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Here is the Ephesians 3:7-9 Podcast.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Ephesians 3:7-9 (01/17/09)
Ephesians 3:7-9 (English Standard Version)
7 Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God’s grace, which was given me by the working of his power. 8To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, 9and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things,
v.7
v.7 closes the thought in verse 2 by re-referencing “the grace of God given to me”’, but also preps for verse 8.
This rhetorical device makes the point that everything Paul talked about, revelation of the mystery to him, the Gentiles inclusion in the Body, and Paul’s commission, comes from and can only be understood in context with God’s overflowing grace. (O’Brien 237)
Paul spoke on the revelation of the mystery to him, now he speaks about preaching the mystery through him.
He recognizes his own unworthiness in that he was an opponent of the Lord Jesus
Paul didn’t choose to be a servant of God, he was “made a servant” of the gospel by God.
God’s gift of grace was the cause of his reception of this commission
Paul uses this phrase “ministers” when describing himself and his colleagues to imply that he is on the same footing as servants through whom God works. (O’Brien 238)
McArthur wrote that “No man can make himself a minister (lit. servant) of God, because the calling, message, work, and empowering of genuine ministry to ad for God are His prerogative alone to give.
Through the working of his power
This phrase gives insight into Paul’s understanding of his missionary task
1) This phrase is linked with “God’s grace given to me”
God’s gracious gift was due to the working of God’s divine power
“Just nothing short of God’s mighty intervention could transform him from being a persecutor into a Christian, so it took that same almighty and effective working to make him into a “servant of the gospel.”
2) Working and Power in other contexts both reference the ongoing might work of God
Paul was conscious that day by day he experiences God’s power in his fulfillment of his missionary calling
Everything Paul became and achieved were the result of God’s grace, God’s choice of him, God’s call to him, & God’s enabling power.
v.8
less than the least of all God’s people has this grace been given
Other places Paul “builds himself up” .:sarcasm:.
1 Cor. 15:9 – least among the apostles
1 Tim 1:15 – first and foremost of sinners
Paul creates a new form of this Greek adjective – leaster, less than the least
He wasn’t thinking here in the general terms of the sinful flesh, etc.
“He considers lifelong weakness, temptation, and failure to be characteristic of all believers.”
Here he was thinking of his violent persecution of the church of God
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Although Paul was very aware of his unworthiness to bear witness to Jesus, this didn’t hinder him from assuming his missionary responsibilities in relation to the Gentiles.
He knew very well that God called him to this task and fulfilled it energetically.
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Paul’s use of the unsearchable riches of Christ is unusual in that usually “gospel” or some reference to the gospel is used.
This phrasing is used to “show that his proclamation is about the wealth of divine grace and glory which Christ possesses in himself and which he lavishly gives to others.
Unsearchable – unfathomable, impossible to comprehend
“They are too vast to explore completely and too deep to fathom”
McArthur describes the unsearchable riches of Christ as “all God’s truths, all His blessings, , all that He is and has.”
This phrase is somewhat paradoxical at first glance in that in v.3 Paul writes that the mystery was “revealed” to him, but now he describes the message of the riches of Christ as unfathomable.
Christ revealed himself to Paul, but the apostle didn’t fully comprehend all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge hidden in him.
“So in revealing himself God had graciously given himself to men and women, but he is not comprehended by them, nor does he submit himself to humankind’s intellectual or technical control. Revelation creates rather than annihilates wonder, awe, and respect.”
v.9
to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God
This is not the same thing as in v.8, this is not just a restatement.
The verb to bring to light means “to give light to, shed light upon”.
What is enlightened here is the administration of this mystery, that is, how God chose to accomplish his purpose.
Through Paul’s preaching of the unsearchable riches of Christ to the Gentiles, men and women came into a relationship w/ God through his Son.
They were joined with Christ in his death and resurrection, became fellow-members, along with Jewish Christians of the same Body.
God was putting into action his age-old plan and Paul had the privilege of revealing this magnificent, divine administration to all people.
who created all things
The God who redeemed his people and reconciled them through Christ’s death is the same God who created everything.
God’s mystery was planned from eternity, before the foundations of the earth.
Salvation and unity of Gentiles and Jews was God’s plan all along
And on the final day he will consummate his work of re-creation and bring all things together in unity in his Son, the Lord Jesus.
Podcast: Ephesians 3:1-6 (01/10/09)
Here is our Podcast homepage where you can subscribe to our Podcast.
Here is the Ephesians 3:1-6 Podcast.
Here is the Ephesians 3:1-6 Podcast.
