CHAPTER THREE:

 

Ephesians 3:1

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

*For this cause*   

Interesting tidbit: “Paul begins a statement in verse 1 that is interrupted in verse 2 and not resumed till verse 14. The intervening verses form a parenthesis, the theme of which is the mystery—Christ and the church” [BBC].

MY COMMENTS: God has utilized a whole lot of men, over a vast amount of time, to write the Scriptures. Each of these individuals had a writing style of their own that differed from the writing styles of many of the other individuals God utilized in giving us the gift of His Word. Though each writer wrote the very Word of God in a style of his own He was writing God’s Word. Example: I don’t speak Spanish. Suppose I was preaching in Mexico for seven consecutive evenings; I would require an interpreter. Suppose further that I couldn’t enlist an interpreter that was available all seven evenings, so I had to hire three different interpreters. Each interpreter would bring his/her own style to the interpretation. Now understand this, the interpreter would not be doing a word for word interpretation {how boring a sermon that would be}, but rather a sentence for sentence interpretation. So, if I used a certain sentence at least once when each of the different interpreters were helping me, the wording of their interpretations of that same sentence would vary a little; but if they were all good at what they do the message of those interpreters would all be the same. God, Who will have His way, will utilize Peter and utilize Paul to write about the same subject of grace. Their styles will be different but their messages will be the same! And because God is involved their messages will both be “Yea and amen!” the Word of God!!

FURTHER COMMENTS: God was utilizing Paul to write to the Ephesian believers and Paul was being Paul. If I were to preach one evening, and you were there, and the sermon I delivered was the best sermon you ever heard; I would still be me. At times when I preach I say something that I wish to illustrate with some past experience in my life. And then, when I finish that illustration I forget what I was illustrating. Thank God my wife is always there to remind me. Fortunately Paul was writing when he was sidetracked with a thought about why he was in prison [vs. 1]. So when he was through sharing with us what he shared in vs. 1-13 he could return to what he had written previously and pick up where he had left off in vs. 1 of this chapter and continue on in vs. 14.

*I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus*

“There is no smell of prison in Ephesians, for Paul is not bound in spirit. He is there as the prisoner of Rome, but this he will not admit, and claims to be the prisoner of Jesus Christ. What is the secret of such victorious other-worldliness? Paul’s spirit is with Christ in the heavenlies, though his body languishes in prison” [BBC].

“During his Roman imprisonment Paul was under house arrest. In the day he was free to move around the house with the supervision of soldiers, but every night he was chained to a soldier to make sure he did not escape before his trial before Caesar. But he saw himself as the prisoner of Jesus Christ. He knew that Jesus was the Lord of his life, not the Roman government, so if he was a prisoner, he was Jesus’ prisoner” [Guzik]. 

Romans 8:18) (KJV) For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

MY COMMENTS: I love the above comments by BBC and Guzik. Paul refused to acknowledge Rome’s control over him; but readily acknowledges his willing submission to whatever God wanted to do with his life! As the Romans passage above shows us, Paul didn’t like to talk about his difficulties; he wanted to tell his readers about the blessings God has for them!

*for you Gentiles,*

“The entire reason he was under arrest, awaiting trial was because of his missionary efforts on behalf of the Gentiles.

Paul suffered for the very truth he would explain to the Ephesians, and this did not make him back down one bit [Guzik].

MY COMMENTS: Paul was a Jew from the Tribe of Benjamin; yet God selected him to travel the world preaching the Gospel to the non-Jews. He loved his fellow Jews and would often, when arriving in another Gentile community, seek out a Jewish synagogue to share the Word of God with the Jews of that community before he went to the non-Jews. If you study the Book of Acts you will find that Paul often faced persecutions as a result of beginning his ministry in the various Gentile cities he traveled to in their Jewish synagogue. The orthodox Jews of that era hated Paul’s preaching because he preached that salvation came through trusting in Jesus, not through keeping the Law! He was also hated by many Gentiles who were followers of the various false gods of the gentile world. But in spite of all the hatred he faced he won multitudes of people, especially non-Jews to Christ.

(Verse One of Chapter Three in my own words.)

For this cause, the fact that I teach that you Gentiles are included in all of the redemption plans of a Holy God, I am a prisoner of Jesus Christ on your behalf!

 

Ephesians 3:2

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

*If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God*

Surely you have heard that God in his grace [TEV].

As you already know, God has given me this special ministry [NLT].

“dispensation” – “the management of a household or of household affairs; specifically, the management, oversight, administration, of other’s property; the office of a manager or overseer, stewardship” [Thayer].

MY COMMENTS: Some Biblical scholars doubt that this epistle was written to the Ephesians; consequently this epistle shouldn’t be known as the Epistle to the Ephesians. One of the areas they will point to is vs. 2. They claim that vs. 2 is a verse that you would write to someone who didn’t know you. I will leave those discussions to those more qualified than me. Bottom line, his readers were made up mostly of Gentiles. He wants those Gentiles to understand that God has given him a special responsibility.

* which is given me to you-ward:*

has given me this work to do for your good [TEV].

of announcing his favor to you Gentiles [NLT].

“It was a stewardship of God’s grace in at least three senses:

1. As to the one chosen. It was undeserved favor to Paul that selected him for such a high privilege.
2. As to the contents of the message. It was the message of God’s free and unmerited kindness.
3. As to its recipients. The Gentiles were quite unworthy people to be so favored.

Yet this stewardship of grace was given to Paul in order that he in turn might impart it to the Gentiles [BBE].

MY COMMENTS: Any student of the Bible should realize what the ministry of Paul was all about; God had graced him to teach Christians the beautiful message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ!

1 Corinthians 1:17-18) (KJV) For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.

18) For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

Romans 1:16-18) (KJV) For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

17) For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

18) For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;

MY COMMENTS: Paul was sent by God to the Gentiles to preach a message that, if it was not received, would appear like utter foolishness [1 Cor. 1:18]. But, if it were received it would be understood to be the working out of the very Power of a Holy God!! [1 Cor. 1:18]. Paul was not ashamed of that Gospel message because he understood that it was the only message on this planet that could save a soul, and get the forgiven sinner all the way to Heaven [Rom. 1:16]. Not only that, but it teaches those who are already saved how to live in a relation of being “right with a Holy God” [Rom. 1:17]. And he understood that his hearers needed this message because outside of the Gospel there is only the wrath of God [Rom. 1:18].

(Verse Two of Chapter Three in my own words.)

Surely you have heard that God has called me and equipped me with the necessary grace to carry His Gospel message to you Gentiles.

 

Ephesians 3:3

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

MY COMMENTS: Commentators disagree on the comment above in vs. 3 “as I wrote afore in few words.” Some think Paul had written an earlier letter to them that we don’t have; some think, as BBC points our below, that he’s referring to earlier statements in this Epistle.

“He had not learned the mystery from anyone else, nor had he discovered it through his own intelligence. It was made known to him by direct revelation from God. We are not told where this happened, or how; all we know is that in some miraculous way God showed Paul His plan for a church composed of converted Jews and converted Gentiles. We have already mentioned that a mystery is a sacred secret hitherto unknown, humanly unknowable, and now divinely revealed. The apostle had alluded to the mystery briefly in 1:9-14, 22, 23; 2:11-22” [BBC].

MY COMMENTS: Below are the full verses referred to above.

Ephesians 1:9-14) (KJV) Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: 

10) That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: 

11) In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: 

12) That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. 

13) In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, 

14) Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory. 

Ephesians 1:22-23) (KJV) And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, 

23) Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all. 

Ephesians 2:11-22) (KJV) Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; 

12) That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: 

13) But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. 

14) For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; 

15) Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; 

16) And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: 

17) And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. 

18) For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. 

19) Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God; 

20) And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; 

21) In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: 

22) In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit. 

MY COMMENTS: As you can see in the first verse above [Eph. 1:9] Paul alludes to the same point he makes in the current verse we are studying [Eph. 3:3]; that point being that God had revealed a mystery to him. From all of the above verses that BBC pointed out that would have been already read by the readers of the Epistle of Ephesians by the time Paul writes our current verse [Eph. 3:3] you can understand why Paul writes how his readers should surely know his grasp on the Truth of that revelation!

(Verse Three of Chapter Three in my own words.)

He equipped me for this task by making known to me, by special revelation, the mystery that I’ve briefly described to you earlier in this letter.

 

Ephesians 3:4

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

*Whereby, when ye read,*

MY COMMENTS: Again, when Paul says “I wrote afore in few words,” concerning this grace, he was either referring to an earlier letter to the Ephesians which we have no record of, or his earlier remarks in this letter. Not all commentators agree, but the majority appears to favor that Paul was referring to the earlier comments of this letter. Now, here in vs. 4 when he writes “when ye read,” he was referring to the verses alluded to in our notes on the previous verse, Ephesians 1:9-14; 22-23; 2:11-22.

*ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)*

And if you read what I wrote, you can see that I understand the secret truth about Christ [ERV].

**“What he had already written on the subject was sufficient to demonstrate to his readers that he had a God-given insight into the mystery of the Christ” [BBC].

“It is indeed amazing that God would take a Hebrew of the Hebrews, a Pharisee, and a persecutor of the church to be the main minister of the mystery, the mystery of the work of the gospel in bringing Jew and Gentile together into one new body” [Guzik].

“He styles the gospel the grace of God here (as in other places) because it is the gift of divine grace to sinful men; and all the gracious overtures that it makes, and the joyful tidings that it contains, proceed from the rich grace of God; and it is also the great instrument in the hands of the Spirit by which God works grace in the souls of men” [UBS].

“It is a fair interpretation of the statement made by Paul, in his Epistle to the Galatians [Galatians 1:15-18], that he spent three years in Arabia, before he returned to Damascus on his way to Jerusalem” [biblesstudytools.com].

MY COMMENTS: Paul writes in vs. 3 that God had revealed to him, by revelation, the message of grace that he taught. We don’t know for certain but it’s a pretty good guess that Paul received this revelation in the desert in Arabia.

From the things he had already taught them in chapters one and two of this Epistle it was Paul’s hope that his readers would now know that God had, indeed, given him great “knowledge in the mystery of Christ.” Why? In the following verses he would detail what this God-given revelation entailed! He wanted his readers, which now include you and me, to trust what he was about to explain to them, and now to us.

(Verse Four of Chapter Three in my own words.)

Because of the teaching that I’ve already given you in the earlier part of this letter it’s my hope that you will understand that God has given me abundant knowledge concerning the mystery of Christ.

 

Ephesians 3:5

Which 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;

* Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men,*

“First, it is a truth which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men. This means it is futile to look for it in the OT. There may be types and pictures of it there, but the truth itself was unknown at that time” [BBC].

“The nature of the union of Jews and Gentiles into this new body is the aspect that was not made known. In the Old Testament, the salvation of Gentiles in the Messiah is prophesied, the coming together of Jew and Gentile into the Church is never spoken of” [Guzik].

“To any of the sons of men. It includes the Old Testament prophets, but not these alone. The contrast with ‘holy’ and ‘in the Spirit,’ suggests that those merely sons of men, not born of the Spirit, could not know this mystery” [Popular NT].

“Though not a new purpose, the knowledge of it is new. Abraham, David, and the prophets, however much they knew of Christ and the fullness of blessing in him for all the families of the earth, did not know the full extent of God’s grace to the Gentries—did not know that the middle wall was to be wholly broken down, and all inequality removed. This might seem to throw some doubt on the reality of this doctrine; but it was on purpose that God kept it secret, and those by whom he has now revealed it are worthy of all regard” [Pulpit].

MY COMMENTS: In the ages prior to the Church Age the “the mystery of Christ” was not known by any of “the sons of men.” You can’t teach the Gospel clearly from just utilizing Old Testament passages [BBC]. The phrase “the sons of men” “includes the Old Testament prophets” [Popular NT]. The Old Testament prophesied about “the salvation of Gentiles,” but “the coming together of Jew and Gentile into the Church is never spoken of” [Guzik].  Old Testament prophets never knew that one day “the middle wall,” that divided the Gentile worshippers from the Jewish worshippers, “was to be wholly broken down” [Pulpit]. I understand that Old Testament teaching will sometimes point out all of the types and shadows of things, such as the Temple, that point to the reality of Jesus. But man, we now have the REAL!! The New Testament speaks of the REALITY!!

* as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets*

MY COMMENTS: What made these “apostles and prophets” holy? Was it because they had overcome more sin in their lives than the rest of the believers? Please note the following comments I wrote when I was addressing Ephesians 2:21:

“The word ‘holiness’ is from the Greek word ‘hagiasmos.’ This  word is used 10 times in the New Testament. It’s translated “holiness” 5 times; it’s translated ‘sanctification’ 5 times. Sanctification and holiness mean the very same thing; they are both the same Greek word rendered in the King James Bible 2 different ways. I bring this up because I want you to see something. When God sanctifies something unto Himself, or to put it another way, when God declares something to be Holy unto to Him, what is God doing? Basically sanctification is when God separates anything, or anyone, unto Himself. When God sanctifies anyone, or anything unto Himself He is removing that thing or person from a profane use unto a sacred use. Let me put it this way, when God took a man, Abraham, and chose that man to father a nation, Israel, He then took that nation and called it His own. He separated that nation unto Himself. In spite of all the flaws of that nation, and there were multitudes of them, Israel was a holy nation unto God. It’s not that the people of Israel always lived holy lives, but it’s simply that God took the nation of Israel out of the world’s pile of stuff and put it into His pile of stuff!! He, in essence, wrote His name on Israel and declared them to be His people! When God sanctified you unto Himself He took you out of the world’s pile of stuff and placed you into His pile of stuff! You are now, on your good days and on your bad days, holy unto a Holy God! You are not holy because you’re living a perfectly holy life; you are holy because you belong to a Holy God” [My Comments from Eph. 2:21]!!

MY COMMENTS: New Testament “apostles and prophets” were HOLY because they were God’s “apostles and prophets”! God called them to the offices of “apostles and prophets,” then graced/gifted them with the abilities to function in the ministries God had called them to! As surely as God had written His NAME upon Israel, upon the Temple, upon the Temple utensils, upon the city of Jerusalem He had written His NAME upon the “apostles and prophets”! He has written His NAME upon the Church! Everything He calls His Own is, by virtue of that person or thing belonging to God, HOLY unto Him!

MY COMMENTS: Having said all of that, the “apostles and prophets” mentioned in this verse lived out the holiness that God had called them to. But, living out HOLY lives doesn’t make you HOLY; rather, being HOLY will cause you to live a HOLY life! However, the only man to ever live out HOLINESS in absolute perfection was the GODMAN, Jesus!

A HOLY individual living a HOLY life is not perfectly HOLY! We can’t measure them that way, because if you “keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point,” you are “guilty of all” the law. As James shows us, that applies to the Law of Moses as well as the Royal Law, which tells us to love one another. So if I love 9 people but I don’t love the 10^th, then I am guilty of transgressing the whole of the Royal Law! So, when you and I think of HOLY living we think in terms of comparable HOLY living; are you living a little better than your neighbor!

CONCLUSION TO THESE THOUGHTS: You are a HOLY people because a HOLY God has called you His own. Conduct your lives with that in mind!

* by the Spirit;*

MY COMMENTS: This “dispensation of the grace of God” that Paul was given [verse. 2] caused him to write earlier in this Epistle [verse 3] some things that had demonstrated his “knowledge in the mystery of Christ” [verse 4]. This “mystery” of what Christ had accomplished was made known to Paul, along with the other New Testament apostles and prophets, through the working of the Holy Spirit [verse 4]!

 

 

(Verse Five of Chapter Three in my own words.)

This mystery was unknown throughout all the ages prior to this age because God had not made it known to any of the sons of men, including the Old Testament prophets. But, through the working of the Holy Spirit this mystery has now been revealed to the holy apostles and prophets!

 

Ephesians 3:6

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

* That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs,*

And this is the secret plan: The Gentiles have an equal share with the Jews [NLT].

Here’s the “central truth of the mystery, namely, that in the church of the Lord Jesus Christ, believing Gentiles are fellow heirs, fellow members, and fellow partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel. In other words, converted Gentiles now enjoy equal title and privileges with converted Jews [BBC].

“This describes the mystery itself – that believing Jews and believing Gentiles are joined together into one Body of Christ, into one Church, and no longer separated before God as such” [Guzik].

MY COMMENTS: What a mystery to digest if you were raised a Jew in Paul’s day and age. The Gentiles were outsiders to the things of God; now Paul says that the introduction of the Gospel message changes everything. Jesus said “whosoever believeth” [Jn.3:16], and Paul is now saying that “whosoever” includes the “whosoever”s of everyone from every race, ethnicity, color, or greed. Jews and Gentiles are welcome at the foot of the cross!

* and of the same body,*

and both are part of the same body [NLT].

“joined together into one Body of Christ, into one Church” [Guzik],

MY COMMENTS: The body of Christ is the Church of God, and the members of that Church are those “whosoever”s that believe in Jesus! When we put our faith in Christ as our Savior the Holy Spirit baptizes/immerses us into that One Body [1 Cor. 12:13], the Church! You don’t have to be a Jew; you simply have to be a believer.

