Pastors Jim and Marie Watt
(From: EPHESIANS #4 - 3:1-21)
E. 3:1-19 THE NATURE OF PAUL'S MINISTRY
1. 3:1-13 PAUL'S MINISTRY TO GENTILES
a. 3:1-12 THE MYSTERY: GENTILES ARE FELLOW-HEIRS WITH JEWS
TOUtou CHArin eGOPAUlos, ho DESmi-os tou ChrisTOU, IeSOU,
For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of the Christ, Jesus,
huPER huMON ton ethNON, -- EI ge eKOUsa-te ten oi-ko-noMIan [3622]
in behalf of you :nations, -- 2if so that you have heard of the dispensation
tes CHAri-tos [5485]tou TheOU tes doTHEIses moi eis huMAS;
of the grace of :God :given me toward you;
HOti kaTA a-poKAlu-psin [602]eg-noRISthemoi to musTEri-on[3466],
3how that by revelation was made known to me the mystery,
kaTHOS proEgra-psa en oLIgo, pros ho, DUnas-the, a-na-giNOSkon-tes, noEsai [3539]
as I wrote before in few words, 4 whereby, when you read, you can perceive
ten SUneSIN [4907] mou en tomus-teRIo[3466]tou ChrisTOU;
my :understanding in the mystery of the Christ;
ho heTErais ge-neAIS [1074]ouk eg-noRISthe
5which in other generations was not made known
tois huiOIS ton anTHROpon hos nun a-pe-kaLUPHthe[601]
to the sons of :men as it has now been revealed
tois haGIois a-posTOlois [652]auTOU kai proPHEtais [4396]en PNEUma-ti:
to his holy :apostles and prophets in Spirit:
EInai ta ETHnesun-kle-roNOma [4789], kai SUNso-ma [4954]kai sunMEto-cha [4830]
6that the nations are fellow-heirs, and fellow-bodied and fellow-partakers
tes e-pag-geLIas [1860]en ChrisTOIeSOU diA tou eu-ag-geLIou, hou e-geNEthen diAko-nos [1249],
of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel, 7whereof I became a minister,
kaTA ten do-reAN [1431]tes CHAri-tos tou TheOU tes doTHEIses moi
according to the gift of the grace of :God :given me
kaTA ten eNERgei-an [1753] tes duNAme-os auTOU
according to the working of his :power
(eMOI, toe-la-chis-toTEroPANton haGIon, eDOtheheCHAris HAUte),
8(to me, the least of all saints, was this :grace given),
tois ETHne-sin eu-ag-geLIsas-thai [2097]to a-ne-xichNIas-ton [421]PLOUtos tou ChrisTOU
to preach to the nations the unsearchable riches of the Christ
kai phoTIsai[5461] tis heoi-ko-noMIa [2842]tou mu-steRIou
9and to bring to light what is the dispensation of the mystery
tou a-po-kek-rumMEnou [613]aPO ton aiOnon en toTheO, tota PANta KTIsan-ti;
:hid for the ages in :God, who created :all things;
HIna gno-risTHEnun tais arCHAIS [746]
10in order that now unto the principalities and the powers
kai tais e-xouSIais [1849] en tois e-pou-raNIois diA tes ek-kleSIas
in the heavenlies be made known through the church
hepo-luPOIki-los [4182] soPHIa [4678] tou TheOU, kaTA PROthe-sin [4286]ton aiOnon
the manifold wisdom of :God, 11according to a plan of the ages
hen e-POIe-senen toChrisTO, IeSOU toKuRIo huMON:
which he made in the Christ, Jesus our :Lord:
en hoEcho-men ten par-reSIan kai pro-sa-goGEN [4318]en pe-poiTHEsei [4006] diA tes PIste-os auTOU.
12in whom we have :boldness and access in confidence through his :faith.
b. 3:13 PAUL'S TRIBULATIONS – THE GENTILE'S GLORY
di' ho aiTOUmai meen-kaKEIN [1573]en tais THLIpseSIN mou huPER huMON, HEtis esTIN DOxa huMON.
