1 For this reason, I, Paul, (a prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles — 2 if) You have indeed heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was entrusted to me for your sake,
- n.: I am a prisoner … of the Gentiles. If … (It is, however, better to regard verses 2–21 as a parenthetical insertion in which Paul justifies his request.)
- We learn that Pavel is writing a letter from a prison.
- That he is in prison because to the pagans. How so? Presumably because he was imprisoned in Jerusalem after being accused of bringing pagans into the Jewish temple. Even during his stay in Ephesus, Paul faced numerous trials.
- However, it can also be understood in more general terms – if Paul had not been so active in preaching the Gospel to the Gentiles, he would probably never have ended up in prison.
- If indeed you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was entrusted to me for your sake: Paul seems to be questioning the sincerity of the Ephesians’ faith – I have received a message for you (I really do mean a message with a capital ‘M’) about God’s grace. If you have truly understood and accepted it, then that is fine. But it is possible that you haven’t actually ‘got it’ and are merely pretending to be Christians.
- (It seems his doubts stemmed from the fact that the Gentiles were trying to imitate the Jews, thereby making it clear that they had not understood Paul’s message).
- Paul’s message to the Gentiles received (she was given) from God – he was entrusted with the task of bringing it to them.
- Now, moving on to administration By God’s grace: Paul received this information (in a revelation, as we shall see later) and was entrusted with the task of safeguarding it, handling it wisely, and spreading it – in short, to managed.
3 [all] In a vision, a secret was revealed to me, as I about him he had written a brief note beforehand.
- n.: above;
- So Paul administers God’s grace – we now learn that Paul has been granted revelation, in which he was a secret revealed.
- He had already informed the recipients of this fact on a previous occasion.
- We’re curious to find out what the secret is.
4 From this, you can tell whilst reading, (that I understand the secret) Christ’s,
- e.g.: my understanding in secret;
- Paul isn’t revealing the secret just yet – first he points out that, on reading his letter, it must be clear to everyone that he has understood the revealed secret. Well, we’ll see – one might say.
5 Which was not made known to people in former generations soon, how speech, Now it has been revealed by the Spirit to his holy apostles and prophets,
- n.: generations;
- i.e.: to the sons of men;
- According to Paul, this mystery is entirely new. It was not known before.
- It was not made public until after Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit revealed it to the apostles (Paul being one of them) and to the New Testament prophets.
6 that that is to say Pagans are co-heirs and members of the same body, and partakers of the same promise in Christ Jesus through the Gospel,
- ‘At last’ we get to the mystery we’ve been told about, and find out what it’s all about.
- Pagans are co-heirs – This information does not strike us as particularly mysterious or groundbreaking, but that is because we ourselves are Gentiles. Paul, however, was a Jew and (originally) ministered within a Jewish context. And for the Jews, this information is an absolute ‘bombshell’. It would never even have occurred to them before. After all, everything they lived by pointed to the idea that salvation was impossible outside the Jewish nation.
- It was the Jews who inherited salvation – and now a completely new truth has been revealed to them: that this does not apply only to them, but that salvation is also available to the Gentiles.
- Members of the same body: The Jews are members of the body of Christ. They already knew that – now they are learning that they are not alone in this – the Gentiles belong to the body just as much as they do.
- Those who share in that promise: God promised the Jews a whole host of things. And once again, they are told something momentous: that these promises do not apply exclusively to them.
- How could it be that the inheritance, the promises and fellowship with the body of Christ were extended to the Gentiles as well? In no other way than in Christ Jesus through the Gospel That couldn’t have happened.
- Had it not been for Jesus Christ, there could never have been any outreach to the Gentiles – after all, it was only possible to draw near to God through Jewish worship, through the constant repetition of animal sacrifices, and through observance of the Law. The Gentiles never had any chance of achieving this. It was only Christ’s sacrifice that was sufficient to help non-Jews as well.
7 whose servant (I became) by the gift of God’s grace, (which was given to me) (in accordance with the scope of application) his power.
- n.: I was made;
- Whose servant did Paul become? A servant of the Gospel. What does this mean? Paul’s calling, his vocation, the purpose of his life became to safeguard the Gospel, to develop it theologically, but above all to pass it on to non-Jews. Someone is a servant
- Everyone is a servant of something or someone. People consider all sorts of things to be important – they then devote themselves to them and develop them. Many people serve themselves, but many also serve higher causes. The range of things to which people are devoted is immeasurable. Rudolf Höss was given a mission by the devil to kill as many Jews as possible. He devoted himself to this task intensely and ‘devotedly’.
- Paul was ‘appointed’ (by God) as a minister of the good news of Christ’s death and resurrection. His character enabled him to devote himself to this mission with extraordinary dedication.