* and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:*

in all the riches inherited by God’s children. Both groups have believed the Good News, — and enjoy together the promise of blessings through Christ Jesus [NLT].

“and no longer separated before God as such” [Guzik].

“The two terms bring out more fully the relation of the ‘fellow heirs’ to each other. They were members of the same body, incorporated in it as believers, they shared the same privileges, summed up in the phrase ‘the promise; comp. chaps. Eph_1:13; Eph_2:12” [Popular NT].

Galatians 3:13-14) (KJV) Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: 

14) That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. 

“The promise here may mean the Holy Spirit (Act_15:8; Gal_3:14), or it may take in all that is promised in the gospel to those who are in Christ Jesus. Gentiles are copartners with Jews in all of this” [BBC].

“The promise to Abraham, ‘In thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.’ They do not get this blessing indirectly through the Jews, or by becoming Jews, but directly, as Gentiles; and they become fellow-heirs, fellow-members, and fellow-partakers ‘in Christ Jesus,’ enjoying all privileges in him, in a state of union and fellowship with him” [Pulpit].

MY COMMENTS: This “promise in Christ by the gospel” might very well “take in all that is promised in the gospel to those who are in Christ Jesus [BBC above].

2 Peter 1:3-4) (KJV) According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: 

4) Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. 

MY COMMENTS: We non-Jews, along with the Jews who are believers, have been placed into One Body, that Body being the Church, and are now recipients of all the promises of God to His people!! As you can see in 2 Peter above, through those “exceeding great and precious promises” we have been given, through the knowledge of the Lord Jesus, everything we need that pertains unto “life and godliness.” The “exceeding great and precious promises” that He has given us are so that, through our believing those promises, we might partake of the Divine Nature; which to me means so that we might live right. Those promises are also intended to help us escape “the corruption that is in the world through lust;” which to me means that we can stop living badly!! Just like the believing Jews, we believing Gentiles have been equipped through the grace given us by a gracious God everything we need to live a godly life that expresses our love for God!!

(Verse Six of Chapter Three in my own words.)

This mystery reveals that the Gentiles are equal heirs with the Jews, and are members of the same Body of Christ with those Jews, and we are partakers with the Jews of all of the promises that have been given to the Church through the Gospel message!!

 

Ephesians 3:7

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

* Whereof I was made a minister,*

“Paul says he is a minister, but that is a title of service, not exaltation. In classical literature of ancient Greece, the minister (diakonos) ‘is a table waiter who is always at the bidding of his customers.’ (Wood)” [Guzik].

“Wuest writes, ‘The word ‘minister’ is misleading, since it is the technical word used today to designate the pastor of a church.’ It never means that in the NT. The basic meaning of the word is servant; Paul simply meant he served the Lord in connection with the mystery” [BBC].

MY COMMENTS: Guzik and BBC remind us that, as ministers, we shouldn’t get too full of ourselves. Take note of what Jesus told us about this subject:

Matthew 20:25-28) (KJV) But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. 

26) But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; 

27) And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: 

28) Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. 

MY COMMENTS: We “ministers,” we pastors should not expect everyone to treat us with great honor. We are here to serve them, not exalt ourselves above them. If we were to be honored by some of the ones we serve/minister to, we should receive their gesture graciously, and then quietly remind ourselves that we are here to serve them. We are not here to serve them by refilling their coffee cups, although if we notice that they need refilled it will be kind of us to do so. We are here to serve them by bringing them precious teachings from the amazing Scriptures that we are blessed to study. We might think of it this way: we are here, as their servants, to wait on the tables they sit at when hungry for spiritual manna! We not only get to break bread with them, we get to bring that bread to the table!

*according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me*

“The ministry was in the nature of an undeserved gift: according to the gift of the grace of God given to me. And it was not only a display of grace; it also demonstrated God’s power in effectually reaching the proud, self-righteous Pharisee, saving his soul, commissioning him as an apostle, empowering him to receive revelations, and strengthening him for the work” [BBC].

MY COMMENTS: Anything that we do, and I’m not just talking to ministers, that blesses God’s children, that encourages them, that strengthens them, that comforts them, we can only do those things “according to the gift of the grace of God given unto” us! Every “good gift” that we give to anyone, every good thing that we do for anyone, “cometh down from the Father of lights” [James 1:17]. Most of us will never change the world; but by the grace of God we might change somebody’s world! Paul was enabled by a gracious God to understand the profound mystery of God’s grace; and God enabled him so that he could explain that mystery to you and me!

* by the effectual working of his power.*

“effectual working” – “in the NT used only of superhuman power, whether of God or of the Devil” [Thayer].

“Rev., better, according to the working, etc. The gift was bestowed in accordance with that efficiency which could transform Saul the persecutor into Paul the apostle to the Gentiles” [Vincent].

“as the result of, and in proportion to, the effectual working (Greek, ‘energy,’ or ‘in-working’) of His power” [JFB].

 

MY COMMENTS: Anything we do that will bear eternal fruit is a direct result of God moving in us “by the effectual working of his power!” Many unbelievers do some good thing that benefits the here and now; and consequently, they bear some temporary fruit, fruit that might even last a lifetime. But that kind of “fruit” that follows us into eternity is only born through are yielding to the work of God that is moving in, and through us! In Paul’s case he bore the eternal fruit of preaching a Gospel message that has resulted in multitudes finding their way to God.

(Verse Seven of Chapter Three in my own words.)

For that purpose I was made a servant, according to God’s amazing gift of grace to me. And in direct proportion to that gift of grace God worked in me by His mighty power to enable me to perform the ministry of service He called me to!

 

Ephesians 3:8

Unto 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; 

*Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given,*

“You and I may pause a moment to admire the grace given to this great Apostle, who, while we behold him as an eminent servant, of the Lord, he considered himself as less than the least of all saints; yea, the chief of sinners! 1Ti_1:15. Grace always humbles. The higher a child of God is advanced in divine know ledge, the lower he lays before God in humility” [Hawker].

“This might seem like mock humility to some. Actually it is the true self-estimate of one who is filled by the Holy Spirit. Anyone who sees Christ in His glory realizes his own sinfulness and uselessness. In Paul’s case there was the added memory that he had persecuted the Lord Jesus (Act_9:4) by persecuting the church of God (Gal_1:13; Php_3:6)” [BBC].

1 Corinthians 15:4-11) (KJV) And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: 

5) And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: 

6) After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. 

7) After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. 

8) And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time. 

9) For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 

10) (KJV) But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. 

11) Therefore whether it were I or they, so we preach, and so ye believed. 

MY COMMENTS: Was this a hyperbole? In other words, was this an intended exaggeration? Or, did the Apostle Paul, perhaps the greatest missionary evangelist that ever lived, genuinely feel this way? This is how Wuest translates this verse: “To me, the one who is less than the least of all saints, there was given this grace, to the Gentiles to proclaim the good news of the incomprehensible wealth belonging to the Christ,”

 

I believe he genuinely felt that way! He explains the reason he felt that way, “I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.” Look at a couple of other things he  said:

1 Timothy 1:15-16) (KJV) This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. 

16) Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting. 

Romans 7:18-19, 22-25) (KJV) For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. 

19) For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. 

22) For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: 

23) But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. 

24) O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? 

25) I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin. 

MY COMMENTS: In our current study of Ephesians 3:8 Paul says about himself, “Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints.” In 1 Corinthians 15 above he says, “I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God” [vs. 9]. Then in 1 Timothy 1:15 he says, “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.” Then in Romans 7 he says, “The good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do” [vs. 19]; he also says, “I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members” [vs. 23]; and he also wondered “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death [vs. 24]?

MORE OF MY COMMENTS: Did Paul put himself down in all of those above examples to appear humble? Did he do it because he really didn’t like himself” Or, is there something else in play here?

Luke 7:47) (KJV) Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little. 

(ERV) I tell you that her many sins are forgiven. This is clear, because she showed great love. People who are forgiven only a little will love only a little.

STILL MORE OF MY COMMENTS: There’s a Spiritual principle at play here; the one who understands how sinful he really was {Paul, for example, persecuted the  Church}, when he finds forgiveness he loves His Savior so much!

IMPORTANT POINT: If a Christian has difficulty falling head over heels in love with Jesus it’s because he doesn’t realize the depth of all of his sins that were forgiven!!

*that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;*

“Paul tried to figure out the greatness of God’s grace, and started tracking it out as one might track out the shore of a lake. But he soon discovered that it wasn’t a lake at all, but an ocean, an immeasurable sea. God’s riches are unsearchable; we will never know them completely” [Guzik].

