III. [3. Prayer for the Further Knowledge of this Mystery (Ephesians 3:1). (1) PREFATORY DECLARATION of the newness of the revelation of this mystery of the calling of the Gentiles, and of the special commission of it to St. Paul, to be manifested before men and angels, both by word and by suffer... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THIS CAUSE... — After much discussion of the construction of this verse, there seems little doubt that the nominative, “I, Paul,” must be carried on beyond the digression upon the mystery of the gospel, and his part in ministering it, which follows. The only question which can well be raised is... [ Continue Reading ]
Ephesians 3:1 contain two subjects closely blended together. The first (carrying on what is implied in the contrast drawn out in Ephesians 2) is the absolute newness of this dispensation to the Gentiles — a mystery hidden from the beginning in God, but now at last revealed. The second, an emphatic c... [ Continue Reading ]
IF YE HAVE HEARD. — The original word rendered “if” (the same used below, Ephesians 4:21, and in 2 Corinthians 5:3; Galatians 3:4; Colossians 1:23) conveys, in such collocation as this, a supposition which is only a supposition in form — a half-ironical reference to a thing not doubtful. The sense i... [ Continue Reading ]
HOW THAT BY REVELATION HE MADE KNOWN UNTO ME THE MYSTERY. — The words “by revelation” are doubly emphatic. By revelation, not by the wisdom of man (as in 1 Corinthians 2:7): for “God hath revealed them to us by His Spirit.” By direct revelation to St. Paul himself, as in Galatians 1:12, “not of man... [ Continue Reading ]
WHICH IN OTHER AGES (rather, _to other generations_) WAS NOT MADE KNOWN UNTO THE SONS OF MEN. — For the general sense comp. Colossians 1:27. The phrase “the sons of men” (except that it is once used in Mark 3:28) is peculiar to the Old Testament, where it is of frequent use in the poetical books, an... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT THE GENTILES SHOULD BE FELLOWHEIRS. — More exactly, _are fellow-heirs,_ admitted already fully in God’s councils, as partially in actual fact to the kingdom of God. AND OF THE SAME BODY, AND [_fellow-_] PARTAKERS OF HIS PROMISE. — These three words (of which the last two are peculiar to this Ep... [ Continue Reading ]
ACCORDING TO THE GIFT OF THE GRACE OF GOD GIVEN UNTO ME BY THE EFFECTUAL WORKING OF HIS POWER. — The words “given by” should be rendered _given according to._ The working of God’s power is described, not as the means, but as the measure of the gift of His grace. In fact, what is a “gift” in its sour... [ Continue Reading ]
LESS THAN THE LEAST OF ALL SAINTS. — Compare with this expression of deep humility the well-known passages 1 Corinthians 15:9; 2 Corinthians 11:30; 2 Corinthians 12:9; 1 Timothy 1:12. It may be noted that in each case his deep sense of unworthiness is brought out by the thought of God’s especial gra... [ Continue Reading ]
TO MAKE ALL MEN SEE. — St. Paul speaks here first of manifestation to all men. The phrase used in the original is at once stronger and weaker than our version of it. It is stronger, for the word is, properly, _to enlighten_ or illuminate — the same word used above (Ephesians 1:18), “the eyes of your... [ Continue Reading ]
In this verse St. Paul passes on to consider the manifestation of God in Christ as brought home not only to the race of man but to the angels — “the principalities and powers in the heavenly places” — who are described (1 Peter 1:12) as “desiring to look into” the consummation of the gospel mystery.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE ETERNAL PURPOSE. — Properly, _the purpose of the ages;_ but the sense clearly is, of the purpose of God (see Ephesians 1:11), conceived before the ages of His dispensation, and fulfilled through them. Hence the rendering of our version is substantially correct. WHICH HE PURPOSED. — It should be... [ Continue Reading ]
This verse returns to the idea of Ephesians 2:18, as though St. Paul, after the wide sweep of thought far beyond the earth in Ephesians 3:10, desired, as usual, to bring his readers back to the practical and personal aspects of their Christianity. IN WHOM WE HAVE (_our_) BOLDNESS AND (_our_) ACCESS... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEREFORE I DESIRE... — The verse is parenthetical — a reflection suggested by the greatness of the trust and the littleness of the minister dwelt upon in Ephesians 3:8, and inserted as a warning to the Ephesians not to be disheartened at the present “tribulation” of his imprisonment, as if it were... [ Continue Reading ]
UNTO THE FATHER OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST. — The words “of our Lord Jesus Christ” appear, by both external and internal evidence, to be an interpolation — probably from a gloss indicating (in the true spirit of the Epistle) that the universal Fatherhood here spoken of is derived from the fatherly rel... [ Continue Reading ]
OF WHOM THE WHOLE FAMILY IN HEAVEN AND EARTH IS NAMED. — The original word (_patria_) here rendered “family” is literally derived from the word “father” (_pater_). It has been proposed to render it _fatherhood,_ and translate, _from whom all fatherhood whatever derives its name_ — all lower fatherho... [ Continue Reading ]
TO BE STRENGTHENED WITH MIGHT BY HIS SPIRIT IN THE INNER MAN. — From the Father, as the source of all life and being, St. Paul passes on to the Spirit, “proceeding from the Father,” as the giver of life to men. His prayer here, as in Ephesians 1:17, is for the gift of the Spirit, but under some diff... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT CHRIST MAY DWELL IN YOUR HEARTS BY FAITH. — What that indwelling power is he now indicates, so passing to another Person of the Holy Trinity. It is (see Colossians 1:27) “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” The indwelling of Christ (as here the construction of the original plainly shows) is not... [ Continue Reading ]
MAY BE ABLE TO COMPREHEND WITH ALL SAINTS WHAT IS THE BREADTH, AND LENGTH, AND DEPTH, AND HEIGHT. — It has been asked, Of what? Various answers have been given; but as St. Paul has obviously of set purpose omitted all definition, leaving the phrase incomplete in absolute generality, no answer can be... [ Continue Reading ]
TO KNOW THE LOVE OF CHRIST, WHICH PASSETH KNOWLEDGE. — The intentional paradox of this expression is weakened if (with many interpretations) we suppose that there is opposition in kind between knowledge referred to in the two clauses: as if “to know” meant to know by faith and spiritual experience,... [ Continue Reading ]
UNTO HIM BE GLORY IN THE CHURCH BY (properly, _in_) CHRIST JESUS. — In the parallelism of these clauses is implied the great idea of the Epistle — the unity of the Church in Christ. Hence all that is “in the Church” is “in Christ Jesus.” The visible unity of the Church represents, as it depends on,... [ Continue Reading ]