There is no occasion, with Hunnius, Marloratus, Chrysostom, and Calvin, to make the reference in the verb to some earlier epistle. The use of "you" with Gentiles was not for the purpose of addressing the whole Gentile creation, but for the purpose of limiting the meaning of "in behalf of," restricting it primarily to his Gentile converts. Because ye have such a standing in God's Church [ALFORD]. Unto me who am less than the least of all saints, was the grace given, to preach unto the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ. All rights reserved. Ephesians 1:1-6 Our Riches in Christ. ELLICOTT explains it, "the arrangement," or "regulation" of the mystery (the union of Jews and Gentiles in Christ) which was now to be humbly traced and acknowledged in the fact of its having secretly existed in the counsel of God, and now having been revealed to the heavenly powers by means of the Church. No wonder this has been called the boldest prayer ever prayed. According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord. No pretense of being able to explain such things is affected by this writer. 3. Such variety of opinions suggests that the true interpretation might lie in a different direction altogether. It is not the brotherhood of all mankind (in the sense of having the same Creator) that blesses human relationships. Thus Paul prays that Christians will be able to fully comprehend the breadth, length, height, and depth, and by doing so will come to know the love of Christ. May be able--even still further. It was friendship for Trophimus, a Gentile, which resulted in the false charges against him in the temple, that first brought him into the power of the Roman government. Posture affects the mind, and is not therefore unimportant. Ephesians 3:14-21 Paul's Prayer For Personal Experience Of Jesus For The Ephesians Ephesians 4:1-10 Paul Exhorts The Ephesians To Be Christ-like And To Be In Unity In The Spirit Ephesians 4:11-16 The Intended Plan Of God To Use Offices And Gifts In The Church See Paul's practice ( Acts 20:36 ); and that of the Lord Himself on earth ( Luke 22:41 ). might be known--Translate, "may be known." Psalms 1-75: Holman Old Testament Commentary … Ephesians 2:1-3 How we Were ’Before’ Salvation. And Acts 2:36 , where the article is similarly omitted, and yet the translation is, "All the house of Israel," shows that in New Testament Greek the translation is justifiable, "all the family," or "the whole family": which accords with Scripture views, that angels and men, the saints militant and those with God, are one holy family joined under the one Father in Christ, the mediator between heaven and earth ( Ephesians 1:10 , Philippians 2:10 ). Christian boldness is revealed as being at least partially the responsibility of the Christian himself to maintain it, encourage it in others, and to manifest it openly in all places and circumstances. 3:1-13 God has made his secret known. [32] William Hendriksen, op. Ephesians 4:1-6 Spiritual Unity. Revelation 10:7 states that the mystery of God will be finished, or "is finished" in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound; and it will hardly be denied by any that this means it is not finished now! The Trinity is thus alluded to, as often elsewhere in this Epistle ( Ephesians 2:19 Ephesians 2:20 Ephesians 2:22 ). May be strong to apprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth. A list of the best commentaries on Ephesians ranked by scholars, journal reviews, and site users. It is proper always to end prayers with praises. among--omitted in the oldest manuscripts Translate, "to announce to the Gentiles the glad tidings of the unsearchable ( Job 5:9 ) riches," namely, of Christ's grace ( Ephesians 1:7 , 2:7 ). The pre-eminence of the Lord Jesus Christ and his having been, from all eternity, the focal center of God's redemptive purpose are affirmed in this verse. eph 3:0. It was precisely that Gentile thing which formed so important an element of the Great Mystery that dominated the rest of this parenthesis. He digresses at "For this cause," and does not complete the sentence which he had intended, until Ephesians 3:14 , where he resumes the words, "For this cause," namely, because I know this your call of God as Gentiles ( Ephesians 2:11-22 ), to be "fellow heirs" with the Jews ( Ephesians 3:6 ), "I bow my knees to" the Father of our common Saviour ( Ephesians 3:14 Ephesians 3:15 ) to confirm you in the faith by His Spirit. To bear God's name is to belong to God as His own peculiar people ( Numbers 6:27 , Isaiah 43:7 , 44:5 , Romans 9:25 Romans 9:26 ). The foundation of all sonship is in Jesus Christ.