“two attractive words, riches and unsearchable, conveying the idea of the things that are most precious being infinitely abundant. Usually precious things are rare; their very rarity increases their price; but here that which is most precious is also boundless” [Pulpit].

“as a mine inexhaustible, whose treasures can never be fully explore” [JFB].

MY COMMENTS: Paul, a forgiven sinner who had persecuted the Church, had been given the privilege of preaching to the non-Jews “the unsearchable riches of Christ,” a doctrine of grace so amazing he could, himself, never fully grasp it, let alone teach it fully to someone else! Yet, by the grace of God Paul taught it more fully, in all probability, then any other man who ever lived!

(Verse Eight of Chapter Three in my own words.)

To me, someone who is lower than the lowest of all Christians, enabling grace has been given to equip me to teach the Gentiles things that are so incredibly amazing that they are, in a sense, unteachable. But teach them I shall!

 

Ephesians 3:9

And 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: 

*And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery,*

and to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery [NAS].

and of making all people see how God’s secret plan is to be put into effect [TEV].

“The second part of Paul’s ministry was to make all see what is ‘the administration of the mystery’ (JND), in other words, to enlighten them as to how the mystery is being worked out in practice” [BBC].

“‘Fellowship’ is poorly supported; ‘dispensation’ is used as in Eph_3:2 : the Divine arrangement of the mystery. The mystery is the union of the Jews and Gentiles in Christ (Eph_3:6), not however independently of the wider reference (see Eph_3:3). The Gentiles, through his preaching, were to be enlightened as to this Divine arrangement” [Popular NT].

“It was the apostle’s function to show how this mystery had been dispensed—concealed for a long time and at last revealed” [Pulpit].   

MY COMMENTS: Again, the mystery is that God would expand salvation beyond the Jewish Community. Paul’s challenge, the call of God on his life, was to make all men see what God has had in mind since from the very beginning of this world, the salvation of every Gentile, every non-Jew, who would believe in Jesus. He was to explain how God would dispense this gift of salvation on the Gentiles who would come to God.  

*which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God,*

“As God created ‘the whole range of things’ (so the Greek), physical and spiritual alike, He must have an absolute right to adjust all things as He will. Hence, we may see His right to keep the mystery of world-wide salvation in Christ ‘hidden in Himself,’ till his own good time for revealing it” [JFB].

“This great truth – the fellowship of the mystery – was hidden before it was revealed after the finished work of Jesus on the cross. This reinforces the idea that there is genuinely something new in the New Covenant, and that it is wrong to consider Israel simply the Old Testament Church and the Church the New Testament Israel” [Guzik].

MY COMMENTS: There’s a reason we are being told that this “mystery,” this idea that God would be saving non-Jews along with the Jews, was hidden in God from before He ever said, “Let there be, and there was!” Why is that important to us? God didn’t wake up from a nap one day and decide to include non-Jews in His plan to build a human Temple that He could live in, that we call the Church! He has forever had that plan! His original Covenant with Abraham was given for the purpose of bringing forth a Covenant people called Israel; but it didn’t end there!

Genesis 22:15-18) (KJV) And the angel of the LORD called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time, 

16) And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son: 

17) That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; 

18) And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice. 

MY COMMENTS: Through that Covenant people Jesus, the Seed of Abraham, was born. Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham that “in thy seed,” that Seed being Jesus, “all the nations of the earth” will “be blessed”! Paul explained it this way:

Galatians 3:16) (KJV) Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ. 

MY COMMENTS: Paul, through the revelation of the Spirit to him, understood the fulfillment of Genesis 22 above to be his Seed, Jesus. Why did God make this particular part of His Covenant with Abraham that particular day? Abraham was willing to give the life of his only son of promise to God that day {though the angel of the Lord prevented it}; and that was important because God would later, in relationship to that Covenant, give His only begotten Son to die at Calvary! Jesus would be born a Jew, be raised as a Jew, and die as a Jew; but He would also rise again as a Jew, and ascend to Heaven as a Jew. But He would sit down at the right hand of God Almighty as the Savior of all of mankind who would come to Him! Through that Seed of Abraham all nations of the earth are blessed to have an opportunity to hear, and to respond to the Gospel message. LISTEN!! God had all of this in His mind for an eternity backwards! He didn’t amend His eternal plan; but through the salvation of the Gentiles He fulfilled His eternal plan!!

*who created all things by Jesus Christ:*

John 1:1-3) (KJV) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

2) The same was in the beginning with God. 

3) All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made. 

Colossians 1:16-17) (KJV) For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, :and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: 

17) And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. 

MY COMMENTS: Some commentators would tell us that “by Jesus Christ,” in the last segment of vs. 9 above, is not included in the earliest manuscripts. Could be, I certainly don’t have those manuscripts; but even if it’s not a part of vs. 9 of Ephesians 3, rest assured it’s a part of the record of Scripture as you can see in the passage from John above, and the passage from Colossians above. That John passage tells us “All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made.” The Colossians passage tells us, “by him were all things created,” and “all things were created by him, and for him: 

And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.” Jesus not only made and created everything; He is the One holding it all together!

“Christ not only creates, but maintains in continuous stability and productiveness. ‘He, the All-powerful, All-holy Word of the Father, spreads His power over all things everywhere, enlightening things seen and unseen, holding and binding all together in Himself’” (last part of this quote has Vincent quoting Athanasius) [Vincent].

(Verse Nine of Chapter Three in my own words.)

I will teach them in order to make everyone see this amazing pouring forth of the reality of this mystery, which has always been a reality hidden in God’s mind from the beginning of our world! And God created all of this by Jesus Christ for the benefit of you!

 

Ephesians 3:10

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

*To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places*

His purpose was that all the rulers and powers in the heavenly places [ERV].

“These words usually refer to angelic powers; either good, as Eph_3:10; Col_1:16; Col_2:10; or bad, as Eph_6:12; 1Co_15:24; Col_2:15; or both, as Rom_8:38. See on Col_1:16; see on Col_2:15. Here probably good, since the passage relates to Christ’s exaltation to glory rather than to His victory over evil powers” [Vincent].

MY COMMENTS: God has intended this ever knowing, but not disclosing until the proper time, “mystery” to display to all of the good rulers and powers in the heavenly places a TRUTH He wants to emphasize to them! What is that Truth?

*might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,*

will now know the many different ways he shows his wisdom. They will know this because of the church [ERV].

“God has saved us in spite of our unworthiness, and in doing so He is showing the ‘principalities and powers in heavenly places’ the many sides of His wisdom. Paul again uses the metaphor of a school. God is the Teacher. The universe is the classroom. Angelic dignitaries are the students. The lesson is on ‘The multi-faceted wisdom of God.’ The church is the object lesson. From heaven the angels are compelled to admire His unsearchable judgments and marvel at His ways past finding out. They see how God has triumphed over sin to His own glory” [BBC].

“Understanding the character of God, we can say that this is not for a selfish or self-glorying motive, in the way we think of the proud man showing his brains and accomplishments to everyone. God does this for the glory of His creatures, because the glory of the creature is directly connected to the glory of the Creator” [Guzik].

 MY COMMENTS: I often tell people that “God doesn’t mind showing off!” God doesn’t “show off” because of vain glory; frankly, He doesn’t have to impress anyone! He’s God! We’re not! That’s impressive enough. Then why does He sometimes “show off”? Jesus once prayed in the presence of His disciples, “Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world” [John 17:24]. Did Jesus desire to show off for His disciples to show them how great He was? Please note the following passages:

2 Cor. 3:18) (KJV) But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. 

1 John 3:1-2) (KJV) Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. 

2) Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. 

MY COMMENTS: Why does Jesus want His people to see Him in His glory? It’s because the Holy Spirit changes us into exactly what we see regarding the glory of Christ [2 Cor. 3:18]. Why is it that even though we are already “the sons of God,” we ain’t seen nothing yet? It’s because we still haven’t seen Him as He is! But when we do, “we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is” [1 John 3:2]! Could it be that throughout eternity, as we witness more of His limitless “glory,” such as He will be displaying to “all the rulers and powers in the heavenly places” [vs. 10 of our current study of Eph. 3], of whom we will be among [Eph. 2:6].

The glory of God, and the glory of His Son is infinite; and God will have an eternity, an infinite amount of time to “show off” that glory to the angels and to His saints. And when we saints continually “behold” that glory the Holy Spirit will continually change us “into the same image” we are beholding “from glory to glory” throughout endless time forever and ever!

