This doxology is never included in Luke’s version, nor is it found in the some of the earliest manuscripts of Matthew’s version. It is commonly found in later manuscripts of what are commonly known as “the Byzantine text” manuscripts. Lack of early manuscript evidence to its original existence has led many modern translators to exclude it from Matthew.
It is thought that the abrupt ending of the original sparked those using the prayer in liturgy to append a doxology to the Lord’s Prayer as a proper conclusion in corporate usage. Many feel that it was likely drawn from 1 Chronicles 29:11-13 and certainly its content is similar, albeit much more concise.
1 Chronicles 29:11-13 Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, O Lord, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all. 12 Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all. 13 Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name. (NIV)
Or it may be a quote from Psalms.
Psalms:66:1-4 1: Make a joyful noise unto God, all ye lands: 2: Sing forth the honour of his name: make his praise glorious. 3: Say unto God, How terrible art thou in thy works! through the greatness of thy power shall thine enemies submit themselves unto thee. 4: All the earth shall worship thee, and shall sing unto thee; they shall sing to thy name. Selah.
The distinguished orthodox father of the fourth century, John Chrysostom, cites this passage. He writes, “by bringing to our remembrance the King under whom we are arrayed, and signifying him to be more powerful than all. ‘For thine,’ saith he, ‘is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory’.” The oldest witness, which outdates all Greek manuscripts containing Matthew chapter six, is the Didache (otherwise known as the Teaching of the Twelve Apostles). This ancient catechism dates to the early second century, shortly after 100 AD, and contains a form of The Lord’s Prayer:
“But let not your fasts be with the hypocrites; for they fast on the second and fifth day of the week; but do ye fast on the fourth day and the Preparation (Friday). Neither pray as the hypocrites; but as the Lord commanded in His Gospel, thus pray: Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so on earth. Give us today our daily (needful) bread, and forgive us our debt as we also forgive our debtors. And bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil; for Thine is the power and the glory for ever. Thrice in the day thus pray.” Paul also used doxologies in most of his prayers in the epistles. Therefore it was a commonly used expression at the end of most prayers. Ro:11:36: For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen. Ro:16:25-27 25: Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,26: But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith:27: To God only wise, be glory through Jesus Christ for ever. Amen. Ga:1:3-5 3: Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, 4: Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father: 5: To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. Eph:3:20-21 20: Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,21: Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen. Ph’p:4:20: Now unto God and our Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen. 1Tm:1:17: Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen. 1Tm:6:14-16 14: That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ: 15: Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; 16: Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen. 2Tm:4:18: And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Matthew 6:9-13 9: After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.10: Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. 11: Give us this day our daily bread. 12: And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. 13: And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
In the beginning of the prayer, we spoke about the Father, and then we spoke about the Son, the king. And as we are ending we are talking about the Holy Spirit. For his is the power and glory. In order for us to pray to the Father about the Son, we must pray through the Holy Spirit.
Acts:1:8: But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
- It is about His kingdom
Ac:1:1-3 1 The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach,
2 Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen: 3 To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:
The forty days that Jesus preached after his resurrection he preached on things pertaining the kingdom of God. He continued the preaching he had done during his ministry for 3 ½ years. The term kingdom appears in the gospels 129 times. Jesus said over and over, the kingdom of heaven is like… But even though he had taught the past forty days about the kingdom, his disciples still did not get it.
Acts1:6: When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?
The disciples wanted an earthly kingdom. They had arguments about who would be greatest in the kingdom. The kingdom is a spiritual kingdom that lives within you. It is an everlasting kingdom.
Psalms:145:1-2 1: I will extol thee, my God, O king; and I will bless thy name for ever and ever. 2: Every day will I bless thee; and I will praise thy name for ever and ever.
Psalms:145:10-13 10: All thy works shall praise thee, O LORD; and thy saints shall bless thee. 11: They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom, and talk of thy power; 12: To make known to the sons of men his mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of his kingdom.13: Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and thy dominion endureth throughout all generations.
2Pe:1:10-11 10: Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:11: For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
- Through His Power
Ac:1:7-8 And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. 8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
When the disciples received this power they immediately were changed. They became bold. Even after the resurrection they were hiding behind closed doors. And before Jesus died they all fled. But on the day of Pentecost that all changed.
M’r:14:50-52 And they all forsook him, and fled. 51: And there followed him a certain young man, having a linen cloth cast about his naked body; and the young men laid hold on him: 52: And he left the linen cloth, and fled from them naked.
Their focus changed when they received the Holy Spirit power.
Acts:4:31: And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.
The baptism in the Holy Spirit is a one time thing, but being filled is a continual thing. When they prayed they were filled with the power of Holy Spirit. It is very important to pray in the Holy Spirit because that is when the power and boldness come in.
Ac:10:38: How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.
- For His Glory.
2Pe:1:17-18 For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.18: And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount.
When the Holy Spirit comes on us he gifts us with gifts for the honor and glory of God. Each of us have different gifts. When we operate in these gifts, people will try to honor us, but we need to give that glory and honor to God. Jesus did this when people complimented him.
Glory is what you are good at doing. It is something you are good at. When Moses asked God to show him His glory, God showed him His goodness.
1Peter 4:11: If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God gives: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
As you minister the gift God has given to you, you glorify Him.
Romans 11:36: For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.
Of him is his kingdom, through him is his power, to him is his glory. If we will pray according to his kingdom, and for his glory, then his power will flow.
Jude:1:25: To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.
The doxology in heaven in the book of Revelation. If they do it there, we should also do it here.
Re:4:11: Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.
Re:5:12: Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.
Re:5:13: And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.
Re:7:12: Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.
Re:19:1: And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God:
- Amen
Finally, Jesus taught His disciples to conclude their prayers with the sure attestation, “Amen.” This familiar word comes from a Hebrew root meaning to be firm and secure. “Amen” eventually came to mean: “It is immovably true.” Likewise, this should be our concluding response to God in prayer. Amen to all that we know to be true about God. Amen to His eternal kingdom. Amen to His sovereign will. Amen to His daily bread. Amen to His pardoning grace. Amen to His delivering power.
All prayer should build and rise to this lofty summit. We should conclude by fervently affirming that the kingdom, the power, and the glory belong exclusively to Him forever. Our only response must resoundingly be —amen!
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