What does it mean to comprehend the “breadth and length and height and depth” in Ephesians 3:18?

Answer

In Ephesians 3, Paul expresses his desire and prayer for the believers in Ephesus. Part of his prayer is “that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you . . . may have the strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God” (Ephesians 3:17-19;ESV). Paul explains that, despite his suffering for the gospel (verses 1, 13), it was worthwhile if they could grasp the extent of Christ’s love for them.

The Greek word translated as “comprehend” or “understand” implies more than a mental understanding. It means “to take hold of something and make it one’s own.” For the Ephesian Christians to truly understand the “love that surpasses knowledge,” they needed to move beyond hearsay. This type of comprehension is experiential. It demands us to grasp a truth and identify ourselves with it. Paul encouraged them—and all saints everywhere—to reflect on what it means to be completely loved by God for Christ’s sake. He desired them to understand God’s love in its entirety; to comprehend “how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ.”

Jesus had already defined love as shown by both the Father and the Son. He said of Himself, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” «Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. », (John 15:13). Of the Father, He said, “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son” «For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should notPerish, but have everlasting life.” , (John 3:16). God’s love is all-encompassing, far exceeding our ability to comprehend. Its breadth, length, height, and depth are staggering. It requires meditation, soul-searching, and honesty to draw near enough to God to comprehend His nature “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double-minded.” , (James 4:8). That was what Paul urged them, and all Christians, to do: consider the breadth, length, height, and depth of the love of Christ for His church. Later in his epistle, Paul again alludes to the love of Christ when he urges husbands to love their wives in the same way Christ loves the church (Ephesians 5:25-27).

Paul’s use of dimensional language to describe the love of Christ suggests a vastness to Christ’s love. The Redeemer’s love for His people is so great, of such magnitude, as to be almost beyond comprehension. The four-fold description of length, width, height, and depth carries with it shades of Psalm 103:11–12, which also uses dimensional language:

“For as high as the heavens are above the earth,

so great is his love for those who fear him;

as far as the east is from the west,

so far has he removed our transgressions from us.”

There is absolutely nothing at all that can separate us from the love of God in Christ (Romans 8:38-39). When we learn to bask in that love “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.” , (Psalm 37:23), and rest in His faithfulness “O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: For his mercy endureth for ever.”, (Psalm 136:1), we enjoy relationship, not religion. Only a relational God could love us so much that we can barely comprehend the breadth and length and height and depth of it.