Ephesians 3:1
Outline:
I. \\#1:1-3:21\\ The Position of the Christian
A. \\#1:1-14\\ Praise for Redemption
1. \\#1:1, 2\\ Salutation from Paul
2. \\#1:3-6\\ Chosen by the Father
3. \\#1:7-12\\ Redeemed by the Son
4. \\#1:13, 14\\ Sealed by the Spirit
B. \\#1:15-23\\ Prayer for the Ephesians
C. \\#2:1-2:22\\ Position of the Christian
1. \\#2:1-10\\ The Christian’s Position Individually
2. \\#2:11-2:22\\ The Christian’s Position Corporately
D. \\#3:1-13\\ Paul’s Ministry in God’s Work
E. \\#3:14-19\\ Paul’s Prayer and Desire for the Ephesians
F. \\#3:20-21\\ Paul's Doxology
Notes:
I. \\#3:1-13\\ Paul’s Ministry in God’s Work - A somewhat personal
chapter from Paul. Many think of Paul as a hard soldier with no
needs or feelings for anything in this world, but that is not the
case.
A. \\#1\\ Paul’s Circumstance
1. "the prisoner of Jesus Christ" - This is a prison epistle,
\\#Eph 4:1, 6:20\\.
2. "for you Gentiles" - Paul was especially persecuted
because of his ministry to the Gentiles.
B. \\#2\\ Paul’s Charge
1. "dispensation" - The word means an economy or a period of
doing things a certain way. Paul was saying there was
a new way of doing things between God and the Gentiles.
2. "of the grace of God …to you-ward" - This dispensation
is of grace and favor from God toward the Gentiles.
C. \\#3-5\\ Paul’s Privilege
1. \\#3\\ "by revelation" - God had made known to Paul
truths that were not previously known or understood.
2. Paul gave his testimony in Galatians 1-2, describing how
he did not learn the gospel from the Apostles but was
taught it by Jesus Christ.
3. There was and is a movement to discredit Paul and thus
all of Paul’s teachings. By doing so, salvation would be
largely restricted to the Jews and be of works.
a. However, if Paul were a fraud, not only would Paul’s
writings be discredited but Luke and Peter’s for they
both wrote of Paul.
(1) Luke is credited with writing the book of Acts
which detailed Paul’s ministry.
(2) Peter vouched for Paul and Paul’s teachings.
2Peter 3:15 And account that the longsuffering
of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved
brother Paul also according to the wisdom given
unto him hath written unto you;
16 As also in all his epistles, speaking in
them of these things; in which are some things
hard to be understood, which they that are
unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also
the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.
(3) By these three individuals (Paul, Peter, and
Luke), 17 to 18 books of the 26 New Testament
books were written.
b. So, if Paul were a fraud, the biggest part of our New
Testament would be fraudulent.
4. "ye may understand my knowledge" - Paul was sharing this
privilege so that the believers might understand how he
came to possess his knowledge of Christ and salvation.
5. \\#5\\ Paul defined "the mystery of Christ" \\#4\\.
a. It was truth "not made known… now revealed… by
the Spirit."
b. The commonly accepted definition is that a mystery is
a truth previously unknown and unknowable unless
revealed by God.
c. While there are many truths that can be thus
classified, the "mystery of Christ" is that Jesus,
God’s Son, would put on flesh and die for the sins
of mankind.
D. \\#6\\ Paul’s Message
1. "That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs" - The bottom
line of this mystery for the Galatian church was that
Gentiles were afforded the same position in Christ as the
Jews.
2. "of the same body" - They are made part of the same body
of Christ. There is not one body for the Jews and
another for the Gentiles.
3. "partakers if his promise" - Through Christ, the Gentiles
are beneficiaries of the SAME promises made to the Jews.
E. \\#7\\ Paul’s Commission
1. "a minister" - And thus was Paul made a preacher of this
message. God called and commissioned him.
2. "by the effectual working of his power" - The proof of
Paul’s message was the power of God that worked through
him.
F. \\#8\\ Paul’s Opinion
1. "the least of all saints" - Paul considered himself the
lowest of all the Christians, perhaps in part because of
his role as a persecutor of them.
2. "that I should preach among the Gentiles" - But that
humble opinion would not stop him from fulfilling his
calling.
3. "unsearchable riches of Christ" - The treasures of Christ
are bountiful but concealed. Even the Christians who
spend the remainder of the lives looking for those
riches will never find but a small portion of them.
G. \\#9-11\\ Paul’s Goal
1. \\#9\\ "to make all men see" - Although Paul was called
to the Gentiles, his goal was to preach to everyone.
a. "the fellowship of the mystery" - Is likely a
reference back to the fact that Jews and Gentiles can
now fellowship together in Christ \\#6\\.
b. "from the beginning of the world" - This and all
mysteries of God were hid from man’s understanding
but were determined before the world was ever created.
d. "who created all things" - By the way, all things were
created by God.
