Ephesians 3:21 – “To him be the glory in all the church and
in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.” (NASB)
The local Christian church is a messy place. There’s the old
joke about the church member talking to his non-church-going friend. The friend
says, “Yes, but I don’t like organized religion.”
The church-goer responds, “Well, then you should love our
church – there’s nothing organized about it!”
This phrase, “Glory to God in the church” – is a striking phrase
in this prayer or benediction by Paul. This is a man who saw a lot of non-glorifying
stuff in the early church. This phrase is arresting for me who worked in the
church of the 21st century. There was sooooooo much in church life
that did NOT glorify God.
Yet, the sense is that part is just as true as the next
clause, which is that Jesus glorifies God. We know that is true – of course
Jesus glorified God. The two clauses are treated as equally true. So, in some
way, the church glorifies God.
Lots of questions: with the church continue forever, “to all
generations?” And there are others. But the key thought is that the church, as
with all things, exists to glorify God.
This was a good thing to remember as I went through the grind
of ministry work.
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