The footnote to verse 11 in the Harper Collins NRSV Study Bible tells us that the literal Greek translation of "glorious power" is "the power of his glory." We could read the above verse as "May you be strong with all the strength that comes from the power of his glory." The idea of power in God’s glory can also be found in the following scriptures: Exodus 24:16, 40:34; Psalms 19:1, and Isaiah 6:3, 40:5. These scriptures speak of God's glory as wondrous, awesome, and mighty.
If we imagine a king who has glorious power, we think of a king who conquers his enemies, brings peace to his kingdom and the kingdom becomes prosperous. The king is powerful, and his prosperity brings glory to the kingdom. That is glorious power.
Now, let us imagine a king who has power in glory. This king is so glorious that he does not have to conquer his enemies. His enemies want to become a part of his kingdom and stand in the presence of his glory. This king is so glorious that he wants to share his wealth with all inhabitants of his kingdom. There is unending power in this kind of glory. This wonderful power is called grace.
No comments:
Post a Comment