- Being entrusted with a task like this is no small matter. It’s not for everyone – it’s a matter of gift, it is God’s grace. Pavel was granted the gift and the grace of being entrusted with this exceptionally demanding and unprecedented task.
- Along with the appointment, God also provides the necessary resources for the task entrusted. And in relation to the appointed servant, there is then a synergistic effect exerts its power. A person walks in the flow of God’s Spirit, which sustains them in their work.
- This does not make the task entrusted to us an easy one (Paul’s life was anything but easy), but God’s synergistic work cannot be overlooked.
8 To me, the least of all from On All Saints’ Day, I was granted this grace to proclaim to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ
- Paul never ceases to be amazed that the task of proclaiming Christ to the Gentiles was entrusted to him of all people.
- We know how demanding Paul’s ministry was, and everything he went through whilst carrying it out. Yet he still regards it as grace – that is, undeserved favour. When we are given the opportunity to ‘do something’ for God, it is not because God cannot manage without us, but because he is giving us the chance to ‘get involved’.
- Preaching the Gospel to the Gentiles was an entirely new ‘discipline’ – no one had attempted this before Paul. The Jewish religion is not missionary in nature; whilst the Jews did accept proselytes, they did not ‘recruit’ them with any great zeal.
- Becoming a Jew was a ‘long-term’ process (a matter spanning several generations), and for some non-Jews it was not possible at all.
- What Christ did was an immeasurable wealth: It really is not easy to explain to non-believers the full extent (the full depth, breadth, length and height) of Christ’s work.
- Pavel did a brilliant job – he handled his task well, both in theory and in practice.
9 and explained [to all], which "I have the stewardship of that mystery which has been hidden from time immemorial in God, who created all things.
- e.g.: explained;
- We know that this matter was not known before – God had kept it hidden from people; it was secret. God was the keeper of this secret; it had been hidden with him for centuries.
- However, when the time was right, God decided it was time to reveal this secret to mankind.
- He decided on it – as the Creator of all things, He has full authority to dispose of (manage) His secrets as He sees fit.
10 Through the Church, soon Now the manifold wisdom of God is to be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavens,
- God is wise. His wisdom is complex, rich and incredibly varied. It is not one-sided.
- And God does not wish to keep his wisdom to himself – he wants to make it known. To whom?
- To the rulers and authorities in heaven – these are spiritual beings of high rank with great authority. Angelic, but perhaps even demonic.
- God wants these beings to learn this truth, which has hitherto been kept secret (that salvation extends to the Gentiles as well, and applies to all humanity).
- The fact that God (through Christ) provided universal salvation for humankind was incredibly wise.
- How does God intend to reveal this mystery to the spiritual powers? It is unexpected, but it is to come to pass through the Church. The Church is to be the bearer of this hitherto secret and shocking message. It is to bring it to people, but also to angels and demons. Through its very existence and through its proclamation.
- When angels and demons observe the Church – everything that happens within it and everything it does – they are amazed to discover how God has planned the salvation of mankind. It is only through the Church that they begin to uncover and understand this.
- The Church is that sign – when the heavenly powers observe the Church, they begin to realise the full depth of God’s plan for the salvation of humanity.
- God’s wisdom is diverse – so it’s certainly not simple. It has many layers and is rich and varied. God’s plan for the salvation of humanity is incredibly complex and finely crafted.
11 according to (an age-old intention, which) carried out in Christ Jesus, our Lord.
- n.: an eternal resolution, which
- God had His plan ready from the very beginning. Even before He had even begun ‘creation’, He already knew how He would proceed. He was never caught off guard; nothing ever got out of His control.
- Christ has always been at the heart of God’s plan for the salvation of humankind.
12 (In it, we are free to speak openly) and with confidence through (his faith) to approach to God
- e.g.: in which we find openness / boldness (… and an approach);
- n.: his loyalty; n.: faith in himo;
- It was Christ who enabled us to draw near to God. It was in German. He, and He alone. Otherwise, we could not come anywhere near God, ‘not even a hundred hon’.
- It was through Christ’s faith – because He trusted in God (He had not seen Him, just as we do not see Him either) and, in faith and obedience, He sacrificed Himself.
- Not only can we turn to God to approach, but we can even do this:
- openly: Pavlík translates: in whom we have boldness and access with confidence, ESV in whom we have boldness and access with confidence, Greek: την παρρησιαν και την προσαγωγην εν πεποιθησει
- parrhesia, ας, ἡ [parrésia] is a relatively well-known Greek word: 1. frankness (in speech); fearlessness; (sometimes approaching the meaning of:) authority 2. public 3. freedom, liberty; confidence (before God) 4. (ἐν) παρρησίᾳ freely, without restraint; fearlessly, with confidence; publicly ¦ ἐν παρρησίᾳ εἶναι to be publicly known ¦ μετὰ παρρησίας openly, with courage [31] We therefore approach God with relaxed boldness, without fear. It is, in a sense, like a child approaching the Father.
