29 September 2024
SCRIPTURAL APPLICATION: Ephesians 3:1-13
SERMON REVIEW:
Paul Restrained (vs. 1-2)
Prisoner of who?
Prisoner for who?
Mystery Revealed (vs.3-5)
Revealed not discovered
Fulfilled in Christ
Shared by the Apostles
Gospel Released (vs. 6-9)
One people saved in Christ
One people sharing the mystery in Christ
One people forgiven by God
Church’s Resolve (vs. 10-13)
Witness to the world
Bold and confident through him
Willing to suffer for the Gospel
QUESTIONS:
Life Application:
Strengthened from Within
In his book Fearfully and Wonderfully Made, Dr. Paul Brand (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1980) tells the story of the white corpuscles, the guardians and watchdogs of the body, the armed forces of your inner workings which are always on guard against foreign invasions. He writes:
They look exactly like amoebae: amorphous blobs of turgid liquid with darkened nuclei, they roam through the body by extending a finger-like projection and humping along to follow it. Sometimes they creep along the walls of the veins; sometimes they let go and free-float in the bloodstream. To navigate the smaller capillaries, bulky white cells must elongate their shapes, while impatient red blood cells jostle in line behind them.
Watching the white cells, one can’t help thinking them sluggish and ineffective at patrolling territory, much less repelling an attack. Until the attack occurs, that is. When damage occurs to anything in the blood stream, an alarm seems to sound. As if they have a sense of smell (we still don’t know how they “sense” danger), nearby white cells abruptly halt their aimless wandering. Like beagles on the scent of a rabbit, they home in from all directions to the point of attack. Using their unique shape-changing qualities, they ooze between overlapping cells of capillary walls and hurry through tissue via the most direct route. When they arrive, the battle begins.
The shapeless white cell, resembling science fiction’s creature “The Blob,” lumbers toward a cluster of luminous green bacterial spheres. Like a blanket pulled over a corpse, the white blood cell assumes the shape of the bacteria; for awhile the bacteria still glow eerily inside the white cell. But the white cell contains granules of chemical explosives, and as soon as the bacteria are absorbed the granules detonate, destroying the invaders. In thirty seconds to a minute only the white cell remains.
When the body is attacked, its inner forces resist, the body’s normal functioning is reinforced in a manner that protects it from the danger. It is strengthened from within. This gives us a very accurate analogy to the Christian life. The believer in Christ is attacked continually from the forces of the world in which we live, and from the spiritual forces of evil who would destroy us, as well as our own inner magnetism which draws us to sin. And when we are under attack, we must resist, we must be reinforced in our counter attack, we must be strengthened from within. The biblical way of dealing with life’s problems is to deal with our own spiritual state. The Christian method is to build up our resistance in our inner man, by the Spirit.
That is why the apostle Paul prays that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being (3:16). Whatever the attack may be, the resistance can be so strengthened that we will be made more than conquerors. This is the essential biblical teaching as to how to live in a world such as this, how to keep coping in it, and how to be “more than conquerors” in spite of everything that happens in it. The Bible challenges us not to figure out a way to eliminate our problems but rather to be strengthened by God in such a way as to live above them, not without pain and suffering, but in spite of pain and suffering.[1]
Digging Deeper:
Mystery (v. 3)
A mystery (musterion) in the biblical sense, is not a curious or imponderable thing, difficult or impossible to explain. Rather, a mystery in the biblical sense, is something which was previously unknown and previously unrevealed. Once it is known, it may be perfectly easy to understand.
Paul’s understanding of this musterion was given to him directly by the Lord through personal revelation. This mystery was not made known to the Old Testament people. That is why it was a mystery: it was previously unknown. Now through the holy apostles and prophets, it is made known.
The specific mystery (vv. 4–7)
What was previously unknown but now has been made known? It is that the Jews and Gentiles are joined as one in a new spiritual entity called the church. This is unheard of to the Jews. The Old Testament offered no hint of the church. The age of the church was unknown and unexpected. We have trouble understanding why Paul is making such a major issue out of this because we do not understand the degree of separation that existed between these two groups of people.
It is like saying there will no longer be blacks and whites in South Africa. It is like saying there will no longer be Catholics and Protestants in Ireland. It is like saying there will no longer be liberals and conservatives in the United States. All these are going to be made into one. That would be difficult to imagine but not as difficult as a Jew becoming one with a (spit) Gentile dog. Historically, it was remarkable. It was close to blasphemy. That is why Paul labors the point.