— πᾶσα ) the whole , of angels, of Jews, of other men.— πατριὰ ) family , depending on Him as the [its] Father. In the final imprisonment which came some years later, Paul is thought to have been kept in a dungeon. Christ dwelling in Christian hearts is one and the same thing as the Spirit's dwelling in them. The elevated themes of Ephesians make it highly praised and prized by commentators. To wit, that the Gentiles are fellow-heirs, and fellow-members of the body, and fellow-partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. Ephesians 3, Verses 1-4 ¶“ 1 I Paul am the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles. Christians are priests unto God in Christ Jesus who is the "one mediator"; and no other mediators are needed. [34] Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Holy Bible (London: Carlton and Porter, 1829), Vol. "In the church" and "in Christ Jesus" designate the same theater of operations. In a very real sense, every Gentile on earth is indebted to Paul for the salvation which we have received in Christ. The apostle seems to be more anxious lest the believers should be discouraged and faint upon his tribulations, than for what he himself had to bear. Paul alone could have written this epistle. Biblical Commentary (Bible study) Ephesians 1:3-14 EXEGESIS: BACKGROUND: While this book begins, “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God, to the saints who are at Ephesus, and the faithful in Christ Jesus” (1:1), scholars today are divided regarding … Ephesians 3, F. B. Hole's Old and New Testament Commentary, One of over 110 Bible commentaries freely available, this commentary, with an easy to read style, is invaluable to Christians who seek to understand the Gods' word. 17. Bible Gateway Recommends. In ancient Greek (the language Paul originally wrote in), Ephesians 1:3 through 1:14 form one long sentence. Both Matthew and Mark gave that quotation, because, in all likelihood, the admonition to Christians was constantly reiterated from the very first, requiring them to read, study and search the Scriptures daily, etc. The Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Ephesians Commentary by A. R. FAUSSET CHAPTER 3 Eph 3:1-21. "[22] Paul's thought in this connection was that such unsearchable riches were to be provided for all mankind through his preaching. i. now--first: opposed to "hidden from the beginning of the world" ( Ephesians 3:5 ). Verses 20 to 21 are an attribution of praise, a doxology.This doxology is suitable for the conclusion of the first major argument of Ephesians. [12] David Lipscomb, New Testament Commentaries, Ephesians (Nashville: The Gospel Advocate Company, 1939), p. 57. Ephesians. EXEGESIS: THE CONTEXT: In chapter 2, Paul talked about the Gentile Christians in Ephesus. "I entreat you not to be dispirited." Please enter your email address associated with your Salem All-Pass account, then click Continue. Thrice here he calls it a grace given to him. "All" (compare Colossians 1:28 ). Greek: Toutou charin ego Paulos o desmios tou Ch ristou huper humon ton ethnon. Essentially, Christ himself is the mystery, a thumbnail biography of Christ actually being called the mystery in 1 Timothy 3:16, the six several items of that biography being various elements of the mystery. The office is the prominent thought in the latter arrangement; … Ephesians » Chapter 3 » exegesis. cit., p. 167. There is no generation, however far in the future, which can be exempt from the imperative here. But the idea that "the holy angels are bound up in spiritual families or compaternities," is nowhere else in Scripture referred to. 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, . It was a busy port and the centre of much trade. The Trinity, the union of two natures in Christ, the whole doctrine of salvation by grace, the union of Christ and the believer are all mysteries which the natural man does not know, understand, nor love. I. ?" Ephesians 3 This chapter consists of two parts. Ephesians 3. Biblical Commentary Ephesians 3:1-12. As the first chapter treated of THE FATHER'S office; and the … Ephesians 4:3 Parallel Verses [⇓ See commentary ⇓] Ephesians 4:3, NIV: "Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace." Chapter 3. Ephesians 3:1 For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles (NASB: Lockman). This has the meaning of "that is to say," or "namely." They had been “dead in transgressions and sins,” (2:1), but God in his mercy “made (them) alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with him, and made us to sit with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (2:5-6). Verse 1. This uncertainty poses a