Eph 3:1-13 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Eph 3:1-13: 3:1-13 Paul now describes his own role in God’s eternal plan: to proclaim God’s grace to the Gentiles. 3:1 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 ). • a prisoner of Christ Jesus: Paul wrote this letter while imprisoned for his witness to Christ among the Gentiles.

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).