- πεποίθησις, εως, ἡ [pepojthésis]: trust; self-confidence, (inner) certainty; grounds for trust [6] I do not see a great difference compared with parrhesia; I would need a deeper understanding of Greek.
- It could be said that we can approach God boldly, without fear or uncertainty, just as we do with Him
- Of course, as is emphasised twice in this verse, everything takes place exclusively in Christ. Even our faith is His. He Himself possessed it and bestowed it upon us.
13 I therefore urge you not to lose heart because of the trials I have endured for your sake, for this is your glory.
- n.: please;
- n.: they did not falter;
- How does this relate to the previous passage? Paul was talking about approaching God with confidence. Now he says that he is in prison because of the Ephesians, and that he is having a hard time there. But he says that this is no reason for them to feel down.
- Perhaps in the sense that: Regardless of the difficult circumstances I find myself in, I still have a bold approach to God. Those circumstances have not been able to take that away from me.
- Nothing has slipped from God’s control, nor is my imprisonment an accident. So let not your sorrow at my fate rob you of the joy of being able to draw near to God.
14 For that reason (I kneel on) on one’s knees before the Father [our Lord Jesus Christ],
- Pavel is thrilled with his writing. He exhorts himself: the facts he writes about encourage him, carry him away and fill him with enthusiasm. (It is the Holy Spirit who does this.)
- This situation is not uncommon – it is not unusual for a person to ‘preach to themselves’, finding encouragement and being ‘carried away’ by what they say.
- Paul’s reflections on how marvellous God’s plan for the salvation of humanity is, and how Christ has secured our access to God, brought him to his knees – he now begins to pray for the Ephesians, and indeed for all the readers of this letter.
15 after which he is to took every family in heaven and on earth,
- It begins with a ‘description’ of God as The Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
- Who do they take after? names All families? Following Christ or the Father?
- And what sort of families Is this even being discussed? It’s about families heavenly . earthly.
- On Earth, many different things can be considered a family – ranging from our conventional understanding of a father, mother and children, through to multigenerational families, right up to a broad concept of the family as a clan or tribe.
- Everyone belongs to a family, whether close-knit or extended.
- What sort of families might there be in heaven? Are angels grouped into families of some sort? Archangels, cherubim, seraphim, and so on? Or could it be the saved saints, whether from the Old Testament or the New Testament, who might once again begin to form families in heaven, just as they were accustomed to doing ‘down here’?
- What do the scholars say?
- This verse points to God’s universal fatherhood over all creation – over both human beings and spiritual beings. All derive their identity from God. All are adopted by God.
- The verse refers to the heavenly hierarchy of angels.
- This verse highlights the connection between the earthly church and the heavenly church (believers who have already passed away). It shows that believers from all ages and times are gathered together in heaven.
- The verse refers to the heavenly council mentioned, for example, in the Book of Job.
- It is a symbolic expression of God’s universal authority over all creation.
- Everyone seems to agree that it is God’s universal fatherhood and His rule over all creation without exception.
16 so that (has strengthened you with power, according to the riches of his glory) through his Spirit in the inner man,
- Paul continues his prayer whilst kneeling. So far, he has only spoken of God’s universal fatherhood.
- He is now asking for the first specific thing: that the recipients strengthened the inner person. So we learn a number of things:
- That it exists within us the inner self. What, or rather who, is that? It is us, our selves, our personalities. Paul prays to God that we may be steadfast and stable – in other words, that we may not easily crumble or waver. What does instability look like, and how stable We all understand what a person is.
- We all have moments when we feel like giving up. But it is important not to give in to such feelings, and not to succumb to our weaknesses or circumstances. To do this, we need God’s help.
- That is the central idea of this verse, of this prayer by Paul. However, there are several other related ideas which Paul (as usual) builds upon this central one:
- If God helps us and strengthens our inner being, He does so according to the riches of His glory: God’s glory is great and abundant. By strengthening us, God further increases His glory. The angels say to one another: ‘Did you see how God strengthened so-and-so, that Christian? That’s marvellous!’ – and God’s glory spreads even further.
- God strengthens us through His by virtue of. To strengthen us, a supernatural and powerful intervention by God is required. Not everyone can strengthen another person; one must have the power to do so. Even if I wanted to strengthen someone, I would be unable to do so.
- God does it (as, indeed, everything else on this earth) through his Spirit.
17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith . so that you may be rooted and grounded in love,
- n.: settled down (Greek aorist)
- n.: having a good foundation;
- The second and third things for which Paul prays (the first being the strengthening of the inner person):
- so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith: How does this work? How does Christ dwell in our hearts? It is clearly a matter of a strong sense of Christ’s presence within us. I am certain that Christ is with me, within me, close to me.
