Prayers Ending and Beginning
Matthew 6:13
Dr. Roger W. Thomas, Preaching Minister
First Christian Church, Vandalia, MO
Introduction: Tonight we will consider the doxology with which we traditionally end the Lord’s Prayer. I refer to those words: for thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory forever. A doxology, from the Greek term for glory or praise, is a brief statement of blessing directed toward God. If you look carefully you will note that these words are not found in the text of the New International Version. It is in a footnote at the bottom of the page along with the explanation that it is found in “some late manuscripts.” It is in the text of the King James Version, however. The New American Standard Bible keeps in the text but puts brackets around it and includes a footnote that also says these words were not found in early manuscripts.
It is not really important for our purposes to dig into this issue very deeply. This controversy deals with a field of study known as textual criticism. Here is my short explanation: No one today possesses any of the original manuscripts of the New Testament. As far as we know those originals have long since deteriorated. Copy after copy, however, was made throughout the centuries. The earliest copies were by hand. Obviously human error in the copying process was a real possibility. Textual critics study these ancient manuscripts in an effort to find the oldest and detect any possible errors. The process has advanced greatly in the last couple of centuries as archeologists have unearthed older and older manuscripts. Four hundred years ago Bible translators only had a limited number of ancient copies available to work from. Today the resources have multiplied many fold. This is the reason the KJV which was translated in 1611 AD does differ in a few places from more modern works. The KJV translators did a marvelous job considering what they had to work with. The textual critics have ever found for the most part very few major problems. There are spelling errors, a word left out here and there, or an additional phrase included.
The three most famous differences that you will find between the KJV and more modern translations include this ending to the Lord’s Prayer. The other two well know differences are the “long ending of Mark” and the beginning of John 8 that includes the story of the woman caught in adultery. If you check the NIV and watch for the footnotes or other explanations you will note the differences. In the case of the Lord’s Prayer, most textual critics believe that this doxology was added somewhere within a couple of centuries of the actual New Testament writing. When the Lord’s Prayer eventually began to be used as a part of worship, someone decided that an ending was needed. Without this doxology it ends rather abruptly. As teaching it didn’t need a different ending. For worship, it did.
Almost all Bible scholars acknowledge that it is an addition and not part of the original text of Matthew 6. Regardless, it has become such a standard part of our Christian practice that to most of us it just seems natural. Generally speaking it is quite harmless. It contains no false teachings. All of its ideas and phrases are found elsewhere in the Bible. So we will treat it as a practical, if not an historical, part of the Lord’s Prayer.
Some Bible teachers see in its three-fold doxology an attempt to summarize what they understand to be an allusion to the Trinity in the structure of the Lord’s Prayer. The term Trinity, as you know, is the theological shorthand for the fact that the God we worship has revealed himself as Father-Son-Holy Spirit. Our God is one God, not three, but he has chosen to reveal himself and relate to us in these three different persons or revelations. Bible scholars note that the Lord’s Prayer divides into three big sections. The first section calls upon the Father—the sovereign creator whose rule and providence provides our daily bread. The lines about forgiveness call to mind the saving atonement of the Son and to his teaching about the practice of forgiveness. The last main section speaks of the Spirit’s indwelling that assures guidance, safety and triumph over evil. The doxology brings these together under the headings of kingdom, power, and glory.
What do we learn from this doxology? What does it teach us about prayer especially the Lord’s Prayer? Let’s first examine the character of this statement and then the specific contents of it.
First, the doxology reminds us that prayer is only as good as the one we are talking to. The power of prayer does not lie in our hands or even our faith. It is the object of prayer—the one to whom we are praying—that matters. It is good to be reminded that the sovereign Lord of the Universe is the one we are addressing. We don’t force him to answer our prayers. Our words, not even the Lord’s Prayer, are not magic formulas designed to pry a blessing from his hands. Real prayer acknowledges that the power of prayer rests in God’s hands. That is what we confess with this doxology.
We need this reminder. This is why Jesus precedes the Lord’s Prayer with a caution about the prayer habits and beliefs of many non-Christian religions. “And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words” (Matt. 6:7). The typical pagan notion is of a reluctant or even opposing god or gods whose blessings come only with great effort. In the best case, prayers are answered by the gods because of some special powers of the pray-er or special advantage conferred by the secret words. Biblical praying is not like that at all—though the practices of some sects or religious groups come awfully close.
This is also a reminder that prayer, as Jesus taught, is not primarily intended for the ears of those around us. While public praying and directed prayer by a worship leader is quite consistent with Biblical practice, even that can deteriorate into second hand speech. We have all heard prayers directed to the congregation more than to God. Like the elder who prayed at the Communion Table—“Dear God, thank you for this occasion, for the sacrifice of Christ on the cross and the message of the Gospel. Bless all who partake today. And, Lord, remind everyone of the fellowship dinner after the services that the minister forgot to announce. Amen.”