2. \\#10-11\\ "to the intent"
a. \\#10\\ "principalities" means first rulers.
(1) Most probably a reference to the fallen angels
which ruled with God first.
(2) Paul intends that not just those of this world
but those angels which have fallen might know
the message of Jesus Christ.
b. "powers" means authorities or strengths.
c. God wants all the forces in heaven and, I think, hell
to know "the wisdom of God;" that is, what God
thought up and worked out concerning sin, the Savior,
and salvation.
d. \\#11\\ "According to the eternal purpose" - For this
has always been God’s intent.
H. \\#12\\ Paul’s Courage - "we have boldness" - Through Jesus
and God’s plan, we can have "boldness and access with
confidence" into God’s presence and business.
I. \\#13\\ Paul’s Desire
1. And with all of that in mind, Paul desired that the
Christians in Ephesus would not quit when they hear of
Paul’s "tribulations;" that is, Paul’s imprisonment.
2. Paul will continue to express his desires for the
Ephesians by sharing more of what he has prayed
concerning them.
II. \\#3:14-16\\ Paul’s Prayer and Desire for the Ephesians
A. \\#14\\ "I bow my knees" - Paul turned to share again his
prayers for the Galatian church in particular and all
believers in general.
B. \\#15\\ "the whole family …is named"
1. Paul prayed in Jesus’ name. Stating that lead him to
magnify Jesus’ name.
2. The whole family is named after Jesus’ name.
a. This family is split for now, being located both in
heaven and earth.
b. But it is named after and exists because of Jesus.
c. What name? We are called by many names but I think
the name Paul was considering was the name,
"Christians."
C. \\#16-19\\ Paul’s Requests
1. \\#16\\ "That he would grant you …strengthened …in the
inner man"
a. Paul’s prayer was that God would "share the wealth" of
his rich glory.
(1) In part, glory is that which adorns God.
(2) It is an outward manifestation of God’s inward
purity, power, and holiness.
(3) Paul was asking that God would pour His glory
onto us, thus enabling us to live in a way to
honor that glory.
b. And Paul prayed that the effect of that glory would be
to make our "inner man," i.e. our spirits, strong.
2. \\#17\\ "that Christ might dwell in your hearts"
a. This context does not address the eternal security of
the believer but many others do \\#John 3:16, 6:37\\
\\#John 10:28\\ and more.
b. So that Paul was not fearful that Jesus might leave
these or any other believers.
c. Rather, Paul wanted the Christians to have intimate
fellowship with Christ so that they might gain more
than just salvation from the relationship.
3. That they might be "rooted and grounded in love." Paul
also prayed that they would be securely planted either in
Christ’s love or by Christ’s love. Either way, Christ’s
love would make a mark on the Christians and they would
not stumble.
4. \\#18\\ That they might "be able to comprehend." Paul
alluded to the abundance of blessings in Christ often.
Here he prayed that the believers might have at least
some of understanding of them.
a. "with all saints" - Paul was not just praying for the
Galatians but for all of the believers.
b. "the breadth, length, and depth, and height" - God’s
love and blessings are so LARGE!
5. \\#19\\ "And to know the love of Christ" - Twice in three
verses Paul referred to God’s love for us. That is also
something the human mind needs spiritual help to
comprehend.
a. "which passeth knowledge" - This, I think, needs to be
understood in two ways.
(1) Love is greater than any knowledge. As
important as know about God’s love is, having
the love will always pass having knowledge of
the love!
(2) And the love of Christ is greater than any one
could know. While Paul was praying that their
knowledge and understanding would grow to
comprehend God’s love, no one will ever get so
much knowledge that they will truly know how
much God has loved us.
b. "that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God"
Having both God’s love and a knowledge of God is
what frees us so that God can take full possession of
us. It is what allows God to "fill us up."
III. \\#3:20-21\\ Paul's Doxology - Paul stopped to glorify God. One
might think the book was about to end, but Paul had much more
to say.
A. \\#20\\ "Now to him" - Having thought on what Jesus had done
for the believers, Paul now felt the urge to praise Him.
1. He is the One who can "do exceeding abundantly above all
we ask or think" -No matter how much we know or even
imagine, God is able to do MORE!
2. He is the One who "worketh in us" - Jesus is using His
power to do the miraculous work of salvation and
regeneration in us.
B. \\#21\\ "Unto him be glory" - Let us give what glory God has
granted to us back to Him!
1. And let this work be done by "the church."
2. And let this work be done "throughout all ages, world
without end!"
3. "Amen! - So be it! And might I add, GLORY!
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