‘to know this love that surpasses knowledge’ – what a strange expression.

The Apostle Paul in closing his argument in Ephesian 3:19 makes this statement. I can understand how wonderful it is to ‘know love’, but how can you know something that ‘surpasses knowledge’?

The answer comes in the context. Paul’s prayer here is that we ‘may have power together with the all the saints to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ’ (Eph 3:18). It is not a petition that we should love Christ more (important that is), but that we might understand Christ’s love for us. But further, this is not just an intellectual exercise (important that is), this is about being empowered to grasp the love of Christ in our experience.

What of love that ‘surpasses knowledge’? This is Christ’s love. It is so great that no one can ever fully know it. We cannot plumb the depths of it or comprehend the magnitude of it – there is always more to know and experience. So the implication, in light of what is to come (that we may be ‘filled to the measure of all the fullness of God’) is that we cannot be as spiritually mature as we should unless we are empowered by God to grasp the limitless dimensions of Christ’ love.

Our prayer should be to know and experience love – that of Christ by the power of God through his Spirit. Bring it on!!