He then makes the point that there are three levels of unity between the Jews and the Gentiles. First, the Gentiles are fellow-heirs. The glories of God promised to the Jews will now include the Gentiles. All the eternal riches that God possesses to bestow on his people, he will bestow on Gentiles as well as Jews.
Second, the Gentiles are fellow-members. Up to this point, if anyone wanted to be a child of God, he needed to convert to Judaism—to become a Jew. No longer. Now both Jew and Gentile are members of the church, and in the church they are equal. There is no distinction. They are fellow-members of God’s family.
Finally, the Gentiles are fellow-partakers. This is not adding a new thing so much as summarizing the previous two. The historical distinction between Jew and Gentile in the church is no longer valid. They partake of the blessings of God equally.
Stewardship (vv. 8–9)
Paul speaks, in verse 2, of his “administration” or stewardship to carry the message of salvation to the Gentiles. Stewardship could be understood here as responsibility. He felt a responsibility from God to take the message of salvation to the Gentiles because God had given him the new message. Just as Paul realized a responsibility to minister to others, so each of us must sense a similar responsibility. God has given each one of us a spiritual gift to minister to others. Each one of us has received knowledge which will help others prepare for their eternal destiny as well as to live their everyday lives. We are responsible, not to keep that truth to ourselves but to do what we can to spread it to others.
First Peter 4:10 says, “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others.” First Corinthians 12 and Romans 12 elaborate on these gifts.
Perhaps you are not gifted as a great teacher or counselor. But you can serve others, can’t you? We all can. People will often say, “I don’t know what my spiritual gift is.” We begin refining our understanding of our spiritual gifts by serving others and trying to help wherever we can; and by serving, we get some idea of what our gifts might be.
The Bible talks much more about responsibility to do what you can for others than it does spiritual gifts. The secret to begin determining your spiritual gift is to get involved. Then use the experience to guide you into the areas which are most rewarding for you and in which you see the greatest fruit.
Each of us, like Paul, has a responsibility to minister. To do something. Setting up chairs or stuffing the bulletins may not seem like a ministry to you until you realize that a church could not have a worship service without those tasks being completed. Then you realize it is a ministry. The secret: get involved. Then God will guide you, through experience, to the place of most fruitful service.
The purpose of the mystery (v. 10)
The purpose of the revelation of the mystery “was that the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms.”
Apparently these are angels. Others believe that it refers to, or includes, demons. However, there is no mention of spiritual conflict or opposition, nor are there any negative words to describe these authorities. In Ephesians 6, Paul refers to world forces of this darkness, spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. No such evil descriptions exist here.
Therefore, it may be best to understand them as holy angels. For some unknown reason, that which God is doing in the world through the church is a display of his wisdom to the angelic hosts of heaven, showing them a dimension of God that they cannot see in any other way.
This plan was in accord with the eternal purpose which he carried out in Christ Jesus. When an architect or a contractor builds a building, he will do it according to a blueprint, according to a plan. If a person makes a suit, he will do it according to a pattern. If a person bakes a cake, she will do it according to a recipe. So Almighty God in framing the ages did it according to a plan, a predetermined purpose in his sovereignty. He mapped it out before the foundation of the world, and the angels stand by in wonder.[2]
Discussion Questions:
1. How do you understand the 'mystery' that Paul speaks of in verses 1-6?
2. How does the revelation of Gentiles being co-heirs in God's family impact your understanding of the global Christian community?
3. How can you live out Paul's revelation of unity among believers in your local church and community?
4. How does Paul's humility and acceptance of his role as a steward of God's grace in verses 7-13 inspire you in your service to God and others?
5. How might the knowledge of God's wisdom being displayed through the Church change your view of its significance?
PRAYER:
[1] Max Anders, Galatians-Colossians, vol. 8, Holman New Testament Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1999), 134–135.
[2] Max Anders, Galatians-Colossians, vol. 8, Holman New Testament Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1999), 135–137.
[3] Max Anders, Galatians-Colossians, vol. 8, Holman New Testament Commentary (Nashville, TN:
Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1999), 124.
SERMON REVIEW:
Paul Restrained (vs. 1-2)
Prisoner of who?
