Paul the apostle to the Gentiles
3
📚For this reason 📖 I, Paul, the prisoner 📖 of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles 📖 – 2 📚since you have heard of the administration of the grace of God which is given to me for you 📖, 3 📚how that by revelation 📖 he made known to me the mystery 📖 (as I wrote before in few words 📖, 4 📚so, by reading that you can understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) 5 📚which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it is now revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit,3:5 Rom 16:25-26; Col 1:26-27. The teaching of these apostles and prophets recorded in the New Testament is not of men but a revelation from God.⚜
6 📚namely, that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs with Israel, and of the same body, and share in the same promise in Christ, through the gospel;
3:6 Paul here sums up what he said in Eph 2:11-22. He lists three benefits to the Gentiles who believe the gospel of Christ. Together with Jewish believers they are heirs, members of the one true Church, the Body of Christ, and they share in the promise of God. “Promise” here may refer in general to salvation or more specifically to the Holy Spirit (Eph 1:13).⚜
7 📚of which I became a servant, according to the gift of the grace of God given to me by the effectual working of his power 📖.
He considered himself less than the least
8 📚To 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,
3:7-8 See how Paul regarded his service in the gospel ministry. To him it was a wonderful gift of God. What a difference it would make in the churches if all Christians viewed the matter like this!⚜
9 📚and to make everyone see what the fellowship of the mystery is, which, from the beginning of the world, has been hidden in God, who created all things 📖 by Jesus Christ.
3:9 In ages past God revealed other truth to men, but this truth He kept back until the time was ripe for it. Then He chose Paul to reveal it.⚜
He speaks of God’s purpose
10 📚His intent was that now through the church the manifold wisdom of God might be known to the rulers and authorities 📖 in the heavenly places,
3:10 God teaches through the Church (Eph 1:22-23) not only men but heavenly beings as well (and they want to learn – 1 Pet 1:12). God’s dealings with Jews and Gentiles, His making believers from both groups one “body” in Christ, Christ’s death to accomplish this – these matters are a revelation of God’s great wisdom.⚜
11 📚according to the eternal purpose 📖 which he ordained in Christ Jesus our Lord. 12 📚In him 📖 we have assurance and confident access 📖 to God, through faith 📖 in him. 13 📚Therefore I ask you not to lose heart 📖 because of my sufferings 📖 for you, which are your glory 📖.
He prays that they might experience Christ’s presence in them, His love and God’s fullness
14 📚For this cause I bow my knees to the Father 📖 of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 📚from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,
3:14-15 Paul now continues the thought he broke off at v 1.⚜
16 📚that according to the riches 📖 of his glory, he would grant you to be strengthened with might by his Spirit 📖 in the inner person, 17 📚so that Christ may dwell 📖 in your hearts by faith 📖, that you, being rooted and grounded in love 📖, 18 📚may be able to comprehend with all saints what is its breadth and length and depth and height,
3:18 The knowledge of Christ’s love inspires love in believers (1 John 3:16; 4:9-12, 19). So we need to grasp the greatness of His love so that we will be rooted and established in love and love Him as He ought to be loved. Christ’s love is wider than the world, so long that we can never come to the end of it, so high it reaches beyond the skies to the eternal dwelling place of God, as deep as the fathomless wisdom and purpose of God (Rom 11:33).⚜
19 📚and to know the love of Christ, which passes knowledge, that you might be filled 📖 with all the fulness of God.
3:19 How can we know that which surpasses knowledge? How can we grasp the infinite? God’s Spirit can give us an inner knowledge and experience of it. We will not understand the ocean merely by reading about it, but by sailing on it and by plunging into its depths. God Himself is infinite and eternal and beyond the full understanding of man. But believers know Him – Matt 11:27; Heb 8:11; 1 John 5:20. So it is with the love of Christ.⚜
20 📚Now to him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,
3:20 But are the wonderful things of vs 16-19 really possible for us? Certainly. God would not present them to us and cause us to hope for them if they were not possible. God is able to do these things in us and to do them beyond our ability to imagine. Then why is not this the usual experience of all believers? Because God requires that we really want it, yield ourselves completely to Him, humbly obey Him in everything, and trust Him and go on trusting Him for it (v 17; John 14:21; Rom 12:1-2. Compare Jer 29:13; Isa 57:15).⚜
21 📚to him be glory 📖 in the church through Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.