NIV I read the manner in which ESV translated them.
14 For this
reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, (Ephesians 3:14-15–ESV)
There are some distinctions between the translations of the 15th verse. Look right up in front of the word family and you will see different pronouns. The 1984 NIV employs the pronoun
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