Ephesians 3:1-6 (01/10/09)
Ephesians 3:1-6
The Mystery of the Gospel Revealed
1For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles— 2assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for you, 3 how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly. 4 When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. 6This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.
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Paul says “assuming that you have heard…” which implies that some being addressed were not personally known to Paul. This makes sense given that this letter was circular (Asian minor churches).
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Mystery
See 1 Cor. 15:51-52
1 Corinthians 15:51-52 (English Standard Version)
51Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.
There are 19 other uses of “mystery” in Paul’s writings and 7 more in the Gospels and in Revelations
mys⋅ter⋅y
[mis-tuh-ree, -tree]
–noun, plural -ter⋅ies.
| 1. | anything that is kept secret or remains unexplained or unknown: the mysteries of nature. |
This is a different meaning than Paul uses here. In Greek the word for mystery is “mysterion” which means something known only to the initiated. It is known – but only to those to whom it is revealed.
Paul uses this word to describe something that was unknown before the coming of Christ but is now revealed fully.
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In Eph. 3 the word mystery is used 4 times – 3 times in v.2-6 and once more in v.9-11.
Paul introduces this topic of “the mystery” in chapter 1 (v.9-10) and sums it up in chapter 5 (v.32).
But chapter 3 is the bulk of where he speaks on this mystery; where he develops this doctrine.
~
So what is this mystery? It is that the Gentiles should be made partakers along with the Jews of God’s great blessings in the church.
When we look at the O.T. we see references to God’s plan to include the Gentiles. See Gen 12:3
But before Christ, in order for a Gentile to come under these blessings, they must first become a Jew.
“A Gentile could approach the God of Israel, but only as an Israelite.”
We see this done through circumcision. What was now revealed by Paul is that this is no longer necessary.
“Christ has broken down that wall, making one new people out of two previously divided people. So now both Jew and Gentile approach God equally on that new basis.
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When Paul writes in verse 1 “the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles – “ he is speaking literally.
Paul’s arrest in Jerusalem, which lead to his imprisonment there, and in Caesarea, and his appeal to Caesar, and then his transfer to, and imprisonment in Rome was due to his message to the Gentiles that was opposed by the Jews.
See Acts 21:28
Paul didn’t take Trophimus into the temple, but there first accusation had some merit.
“Paul had been teaching that God had broken down the wall of Jewish tradition and was now making one new people through faith in Jesus Christ.” See chapter 2 for what he was preaching.
Read Acts 22 to where he addresses the crowd. Notice when they get in an uproar…(v.22)
His “faithful espousal (adoption) of the gentile cause”
Jews hated Gentiles and Gentiles hated Jews. These barriers were so absolute, that Paul’s preaching really was a mystery.
~
Paul’s main point about the mystery is (v.6) that Jew and Gentile and everyone in Christ hold there salvation blessings jointly.
Paul uses three words here to drive home that thought. Each word in the Greek start with “syn-“ which means “together with”
Kleronomoi – heirs
Soma – body
Metocha – partner, companion, one who shares in
Read NIV translation of v.6
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1. “Heirs” together with Israel
Romans 4:13 – Abraham is the heir of the world, through Christ’s righteousness; a result of God’s promise
Gal. 3:29 – In Christ = Abraham’s seed and heirs
Titus 3:7 – Speaks of the future inheritance
Romans 8:17 – same word for heirs as in Ephesians
“All who are in Christ inherit all God’s blessing. And they inherit jointly! They hold it together in the one body of Jesus Christ.”
2. “Members together of one body”
See chapter 1:22-23 for the introduction to this reference.
In chapter 4 he also refers to “one body” in verse 4 and in v16 says
16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.
We must work on this. This is how we should look/act.
“It is to happen only as we grow in the love and knowledge of the One who has brought us together.”
3. “Sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus”
Promise is singular. Speaks of the promise of redemption – first told to Adam & Eve, then to Abraham. We share in the greatest blessing.
~
The mystery or open secret of Christ is “the complete union of Jews and Gentiles with each other through the union of both with Christ. It is this double union, with Christ and with each other, which is the substance of the “mystery”.
The mystery is “in Christ Jesus” and is made known “through the Gospel”
Notice in v.2-9 as Paul speaks about this mystery he mentions himself as one who not only received this relevation but also as one entrusted in declaring it.
We have the same responsibility in declaring this revelation to others as Paul did.
Application:
Do we think about our lineage going all the way back to Abraham?
In Christ, our brother/sisterhood. Does this play out in how we relate to one another? Do our interactions with fellow heirs look different than with the world?
Archived Quote of the Week (12/27)
"Go for souls. Go for souls, and go for the worst."
- William Booth
- William Booth
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