Ephesians 3:1-7 is the Apostle Paul sharing “how the Holy Spirit revealed to him for the church, the mystery” (Paul describes in chapters 1-2) of God’s salvation by grace through faith in Christ Jesus, for both Jews and Gentiles; thus, “that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of God’s promise in Christ through the gospel” (verse 6).
Ephesians 3:1-7—1 For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles—2 if indeed you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which was given to me for you, 3 how by revelation He made known to me the mystery (as I have briefly written already, 4 by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ), 5 which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets: 6 that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel, 7 of which I became a minister according to the gift of the grace of God given to me by the effective working of His power.
Ephesians 3:8-13 is Paul revealing “the purpose for the mystery”, which is for the church, members of Christ’s body, “…that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, according to (in agreement with) the eternal purpose which God accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access (get into) with confidence through faith in Him” (verses 10-12).
Ephesians 3:8-13—8 To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, 9 and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ; 10 to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, 11 according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord, 12 in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him. 13 Therefore I ask that you do not lose heart at my tribulations for you, which is your glory.
Ephesians 3:14-21 is Paul “applying both the mystery and the purpose for the mystery” to the Godhead—Holy Spirit, Christ Jesus, Father God—enabling the invisible, inner person we are, to know and experience Christ Jesus, who is visible, feelable Love, we can experience but not describe, so we can be filled with all God is—His fullness, His completion (Colossians 2:8-10); thus, by the Godhead working for, in, and through us, far more can be accomplished than we can ever imagine or have faith for, because God’s will can now be done for, in, and through us.
Ephesians 3:14-21—14 For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, 17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height—19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. 20 Now to Him who can do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, 21 to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
God loved Gentiles and Jews before creation, but God waited until Jesus, the resurrected Christ, became Head of His body, the church, before He revealed the necessity of both Christian Jews and Christian Gentiles to make up His body, the church, with Him the Head, as it is today.
Every created human being is either a sinning Jew, a sinning Gentile, a Christian Jew, or a Christian Gentile, and the difference is found in John 14:6 and 6:43-45, for no one comes to God, through Jesus Christ, by the Holy Spirit, until Father God draws or drags people to Jesus, the resurrected Christ, by the Holy Spirit.
Christianity is a God-thing and not a man-thing, for Romans 8:12-17 says, only the Holy Spirit knows if and when people by faith, become God’s legal child; thus, He alone is able to witness it to God’s child, so we believe and act on what the Holy Spirit confirmed within us, although some well-meaning church leaders believe they know when we become God’s legal child, because we did what that church and leader thought was the way to become a Christian, so we continue on in the way we have always lived, yet thinking everything is right between God and us, even though the Holy Spirit never made it real in our spirit.
People trying to do the Holy Spirit’s job cause more harm to Christ and His body, the church, than sinners ever will, for most people never understand God already knew before creation, who would become Christians and remain Christians, and who would not; thus, those He knew would, He only wrote our names in the Book of life (Revelation 20:11-14), but God wrote every detail of every person’s life in our individual books (Psalm 139:13-16; Revelation 20:12). There will not be any erasures or additions in our individual books or in the Book of Life (See Ephesians 1:3-14).
Jim Nabors
