Ephesians

3:1-13

3. Paul's part in the mystery - making all one in Christ, 3:1-21

i] The mystery revealed and proclaimed

The opening section of Paul's letter to the Ephesians, 1:3-3:21, takes the form of a prayer. In 3:1-13, Paul interrupts the prayer to remind his readers that God has revealed a divine "mystery" to him and that he has been given the task of administering this mystery, v2-6. God, in his kindness, has bypassed the original apostles and given Paul, the persecutor, the task of revealing the mystery of God's grace to the Gentiles, v7-13.

ei ge hkousate (akouw) aor. "Surely you have heard" - if indeed you heard. Expressing assurance that they have at least heard, even though some might not have had a personal experience of Paul's mission.

oikonomian (a) "administration" - management, plan. Used of the administration of a household, but also going on to mean the provision of a service, or an arrangement. Paul was given the honour of managing the communication of the gospel to the Gentiles.

caritoV (iV itoV) "grace" - Here possibly of God's kindness toward Paul in giving him the privilege of managing gospel-outreach to the Gentiles. Although Paul persecuted the church, God "kindly gave" (grace) him the responsibility of taking the gospel to the Gentiles. Yet, "grace" here can also take the more common meaning of the mercy of God offered in the gospel - the gift of a free and eternal right-standing in the sight of God through faith in Christ. In this sense, Paul has the responsibility of administering the communication of God's grace in the gospel, entrusted to him for the Gentiles. This more common meaning seems best.

musthrion (on) "mystery" - mystery, secret. Paul uses this word to describe a secret, or hidden truth, which is now revealed. It was once a secret and therefore a mystery, but now that the secret is revealed it is no longer a mystery. The mystery, or secret, that Paul refers to, is the gospel of God's grace, or better, the gospel (in the sense of important message) which concerns God's grace. The phrase "the manifold wisdom of God", v10, further describes this mystery, as does the phrase "the unsearchable riches of Christ", v8, and "of Christ", v4. cf. Col.1:27, "Christ in you, the hope of glory", and Col.2:2, where the mystery is simply "Christ". At first glance, the mystery is further described in v 6, but this is misleading since Paul is speaking of the consequences of the gospel/mystery, namely the brotherhood of Jew and Gentile in Christ.

proegraya (prograyw) aor. "I have already written" - I wrote before. "Written already" rather than "written before", as if to imply that Paul has written to the church in a previous letter. It is an aorist so best translated as a perfect here. He is simply saying he has already touched on this subject in the letter.

oligw/ adj. "briefly" - in few words. "I have already touched briefly on this matter in the opening section of my letter to you."

sunesin (iV ewV) "insight" - discernment, intelligence, understanding

tw/ musthriw/ tou Cristou "the mystery of Christ" - "The hidden purposes (now revealed) which God was fulfilling in Christ", Mitton. The meaning of the mystery is exegeted in the person and work of Christ. cf. Col.4:2.

eJteraiV geneaiV (a) "in other generations" - Possibly "to other generations." The knowledge of the free grace of God available in Christ was not a truth available to Old Testament saints. It was a hidden truth, later revealed to the apostles. Old Testament saints could only rely on the general mercy of God, but in relying on that mercy, the free grace of God available in Christ became available to them.

"This mystery is that" - The phrase is not in the Greek. The NIV has followed the view of most commentators who regard this verse as a summary of the "mystery of Christ", v4. Yet, the "mystery" is most likely the gospel. What we have here is an application of the gospel which is of particular concern to Paul. The gracious offer of God's eternal acceptance through faith in Christ is a blessing to the nations and not just to the Jews. Other translations make a similar leap of exegetical faith: "that is", NRSV; "and the mystery is this", CEV; "that", REB; ": that", RJB.

sugklhronoma adj. "heirs together" - sharing together, joint heirs, fellow heirs. The three compound words used by Paul to describe the joint relationship of Jews and Gentiles in Christ are uncommon. Only this word is used in the New Testament, Rom.8:17, Heb.11:9 and 1Pet.3:7. As a consequence of the gospel (the mystery), Gentiles are joint heirs with Israel, belonging to the same body (lit. concorporate) and fellow partakers (joint-sharers) of the covenant promises now realized in Christ. "Share in", CEV

ouJ "of this gospel" - of which. "Gospel" understood

diakonoV (oV) "minister" - Paul is a steward, or manager, of the mystery, of the gospel.

thV caritoV (iV itoV) "grace" - Here definitely not used of God's saving grace in Christ, but of a gift of divine kindness exhibited in entrusting Paul with the responsibility of gospel ministry to the Gentiles.

