When you think about the POWER of God, when you think about the GRACE of God, and when you think about the LOVE of God, what do those three things have in common? Well, we might be able to find a number of things that they have in common, but I want to focus your attention on a word that Paul uses three times in the book of Ephesians.
First, consider the Greek word ballo. This was an easy word for me to memorize its definition. It means “to throw.” Hold on to that definition. Second, consider the Greek preposition huper. While this word has a number of meanings, can you see the English word “hyper” in this Greek word? One definition of huper is “over and above, beyond, more than.” Now, what would happen if you took these two Greek words and combined them? Such a combination would literally mean, “to throw over and above, beyond.”
Paul uses the compound Greek word huperballo three times in the book of Ephesians. Danker’s lexicon defines this word, “to attain a degree that extraordinarily exceeds a point on a scale of extent, go beyond, surpass, outdo.” Read that definition again. How can something “attain a degree that extraordinarily exceeds a point on a scale of extent”? If there is a scale of measurement and something comes along that “extraordinarily exceeds it,” then it “surpasses” any ability to be measured at all. Now, what could possibly do that?
Paul’s first use of this word in Ephesians is in chapter one. Paul wanted these Christians to come to “know…what is the exceeding (huperballo) greatness of His power toward us who believe” (1:18-19). The power of God is huperballo! More than that: the greatness of the power of God is huperballo! It extraordinarily exceeds the ability to be measured!
Paul’s second use is in chapter two. Paul wanted these Christians to understand that their salvation was only possible because of “the exceeding (huperballo) riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus” (2:7). The grace of God is huperballo! More than that: the riches of the grace of God is huperballo! It extraordinarily exceeds the ability to be measured!
Paul’s third use is in chapter three. Paul wanted these Christians to “know” that “the love of Christ which passes knowledge” (3:19). The love of Christ is huperballo! More than that: the knowledge of the love of Christ is huperballo! It extraordinarily exceeds the ability to be measured!
Some things in life (even big things) can be measured. But when it comes to God’s “power” “toward us,” God’s “grace” “toward us,” and Christ’s “love” that “fills” us, it extraordinarily exceeds the ability to be measured! Wow!