White House historians tell of a story about Bill Moyers, PBS commentator and former special assistant to President Lyndon B. Johnson. Moyers had previously been a minister in East Texas and so he was often asked to say grace before White House meals. At one occasion in the family quarters of the White House, Moyers began praying very softly. President Johnson, never known to be a particularly shy individual, interrupted him with "Speak up, Bill! Speak up!"
Moyers stopped in mid-sentence and without looking up replied steadily, "I wasn’t addressing you, Mr. President."
That we recognize who we are truly praying to matters. The Old Testament warns against praying to the dead, for example. It says that praying to idols and false gods is not an innocent activity. It is quite dangerous and deadly. When we pray, we need to know that we are addressing the sovereign God of the universe, the one to whom all rule, and power, and glory belong.
This is not the only doxology in the Bible. In fact, this is a quite common way with which to end a prayer. This is likely the reason some early Christians added it to the Lord’s Prayer. The doxology with which we end our evening services is a classic example. Ephesians 3:20-21 ends a prayer with “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” That is a powerful reminder of who we are dealing with in worship and in prayer.
As is Romans 16:25-27 “Now to him who is able to establish you by my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past, but now revealed and made known through the prophetic writings by the command of the eternal God, so that all nations might believe and obey him—to the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen.” The end of Romans 11 is another, “Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! “Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?”
“Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him?” For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.” (Rom 11:33-36).
I think one of the most beautiful doxologies doesn’t end a prayer. It just breaks into a sentence. In 1 Timothy 6, Paul writes of the future return of Jesus which God will bring about in his own time. He seems unable contain himself. In mid-sentence he overflows, “God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen” (1 Tim. 6:15-16).
Revelation contains many such statements of praise to God: “To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen” (Rev. 1:5-6). Revelation 4:8 records the praise of the heavenly choir “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.” Verse 11 continues, “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.” Revelation 5:13 adds another, “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!” Revelation 7:12 provides yet another doxology “Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!”
Each of these focus on the character, the attributes, the power and the greatness of the one being addressed. When we pray, we must never forget that. This is why praise and adoration are so central to praying. Often we fail to pray more because we don’t believe more. We pray small prayers because we address a small God. If we knew more about who we were talking with—with whom we had the privilege of speaking, we would pray more.
The doxology with which we end the Lord’s Prayer in particular provides important reminders about the God to whom we pray. This statement of praise contains three key terms: Kingdom, power, and glory. Each is important. Each tells us something important about the God to whom we pray.
In a sense, kingdom speaks to the authority or position of God. He is the ruler of all. Power describes the ability he has to fill that position. The third term, glory, describes the added ingredient of character or the manner in which God uses his power in his rule over the world.
Let me illustrate: It is possible for a person to have a position but lack the ability to do the job well. A son might inherit a business or even the throne of a great kingdom. The position is his. He is lawfully the one who holds the rule over the domain. But the new boss or king might be a real dunderhead who hasn’t a clue about filling his father’s shoes. Rehaboam, the son of Solomon, is a classic example from the pages of the Bible. Once he succeeded his father, the young king immediately sent the nation into civil war by refusing to listen to his wisest advisers.
But even a successor who has the ability still might fail because of his wickedness. He could be the rightful king, and a skilled businessman or politician, but a real scoundrel. He might loose his position, not because of a lack of legitimacy or skill, but because of a lack of respect. His employees or subjects might consider him a tyrant. They grudgingly do his bidding for a while but never admire, respect, or love him because of the kind of person he is.
The three words of this doxology remind us that the God to whom we are invited to pray has all of the above. His is the kingdom. He is the legitimate ruler of the universe. There are no rightful rivals. He also has the where-with-all to fill the job. His is the power. Scripture is resplendent with the praise of God’s mighty power. There is no question about that. But he is also a good and gracious God. His is the kingdom, and the power, AND THE GLORY. Forever! Don’t forget that word. The Kingdom, the power, and the glory will always be his!
Conclusion: In a sense, these final words of the Lord’s Prayer remind us that if we knew who it was we are dealing with—we would never ever again hesitate to come to him in prayer. In a sense, this ending of the Lord’s Prayer is the beginning place of prayer. The more we know him the more we want to come to him. That’s what Paul was talking about when he wrote, “I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength,” (Eph. 1:17-19).
***Dr. Roger W. Thomas is the preaching minister at First Christian Church, 205 W. Park St., Vandalia, MO 63382 and an adjunct professor of Bible and Preaching at Central Christian College, 911 E. Urbandale, Moberly, MO. He is a graduate of Lincoln Christian College (BA) and Lincoln Christian Seminary (MA, MDiv), and Northern Baptist Theological Seminary (DMin).