Prisoner for who?
Mystery Revealed (vs.3-5)
Revealed not discovered
Fulfilled in Christ
Shared by the Apostles
Gospel Released (vs. 6-9)
One people saved in Christ
One people sharing the mystery in Christ
One people forgiven by God
Church’s Resolve (vs. 10-13)
Witness to the world
Bold and confident through him
Willing to suffer for the Gospel
QUESTIONS:
- What did the message teach me about God/Jesus/Holy Spirit?
- What did the message teach me about the human condition?
- Is there anything I need to confess, repent, or be grateful for, because of this passage?
- How do I need help in believing and applying this scripture to my life?
- How can I encourage others with this passage?
Life Application:
Strengthened from Within
In his book Fearfully and Wonderfully Made, Dr. Paul Brand (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1980) tells the story of the white corpuscles, the guardians and watchdogs of the body, the armed forces of your inner workings which are always on guard against foreign invasions. He writes:
They look exactly like amoebae: amorphous blobs of turgid liquid with darkened nuclei, they roam through the body by extending a finger-like projection and humping along to follow it. Sometimes they creep along the walls of the veins; sometimes they let go and free-float in the bloodstream. To navigate the smaller capillaries, bulky white cells must elongate their shapes, while impatient red blood cells jostle in line behind them.
Watching the white cells, one can’t help thinking them sluggish and ineffective at patrolling territory, much less repelling an attack. Until the attack occurs, that is. When damage occurs to anything in the blood stream, an alarm seems to sound. As if they have a sense of smell (we still don’t know how they “sense” danger), nearby white cells abruptly halt their aimless wandering. Like beagles on the scent of a rabbit, they home in from all directions to the point of attack. Using their unique shape-changing qualities, they ooze between overlapping cells of capillary walls and hurry through tissue via the most direct route. When they arrive, the battle begins.
The shapeless white cell, resembling science fiction’s creature “The Blob,” lumbers toward a cluster of luminous green bacterial spheres. Like a blanket pulled over a corpse, the white blood cell assumes the shape of the bacteria; for awhile the bacteria still glow eerily inside the white cell. But the white cell contains granules of chemical explosives, and as soon as the bacteria are absorbed the granules detonate, destroying the invaders. In thirty seconds to a minute only the white cell remains.
When the body is attacked, its inner forces resist, the body’s normal functioning is reinforced in a manner that protects it from the danger. It is strengthened from within. This gives us a very accurate analogy to the Christian life. The believer in Christ is attacked continually from the forces of the world in which we live, and from the spiritual forces of evil who would destroy us, as well as our own inner magnetism which draws us to sin. And when we are under attack, we must resist, we must be reinforced in our counter attack, we must be strengthened from within. The biblical way of dealing with life’s problems is to deal with our own spiritual state. The Christian method is to build up our resistance in our inner man, by the Spirit.
That is why the apostle Paul prays that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being (3:16). Whatever the attack may be, the resistance can be so strengthened that we will be made more than conquerors. This is the essential biblical teaching as to how to live in a world such as this, how to keep coping in it, and how to be “more than conquerors” in spite of everything that happens in it. The Bible challenges us not to figure out a way to eliminate our problems but rather to be strengthened by God in such a way as to live above them, not without pain and suffering, but in spite of pain and suffering.[1]
Digging Deeper:
Mystery (v. 3)
A mystery (musterion) in the biblical sense, is not a curious or imponderable thing, difficult or impossible to explain. Rather, a mystery in the biblical sense, is something which was previously unknown and previously unrevealed. Once it is known, it may be perfectly easy to understand.
Paul’s understanding of this musterion was given to him directly by the Lord through personal revelation. This mystery was not made known to the Old Testament people. That is why it was a mystery: it was previously unknown. Now through the holy apostles and prophets, it is made known.
The specific mystery (vv. 4–7)
What was previously unknown but now has been made known? It is that the Jews and Gentiles are joined as one in a new spiritual entity called the church. This is unheard of to the Jews. The Old Testament offered no hint of the church. The age of the church was unknown and unexpected. We have trouble understanding why Paul is making such a major issue out of this because we do not understand the degree of separation that existed between these two groups of people.