(Verse Ten of Chapter Three in my own words.)

He did this for the purpose that at the appropriate time He might demonstrate to all of the principalities and powers in the entirety of the Heavenly places His manifold wisdom by displaying before them the Church of Jesus Christ that He has raised up by forgiving the sins of, and washing clean all of the Jews and Gentiles who have become the building blocks of this amazing structure!

 

Ephesians 3:11

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

This agrees with the plan God had since the beginning of time. He did what he planned, and he did it through Christ Jesus our Lord [ERV].

“Before the world was made, God knew Satan would fall and man would follow him in sin. And He had already prepared a counter-strategy, a master plan. This plan has been worked out in the incarnation, death, resurrection, ascension, and glorification of Christ. The whole program centered in Christ and has been realized through Him. Now God can save ungodly Jews and Gentiles, make them members of the Body of Christ, conform them to the image of His Son, and honor them in a unique way as the Bride of the Lamb throughout eternity” [BBC].  

MY COMMENTS: In vs. 9 we read that this mystery was “from the beginning of the world” and had been hidden in the mind of God. Now in this verse we read that this mystery was “according to the eternal purpose” of God. God didn’t decide a couple of thousand years after Adam was removed from the Garden of Eden to enter into a Covenant with Abraham in order to choose out a people, Abraham’s descendents, for His own; and then a couple of thousand years later to nix that plan and save Jews and Gentiles alike. Everything in this progression of events had been a part of the eternal purpose of God. There has never been a moment in the eternal history of God {an odd thing to say} when God didn’t have this Gospel dispensation in His mind. I’ll even go farther than that, Christian friend, and say that there has never been a moment in the eternity of God when you weren’t on His mind!

MORE OF MY COMMENTS: Everything that God has always planned on doing, regarding this mystery, this Gospel dispensation, He has planned around His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. In other words it has always been the eternal plan of God to save sinners by sending His Son to earth to be born of a virgin, keep perfectly the Law of Moses for His 33+ years on this planet, to die a horrible death as our Sacrificial Lamb, to resurrect the third day, to be seen of witnesses for the next 40 days, to ascend to Heaven bearing the sacrificial blood He shed to pour over the real Mercy Seat in Heaven, and to serve as the High Priest of this New Covenant!! God secured our salvation “and He did it through Christ Jesus our Lord!”

(Verse Eleven of Chapter Three in my own words.)

And He did it according to His eternal, never changing, purpose in which He had forever purposed to utilize His Son Jesus Christ as the Vessel of our salvation!

 

Ephesians 3:12

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

In Christ we come before God with freedom and without fear. We can do this because of our faith in Christ [ERV].

Hebrews 4:15-16) (KJV) For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as [we are, yet] without sin.

16) Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

QUESTION: What has God given us when we placed our faith in His Son?

ANSWER: He has given us access to the very throne of God.

QUESTION: How should we approach God?

ANSWER: We should approach Him boldly.

QUESTION: How can we who have admitted our unworthiness approach the throne of God boldly?

ANSWER: We can approach His throne boldly because Jesus is “touched with the feeling of our infirmities,” and has become our High Priest. Through Him, Who is the Way, we have been given access to the throne of God, an access that He purchased for us by shedding His blood on our behalf.

“As a result of Christ’s work and our union with Him, we now have the unspeakable privilege of entering into God’s presence at any time, in full confidence of being heard, and without any fear of being scolded (Jas_1:5). Our boldness is the respectful attitude and absence of fear we have as children addressing their Father. Our access is our liberty to speak to God in prayer. Our confidence is the assurance of a welcome, a hearing, and a wise and loving answer. And it is all through faith in Him, that is, our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ” [BBC].

“Divisions in the church have not always been between Jew and Gentile. The Reformers spoke out against the division between ‘clergy’ and ‘laity’ and the teaching of the priesthood of all believers insisted that all had the same access to God” [Guzik].

MY COMMENTS: Jesus is not only the “way, the truth, and the life” [John 14:6], but because He has made the path to the Father clear He is also “the door” that allows us access [John 10:7-9] into the presence of our Holy God. But He is not just a Holy God, He is our loving Father. We, as God’s children, are not only supposed to approach a Holy God, Who is our loving Father, we are to have “boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus” [Heb. 10:19].

Please note the following passage:

Matthew 7:9-11) (KJV) Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? 

10) Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? 

11) If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him? 

MY COMMENTS: Jesus wanted His followers to understand that His Father, Who is our Father, not only loves us the way our earthly fathers loved us; but “how much more” does our Heavenly Father love us! If we, as children, ran into the presence of our earthly father whenever and wherever we chose to; “how much more” should we run into the presence of a Holy God, Who just happens to be our Heavenly Father, Who loves us so much more than our earthly father was able to! Our Father God loves to answer our requests more than our earthly father ever did, no matter how much he loved us; because God, Who is Love, loves us far more than any earthling ever could!!

This Jesus, Who is the “way, the truth, and the life,” and is also “the door” is “touched with the feeling of our infirmities” [Heb. 4:15]. Not only that, but this Jesus is also our High Priest [also Heb. 4:15]. He, this High Priest of ours, is our access to the Father; so we are told to ““come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need [Heb. 4:16].

Hebrews 10:19-22) (KJV) Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,

20) By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;

21) And [having] an high priest over the house of God;

22) Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.

MY COMMENTS: In the above passage from Hebrews 10 we are instructed to have “boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus.” Why? Because Jesus paid for our sins with His blood we are instructed to forgive one another “even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you” [Eph. 4:32]. When we are God’s children it’s because we came to Him through the Door of His Son; and because He paid the penalty for our sins and forgave us of all the sins we committed, and will commit, He has indebted His Father to forgive us as well. That’s why John writes that God’s faithfulness and justice require Him to forgive us when we come to Him with repentant hearts [1 John 1:9].

Friends and fellow Christians, we can boldly and confidently {without fear} come before a Holy God at any time we choose to, or any time He beckons us to because of our faith in His Son, Jesus!!

(Verse Twelve of Chapter Three in my own words.)

In His Son we now have the courage and the confident accessibility to approach our Heavenly Father because of our faith in His Son!

 

Ephesians 3:13

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

*Wherefore I desire that ye faint not at my tribulations for you,*

I beg you, then, not to be discouraged because I am suffering for you; [ERV].

“There are two exegetical problems in this verse: the main verb in Greek ‘to ask’ can mean (1) ‘I pray” or (2) “I request’; and the lack of an explicit subject for ‘(not to) become discouraged’ makes it possible to take it to be (a) ‘for you not to be discouraged’ or (b) ‘for me not to be discouraged.’ Opinions vary:

1 a       ‘I pray to God that you not be discouraged’: Barth; Brc

2a        ‘I ask you not to be discouraged’: Westcott, Salmond, Abbott, Robinson,

Murray, Caragounis, Beare; TEV, RSV, and most others

1 b       ‘I pray to God that I will not become discouraged’: Dodd; Gdsp, RSV

margin” [UBS].  

MY COMMENTS: Paul is writing this Epistle to his readers and he’s asking them not to be discouraged [CEV], not to become feeble [BBE], not to lose heart [EMTV], not to faint [KJV], don’t despair [NLT]. Paul was in prison in Rome when he wrote this letter. He was concerned that his imprisonment would discourage other believers to be timid about their faith.

Romans 8:18, 30) (KJV) For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 

30) Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. 

WHY WAS PAUL IN PRISON?

“On a strategic visit to Jerusalem he had the opportunity to preach to a vast crowd on or near the temple mount (Act_21:39 to Act_22:22), but the opportunity ended in disaster because the Jewish crowd could not stand the idea of the good news of the Messiah being extended to the Gentiles (Act_22:21-22). The ensuing riot put Paul in a legal dilemma, from which he used his right as a Roman citizen and appealed to Caesar. Now Paul was imprisoned in Rome, waiting for his trial before Caesar – and there because he knew God wanted Gentiles to share in the good news of the Messiah, and he wasn’t afraid to preach that truth” [Guzik].  

MY COMMENTS: Paul’s courage came from the fact that he understood that whatever happens in this life, no matter how seemingly unbearable it is, is temporary; in the next life he would live throughout eternity in Heaven, glorified!! He chose to fill his mind with what was coming, not what was!

*which is your glory.*

it is all for your benefit [ERV].

MY COMMENTS: Paul’s courage came from the fact that he understood that whatever happens in this life, no matter how seemingly unbearable it is, is temporary; in the next life he would live throughout eternity in Heaven, glorified!! He chose to fill his mind with what was coming, not what was!