energeian (a) "working" - operation, effectual working. In describing God's work of dragging Paul from persecutor to Christian missionary, he uses the same language used of the power necessary to raise Christ from the dead, Eph.1:19

tw/ elacistoterw/ comp. adj. "less than the least" - A superlative of a comparative and probably Paul's own word-play for his Latin name "little". It is doubtful that he writes with embarrassment over the past, but rather that his understanding of God's forgiveness and total acceptance, enables him to face and declare openly that his "righteousness is but filthy rags."

anexicniaston adj. "unsearchable" - unable to track, untraceable. Possibly "unexplorable". In Romans 11:33 Paul uses the same word in a similar context. The inclusion of the Gentiles in the covenant promises illustrates the unexplorable depth of Christ's redeeming grace. So, it is the gospel which is unexplorable, not God's dealing with Jews and Gentiles. "Unfathomable", REB.

fwtisai (fwtizw) aor. inf. "to make plain" - to bring to light, make see, shed light upon, enlighten. The infinitive is verbal, expressing purpose. Here "to make all see" is best, by means of the public disclosure of something hidden.

hJ oikonomia (a) "administration [of this mystery]" - management, stewardship, the provision of, the arrangement of. The "my" in NIV is not in the Greek. In v2 the "administration" is Paul's administration, in the sense of an assignment given to Paul for him to manage, but here it is the same as 1:10, "a plan for the fullness of time." As such, it is more likely God's plan of action and therefore refers to His provision and organization of the intended blessings associated with the mystery/gospel. The "inner workings", NJB, of the mystery is God's business and it was Paul's privilege to make them known.

iJna + subj. "His intent was" - in order that. Forming a purpose clause - "to the intent that" since the "his" is not in the Greek

polupoikiloV adj. "manifold [wisdom]" - many-faceted, many-colored. "Diversified wisdom."

gnwrisqh/ (grwrizw) aor. pas. subj. "should be made known" - might be made known. God's intention is that His grace action-plan for humanity, contained in the gospel (the "mystery" - "the manifold wisdom of God") and evidenced in the creation of a church consisting of both Jew and Gentile believers, should be made known to the "rulers and authorities ....." Presumably it is the evidential reconciliation of Jew and Gentile in the Christian fellowship which serves to make known God's gracious plan of reconciliation through Christ. That is, the church serves to display to the rulers and authorities the knowledge that "through faith in Christ we may approach God with freedom and confidence", v12.

taiV arcaiV kai taiV exousiaiV en toiV epouranioiV "the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms" - principalities and powers in the heavenlies. The words can refer to secular authorities, but here possibly spiritual forces in God's heavenly domain. In 6.12 they are not flesh and blood for they are of the darkness (of this age/world?); they are spiritual (forces/hosts?) of evil in the heavenlies. If spiritual, they are probably Satan's minions. Why does God wish to display reconciliation at work in the church to these spiritual beings? Is it possible that reconciliation in this age, through the application of God's grace in Christ, possibly initiates a heavenly reconciliation? The matter is speculative.

kata proqesin twn aiwnwn twn aiwnwn "according to his eternal purpose" - according to plan, purpose, setting forth .... of the ages. "The purpose of the ages", RV. "According to the eternal purpose" , Mitton / Bruce. The genitive may be descriptive, "eternal purpose"; it may be subjective, "the purpose that runs through the ages", Abbott; or it may be objective, "the purpose about/concerning the ages"; it may even be adverbial as in Romans 8:28. If the latter, "in accordance with" may dictate its meaning here, although as a descriptive genitive, v11 &12 then serve to further exegete what is revealed.

parrhsian (a) "freedom" - boldness, confidence, freedom, plainness of speech. In Greek society the word was used of the right and freedom of a person to speak openly and plainly in a democratic society. Probably here of the right of a person, through Christ, to approach God.

pepoiqhsei (iV ewV) "confidence" - The word is only used 6 times in the NT. "In complete confidence", NJB.

dia thV pistewV autou "through faith in him" - through the faith of him. As an objective genitive the faith does not belong to "him", the subject, namely Christ, but to the one who believes and who places their faith "in Christ".

mh egkakein (egkakew) inf. "[I ask you, therefore,] not to be discouraged" - not to be a coward, to be discouraged, lose heart.... The infinitive serving to express indirect speech. Paul's readers should not be discouraged by Paul's sufferings, for his work in the gospel is to their gain and glory. There is a sense where suffering prepares us for our reign with Christ, 2Cor.4:17. Paul notes in Colossians 1:24-25, that the suffering of one member of the body of Christ is shared by all. So, as he suffers from his house arrest in Rome, there is glory to be found in it for Paul and therefore, glory for all his brothers and sisters in the Lord.

Ephesians Introduction

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