- To dwell means to live. We want Christ (the Holy Spirit, God) to dwell within us. If we imagine our inner self as a flat, we want the Holy Spirit to move in with us, to be in such close communion with us as a flatmate would be. Flatmates In one household, they know practically everything about each other.
- Although the Holy Spirit truly dwells within us – physically – it cannot be seen. The Holy Spirit is a spiritual being and communicates with our spirit. That is why He dwells within us through faith.
- so that you may be rooted and grounded in love: Term deep-rooted It comes from the world of plants – plants, including trees, draw water and nutrients from the ground through their root systems. We, too, are to draw from love in a similar way. What does this mean? To remind ourselves of God’s love, to remind ourselves that love gives meaning to everything. Without love, everything is empty, as Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 13. If the motive behind anything is anything other than love, it is worthless.
- To be in love founded It’s something similar. It’s a term used mainly in the construction industry: θεμελιόω [themelioó]1
(fut. θεμελιώσω, aor. ἐθεμελίωσα, perf. pass. τεθεμελίωμαι) to lay the foundations; to establish; to consolidate [5 occurrences]. - Just as the foundations of a house must be sunk deep into the ground and firmly anchored there, so too must our hearts be thoroughly and deeply connected to God’s love.
18 and so so that, together with all the saints, you may be able to comprehend the breadth and length and height and depth,
- Paul’s Fourth Prayer:
- For ability something for believers to understand. It’s quite common not to understand something. Then, all of a sudden, it clicks and you realise it. This is common when studying, particularly in subjects such as maths.
- But I remember very well how, over the years, I gradually came to realise that some spiritual truths. It was like a ‘lightbulb moment’. At first I didn’t know, then suddenly I did. Everything fell into place and began to make sense in a whole new way.
- Paul also speaks here of spiritual truth.
- Christians are to understand it with all the saints: So either the Christians in Ephesus are to ‘catch up’ with the other believers, who have long been aware of these things, or Paul wants everyone to understand this new truth. So what is this all about? What are they (we) supposed to understand?
- What are its width, length, height and depth?: It is about understanding all aspects – a comprehensive and profound understanding. Of what?
19 and to know the love of Christ, which surpasses all understanding, so that they might be filled up to to the full measure of God.
- It is a comprehensive understanding of all aspects Christ’s love. That is certainly a ‘challenge’. To understand, in all its dimensions, what Christ did for humanity and why He did it is truly difficult. It really is beyond comprehension; it exceeds the capacity of our minds. It is something so extraordinary, so overwhelming, that when one thinks about it more deeply, one is overcome by a sense of vertigo; one begins to feel a sense of derealisation.
- Pavel puts it this way: that transcends knowledge – It is not possible to truly ‘grasp’ this reality through rational understanding alone. Understanding it requires help from above.
- If we receive this help and begin to grasp the depths of Christ’s love, then our fulfilment up to to the full measure of God. Exactly what this means is not clear, but it is evidently a state of being in which we ‘touch the heavens’. It is when we attain the meaning of life, our life’s purpose, our goal; when we penetrate the depths of God’s mysteries. One could use more lofty words, but the principle remains the same: God invites us (and allows us) to venture far into the depths of knowledge.
- Followers of Eastern religions strive to attain such states of deep understanding and fulfilment. They refer to them by various names – they represent the highest level of ‘enlightenment’ that can be achieved within their religion. Something similar is on offer here – but the important thing is that it can be achieved only in Christ. It is only through ‘meditation’ (contemplation) on Christ’s love and work that the highest degree of enlightenment (to use their terminology) can be attained. Without this, it can only ever be a substitute or a false form of enlightenment.
- Of course, many people believe that one can reach God ‘from various paths’ through meditation and religious practices – but I do not share that view.
20 To him who is able, by the power at work within us, to do far more abundantly than all we ask or what we can to think,
- n.: power;
- So far, Pavel has been praying for four things:
- for the strengthening of the inner person through the power of the Spirit
- for Christ’s dwelling in the hearts of believers (through faith)
- for being rooted and grounded in love
- for a general understanding of all the dimensions of Christ’s love.
- All of that can God, by His strength or power, if she lets it remain within us to have an effect.
- And Pavel points out that God need not stop there. If He so wishes, He can do even more for us. We have our own ideas about what it would be nice to have, what we’d like from God, and what we might ask for. God can do that, but He can also give us different things or additional things – things that wouldn’t even occur to us.
21 To him either Glory to the Church and to Christ Jesus for all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
- That is, of course, an encouraging and comforting thought. If God does this (grants us what we ask for, or even more), it will certainly be a reason to praise Him.
- The fact that God bestows His bountiful gifts upon the churches of every place and every age is a reality that is greatly celebrated and glorified in heaven.
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- Isn’t Temelín named after that? ↩︎