“Paul was being used, and probably in a greater way than he ever imagined. This Roman imprisonment produced the letters of Ephesians, Colossians, Philippians and Philemon. They all certainly have a place in God’s eternal plan.

In the same manner, each of us has a place in the service of God’s eternal plan. Knowing this and working towards it is a great guard against losing heart in the midst of tribulation” [Guzik].

MY COMMENTS: All of that time that Paul was stuck away in prison awaiting his trial before Caesar he wrote “the letters of Ephesians, Colossians, Philippians and Philemon.” Imagine that! Instead of lying around in self pity wondering why God had forsaken him he wrote Scripture! We wouldn’t have those four epistles he wrote, one of them being the one we’re discussion at this time, we would not have this part of Scripture if Paul had not reckoned “that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 

(Verse Thirteen of Chapter Three in my own words.)

Because of these things my desire is that you don’t faint and become weak because of the things that I am going through. I am going through these things because God has counted you worthy of his blessings!

 

Ephesians 3:14

For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 

*For this cause I bow my knees*

Ephesians 3:1-2) (KJV) For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, 

“Paul begins a statement in verse 1 that is interrupted in verse 2 and not resumed till verse 14. The intervening verses form a parenthesis, the theme of which is the mystery—Christ and the church” [BBC].

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

Ephesians 3:13-14) (KJV) Wherefore I desire that ye faint not at my tribulations for you, which is your glory. 

MY COMMENTS: Many scholars believe that Paul was beginning a prayer in vs. 1 with these words, “For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles.” But when he alluded to the fact that God had called him to preach to the Gentiles his mind went to what God had called him to actually preach to the Gentiles. Consequently, vs. 2-13 are an interruption of the prayer that he picks back up with vs. 14!

14) For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 

MY COMMENTS: Let’s pick up the prayer that Paul prays for his readers that began in vs. 1; then was interrupted because the Holy Spirit wanted him to emphasize the reasons he was preaching to the Gentiles for twelve verses; but now the prayer is picked back up with vigor in vs. 14. In essence, if you begin the prayer in vs. 1 and pick it back up here in vs. 14 then the beginning of the prayer would go something like this, “I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

“Verses 14-19 are one sentence in Greek, and it will be helpful to see how the thought progresses, by means of the following formal equivalent translation (Hdb):” [UBS].

“For this reason, refer back to chapter 2 with its description of what the Gentiles had been by nature and what they had become through union with Christ. Their astonishing rise from poverty and death to riches and glory drives Paul to pray they will always live in the practical enjoyment of their exalted position” [BBC].

MY COMMENTS: Paul begins his prayer by telling his readers what posture he took when he was praying for them because, obviously he being in prison, they could not see him pray. I like the note below by BBC.

“I bow my knees. This does not mean kneeling must always be the posture of the body, though it should always be the posture of the soul. We may pray as we walk, sit, or recline, but our spirits should be bowed in humility and reverence” [BBC].

*unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,*

MY COMMENTS: Again, some of the oldest manuscripts omit the words “of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Of the 30+ translations that I looked at almost exactly 50% included those words. I say “almost exactly” because I came up with 15 to 15, and I didn’t want to count again. The point is that no matter how it was originally written we know that “the Father” Paul mentions in prayer is the “Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

(Verse Fourteen of Chapter Three in my own words.)

For this cause, the cause of God including you Gentiles in His redemptive plan, I fall down on my knees before the Heavenly Father {of the Lord Jesus Christ},

 

Ephesians 3:15

Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 

*Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,* 

from whom all fatherhood, earthly or heavenly, derives its name [Phillips].

the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth [NLT].

All beings in heaven and on earth receive their life from him [CEV].

“name here stands for identity, character; Murray comments: ‘derives its nature and its name’ (so TNT). For the verb ‘to name’ see verse Eph 1:21. The main point that is being made is that God is the Father of all animate beings, whether heavenly or earthly; there is no group of beings which does not owe its existence to him” [UBS].

“The particular role of the Father which Paul has in view is as the One from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named. This may mean:

1. All the redeemed in heaven and on earth look to Him as Head of the family.
2. All created beings, angelic and human, owe their existence to Him not only as individuals but as families as well. Families in heaven include the various grades of angelic creatures. Families on earth are the different races springing from Noah and now divided into various nations.
3. All fatherhood in the universe derives its name from Him. The Fatherhood of God is the original and the ideal; it is the prototype of every other paternal relationship” [BBC].

MY COMMENTS: The Father {of our Lord Jesus Christ} is who Paul was bowing his knees to [vs. 14], and to who you and I ought to bow our knees to, and to who’s Son “every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” [Phil. 2:9-10]. Paul tells us that this Father of ours is, in essence, responsible for every living creature everywhere. Outside of God, the Father and God, the Son and God, the Spirit, Who together are the One True God, every other living thing anywhere and everywhere was created by God!! In that sense God is the Father of all that lives!

THE THOUGHT COULD BE AS SIMPLE AS THIS: “In remembering that all God’s family is called after His name, Paul showed that his mind was rather taken with this idea of the essential unity of the Body of Christ. God is Father of both Jew and Gentile” [Guzik].

MY COMMENTS: I often tell folks if you want to know what it’s talking about then see what it’s talking about! In other words, what’s the context in which the statement you’re wondering about was made? With that question in mind the context leads me to believe that the Apostle is talking about possibility #1 in BBC’s comments above. I believe that when Paul refers to “the whole family in heaven and earth” he’s referring to the people he’s been writing about up to this verse; and those people are the Jews who have accepted Christ joined with the Gentiles who have accepted Christ. That’s who God’s family is comprised of! And, John might have been hinting to us that God will “name” us; that is He will give every believer a brand new name when they get to Heaven [Rev. 2:17].

(Verse Fifteen of Chapter Three in my own words.)

He is the Father of His whole family, everyone He has called His own, rather they are already in Heaven, or rather they are still here on earth.

 

Ephesians 3:16

That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; 

*That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory,*

I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources [NLT].

I ask God from the wealth of his glory [TEV].

“It would be a disgrace to a king or a noble-man to give no more than a tradesman or a peasant. God acts up to the dignity of his infinite perfections; he gives according to the riches of his glory” [Clarke].

“Preachers often point out that there is a difference between the expressions ‘out of the riches’ and according to the riches. A wealthy person might give a trifling amount; it would be out of his riches, but not in proportion to them! Paul asks that God will give strength according to the riches of His perfections. Since the Lord is infinitely rich in glory, let the saints get ready for a deluge! Why should we ask so little of so great a King? When someone asked a tremendous favor of Napoleon it was immediately granted because, said Napoleon, “He honored me by the magnitude of his request.” [BBC]. 

MY COMMENTS: When we think of “the riches of His glory” we have to understand what His glory is in order to understand the wealth involved in His glory! I believe the glory of God is sum total of Who God is! It’s the sum total of His Divine attributes! God is infinite in power! God is infinite in wisdom! God is infinite in mercy! God is infinite in grace! God has created every material thing in the universe and it hasn’t diminished His power to create one iota! God is everywhere is space; and I believe He is everywhere in time! There has never been any knowledge He was unaware of; or that He had to learn!  

Genesis 1:27) (KJV) So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. 

Romans 3:23) (KJV) For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 

MY COMMENTS: I’m convinced that God created us in His own image; but when we sinned we came short of that image. We were created in the image of the Who God is; but sin marred that image. So what is God currently up to in the lives of His children?

Romans 8:29-30) (KJV) For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. 

30) Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. 

MY COMMENTS: We were created in God’s image, but when we sinned we came short of His image; we fell short of the Who God is! But thank God, God has an eternal purpose, that He will bring to pass, of restoring us to the place from where we fell when we sinned! He is going to restore us to the “glory”! He’s saved us! He’s justified us! And He’s going to glorify us; i.e., restore us to the status of being in His image! When I say He’s going to, I’m talking about from our perspective; He’s already glorified us from His perspective. He, Who dwells everywhere in time, already sees us seated in the Heavenlies, completely glorified!!!

Final thoughts on “the riches of His glory:” The glory of God is the sum-total of all He is; and that sum-total is limitless! He never wants because if He desires He just speaks a creative word and there it is! He has absolutely no limitations! That’s His glory; and “that’s the riches of His glory!” It’s from that source of limitless wealth that He is able to answer your prayers!

*to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;* 

he will give you mighty inner strength through his Holy Spirit [NLT].

to give you power through his Spirit to be strong in your inner selves, [TEV].

“Might” – “dunamis” – “1) strength power, ability; 1a) inherent power, power residing in a thing by virtue of its nature, or which a person or thing exerts and puts forth; 1b) power for performing miracles; 1c) moral power and excellence of soul” [Thayer].