It is like saying there will no longer be blacks and whites in South Africa. It is like saying there will no longer be Catholics and Protestants in Ireland. It is like saying there will no longer be liberals and conservatives in the United States. All these are going to be made into one. That would be difficult to imagine but not as difficult as a Jew becoming one with a (spit) Gentile dog. Historically, it was remarkable. It was close to blasphemy. That is why Paul labors the point.
He then makes the point that there are three levels of unity between the Jews and the Gentiles. First, the Gentiles are fellow-heirs. The glories of God promised to the Jews will now include the Gentiles. All the eternal riches that God possesses to bestow on his people, he will bestow on Gentiles as well as Jews.
Second, the Gentiles are fellow-members. Up to this point, if anyone wanted to be a child of God, he needed to convert to Judaism—to become a Jew. No longer. Now both Jew and Gentile are members of the church, and in the church they are equal. There is no distinction. They are fellow-members of God’s family.
Finally, the Gentiles are fellow-partakers. This is not adding a new thing so much as summarizing the previous two. The historical distinction between Jew and Gentile in the church is no longer valid. They partake of the blessings of God equally.
Stewardship (vv. 8–9)
Paul speaks, in verse 2, of his “administration” or stewardship to carry the message of salvation to the Gentiles. Stewardship could be understood here as responsibility. He felt a responsibility from God to take the message of salvation to the Gentiles because God had given him the new message. Just as Paul realized a responsibility to minister to others, so each of us must sense a similar responsibility. God has given each one of us a spiritual gift to minister to others. Each one of us has received knowledge which will help others prepare for their eternal destiny as well as to live their everyday lives. We are responsible, not to keep that truth to ourselves but to do what we can to spread it to others.
First Peter 4:10 says, “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others.” First Corinthians 12 and Romans 12 elaborate on these gifts.
Perhaps you are not gifted as a great teacher or counselor. But you can serve others, can’t you? We all can. People will often say, “I don’t know what my spiritual gift is.” We begin refining our understanding of our spiritual gifts by serving others and trying to help wherever we can; and by serving, we get some idea of what our gifts might be.
The Bible talks much more about responsibility to do what you can for others than it does spiritual gifts. The secret to begin determining your spiritual gift is to get involved. Then use the experience to guide you into the areas which are most rewarding for you and in which you see the greatest fruit.
Each of us, like Paul, has a responsibility to minister. To do something. Setting up chairs or stuffing the bulletins may not seem like a ministry to you until you realize that a church could not have a worship service without those tasks being completed. Then you realize it is a ministry. The secret: get involved. Then God will guide you, through experience, to the place of most fruitful service.
The purpose of the mystery (v. 10)
The purpose of the revelation of the mystery “was that the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms.”
Apparently these are angels. Others believe that it refers to, or includes, demons. However, there is no mention of spiritual conflict or opposition, nor are there any negative words to describe these authorities. In Ephesians 6, Paul refers to world forces of this darkness, spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. No such evil descriptions exist here.
Therefore, it may be best to understand them as holy angels. For some unknown reason, that which God is doing in the world through the church is a display of his wisdom to the angelic hosts of heaven, showing them a dimension of God that they cannot see in any other way.
This plan was in accord with the eternal purpose which he carried out in Christ Jesus. When an architect or a contractor builds a building, he will do it according to a blueprint, according to a plan. If a person makes a suit, he will do it according to a pattern. If a person bakes a cake, she will do it according to a recipe. So Almighty God in framing the ages did it according to a plan, a predetermined purpose in his sovereignty. He mapped it out before the foundation of the world, and the angels stand by in wonder.[2]
Discussion Questions:
1. How do you understand the 'mystery' that Paul speaks of in verses 1-6?
2. How does the revelation of Gentiles being co-heirs in God's family impact your understanding of the global Christian community?
3. How can you live out Paul's revelation of unity among believers in your local church and community?
4. How does Paul's humility and acceptance of his role as a steward of God's grace in verses 7-13 inspire you in your service to God and others?
5. How might the knowledge of God's wisdom being displayed through the Church change your view of its significance?
PRAYER:
[1] Max Anders, Galatians-Colossians, vol. 8, Holman New Testament Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1999), 134–135.
[2] Max Anders, Galatians-Colossians, vol. 8, Holman New Testament Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1999), 135–137.
[3] Max Anders, Galatians-Colossians, vol. 8, Holman New Testament Commentary (Nashville, TN:
Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1999), 124.