The Mystery of the
Gospel Revealed
3
For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles—
2 assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God's grace that was given
to me for you, 3 how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have
written briefly. 4 When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the
mystery of Christ, 5 which was not made known to the sons of men in other
generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by
the Spirit. 6 This mystery is[a] that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of
the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.
7
Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God's grace,
which was given me by the working of his power. 8 To me, though I am the very
least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the
unsearchable riches of Christ, 9 and to bring to light for everyone what is the
plan of the mystery hidden for ages in[b] God who created all things, 10 so
that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to
the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. 11 This was according to the
eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, 12 in whom we
have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him. 13 So I ask
you not to lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory.
Prayer for Spiritual
Strength
14 For this reason I bow
my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family[c] in heaven and on earth
is named, 16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be
strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that
Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and
grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what
is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of
Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness
of God.
20 Now to him who is
able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the
power at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus
throughout all generations, for ever and ever. Amen.
God's grace. From Elim
Missions
Ephesians 3
It is God's grace.
God
is not where you think He would be. Nor does He do what you think He ought to
do or not do. God is in places you have never and would never dream to go in.
His grace is found in prisons of failure not the palaces of achievement. It
refuses to break the bruised reed that everyone wants to break or snuff out the
smouldering wick that everyone sees as useless.
I
LOVE YOU. NOW. AS THINGS ARE. NO MATTER HOW BAD.
It
is God's gift.
Paul
says he received this gift. He was saying, "It shaped my life, my thinking
of life. It has shaped the way I have taught and how I have written. The day I
received this grace changed me forever."
It
is God's purpose
"This
grace is not just for me but for others." v2 for you; v8 to preach; v9 to
make plain.
Paul
is a steward of grace. As God gives grace to Paul then he must give grace to
others. If you really want to gauge your love for God then look at your love
for people.
Jesus
did not spend time with the sinners who may have skipped their Bible reading
that morning. But he spent time with people society called sinners. When we get
to heaven we will be standing with countless people dressed in white robes. Who
will these people be? Will it be those who have ticked all the right boxes of
Christianity? No. It will people who needed to rely on the grace of God.
NIV Application
Commentary
Ephesians 3
The Doxology (3:20–21)
The
doxology brings the first half of Ephesians to a close at the place it began in
1:3, in giving praise to God. Doxologies in the form “glory to God” are
frequent in the New Testament, though most are much briefer. The use of “glory”
in Ephesians and throughout the New Testament is fascinating. God is a God of
glory (1:17; Acts 7:2), and his glory reveals who he is (John 1:14; Rom. 6:4;
Heb. 1:3). God gives glory to Christ (John 17:22; Acts 3:13; 1 Cor. 2:8; 1
Peter 1:21) and people (Rom. 2:10; 8:30; 1 Cor. 2:7). Christians are
transformed from glory to glory (2 Cor. 3:18). People are to do everything for
God’s glory (1 Cor. 10:31) and are to give glory back to God (Eph. 1:6; Phil.
1:11). In the eschaton further glory will be revealed (Rom. 8:18). “Glory” is a
word that virtually encompasses the whole of Christianity. Here the focus is on
the praise and honor that should be given God for his saving work.
This
doxology is striking in its assertion that glory is given to God “in the church
and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever.” No other
passage mentions the church explicitly in a doxology, although other doxologies
imply it because Christians are the ones giving the praise. To suggest that the
church and Christ are accorded equal status is presumptuous. The passage only
assumes an unending relation between God, his people, and Christ. The presence
of the people with God, made possible by Christ, will be a cause for eternal
praise. This is what Paul had in mind in 1:18 with the expression “the riches
of his glorious inheritance in the saints” (see also 2:7).
In
verse 19 the love of Christ is beyond understanding, and in verse 20 the
activity of God is beyond expectation or thought. The heightened language
throughout the prayer shows the depth of Paul’s emotion. A wordplay occurs in
the Greek text of verse 20 between “to him who is able” (to dynameno) and
“power” (dynamis). Note the preponderance of words for God’s activity, a theme
that has marked the letter from 1:1.
This
doxology sums up the intent of the first half of the letter. We should praise
God for his astounding work in Christ Jesus. Paul’s point is not merely that
God is able to do beyond what we expect. Rather, this power is already at work
in us (cf. the similar language in Col. 1:29, which describes God’s work in
Paul’s ministry). God does not fit the limitations of our expectations. The
language is reminiscent of Isaiah 55:8–9: God’s ways and thoughts are
exceedingly beyond our ways and thoughts. God is at work and eager to work in
us to achieve his purposes for salvation.
Romans 1:16-17English
Standard Version Anglicised (ESVUK)
The Righteous Shall Live
by Faith
16
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to
everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the
righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith,[a] as it is written,
“The righteous shall live by faith.”[b]
The Bible Panorama
Ephesians 3
V 1–7:
REVELATION
The fact of the oneness of all believers in Christ leads Paul to pray the
prayer that comes later in verse 14. But first, writing from prison, he
digresses to disclose his apostolic authority which enables him to deal with
some important things. God revealed to Paul individually what, through the
Spirit, He revealed to His prophets and apostles collectively, that believing
Gentiles would be part of the same body as believing Jews. Thus his message is
not a subjective ‘bright idea’ of Paul’s own making, but one that can be seen
objectively as having come from the Holy Spirit.