MY COMMENTS: Paul was praying for his readers, which now include you and me, asking Father God to, according to the limitless wealth of His glory {the infinite Who He is}, to empower us with “dunamis” might, the “might” that can only come through the working of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Paul was asking Father God to work in this way, according to the limitless wealth of His glory, so that we will “be strong in” our “inner selves”!

(Verse Sixteen of Chapter Three in my own words.)

I, Paul, ask God to do the following for you, in accordance with the limitless wealth of His glory {the Who He is}, to make you strong in your inward selves through the power that the Holy Spirit can give you,

 

Ephesians 3:17

That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, 

*That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith;*

“The heart, of course, means the center of the spiritual life; it controls every aspect of behavior. In effect, the apostle prays that the lordship of Christ might extend to the books we read, the work we do, the food we eat, the money we spend, the words we speak—in short, the minutest details of our lives” [BBC].

“Why do we need spiritual strength to let Christ dwell within us? It is because there is something in us that resists the influence of the indwelling Jesus. That something can be conquered as the Spirit of God gives us the victory of faith” [Guzik].

MY COMMENTS: I shared this note when discussing vs. 14; allow me to share it again while discussing vs. 17.

“Verses 14-19 are one sentence in Greek, and it will be helpful to see how the thought progresses, by means of the following formal equivalent translation (Hdb)” [UBS].

MY COMMENTS: I wanted to remind you that vs. 14-19 are one sentence. That’s why Guzik asks the question, “Why do we need spiritual strength [the subject of the previous verse], to let Christ dwell within us [the subject of the previous verse]? Guzik goes on to say in the above note, “It is because there is something in us that resists the influence of the indwelling Jesus.” What is that “something”?

Romans 7:14-15) (KJV) For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. 

15) For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. 

(ERV)  I don’t understand why I act the way I do. I don’t do the good I want to do, and I do the evil I hate.

MY COMMENTS: I’m saved; my body isn’t! We Christians are waiting for the redemption of our bodies [Rom. 8:23]. In the mean time “sin dwells in us” [Rom. 7:17, 20]. So, to Guzik’s point, the reason we need spiritual strength [vs. 16] in order that we can let Christ dwell within us is because we need that spiritual strength to help us silence the cravings of the flesh that resist the rule of Christ within us!

QUESTION: How do we get Christ to dwell in our hearts by faith?

MY COMMENTS: We join Paul in the bowing of our knees unto our Father in Heaven, Who through His Son, Jesus, has given us complete access to Him. We ask Him to give us that strength that is required for us to be enabled to let Christ dwell in us, meaning to allow Him control in our lives.

*that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,*

I pray that you may have your roots and foundation in love, [GNB].

“Two expressions are used: ‘rooted,’ like a living tree which lays hold upon the soil, twists itself round the rocks, and cannot be upturned: ‘grounded,’ like a building which has been settled, as a whole, and will never show any cracks or flaws in the future through failures in the foundation” [Guzik quoting Spurgeon].

MY COMMENTS: The “Royal Law” [James 2:8] is the second greatest commandment of the Law of Moses according to Jesus; the greatest commandment is to love God with everything we have [Matt. 22:35-40]. Then Jesus pointed out that loving our neighbors was second only to that first one. He also said that on those two commandments “hang all the law and the prophets” [vs. 40].

But then, on the night He was betrayed Jesus set up an entire new system that His Church was commanded to operate under; this system replaced the Law of Moses. This new system was that those who would go on to become Christians were to love one another the very same way that Christ loves them [Jn. 13:34-35]. That new system of Christians loving one another was later referred to as “The Royal Law.” This new system was absolutely necessary for the new order of Christianity to come about, because under the old order of the Mosaic Law Jesus would not have been allowed to be our High Priest!! Jesus was from the Tribe of Judah, not the Tribe of Levi; so under the Law of Moses He was disqualified from being our High Priest. Consequently the author of the Book of Hebrews says that the changing of the Priesthood {from Aaron to Jesus} made it necessary to change the Law [Heb. 7:12].

This new Law, the Royal Law, changed everything. Now the restraint to living badly is no longer fear of the punishment; but rather it is loving the people around us. With all that in mind, Paul is moved to pray for us  to become “rooted and grounded in love,” the kind of love that puts other Christians first in our thinking as opposed to putting ourselves first [Phil. 2:1-5]. Father, help us be rooted and grounded in that kind of love!

(Verse Seventeen of Chapter Three in my own words.)

That the indwelling of Christ in your lives becomes stronger and stronger as your trust in Him grows, so that you will have deep roots and a strong foundation in love.

 

Ephesians 3:18

May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; 

*May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; 

And I pray that you and all God’s holy people will have the power to understand the greatness of Christ’s love–how wide, how long, how high, and how deep that love is [ERV]. 

“Although there are other possibilities, most commentators take [#1] ‘the love of Christ’ as the subject being described by these four words of measure (some take [#2] the subject to be the secret, others [#3] the grace of God, others [#4] the wisdom of God, others [#5] ‘your salvation’)” [UBS] (#’s added by me).

MY COMMENTS: UBS offers an interesting idea here. I have always supposed these dimensions refer to [#1] the love of Christ for His people. There are other possibilities that would fit the text as well. When the note above mentions [#2] “the secret” he is referring to the “mystery” Paul has been teaching about. Certainly that mystery is about [#3] God’s grace extending to the non-Jews. The Epistle of Ephesians is heavy on [#4] the wisdom of God. Certainly the mystery referred to is about [#5] salvation coming to the Gentiles.

“If the love of Christ is intended, then the connection might be shown as follows:

Width — The world (Joh_3:16)

Length — Forever (1Co_13:8)

Depth — Even the death of the cross (Php_2:8)

Height — Heaven (1Jn_3:1-2)” [BBC].

MY COMMENTS: UBS goes on to mentions thoughts on it meaning the “mystery”:

“But these dimensions may also refer to the mystery which holds such an important place in Ephesians. In fact, it is easy to find these dimensions in the text itself:

1. The width is described in Eph_2:11-18. It refers to the wideness of God’s grace in saving Jews and Gentiles, and then incorporating them into the church. The mystery embraces both these segments of humanity.
2. The length extends from eternity to eternity. As to the past, believers were chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world (Eph_1:4). As to the future, eternity will be a perpetual unfolding of the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus (Eph_2:7).
3. The depth is vividly portrayed in Eph_2:1-3. We were sunk in a pit of unspeakable sin and degradation. Christ came to this jungle of filth and corruption in order to die in our behalf.
4. The height is seen in Eph_2:6, where we have not only been raised up with Christ, but enthroned in Him in the heavenlies to share His glory.

These are the dimensions, then, of immensity and, indeed, infinity. As we think of them, “all we can do,” Scroggie says, “is to mark the order in this tumult of holy words.” [BBC].

MY COMMENTS: I, personally, believe it to refer to the love of Christ; however, my second choice would be the “mystery.”

MORE OF MY COMMENTS: I once either heard a sermon or read in a book the following possibility that I’ve never forgotten:

“John 3:16) (KJV) For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

1. “The width” For God so loved the world,
2. “The length” that he gave his only begotten Son,
3. “The depth” that whosoever believeth in him should not perish,
4. “The height” but have everlasting life” [Preacher or author unknown to me].

 STILL MORE OF MY COMMENTS: The previous verse [vs. 17] ended with the words “being rooted and grounded in love.” The following verse [vs. 19] begins with the words “and to know the love of Christ.” The context of the verses preceding this verse and following this verse seem to indicate that the subject of this verse [vs. 18] is the love of Christ!  As I mentioned above, “I, personally, believe it to refer to the love of Christ.”

(Verse Eighteen of Chapter Three in my own words.)

And so that you will be able to understand more clearly with all Christian saints what the dimensions of this love of Christ are; the breadth, the length, the depth, and the height;

 

Ephesians 3:19

And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. 

*And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge,*

May you experience the love of Christ, though it is so great you will never fully understand it [NLT].

“to know” – “Practically, through experience” [Vincent].

“In this context know is often best translated as ‘to experience.’ Therefore, ‘may you come to experience how he loves you.’” The clause although it can never be fully known is best treated as a parenthetical statement, that is, inserted in the middle of verse 19. But it may be necessary to restructure the clause, for example, “although you can never completely experience how much Christ loves you” [UBS].

MY COMMENTS: Paul prayed for the believers who would read this Epistle that they would come to know something that was so great it was unknowable. That something is the love Christ has for His followers! KJV tells us we should come to “know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge.” NLT tells us that we should come to “experience the love of Christ, though it is so great you will never fully understand it.” How can you and I come to know the unknowable? Paul prayed that we would. But, how is it possible to know something that can’t be known? Let’s continue on with the next part of this verse.

