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.
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