Ephesians 3
Summary for Eph 3:1-13: 3:1-13 a Paul now describes his own role in God’s eternal plan: to proclaim God’s grace to the Gentiles. 3:1 b When I think of all this: Paul has written about the amazing salvation that God’s grace has brought to undeserving sinners who are under his judgment, and about the incredible revelation that Gentiles can also be included in God’s new family, the people of God (chs 1–2 c).• a prisoner of Christ Jesus: Paul wrote this letter while imprisoned for his witness to Christ among the Gentiles.
Summary for Eph 3:2-13: 3:2-13 d Paul interrupts his thought in 3:1 e to discuss his own role in God’s plan. When Paul was first converted, he was given the special responsibility of extending God’s grace to the Gentiles (see Acts 9:15-16 f; 22:14-15 g, 21 h; 26:17-18 i; Rom 1:5 j; 11:13-14 k; 15:15-18 l; Gal 1:15-16 m; 2:7-9 n; Col 1:25-27 o; 1 Tim 2:7 p; 2 Tim 4:17 q).
3:3 r What Paul briefly wrote earlier is a reference either to 1:9-10 s (cp. 2:11-22 t) or to an unknown letter.
• Paul’s understanding of God’s mysterious plan (see study note on 1:8-10) came as God himself revealed it to him (see 1:9-10 u; Gal 1:11-12 v, 15-17 w; cp. Acts 9:3-6 x; 1 Cor 12:1 y, 7 z; Gal 2:2 aa).
3:5 ab his holy apostles: See 1:1 ac.
• The order of the terms apostles and prophets (see 2:20 ad) suggests that Paul is speaking of New Testament, not Old Testament, prophets. In both the Old Testament and the New Testament, the gift of prophecy is concerned less with predicting the future than with speaking a special word from God (see 1 Cor 12:10 ae).
3:6 af God’s plan that has now been revealed to Paul is that the Gentiles are now included in God’s family, the body of Christ, just as Jews are. They share equally in God’s eternal blessings.
3:7 ag grace: See study note on 1:2.
• serving him: Paul speaks of himself as a servant of the Good News (see also Col 1:23 ah), of God (1 Cor 3:5 ai; 2 Cor 6:4 aj), of Christ (2 Cor 11:23 ak), of the church (Col 1:25 al), and of the new covenant (2 Cor 3:6 am).
3:8 an Paul considered himself the least deserving of all God’s people (literally the least of God’s people) because he was once an ardent persecutor of believers (see 1 Cor 15:9 ao; 1 Tim 1:12-16 ap).
• the endless treasures available to them in Christ: See Eph 1:3-14 aq.
3:10 ar The church is meant to showcase to the entire universe God’s wisdom in its rich variety, as expressed in his plan of redemption (see Rom 11:33-36 as).
• the unseen rulers and authorities in the heavenly places: See Eph 1:21 at and corresponding study note.
3:12 au We can come boldly and confidently into God’s presence, not because of good deeds that we have done, but because of Christ’s all-sufficient sacrifice for our sins (see 2:18 av; Heb 4:14-16 aw; 10:19-23 ax; 1 Pet 3:18 ay; 1 Jn 4:14 az).
3:13 ba my trials here: Paul is writing from jail, as a prisoner (see 3:1 bb). He knows that suffering is to be expected and that it works for good in a believer’s life (see Rom 5:3-5 bc; Col 1:24 bd; 1 Thes 3:3 be; 2 Tim 3:12 bf; Jas 1:2-4 bg).
Summary for Eph 3:14-21: 3:14-21 bh Paul closes this section (1:3–3:21 bi) with a second prayer for his readers. The first (1:15-23 bj) was for their spiritual understanding, the second (3:14-21 bk) is for their spiritual growth and empowerment. 3:14 bl When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray: Paul resumes what he started to say at the beginning of the chapter (see 3:1 bm).
Summary for Eph 3:15-16: 3:15-16 bn the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth (or from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name): There is a play on words between Father (Greek patēr, 3:14 bo) and family (Greek patria). God is the Creator of everything, including every family—angelic or human, Gentile or Jew (see 2:14-22 bp; 3:6 bq). So he is the source of glorious, unlimited resources that he gladly gives his children.
3:17 br Having Christ ... make his home in your hearts is the source of spiritual power for life and ministry (see John 14:16-17 bs, 23 bt; 15:4-5 bu; Gal 2:20 bv).
3:18 bw how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is: Christ’s love is great in every dimension (cp. Rom 8:38-39 bx).
3:19 by May you experience (literally know) the love of Christ: The whole Christian life is based on the experience and personal knowledge of God’s grace and love in Jesus Christ (see Rom 12:1 bz).
• it is too great to understand fully: Christ’s love is much greater than ordinary human love (see Rom 5:6-8 ca).
• The believer’s life is made complete when it is filled with all the fullness of life and power by the presence of Christ within (see Eph 1:23 cb; Gal 2:20 cc; Col 1:27 cd). The believer then is conformed to his image and reflects God (see Eph 4:14 ce, 24 cf; 5:1-2 cg; Rom 8:29 ch; 2 Cor 3:16-18 ci).
Summary for Eph 3:20-21: 3:20-21 cj This doxology concludes the first section of the letter (see also Rom 16:25-27 ck; Gal 1:5 cl; 1 Tim 1:17 cm; 2 Tim 4:18 cn; Jude 1:24-25 co). 3:20 cp all glory to God: Because of the grace God has shown in Jesus Christ, he deserves nothing less.
• The mighty power at work within us is the power of the living God that raised Christ from the dead (see 1:19-20 cq). By that power, he is able to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think, because God is at work in the lives of his children (see Rom 8:31-39 cr; Phil 4:13 cs; Col 1:29 ct).
3:21 cu The church—the community of believers, both Jews and Gentiles—is to be the reflection and full expression of the glory of God.
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