Jan 21-27, 2024

1 This is the reason that I Paul am a prisoner for Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles—

A PRISONER. The only reason why Paul was in prison was because he thought Gentiles had the same access to God that Jews did. If he had been content to be a Jewish Christian with a mission to Jews or if he had been willing to keep Gentiles on a lower plane, he would not have been in jail. But the purpose of Paul's call was to bring about the obedience of faith among the Gentiles (Rom. 1:5; Gal. 1-2), and if faith was the key to salvation, both Jews and Gentiles were on the same plane (Snodgrass 47,257).

Consider: What Christian ideals have put you at an advantage?

Dig Deeper (vv. 1–7): Read these Old Testament passages that point forward to salvation for the Gentiles: Genesis 12:1–3; Isaiah 49:5–6; and Zechariah 2:10–13. How do these passages apply to the world today?

2 for surely you have already heard of the commission of God’s grace that was given me for you,

COMMISSION. “Administration" (oikonomia), related to oikonomos ("steward"), refers both to the office of being a steward and to the carrying out of the responsibility. Paul is a steward in charge of God's grace. If he fails in his task, the Gentiles will be deprived of God's grace (Snodgrass 47,265).

His ministry to the Gentiles was unique, but all Christians are to be managers of grace. All who have received grace should extend it to others (see also 4:7; esp. 1 Peter 4:10) (Snodgrass 47,399).

Apply: How might you extend grace to someone who needs it this week?

3 and how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I wrote above in a few words,

MYSTERY. “Mystery” does not refer to something unknown. Rather, in a Semitic context it refers to what is known only because God revealed it. More specifically here, it refers to the revelation that the Gentiles are included in Christ as equals (see esp. 3:6) (Snodgrass 47,274).

Dig Deeper: How did the first Jewish Christians receive this new revelation that Gentiles are their equals? What offends modern Christian sensibilities, which the Spirit of equality might be drawing the Church towards?

4 a reading of which will enable you to perceive my understanding of the mystery of Christ.

5 In former generations this mystery was not made known to humankind, as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit:

6 that is, the Gentiles have become fellow heirs, members of the same body, and sharers in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

FELLOW HEIRS. Paul’s point is that these two groups—once traditional enemies—now share together the same promised covenant blessings as parts of the same body, and they share the same benefits (Coleman 1888)

The promises were formerly made to Israel, but now Gentiles are "heirs together with" (cf. also Rom. 8:17; 1 Peter 3:7) the Jewish Christians and receive a full share of all benefits (Snodgrass 47,313).

IN CHRIST. This unity is grounded on being in Christ Jesus. Geography is identity. But if being in Christ made Jews and Gentiles one by definition, does it not do the same for us with all others who are in Christ? Are we not required to see that proclaiming the gospel includes insistence on unity as part of the message? Our divisions are not between Jew and Greek, but both our divisions and our individualism are attacked by the theology of unity in this text. To be in Christ is to be made one with all who are in him.

SAME BODY. Furthermore, unity is not some goal for the eschaton; it is to be lived now. When we are taken into Christ Jesus, we become one body with other Christians, regardless of our differences. We are one with all in him (Snodgrass 47,458).

Apply: Share of a time when God helped you reconcile with someone you disliked.

7 Of this gospel I have become a servant according to the gift of God’s grace that was given me by the working of his power.

Consider (vv. 1–7): What specific mystery had been revealed to the people of Paul’s generation that had previously been hidden?

GIFT OF GOD’S GRACE. Through grace Paul became a servant of the gospel. Grace not only connects us to God and Christ and to each other, but it also enlists and empowers us. Paul himself experienced what he prayed for his readers (cf. 1:19; 3:16).

A SERVANT. The gift obligates. "Grace" in this verse does not relate to Paul's salvation, but to his ministry. The gift always comes as a task. Grace always brings responsibility; it never is merely privilege (Snodgrass 47,320).