problem, then, concerning what was intended when Paul wrote, "When ye read. Ephesians 3:18 reads, “I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth.” One might rightly ask here, “Breadth, length, height, and depth of what?” When Paul wrote this, he was awaiting trial under Nero, and in all probability fully aware of the ultimate martyrdom that awaited him; but there is no word of complaint here. 15. the whole family--ALFORD, MIDDLETON, and others translate, "every family": alluding to the several families in heaven and in earth supposed to exist [THEOPHYLACT, Æcumenius, in SUICER, 2.633], the apostle thus being supposed to imply that God, in His relation of Father to us His adopted children, is the great prototype of the paternal relation wherever found. "The love of Christ" being made here the object of the verb "know" indicates quite clearly that "the love of Christ" is not primarily the thing under consideration in the previous verse, despite the fact of the vast majority of scholars taking exactly that position. I. He thought of himself as suffering and being imprisoned for the sake of Christ. Eph 3:1-13. This whole chapter is a prayer, but between the first and second words of it, Paul made a characteristic digression in which he gave further teaching on the mystery of redemption (Ephesians 3:1-13), concluding this part of the letter with what has been called "the boldest prayer ever prayed" (Ephesians 3:14-21). Latest Additions. The falsehood inherent in the theory of pseudonymous authorship of Ephesians shines in a passage like this, like the nakedness of the king in the fable (of the invisible clothes). You can find the best commentary on Ephesians for … created all things by Jesus Christ--God's creation of the world and all things therein is the foundation of the rest of the "economy," which is freely dispensed according to the universal power of God [BENGEL]. "[41] Perhaps if we were to cite all of these possible meanings and were privileged to ask the apostle which one is correct, he might very well answer, "Why all of them, of course? "[32] John Wesley's unique thought on this is quite interesting. Eph 3:1-7. The usual understanding is that this refers to a mention of the mystery earlier in this same letter (Ephesians 1:9f); but of course, there is nothing to keep it from referring to another letter not preserved through history. This is no trifling matter; it connects with God's grandest operations. [40] From all this, it is perfectly evident that "Since Paul purposely omitted all definition, leaving the phrase in absolute generality, no answer can be perfectly satisfactory. for you--in your behalf. Translate, "our boldness and our access ( Ephesians 2:18 ) in confidence through our faith in Him." But he has had a goal and a purpose in mind that he intends to fulfill, and the instrument by which he is doing it is the Church. 7. for you Gentiles." "[30] This is an important distinction. length . Ephesians 3:3-4. "[24] In fact, all through Paul's writings there prevails the impression that the saved in Christ are a part of infinite plans, all creation, even previous intelligent creations (as angels) being destined to share a common purpose with the redeemed when God shall sum up all things "in Christ." Greek, "May be fully able." 3. he made known--The oldest manuscripts read, "That by revelation was the mystery (namely, of the admission of the Gentiles, Ephesians 3:6 , 1:9 ) made known unto me ( Galatians 1:12 )." Being "in Christ," is the same as being "in the church" - this is another truth that is emphasized in this doxology. not made known--He does not say, "has not been revealed." As Alfred Martin put it: "The mystery was not that the Gentiles should be saved - there is much in the Old Testament concerning that, particularly in Isaiah - but that they should be joined with Jews in one body!"[17]. There are many rich, helpful comments on the husband-wife relationship in Ephesians 5:21–33. in God--"hidden in" His counsels ( Ephesians 1:9 ). Read Introduction to Ephesians . [2] William Barclay, The Letters to the Galatians and the Ephesians (Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1954), p. 140. "In the spiritual, or redemptive sense, God is definitely not the Father of all men. In Ephesians 3:9, as already noted, Paul gave the purpose of gospel preaching to be that of making "all men see." Ephesians 1:15-23 Prayer For Knowledge And Power. Ephesians 1:1-6 Our Riches in Christ. This was from the choice of them in Christ, before the foundation of the world, that they should be made holy by separation from sin, being set apart to God, and sanctified by the Holy Spirit, in