Ephesians 6:20Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

But to whom do you carry out this embassy? To men, in order to reconcile them with God. Yet they have bound me, although according to law ambassadors should not suffer any violence. Therefore, although chains have been placed on me to restrain my boldness, your prayer will open my mouth. Then I shall dare to speak all that the One who entrusted the embassy to me has commanded. Do you see that the sword is boldness in preaching the word of God, which Paul wished to speak with an opening of the mouth?

That a word may be given to me when my mouth is opened, and that I may confidently make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, so that in it I may speak boldly as I ought to speak.

His present words, "when my mouth is opened," and elsewhere, "My mouth is open to you, Corinthians," and, "Opening His mouth, He taught His disciples, saying" (Mt 5:2), and, "I opened my mouth and drew in the spirit" (attraxi spiritum), and. "I will open my mouth in parables" (Ps 77:2), and other such passages, must be understood as though he had said: "Let the treasuries be opened, and let the holy things hidden from the ages be poured forth, so that the Holy Spirit may enter and bring out what lies concealed."

Such prayer is pleasing to God. He sees that His mission through His apostle is rejected by men. Therefore He will surely not deprive of His gift the one who does His work. Custom and law forbid harm to be done to the ambassadors of men. How arrogant and rash it is, then, not only to harm the messengers of God, but even to hand them over to death.

“And for me.” Why do you need this prayer? “That a word may be given to me in the opening of my mouth.” What exactly is to be said? “With boldness to make known the mystery of the gospel,” “for which I am an ambassador in chains, that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.” Ask also for me courage, boldness, and abundance in speech, so that I may complete the course according to the divine law. Again he pointed to his chains, encouraging them and teaching them not to be troubled or ashamed by sufferings for the Master. Rather, they should magnify and boast in them.

Immediately after the sign of the cross, grace acts in such a way that it brings peace to all the members. Because of much joy, the soul appears like a simple and guileless child. The person no longer condemns Greek, Jew, or sinner. The inner man looks upon all with a pure eye as upon one, and rejoices equally over the whole world. He wants all Greeks and Jews to worship the Son of God as the Father. Doors are opened to him, and he enters within into many mansions. As he enters, they are opened to him still more. From a hundred mansions he enters into another hundred mansions and grows rich. Again, when he becomes another, other new and wondrous things are shown to him. As to a son and heir, things are entrusted to him that cannot be spoken by human nature or by these lips and tongue.

“Boldly” means this: that I may fulfill the embassy without loss, and that no hindrance may arise in my soul from the chains. Thus I may carry out, as I ought, the work of proclaiming the mystery of the gospel.

“For which I am an ambassador in chains.” For the Gospel the Apostle was subjected to chains. More than this, the chains themselves were a necessary means for spreading the preaching, because they gave the Apostle the opportunity to bear witness to the truth of the Gospel even before Caesar.

At the conclusion of his epistle, the Apostle first asks for prayers for himself, “that a word may be given to him, that he may openly and boldly proclaim the mystery of the gospel.” Second. He speaks of the embassy of Tychicus to the Ephesians, so that he may tell them “about his circumstances and deeds,” and thereby comfort their hearts. Finally, he sends peace, love, and grace to the brethren, with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ unwaveringly.

After speaking of prayer as one of the means for struggling against the enemies of salvation, the Apostle asks them to pray also for him. To this he adds what he finds possible to communicate about himself, while entrusting Tychicus to tell everything in detail. The epistle itself was sent with Tychicus. The Apostle certainly prayed himself, but he knew how great the power of the prayer of the whole Church is. Therefore he asked for it for the common good, that he might be freed from bonds. So also the holy Apostle Peter was freed from prison by common prayer (Acts 12). According to His Grace Theophan: "St. Paul could not fail to suppose that news of his imprisonment had reached the Ephesians. From this circumstance they themselves could imagine many things.

The struggle itself should begin with diligent prayer in communion with the Holy Spirit (έν πνεύματι; cf. Rom 8:26). To this exhortation the Apostle adds a request that they pray for him. He asks that, as Christ’s authorized ambassador, he may be granted in Rome the same freedom as the ambassadors of other kings (vv. 18-20).

"I am an ambassador," presbeuo. In ecclesiastical Greek this word is used in the sense of earnest intercessory prayer. Thus to the Theotokos, the Baptist, the Apostles, and all the saints it is said: presbeue hyper hemon, pray for us. There is no other thought in the Apostle's present words: "for which I am an ambassador," hyper hou presbeuo, that is, for which I pray earnestly in bonds. Earlier he asked them to pray; here he says, I myself also pray. He asks them so that he may not pray alone, but as though with another: he and the Church of Ephesus as one person. Thus it would be, according to the Savior's word, that if two or three pray together, it will be granted them according to their prayer.