Paul describes himself here as both the prisoner of Christ and a servant of the gospel; elsewhere he describes himself as a slave of Christ (e.g., Rom. 1:1). None of these titles would normally be desirable, but Paul uses them as badges of honor, expressing his allegiance to Christ. Both what he does and what happens to him are part of his service to Christ. Christ defines him, not his circumstances. If he is a prisoner, he is Christ's prisoner. In what areas of your life does Jesus define your identity? In what areas does something else define you?

8 Although I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given to me to bring to the Gentiles the news of the boundless riches of Christ,

THE VERY LEAST. In 1 Cor 15:9 Paul referred to himself as "the least of the apostles," while here he is "less than the least of all God's people." For all his sense of the privilege of being an apostle, Paul had no great sense of his ability or of a high rank. He felt he should have been rejected because he persecuted the church, but he was chosen—a choice not based on his ability, but on God's grace. Anything he accomplished was a result of the power of God at work in him (Snodgrass 47,324).

Apply: To what degree do you put value in your rank or position? What would change if you started to adopt a humility similar to the Apostle Paul?

9 and to make everyone see what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things;

TO MAKE EVERYONE SEE. Paul’s original commission, given by Jesus on the Damascus Road, carried this idea: “I am sending you to them to open their eyes so that they may turn them from darkness to light …” (Ac 26:17–18) (Coleman 1888)

Consider: What does the truth that “God created all things” imply? How ought we treat things that God created?

10 so that through the church the wisdom of God in its rich variety might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.

RICH VARIETY. It is by means of this multiethnic church that the very supernatural powers themselves see what God is doing (Coleman 1888)

Consider: How does “rich variety” bring God glory, and depose the powers that be?

11 This was in accordance with the eternal purpose that he has carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord,

12 in whom we have access to God in boldness and confidence through faith in him.

FAITH IN HIM. A more accurate translation would be “Christ’s faithfulness.” The focus is not on human faith at all. Any confidence Christians have is in his faithfulness, not in our faith” (cf. Rom. 8:35-39) (Snodgrass 47,378).

Apply: When have you experienced “boldness and confident access” in your spiritual life? How does Christ’s faithfulness to you encourage you?

Paul's concern is not for access to heaven at some future day, but access to God in the present (Snodgrass 47,372).

13 I pray therefore that you may not lose heart over my sufferings for you; they are your glory.

Consider: In your experience, what makes hardship worthwhile?

MAY NOT LOST HEART. Paul viewed his imprisonment as part of his service for Christ, a service that exalted the Gentiles. If he was in prison for preaching to the Gentiles, someone was fighting for them and their position was being given attention (cf. Rom. 11:13; Phil. 1:12-30; Col. 1:24-27).32 That he was in prison should not be discouraging. The discouraging thing would be that no one was willing to go to prison for the ministry to the Gentiles (Snodgrass 47,384).

Apply: Have you ever experienced hardship for the sake of Jesus, or for the sake of others? Was it worth it?

MY SUFFERINGS. Our hardship will probably not be like Paul's, but identification with the cross is not optional and is always costly. We cannot show self-giving love and serve ourselves. For us too, definition must come from Christ, not our circumstances (Snodgrass 47,420).

14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father,

15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name.

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

STRENGTHENED WITH POWER. Paul asks that Christians be fortified or invigorated within by the Holy Spirit. He asks that they experience this awesome power of God about which he has written so eloquently. INNER BEING. By this term, Paul may be referring to the deepest part of the human personality, where a person’s true essence lies (Coleman 1888)

Apply: Share a time when you felt encouraged and strengthened to endure a hardship.

17 and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love.

DWELL. This means “to settle down,” and it implies a permanent residency (in a house) versus a temporary stopover (in a tent). In other words, Christ has come to stay. ROOTED AND FIRMLY ESTABLISHED. By his choice of these words, Paul hints at two metaphors through which the character of love is revealed. The Christian is to be anchored firmly in the soil of love just like a tree. The Christian is also to be set solidly on the foundation of love just like a well-constructed house. (The second word in Greek is literally “grounded.”) LOVE. Agapē love is selfless giving to others, regardless of how one feels. Such love is the foundation upon which the church will grow (Coleman 1888)

Consider (vv. 14–21): What does it mean to have Christ “dwell in your heart”? When have you felt God’s strength and power in your life?