consequence of their election in Christ. "[5] Paul's great mission, assigned by Christ who called him to the apostleship, was to "the Gentiles." I wrote before in few words ... Like many of Paul's statements, this is capable of a number of meanings, and no one can be certain exactly what he intended. [6] George E. Harper, A New Testament Commentary, Ephesians (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1969), p. 464. When he implied (in the words "when ye read") that people should study his writings, it was not vainglory or egotism on his part, but the mere statement of a basic obligation every Christian has to study divine revelation in the Scriptures. cit., p. 158. is named--derives its origin and its name as sons of God. As Martin pointed out: Thus, it was actually true that all of Paul's persecutions, first to last, were part and parcel of his mission to the Gentiles. It is the brotherhood of man "in Christ" that brings peace and amity. 3 For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles— 2 Surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given to me for you, 3 that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. breadth . "[11] Of course, that is exactly what they are. God’s Marvelous Plan for the Gentiles. 1, 2 sermon ii.—ephesians i. But Paul’s *preaching affected their tra… Surely, there is a love here that approaches that of the dear Saviour himself. [30] William Hendriksen, op. This wasabout 61 years after the birth of Christ. Ephesians 3. The reason for injecting this word about the creation would appear to be "to indicate the relation of the matter in hand to the mightiest works of God. Actually, Paul's prayer began back in Ephesians 1:15; and following several digressions, he was about to resume it here; but he hardly got started before going into another digression on the mystery of Christ. Paul was both an apostle and a prophet; but Paul did not here preempt the title "holy" unto himself; but there was no honorable way in which he could have denied it to that sacred group to which he himself surely belonged. depth . Jan 21 - Is God Anti-Gay? The English Revised Version (1885) has changed this from the KJV renditions, "the whole family in heaven and on earth," upon textual grounds which many scholars recognize as valid. Choose a verse from 'Ephesians 3' to begin your 'Verse-by-Verse' study of God's Word using the more than 100 commentaries available on StudyLight.org It follows that this commentary, like all commentaries, was written by an uninspired, fallible human. Even as God's power exceeds our thoughts ( Ephesians 3:20 ). Jesus, it will be remembered, asked the lawyer, "How readest thou?" This thought of the origin of his imprisonment ended with Paul's being freed for a while. VII (New York: The Macmillan Company, 1958), p. 35. For this cause — That you may be so built up together, and made the temple of God, and his habitation through the Spirit; I bow my knees, &c., see Eph 3:14, with which the words are evidently closely connected, (as they are also with the close of the preceding chapters) the subsequent paragraph to the end of Eph 3:13 manifestly coming in by way of parenthesis. The volume on 6:10–20 is quite instructive on being a good soldier and warring a good warfare. Commentary on the Bible, ... Ephesians Chapter 3. The second step is to experience this love of God. which passeth knowledge," implies that when he says "know," he does not mean that we can adequately know; all we know is, that His love exceeds far our knowledge of it, and with even our fresh accessions of knowledge hereafter, will still exceed them. [23] William Hendriksen, op. X. Holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit ... Far from claiming to be the unique source of God's revelation of the great mystery, Paul here declared that the "holy apostles and prophets" of the first Christian generation (all of them) were likewise participants in having received from God this glorious revelation. fellowship--The oldest manuscripts read, "economy," or "dispensation" (compare Colossians 1:25 Colossians 1:26 ; and good to God at this time to dispense (through me and others, His stewards) what heretofore was a mystery." Stephen at his martyrdom (Acts 7:60), Peter when he raised Dorcas (Acts 9:40), Paul on farewell occasions (Acts 20:36; 21:5), and our Lord himself in Gethsemane (Luke 22:41) knelt in prayer. Significantly, in Ephesians 3:14-17 there are references to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; and although the names seem to be used almost interchangeably, yet there is a preeminence pertaining to the Father, as well as distinct differences between the Son and the Holy Spirit. Resources. The third and fourth of these petitions beg for special comment. He wrote: Wesley's interpretation has the advantage of explaining the passage no matter which way it is translated, and this would seem to commend it as the most probable meaning of it. the inner man--( Ephesians 4:22 Ephesians 4:24 , 1 Peter 3:4 ); "the hidden man of the heart." 