Ephesians 3:1-13
For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles— 2 if indeed you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace which was given to me for you; 3 that by revelation there was made known to me the mystery, as I wrote before in brief. 4 By referring to this, when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5 which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit; 6 to be specific, that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel, 7 of which I was made a minister, according to the gift of God’s grace which was given to me according to the working of His power. 8 To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ, 9 and to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God who created all things; 10 so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places. 11 This was in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, 12 in whom we have boldness and confident access through faith in Him. 13 Therefore I ask you not to lose heart at my tribulations on your behalf, for they are your glory.—Ephesians 3:1-13
In today’s lesson, we find one of the great paradoxes: strength through weakness. The thought of it baffles the human mind and defies reason, yet the Bible teaches repeatedly that God does His best work through our weakness. In the third chapter of Ephesians, Paul reminds his readers that he is writing them from prison – a place of powerlessness in every way except the one that matters most. God is revealing His plan of salvation, which is the great mystery of the ages, hidden even from the angels, and He is doing it through man’s weakness, so He alone is glorified.
In today’s lesson, we find one of the great paradoxes: strength through weakness. The thought of it baffles the human mind and defies reason, yet the Bible teaches repeatedly that God does His best work through our weakness. In the third chapter of Ephesians, Paul reminds his readers that he is writing them from prison – a place of powerlessness in every way except the one that matters most. God is revealing His plan of salvation, which is the great mystery of the ages, hidden even from the angels, and He is doing it through man’s weakness, so He alone is glorified.
Discussion Questions
- We often think that strength is about being powerful and invincible. But what if true strength is found in our weaknesses? Can you share a time when you felt weak or vulnerable, but through that experience, you discovered a hidden strength or resilience within yourself?
- Share two of your most significant observations.
- Share one application you plan to put into practice.
- In verse 1, Paul reminds his readers that he is a prisoner. Why did Paul say he was a prisoner “for the sake of you Gentiles”? See Acts 9:15-16, 22:1-21.
- How does the extent to which Paul suffered for his calling to preach the gospel motivate you to follow his example?
Dig Deeper: Mystery
A keyword in the third chapter of Ephesians is “mystery” (mystērion) (vv. 3, 4, 6, 9). God’s mysteries cannot be discovered independently; understanding requires revelation from God. A remarkable aspect of Paul’s use of mystērion is that it usually involves God’s unfolding purposes for the world. For instance, “the mystery (mystērion) of Christ” (Eph 3:4) that consists of the inclusion of the Gentiles in God’s people is a central aspect of God’s redemption of the world.
What is this truth which was not made known to people in other generations as the Spirit has now revealed it to God’s holy apostles and prophets (5)? He spells it out in the next verse: This mystery is that through the gospel, the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus (6).
This privileged ministry of spreading the good news to Gentiles has three stages in Paul’s mind. He was commissioned first to preach Christ’s boundless riches to the Gentiles (8). Secondly, Paul was called to make plain to everyone (9) what God had purposed to do. The third phase of Paul’s ministry broadens to include the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms (10). These spiritual beings are spectators of the drama of salvation. The good news of God’s salvation offered to all humanity through the cross was passed from God to Paul, from Paul and others to all humanity, and from the church on earth back to heaven again, to the cosmic powers. God’s eternal purpose was to create the church out of a new and reconciled humanity in union with Christ Jesus our Lord (11).
What is this truth which was not made known to people in other generations as the Spirit has now revealed it to God’s holy apostles and prophets (5)? He spells it out in the next verse: This mystery is that through the gospel, the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus (6).
This privileged ministry of spreading the good news to Gentiles has three stages in Paul’s mind. He was commissioned first to preach Christ’s boundless riches to the Gentiles (8). Secondly, Paul was called to make plain to everyone (9) what God had purposed to do. The third phase of Paul’s ministry broadens to include the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms (10). These spiritual beings are spectators of the drama of salvation. The good news of God’s salvation offered to all humanity through the cross was passed from God to Paul, from Paul and others to all humanity, and from the church on earth back to heaven again, to the cosmic powers. God’s eternal purpose was to create the church out of a new and reconciled humanity in union with Christ Jesus our Lord (11).
- In Ephesians 3:10, Paul says that God’s purpose is to “make known the manifold wisdom of God to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.” What do you think this means?
- How do you think God reveals His mysteries to us and through us?
- How can you share your understanding of God’s mysteries with others?
- What are some challenges of living out our faith in a world that does not always understand God’s mysteries?
- Can our inability to fully understand God’s mysteries (our weakness) help us daily? How?
- How does our inability to understand the depth of God’s mysteries affect your understanding of discipleship?
Posted in Sermon Notes