18 I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth,

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

20 Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine,

Consider: How do we reconcile this description of God’s power with the level of pain and suffering in the world today?

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

Apply: What are you most passionate about? Who is the Spirit nudging you to pray for this week?

Application

Value the Treasure

Surely the most important application of this text is in reproducing Paul's attitude toward the revelation that has come in Christ. If we do not value the gospel as revelation from God for us, it will not impact our lives. All of us live out of a system of values, often so unconsciously that we cannot even analyze whether the values deserve to be valued. Christians have distorted value systems as much as anyone else. Value is assigned to religious entities, such as tradition, denominational politics, a particular cause, or the evangelical sub-culture. Too often Christians merely adopt the value system of the surrounding culture, but forget ultimate value. For us the one truly great value, the "pearl of great price," ought to be God's revelation in Christ. We need a conviction that God truly has revealed himself in Christ (Snodgrass 47,476).

Have you ever evaluated your value system? How does your Christian faith interact with your values?

The value we place on something determines the hardship we are willing to endure for it. We will expend enormous energy and resources to care for a person or a prized possession we value a great deal. Paul valued the gospel enough to go to prison for it. He asked Timothy not to be ashamed of him, but to suffer for the gospel along with him (2 Tim. 1:8). Do we value the gospel enough to endure hardship for it? Would we go to prison?

Most of us will probably not face prison, but are we willing to suffer the hardship of being belittled, of study, of financial investment, and of personal risk? Are we willing to die and rise with Christ in service, to lose life in order to find it? (Snodgrass 47,499).

Get to Work

We are responsible for our actions, and we must choose to act. In the gospel we find a new Lord to whom we give ourselves and from whom we take our direction. That involves our will. Grace comes as gift, but it enlists us and empowers us. We become stewards of grace, responsible for showing others how it works. Like all gifts from God, it is directed out to other people. Grace engages us, calls us, pushes us, develops us, and gives us a ministry. Ministry is the gift of God's power at work in us for managing grace. The application of this text is obvious: Get to work (Snodgrass 47,516). How could you “get to work” in the next few weeks?

Ministry Redefined

Such an understanding of grace leads to a striking redefinition of ministry. Two points should be made.

The task of ministry cannot be limited to the professional clergy, the "called." Grace calls all of us. No clergy-laity distinction can be tolerated, and responsibility for ministry cannot be left to the clergy. All Christians are to be managers of grace and servants of the gospel, even if some have unique responsibilities (Snodgrass 47,521).

Implicitly we think of ministry as our gift to God, but Paul thought of ministry as God's gift to him. When we take that seriously, it changes our perspective. Ministry is not drudgery to be endured or something for which God owes us, and it is certainly not a job to be acquired or kept. Rather, ministry originates in and is the expression of God's grace. Ministry is the free flow of grace from God through us to other people (Snodgrass 47,524).

How have you understood ministry before? Does this passage in Ephesians change it?

Live the Unity

We cannot read this passage without being struck both by the emphasis on the unity of the church and the failure of the modern church in precisely this area. We know division, not unity—a theme that will return with force in chapters 4 and 5. Already we know what is required: We are to live unity. We are not asked to like other Christians, to be like them, or agree with them, but to recognize that we are one with them and share the same Lord and the same benefits. We may not write people off any more than one part of the body can dismiss another part. What this text underscores is that unity is not some nonessential, some afterthought, or some by-product of the faith, but it is at the heart of Christianity. The revelation that came in Christ was a revelation about unity. If we do not proclaim unity, we have not proclaimed the gospel. If we do not live unity, we have missed the gospel's impact (Snodgrass 47,538).

The attitude we have toward others is foundational. Do our churches exhibit grace and receptivity so that people know they are valued as equals, or do we implicitly communicate arrogance and an attitude of superiority? (Snodgrass 47,543).

Works Cited

Coleman, Lyman. Life Connections Study Bible. Holman Bibles, 2019.

Snodgrass, Klyne. "Ephesians." The NIV Application Commentary: Pauline Epistles, Kindle edition, Zondervan Academic, 1996.