V 8–13: RICHES His task is to make
the ‘unsearchable riches of Christ’ known to the Gentiles and to make all see
the wonderful things that God has done in Christ. He expects to suffer
tribulation in doing this and tells them so. His tribulation will lead to their
glory.
V 14–19:
REQUEST
He prays, in submission to the Lord Jesus Christ, that these Gentile believers
will be strengthened by the Spirit inwardly, and know Christ’s indwelling in
their hearts. He asks for stability in their Christian life and an
understanding, with all of the Christians, of the immensity of the love, fullness
and will of God.
V 20–21:
REMINDER
Paul reminds them that God is able to answer their prayers ‘exceedingly
abundantly’ above their expectations. God acts with the power of the
resurrection and of the Holy Spirit, which power is also experienced within
each Christian and is limitless. Paul wants God to be glorified for ever in the
church.
Dictionary of Bible
Themes
4035 abundance
A
state of plenty. Since Israel was often restricted in resources, abundance was
an important feature of her future hope, and became a symbol of spiritual
well-being.
Examples
of material abundance
Rain
Dt 32:2 See also 1Ki 18:41,45; Job 36:28; Ps 68:9; Joel 2:23
Water,
streams and rivers Ps 78:20 See also Nu 24:7; 2Ch 32:4; Ps 1:3; Isa 44:4; Eze
47:5
Luxuriant
growth and fruitfulness Eze 47:12 See also Eze 19:10; Eze 31:2-9; Da 4:12,21;
Rev 22:2
Harvest,
food, milk and wine Am 9:13 See also 2Ch 31:10; Ps 4:7; Ps 23:5; Ps 37:19; Pr
3:10; Isa 7:22; Jer 44:17; Joel 3:13; Mic 2:11
Spaciousness
Ps 31:8 See also Ge 26:22; Ps 66:12
Wealth
and possessions Ge 24:35 See also Ge 30:43; Ge 36:7; 2Sa 19:32; 2Ch 1:15; 2Ch
9:22; Job 1:3
Canaan
Ex 3:8 See also Nu 13:27; Dt 8:8; Jer 2:7
Material
abundance a reward for obedience
Lev
26:5 See also Dt 30:9; Job 42:12; Ps 132:15
Obedience
not always rewarded in this way Job 1:12; Job 2:6; Php 4:12
Examples
of spiritual abundance
The
abundance of divine power Dt 9:26; Ps 93:4; Joel 2:29-32; Eph 1:18-20; Eph 3:20
The
abundance of divine grace Ro 5:20; 2Co 9:8-14; Eph 1:7; Eph 2:6-7; 1Ti 1:14;
1Pe 1:2; 2Pe 1:2
The
abundance of human thanksgiving 2Co 4:15 See also Ps 119:171
The
abundance of God’s future blessing 2Co 4:17 See also Ps 36:8; Isa 64:4; Jn
10:10; 1Co 2:9; 2Pe 1:11; Rev 14:3
2 Corinthians 4:7-18 English
Standard Version Anglicised (ESVUK)
Treasure in Jars of Clay
7 But we have this
treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and
not to us.
8 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to
despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 10
always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may
also be manifested in our bodies. 11 For we who live are always being given
over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested
in our mortal flesh. 12 So death is at work in us, but life in you.
13
Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, “I
believed, and so I spoke”, we also believe, and so we also speak, 14 knowing
that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us
with you into his presence. 15 For it is all for your sake, so that as grace
extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of
God.
16
So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self[a] is wasting away, our inner
self is being renewed day by day. 17 For this light momentary affliction is
preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18 as we
look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the
things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.
2 Peter 1:3-15English
Standard Version Anglicised (ESVUK)
Make Your Calling and
Election Sure
3 His divine power has
granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the
knowledge of him who called us to[a] his own glory and excellence,[b] 4 by
which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that
through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from
the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. 5 For this very reason,
make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue,[c] and virtue with
knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with
steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, 7 and godliness with brotherly
affection, and brotherly affection with love. 8 For if these qualities[d] are
yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in
the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For whoever lacks these qualities is
so short-sighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from
his former sins. 10 Therefore, brothers,[e] be all the more diligent to make
your calling and election sure, for if you practise these qualities you will
never fall. 11 For in this way there will be richly provided for you an
entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
12
Therefore I intend always to remind you of these qualities, though you know
them and are established in the truth that you have. 13 I think it right, as
long as I am in this body,[f] to stir you up by way of reminder, 14 since I
know that the putting off of my body will be soon, as our Lord Jesus Christ
made clear to me. 15 And I will make every effort so that after my departure
you may be able at any time to recall these things.
Further Reading
No comments:
Post a Comment