The first thirteen verses of chapter three are a reemphasis of the truth already
taught in chapter 2:11-22. Paul is simply driving home the truth that the great mystery now revealed by God is
that the Jews and the Gentiles are one in Christ and there is no longer any distinction between the two. Our passage
gives us four aspects of this divine mystery.
The Revelation of the Mystery (v. 1-3).
When Paul wrote these words he had already been imprisoned for five years and
he was imprisoned because he was teaching and preaching to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ. Paul
was called by God to carry the message of the cross to the Gentiles (Acts 9:15,
15:7, 20:20-24, 2:21).
It was his faithfulness to this revelation (v.3) that placed him in prison.
The Explanation of the Mystery (v.4-6).
The mysteryis explained for us in (v.6), That the Gentiles
should be fellowheirs and of the same body and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel. This mystery had been hidden to all the Old Testament saint and the prophets of God.
This mystery in other ages was not made known unto the sons
of men (v.5). No
Old testament saint fully understood the promise given to Abraham that “in you
all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Gen. 12:3).The Jews had
no vision for the Church and the assembling of all people into one body. It is for this reason many of the Jews
in the early church had a hard time accepting the Gentiles into the Church (Acts 10). It is for this reason that
Paul is re-emphasising this important truth. If the Jews had not accepted the Gentiles the church couldnever fulfil the great commission and the gospel would not make it to the ends of
the earth.
The Proclamation of the Mystery (v.7-9).
Not only did God give Paul a revelation of themystery but Paul was called by God proclaim this mystery. Verse 7 says,
“Wherefore I was made a minister according to the gift of the grace of God given to me
by the effectual working of His power.” The word minister refers to a servant. Paul was God’s servant set-apart and empowered to proclaim this good news to the
Gentiles (Acts 9:15). Although called by God and empowered by God Paul was overwhelmed by a deep sense of his own unworthiness.
When he said, “Unto me, who am less than the least of all the saints” (v.8). This was not a false piety, spoken
to gain sympathy, but an honest assessment of himself. It was a glimpse into the heart of a man that God greatly
used. Humility does not limit a man’s service but is the key to usefulness (Gideon in Judges 6:15-16, Isaiah in Isa 6:1-9). Paul’s desire was to make all men see what is the fellowship of this mystery (v.9), that all men might be one in Christ.
The Intention of the Mystery(v. 10-13).
The purpose of God’s revealing the mystery of the church is that the manifold wisdom
of God might be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places (v.10).
This refers
to the angels, both good and fallen angels. God has brought the church into existence for the purpose of manifesting
His great wisdom before the angels. Everything God has done has had the ultimate purpose of giving himself glory
(I Cor. 8:6, Col. 1:16).The Church does not exist for the soul purpose of saving souls, though this is a marvellous and vital
work. But the supreme purpose is to glorify God by manifesting His wisdom to the angels, who can then offer greater
praise to God. This is God’s eternal purpose (v.11). One of the greatest privileges we have being part of the church
is the ability to come to God at any time in boldness and confident access (v.12).
This is a privilege
not available to Judaism but is available to us in this age. Because of this great privilege we are to faint not (v.13). Apparently many believers were discouraged by Paul’s extended years in prison, but Paul reminds them “For
I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed
in us” (Rom.8:18).
Our
Wealth Deployed (Eph. 3:14-21).
This is the second prayer that Paul prayed. The prayer in chapter 1:15-23,
was a prayer of revelation, he prayed that they might know of the riches and wealth available to them in Christ;
it was a prayer of apprehension. But the prayer in chapter 3:14-21, is a prayer of realisation. Paul prays that
they would know experientially the riches and wealth available to them in Christ; it was a prayer for spiritual
appropriation. It is not enough for us to simply know about our riches in Christ, but we must lay hold of what
Christ has done for us and make them part of our lives. Paul tells us in this section of scripture how we can lay
hold of our riches and make them a reality in our life.
The Power Of The Spirit (v.14-16).