13 Wherefore I ask not to faint at my :tribulations for you, which is your glory.
2. 3:14-19 PAUL'S PRAYER: AN INDWELLING CHRIST OF MATURITY
TOUtou CHArin KAMPtota GOnaTA mou pros ton paTEra,
For this cause I bow my :knees unto the Father,
ex hou PAsa pa-triA [3965]en ou-raNOIS kai ePI ges o-noMAze-tai,
15from whom all fatherhood in heavens and on the earth is named,
HIna dohuMIN, kaTA to PLOUtos tes DOxes auTOU,
16that he give you, according to the riches of his :glory,
duNAmei kra-tai-oTHEnai [2901]diA tou PNEUma-tos auTOU eis ton EsoANthro-pon;
to be made mighty through his :Spirit unto the inward man;
ka-toiKEsai ton ChrisTON diA tes PIste-os en tais karDIais huMON en aGApe,
17that the Christ dwell in your :hearts through :faith in love,
er-ri-zoMEnoi [4492] kai te-the-me-li-oMEnoi [2311],
rooted and grounded,
HIna e-xisCHUse-te [1840]ka-ta-laBESthai [2638] sun PAsin tois haGIois
18so that you be strong to apprehend with all the saints
ti to PLAtos [4114]kai MEkos[3372] kai BAthos [899] kai HUpsos [5311],
what the breadth and length and depth and height,
GNO-NAI te ten hu-perBALlousan [5236] tes GNOse-os aGApen tou ChrisTOU,
19and to know the love of the Christ which passes :knowledge,
HIna ple-roTHEte eis pan to PLEro-ma[4138] tou TheOU.
that you be filled unto all the fulness of :God.
F. 3:20-21 PAUL PRAISES GOD ALL-POWERFUL
Tode du-naMEnohuPER PANta poiEsai hu-pe-rek-pe-risSOU [5228/4053]
Now to the one able to do exceeding abundantly above all
hon aiTOUme-tha enoOUmen [3539],kaTA ten DUna-min ten e-ner-gouMEnen [1754]en heMIN,
that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,
auTOheDOxa en teek-kleSIa kai en ChrisTOIeSOU
21ato him the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus
eis PAsas tas ge-neAS [1074] tou aiOnos ton aiOnon.
unto all the generations of the age of the ages.
b. 3:21 b. AMEN . aMEN.
NOTE: In Ephesians 3:7 Paul posits his unusual and remarkable ministry from God – as based on the "do-reA" – Gift." This is one of 11 remarkable usages of this Greek word in the New Testament. All references point back to the Comforter, the Paraclete coming in – to represent Jesus – according to His promise. And, the Holy Spirit living in and through Paul, personified Jesus in His earthly life – a demonstration what He wants to do through each one of us through the gift of the Holy Spirit from the Father, through the Son. This is all based on Christ's Finished Work on the Cross.
It is important to note the "Law of First Reference," for here we normally find the definition of a word! John 4:10 in this instance reveals that the definition of "do-reA – Gift" is an artesian well. John 7:37-39 explains this more fully. According to Smith Wigglesworth, think of the "Niagara Falls" in this connection!
Then in Acts 2:38 we find the second reference to this word "Gift." It is found in the context of "The Peter Package." First a candidate for salvation must "Repent!" Secondly he must be baptized! And next hands are laid on him and he receives the gift of the Holy Spirit. See Acts 8:1-24 for a further illustration of this principle! Look back to Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" to understand His Love and the great price He paid to make all of this possible for us.
See also that of all Bible "Mysteries" – and there are a number! – perhaps the greatest is that it has been God's eternal plan to make the nations fellow-heirs of God's Covenants and promises with Israel! God also wants Satan's principalities and powers to understand this great mystery made known through the apostle Paul.
Then in Ephesians 3:14-19 Paul prays his second great prayer on behalf of each individual believer in "The One New Man" – composed of Jew and Gentile alike. This is a revelation by the Spirit through prayer. To understand God's Love behind all He does on our behalf – is Paul's great desire. What a prayer! Again – one can see why these two prayers in this letter have been memorized by so many believers! And too – we can see how through Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" – why many have at last begun to search for deeper answers about God and His Love. May such searching continue. May we never be the same again, as we begin to understand the breadth and length and depth and height of the love of Christ which passes knowledge, and that we be filled unto all the fullness of God. J.A.W.