*that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.*

Then you will be filled with the fullness of life and power that comes from God [NLT].

“The climax in this magnificent prayer is reached when Paul prays that you may be filled with (lit. unto, Greek eis) all the fullness of God. All the fullness of the Godhead dwells in the Lord Jesus (Col_2:9). The more He dwells in our hearts by faith, the more we are filled unto all the fullness of God. We could never be filled with all the fullness of God. But it is a goal toward which we move” [BBC].

Colossians 1:19) (KJV) For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell; 

Colossians 2:9) (KJV) For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. 

“Among all the great sayings in this prayer, this is the greatest. To be Filled with God is a great thing; to be filled with the Fulness of God is still greater; but to be filled with All the fullness of God, utterly bewilders the sense and confounds the understanding [Clarke].

MY COMMENTS: Allow me to share a passage here that I also shared in verse 16 of this chapter:

Romans 8:29-30) (KJV) For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. 

30) Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. 

MY COMMENTS: The above passage shows us what God is currently up to in our lives; He is up to conforming us to the image of His Son! When we see Jesus on the way up to Heaven, then we are going to “be like Him for we shall see Him as He is” [1 Jn. 3:2]. When that happens, and when we become like Him, that will fulfill Romans 8:30 above; we will be glorified! But even then, we will be full of God; but we still won’t be “filled with all the fullness of God;” that belongs to the Godhead alone! Having said that, Paul prays for his readers, that now include you and me, to realize that the more we comprehend how much we are loved by Jesus the more we will “be filled with all the fullness of God”!!!

FINAL COMMENTS ON THIS VERSE: We will never, in this life, fully know the unknowable, in other words, fully understand how much Jesus loves us, but we can keep growing in our understanding of it! Why is that important? The greater measure to which we understand how much Jesus loves us, to that measure we will “be filled with the fullness of God.”

(Verse Nineteen of Chapter Three in my own words.)

And come to know how much Christ Jesus really loves you, which is beyond your ability to fully comprehend, but you will be filled with the fullness of God in direct proportion to how much you realize He loves you! {Amen!}

 

Ephesians 3:20

Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, 

*Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think,*

“The prayer closes with a soul-inspiring doxology. The preceding requests have been vast, bold, and seemingly impossible. But God is able to do more in this connection than we can ask or think. The extent of His ability is seen in the manner in which Paul pyramids words to describe superabundant blessings:

Able
Able to do
Able to do what we ask
Able to do what we think
Able to do what we ask or think
Able to do all that we ask or think
Able to do above all that we ask or think
Able to do abundantly above all that we ask or think
Able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think”

[BBC].

“Translate, ‘that is able above all things (what is above all things) to do exceeding abundantly above what we ask or (even) think’: thought takes a wider range than prayers. The word, above, occurs thrice as often in Paul’s writings, as in all the rest of the New Testament, showing the warm exuberance of Paul’s spirit” [JFB].

MY COMMENTS: In the last verse Paul tries to stretch his readers to new heights in believing God to do beyond what they might think He can do. He tells us that we should strive to know what is, humanly speaking, unknowable; and that as we do that we will begin to scale the mountain of our being filled with “the fullness of God”!

MORE COMMENTS: Now, in vs. 20 he tells us that the God we serve “is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think!” He is challenging us to drop all of the restrictions we have placed on God! We are to stop limiting a limitless God to being able to do only slightly more than we can do.

Romans 4:16-17) (NLT) So that’s why faith is the key! God’s promise is given to us as a free gift. And we are certain to receive it, whether or not we follow Jewish customs, if we have faith like Abraham’s. For Abraham is the father of all who believe.

17) That is what the Scriptures mean when God told him, “I have made you the father of many nations.” This happened because Abraham believed in the God who brings the dead back to life and who brings into existence what didn’t exist before.

STILL MORE COMMENTS: I want you to take in vs. 17 above. Paul writes to the believers in Rome that our God is “the God who brings the dead back to life and who brings into existence what didn’t exist before”!!! Don’t dwell too much on the little thing of God bringing the dead back to life {one day soon He will raise to life every Christian believer who has died and take them to Heaven with Him}! But, before He created everything there was nothing but Him; He then brought into existence everything that exists today!!!!!! How did He do it? He spoke and it came into existence!! That’s the God that we limit in our prayers!

WHAT’S HE ASKING OF YOU AND ME? Imagine big! Think big! Ask big! And know that He can do “exceeding abundantly above” any prayer we pray! Father God, in the name of Your Son, Jesus, help me to imagine big; help me to think big; please help me to pray big! In Jesus name I pray.

*according to the power that worketh in us,*

“The means by which God answers prayer is given in the expression, according to the power that works in us. This refers to the Holy Spirit, who is constantly at work in our lives, seeking to produce the fruit of a Christlike character, rebuking us because of sin, guiding us in prayer, inspiring us in worship, directing us in service. The more we are yielded to Him, the greater will be His effectiveness in conforming us to Christ [BBC].

MY COMMENTS: The power that is working in us is God, the Holy Spirit. He lives in us every moment of every day! He has promised never to leave us nor forsake us [Heb. 13:5]. We don’t even know how to pray for ourselves; but God, the Holy Spirit, lives inside of us and intercedes for us “with groanings” that can’t be uttered [Rom. 8:26].

QUESTION: How much is God on your side? God, the Father, has God, the Holy Spirit, living inside of you and interceding for you; and He has God, the Son, sitting beside Him in Heaven ever making intercession for you! God knew we couldn’t get ourselves to Heaven so He took matters into His own hands [Rom. 4:16].

(Verse Twenty of Chapter Three in my own words.) Now unto Him Who is able to do so immeasurably beyond anything we could ever ask Him to do, or even imagine He could do, or think He could do, He can do so much more than any of those things through His power that is ever working in us!

 

Ephesians 3:21

Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen. 

*Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus*

“by Christ Jesus” – “Rev., better, in. As the Church is the outward domain in which God is to be praised, so Christ is the spiritual sphere of this praise.

[Vincent].

“‘But the apostle felt that he must not say, ‘Unto him be glory in my soul.’ He wished that, but his one soul afforded far too little space, and so he cried ‘unto him, be glory in the church.’ He calls upon all the people of God to praise the divine name.’” (Spurgeon) [Guzik].

MY COMMENTS: The way that Paul ended his prayer for the Church [vs. 14-19], when he prayed, “that Christ may dwell in” our “hearts by faith,” and that would result in our “being rooted and grounded in love” [vs. 17], and then he went on to pray that God would help us to “comprehend” the dimensions of that love of Christ, “the breadth, and length, and depth, and height” [vs. 18], and he then prayed an amazing revelation, that being that the more we comprehend how amazingly much Jesus, and by extension, God loves us the more we will “be filled with all the fullness of God” [vs. 19].

Did you get that? The way spiritual growth occurs, the way we become more and more “filled with all the fullness of God” is to comprehend, in ever-increasing amounts, how much God loves us! There’s your ticket to spiritual growth! I promise you, Christian friend, on the grounds of what we just learned from this beautiful prayer Paul prayed for us, the more you understand how much God loves you, right now in the mess you might be, the more you will fall in love with Him! The more you fall in love with Him, the more the “fullness of God” will fill your heart. Being full of God will result in spiritual growth leading to spiritual maturity. Do you quit loving your child when they disobey you? Of course not! “How much more” [Mt. 7:7-11] will your “Father which is in Heaven” continue to love you when you fail Him? Hard to believe? We must believe it because it’s what good parenting is; and it’s what the Bible  teaches us!!

*throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.*

“Lit., unto all the generations of the age of the ages. Eternity is made up of ages, and ages of generations” [Vincent].

QUESTIONS: What should our response be to these amazing truths about how “God so loved the world,” and that you and I am a part of that world He loves? What should our response be to the amazing truth that the more I understand how “radically, fanatically, relentlessly, continuously” Jesus loves me [Brennan Manning] the more I will be “filled with the fullness of God,” in other words, the more I will become like the One I serve?

MY COMMENTS: Our response should be that we lift up our voices to praise and worship the God  we serve, along with all the saints of God everywhere! And we should join His saints everywhere and do this “throughout all ages, world without end! Amen and amen and amen!!

(Verse Twenty One of Chapter Three in my own words.)

So, unto Him should the entire body of believers, the Church, give all the glory throughout eternal ages, world with end! We should do this because every good thing that we are thankful for originates from our being in Christ Jesus.