Ephesians 3:1-13

1For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles,

2If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward:

3How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words,

4Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)

5Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;

6That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:

7Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power.

8Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;

9And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:

10To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,

11According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:

12In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.

13Wherefore I desire that ye faint not at my tribulations for you, which is your glory.

1τούτου χάριν ἐγὼ παῦλος ὁ δέσμιος τοῦ χριστοῦ ἰησοῦ ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν τῶν ἐθνῶν

2εἴγε ἠκούσατε τὴν οἰκονομίαν τῆς χάριτος τοῦ θεοῦ τῆς δοθείσης μοι εἰς ὑμᾶς

3ὅτι κατὰ ἀποκάλυψιν ἐγνώρισέν μοι τὸ μυστήριον καθὼς προέγραψα ἐν ὀλίγῳ

4πρὸς ὃ δύνασθε ἀναγινώσκοντες νοῆσαι τὴν σύνεσίν μου ἐν τῷ μυστηρίῳ τοῦ χριστοῦ

5ὃ ἐν ἑτέραις γενεαῖς οὐκ ἐγνωρίσθη τοῖς υἱοῖς τῶν ἀνθρώπων ὡς νῦν ἀπεκαλύφθη τοῖς ἁγίοις ἀποστόλοις αὐτοῦ καὶ προφήταις ἐν πνεύματι

6εἶναι τὰ ἔθνη συγκληρονόμα καὶ σύσσωμα καὶ συμμέτοχα τῆς ἐπαγγελίας αὐτοῦ ἐν τῷ χριστῷ διὰ τοῦ εὐαγγελίου

7οὗ ἐγενόμην διάκονος κατὰ τὴν δωρεὰν τῆς χάριτος τοῦ θεοῦ τὴν δοθεῖσάν μοι κατὰ τὴν ἐνέργειαν τῆς δυνάμεως αὐτοῦ

8ἐμοὶ τῷ ἐλαχιστοτέρῳ πάντων τῶν ἁγίων ἐδόθη ἡ χάρις αὕτη ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν εὐαγγελίσασθαι τὸν ἀνεξιχνίαστον πλοῦτον τοῦ χριστοῦ

9καὶ φωτίσαι πάντας τίς ἡ κοινωνία τοῦ μυστηρίου τοῦ ἀποκεκρυμμένου ἀπὸ τῶν αἰώνων ἐν τῷ θεῷ τῷ τὰ πάντα κτίσαντι διὰ ἰησοῦ χριστοῦ

10ἵνα γνωρισθῇ νῦν ταῖς ἀρχαῖς καὶ ταῖς ἐξουσίαις ἐν τοῖς ἐπουρανίοις διὰ τῆς ἐκκλησίας ἡ πολυποίκιλος σοφία τοῦ θεοῦ

11κατὰ πρόθεσιν τῶν αἰώνων ἣν ἐποίησεν ἐν χριστῷ ἰησοῦ τῷ κυρίῳ ἡμῶν

12ἐν ᾧ ἔχομεν τὴν παῤῥησίαν καὶ τὴν προσαγωγὴν ἐν πεποιθήσει διὰ τῆς πίστεως αὐτοῦ

13διὸ αἰτοῦμαι μὴ ἐκκακεῖν ἐν ταῖς θλίψεσίν μου ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν ἥτις ἐστὶν δόξα ὑμῶν

Paul's Mission for the Gentiles (Ephesians 3:1-2)

Paul continues his train of thought from the previous passage of Ephesians 2, where he declares that the Gentiles are no longer strangers and aliens but are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God. The Greek word ἔθνος (ethnos), translated as Gentile, refers to non-Jews who were originally outside the covenant people of Israel, God's chosen nation. Though Paul was most likely in prison when writing the letter to the Ephesians, he considered himself a prisoner of Jesus Christ, not of Rome. His imprisonment, in his eyes, was of no concern, for it had served to advance the gospel among the Gentiles. God appointed Paul as an apostle of Christ, entrusting him with the οἰκονομία (stewardship) of His grace for the Gentiles. The μυστήριον (mystery) of Christ refers to the inclusion of the Gentiles as fellow heirs in the covenant. This mystery was not made known in times of the Old Covenant as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit in the New Covenant. It was revealed to Paul by the appearance of Jesus to him, as recorded in Acts 9, where the Lord declares to Ananias, "He is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel."