The first step in living in the reality of our riches is to
be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man (v.16). The phrase strengthened with might means “empowered with power” and this power that is to empower us is his
Spirit, the
Holy Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit empowers the inner man. The inner man refers to our new nature, our new man that was brought to life at salvation. Every Christian possess
an inner man, but not everyone has power in the inner man. Many of God’s people constantly give into sin, many
are frustrated, discouraged, and feel a sense of hopelessness. Power in the inner man comes as we yield ourselves
completely to the indwelling Holy Spirit (Eph.
5:18). Power
comes as we allow the Holy Spirit to be in charge. When the Spirit is in charge, He will strengthen your spirit
and give you victory over temptation, He will remove frustration, discouragement and hopelessness. When we remain
in control of our lives we our weak, but when we hand the control of our life over to the Spirit then we are strengthened with might in the inner man.
The Presence Of Christ (v. 17a).
The second step necessary in order to live in the reality of our riches is an
enthronement of Christ as Lord and leader of the life. When we yield ourselves to the Spirit, the Spirit begins
to work in our inner man discovering and disclosing to us that which hinders Christ’s fullest indwelling. The word
dwell refers to a settled residence, it means to be at home.
At salvation Jesus indwelt us (2 Cor. 13:5), He entered into our house
(heart) but he may not be at home in our house. Although indwelling us He may not be dwelling there, Christ
might be a resident but He may not be the president of our life. Our riches in Christ become a reality only when
we yield to the Spirit and enthrone Christ as our Lord. This enthronement is an act of the will, were we choose
to let Jesus be our Lord. It is also an activity of faith, were we live in obedience to Christ. Only when Christ is given the right to rule and reign will we live
in the reality of our riches.
The Preciousness Of Love (v.17b-19a).
The result of our yielding to the Spirit and our enthronement of Christ is love.
It is only when Christ is allowed to settle down and make His home in our hearts is He
able to display His own love in us and through us. No Christian will ever experience the fullness of Christ’s love
until the Spirit is yielded to and Christ is enthroned. The word comprehend means “to seize” we seize the
love of Christ and make it our own when Christ is crowned our King. Christ will then reveal to us the breadth
of his love in reaching both Jew and Gentile. The length
of His love, in that He loved us before the foundation of the world. The depth of His love in reaching down and pulling
us from the pit of sin. The height of His love in blessing us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly
places in Christ Jesus.
The Provision Of God (v.19a-20).
The yieldedness to the Spirit leads to the exaltation of Christ, which leads to
an abounding and overflowing love, which leads to God’s fullness in us. The word fullness means
to be totally dominated by. When the Bible says that ye might be filled with all
the fullness of God,
it means that the believer can both communicate and radiate to the world what God is like. When we are under the
Spirit’s control and Christ is reigning as Lord and we are experiencing the preciousness of Christ’s love then
God will express Himself through us. Since God is love, He will express His love through us. Since God is all wise,
He will express that wisdom through us. Since God is holy, He will express that holiness through us. To be filled
with the fullness of God is to be Godlike. It is to have God communicating and radiating Himself through us.
When the Holy Spirit has empowered us, Christ has indwelt us, love has mastered us and God has filled us with His
own fullness, then He is able to do exceedingly above all that we ask or think
according to the power that worketh in us (v.20). Until these conditions are met God’s power is limited. But when these conditions are met His power in
us is unlimited (Jn. 14:12-14). There is no situation in which
the Lord cannot use you, provided we are submitting to Him.
The Praise To The Father(v.21).
When by our yieldedness God isable to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think according to the power that worketh in
us,
only then are we truly effective and only then is God truly glorified. We can only truly glorify God when we are
filled with all the fullness of God, we are only filled with God’s fullness when love has mastered us, love can only master us when Christ is dwelling in our hearts, and Christ can only dwell in our heart when we are yielded to the Holy Spirit. When these conditions
are met then our riches in Christ will become a reality.