We are told here that the reason that Paul bowed his knees to the Father, the reason that he was praying for these Ephesian believers was so that they would not lose heart at his tribulations. He was concerned that they might lose heart because of the things that he was going through on their behalf, on account of his preaching the gospel to them. These tribulations, he says, were for their glory. In other words, these tribulations that Paul was going through were actually intended by God to help establish the greater excellence and exercise of their faith in God. He wanted them to see that his own sufferings were linked to the sufferings of Christ. These trials and tribulations which Paul went through were intended by God to help the believers in Ephesus to persevere in their faith, so that they would become stronger Christians. Paul knew that they would better be able to glorify God in the way that they would live their lives to Christ, based upon what they saw Paul going through. So, we should understand from this, that we who are stronger in the faith, more mature in our faith, able to suffer more for our faith, are intended by God, to be an example to other Christians, to encourage and strengthen their faith.
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Pastor Paul Rendall was born in November of 1951, and grew up in Davenport, Iowa. He went to college at Drake University and the University of Iowa where he received a B.A. degree in Social Work and History in 1974. Paul searched for truth in all the wrong places in college, but...