The Gospel for All (Ephesians 3:3-5)

This inclusion was once considered a mystery because it had been widely assumed that only the Jewish people were heirs to the promises of God. However, the Scriptures always testified to God's plan to gather all the nations. In Genesis 12:3, God promises Abraham, "In thee shall all families of the earth be blessed." In Isaiah 2:2–3, the nations are prophesied to flow to the mountain of the Lord: "And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains... and all nations shall flow unto it." Isaiah 49:6 declares, "I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth." And in Zechariah 2:11, we read, "And many nations shall be joined to the Lord in that day, and shall be my people." But now, with the coming of Christ, this mystery has been revealed in full light. God has made it clear that Gentiles, too, are part of His covenant people.

Adoption as His Children (Ephesians 3:6)

As Paul writes, the Gentiles are συγκληρονόμοι (fellow heirs), σύσσωμα (members of the same body), and συμμέτοχα τῆς ἐπαγγελίας ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ (partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus). And this is the promise: the gospel of our salvation, the word of truth by which we have been sealed with the Holy Spirit, who bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God. And if we are children, then we are heirs, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided that we suffer with Him in order that we may also be glorified with Him. All of this comes through Jesus Christ, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross. It was through His blood that we, who were once far off, have been brought near. Christ has reconciled even the Gentiles to Himself, making peace by the blood of His cross. Thus, there is neither Jew nor Greek, neither one who has been in the faith for many years nor one who is a new believer, for we are all one in Jesus Christ.

The Unfathomable, Inexpressible Richness of the Gospel (Ephesians 3:7-12)

Paul was made a minister and an apostle according to God's sovereign appointment. This was not due to his own works or merits but because God had chosen him κατὰ τὴν δωρεὰν τῆς χάριτος τοῦ Θεοῦ (according to the gift of God's grace). Despite Paul's past as a persecutor of the church, even acting with a clear conscience, believing he was serving God, the Lord nevertheless used him for His purposes. He appointed Paul to proclaim the gospel to the Gentiles, κηρύξαι τοῖς ἔθνεσιν τὸν ἀνεξιχνίαστον πλοῦτον τοῦ Χριστοῦ (to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ). These riches are unfathomable, surpassing the limits of human reasoning, an inexpressible treasure found in the knowledge of Christ. This is an abundance that cannot be found anywhere apart from Him. Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. In Him are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge! All of this comes entirely through grace, the act of receiving what we do not deserve. Through Paul, God revealed His eternal plan. Salvation is not for the Jews alone but for all whom the Lord our God calls. God has not changed His mind. He is sovereign over all things, the Creator of heaven and earth. Through His church, His πολυποίκιλος σοφία (manifold wisdom) is being made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This includes the grafting in of the Gentiles, the redemption accomplished by Christ at Calvary, the defeat of Satan, and the ultimate restoration of creation from the bondage of sin. The church is the chosen instrument to display God's glory in His perfect plan of redemption. This is all according to the πρόθεσιν τῶν αἰώνων (eternal purpose) that He has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord. In Him, we have παρρησία καὶ προσαγωγή ἐν πεποιθήσει (boldness and access with confidence) through our faith in Him. We are no longer slaves to sin but can now draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, entering the holy places by the blood of Jesus! Let us then draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience.

Paul's Exhortation for the Ephesians (Ephesians 3:13)

Therefore, Paul exhorts the Ephesians to μὴ ἐγκακεῖν (not to lose heart), not to become discouraged or grow weary in the faith, so that his sufferings were not in vain. To Paul, it was worth every affliction to preach the gospel to the Gentiles so that more might be grafted into the kingdom of God and that God's glory would be magnified and exalted in the salvation among the Gentiles and eventually through all the nations.

Brandon Nguyen