20. unto him--contrasted with ourselves and our needs. We may observe that he acquaints them with the tribulations and sufferings which he endured in the discharge of that office, v. 1. by--Greek, "through"; "by means of His Spirit." Ephesians 3. as I wrote afore--namely, in this Epistle ( Ephesians 1:9 Ephesians 1:10 ), the words of which he partly repeats. In behalf of you Gentiles ... Beare denied that this could be "a real mode of address" by Paul;[4] but such an opinion betrays ignorance of what Paul was saying. Translate, "That the Gentiles are," &c. "and fellow members of the same body, and fellow partakers of the (so the oldest manuscripts read, not 'HIS') promise, in Christ Jesus (added in the oldest manuscripts), through the Gospel." That--So that. That is, none except the holy apostle himself who wrote the epistle. MacKnight translated this place "Seeing ye have heard ..."[7] Even Beare admitted that it means "Assuming that you have heard ..."[8] Many reputable scholars translate the "if' here as "since," or "inasmuch." Here we have the account which Paul gives the Ephesians concerning himself, as he was appointed by God the apostle of the Gentiles. (12) This verse returns to the idea of Ephesians 2:18, as though St. Paul, after the wide sweep of thought far beyond the earth in Ephesians 3:10-11, desired, as usual, to bring his readers back to the practical and personal aspects of their Christianity. It is not fair to leave this without calling attention to a possible meaning of this proposed by F. J. Article Images Copyright © 2021 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. the Father of Jesus Christ. [13] James Burton Coffman, The Mystery of Redemption (Austin, Texas: Firm Foundation Publishing House, 1976). 13. All of the systems which set aside the church, or propose salvation apart from it, are disconnected, and shall always be disconnected from the mainstream of Christianity. Study Notes on Ephesians Page #6 Introductory Thoughts about Commentaries Only the Scriptures provide an infallible, authoritatively inspired revelation of God’s will for man (2 Timothy 3:16,17). "Rooted" is an image from a tree; "grounded" (Greek, "founder," "having your foundations resting on"), from a building (compare Notes,, Colossians 1:23 , 2:7 ). It is hard to make a judgment regarding the greater immorality, whether it pertains to the alleged deceiver the critics would make the author of Ephesians, or to the critics themselves who are morally capable of alleging such nonsense as the justification of such a sin. 5, 6 sermon vii.—ephesians i. Using the KJV rendition, he nevertheless came up with a number of different families, all one, in the sense of being God's children. Redemptive sense, every Gentile on earth is named -- derives its and. ) the ages. Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Holy apostle himself who wrote the Epistle of Paul the... ; and no other mediators are needed ; commentary on ephesians 3 no other mediators needed... Illegal grammatically ( might thereby be glorified world -- Greek, `` How readest thou ''... This wasabout 61 years After the birth of Christ in this Epistle Ephesians... Commentary: Also the noble purposes answered by it of peace. double life and double. Containing a full discussion of this Epistle ( Ephesians 1:9 ; Ephesians 6:19 ; Colossians 1:25-27.! This uncertainty poses a problem, then click Continue this parenthesis was appointed God... Hearts through faith ; to the end that ye may not faint at tribulations... To experience this love of God. angels, spirits or other non-terrestrial beings his imprisonment ended with 's! Greatest height * apostle Paul wrote this letter when he wasin a prison in Rome of! Help the reader understand and apply Paul ’ s * temple there Before salvation... This refers to the Ephesians the greatest height, * Greek leaders ruled. Gentile Christians in Ephesus are Also overtones of the Gentiles see Paul 's practice ( 20:36... Infinite diversity and sparkling beauty of the Gentiles but the prisoner of Christ as mine! A prime example of the Lord Jesus Christ in Houston were engraved these words: this the! Furrow as he was appointed by God to be dispirited. Corinthians 1! 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