Ephesians 3

 

Paul’s relationship to the divine mastery

¹ For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles-

Paul was a prisoner, because he was teaching the gospel to the Gentiles.

² if indeed you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for you,

The Greek word for "stewardship" is οἰκονομία (oikonomia), meaning an administration or a dispensation of time. In this new dispensation of time, God was nice to Paul and gave him some new information.

³ that by revelation the divine secret was made known to me, as I wrote before briefly.

The Greek word for "divine secret" is μυστήριον (mustarion), meaning new revelation that was not revealed in the Old Testament. Paul was given some new information from God.

⁴ When reading this, you will be able to understand my insight into this secret of Christ.

Paul had a special insight that was given to him by Christ himself.

⁵ Now this secret was not disclosed to people in former generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit,

This new information was not given to the Old Testament prophets.

⁶ namely, that through the gospel the Gentiles are fellow heirs, fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus.

The mystery revelation is that the Gentiles were also fellow heirs with Jews. The Gentiles will be partakers, not replacers, of the covenant promises that were given to Israel.

⁷ I became a servant of this gospel according to the gift of God’s grace that was given to me by the exercise of his power.

Paul was nothing but a proud, lost Pharisee. Then, God was nice to Paul and gave him salvation. With this gift of salvation, God also gave Paul the gift of apostleship. God gives every believer at least one or more spiritual gifts at the time of his salvation conversion. The believer is to study the Word of God and utilize his gifts inside the church in order to build the body of Christ. It is selfish and arrogant for a believer to not study and not use his gifts to help others inside the body.

 

⁸ To me, less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, to proclaim to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ

God was so nice to Paul, that Paul was given the privilege of informing the believing Gentiles that they were abundantly wealthy men.

⁹ and to enlighten everyone about God’s secret plan, a secret that has been hidden for ages in God who has created all things.

Paul had the privilege of revealing God's secret plan to the Gentiles. He was not to argue or debate with the Gentiles, but to proclaim it.

¹⁰ The purpose of this enlightenment is that through the church the multifaceted wisdom of God should now be disclosed to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly realms.

All of the angels and demons were involved in an angelic warfare over these issues. God enlightened the church to disclose the details of God's program to all of these angelic beings.

The Greek word for "multifaceted" is πολυποίκιλος (polupaikilos), meaning multitudes of beautiful colors, such as that of a bouquet of beautiful flowers. The wisdom of God is compared to a multitude of beautiful colors.

¹¹ This was according to the eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord,

This purpose originated way back in eternity past before the foundations of the world were even created.

¹² in whom we have boldness and confident access to God because of Christ’s faithfulness.

God will keep His promises, so that believers can be bold and confident in their call.

¹³ For this reason I ask you not to lose heart because of what I am suffering for you, which is your glory.

Paul was suffering, but he did not want the Ephesians to worry, because it was all part of God's pre-ordained plan.

Prayer for Strengthened Love

¹⁴ For this reason I kneel before the Father,

Paul prayed from his knees. His prayers were short and not filled with vain repetition, like the heathens. The Jews of Judaism did not pray directly to God either. Instead, they memorized prayers from prayer books and repeated them over and over. God must get bored hearing theses same repetitious prayers over and over. God the Father desires for His children to ask Him specifically for what they need and want. God wants His children to talk to Him as a child talks to his father. God the Father likes to give to His children because He is rich and wealthy and loves to give. However, He will not give them a snake. Material wealth, fame, and power are often snakes because these things of the satanic world system will replace Bible study time.

¹⁵ from whom every family in heaven and on the earth is named.

God has a large family, including angels, created intelligences, and saints in all churches.

¹⁶ I pray that according to the wealth of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner person,

Believers often pray for the outward man, but Paul prayed for the inner man. The inner man needs strength, so Paul prayed that the inner man may be strengthened with power through the Holy Spirit.

¹⁷ that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, so that, because you have been rooted and grounded in love,

Paul prayed that Christ would dwell in their personalities. The reason was that they were growing through sanctification. Their roots were planted in God's love.

¹⁸ you may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth,

Paul prayed that the Ephesians would understand the length, height, and depth of God's love for them.

¹⁹ and thus to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.

Therefore, Paul prayed that the Ephesians would, in turn, show this love towards others. The love of God is so powerful, that no one can know just how powerful it is.

²⁰ Now to him who by the power that is working within us is able to do far beyond all that we ask or think,

Paul prayed that the power of God would work within the Ephesians so that they would be able to perform above what they think they could perform or even above what they could even request.

²¹ to him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Paul closed his prayer with a praise to God.