Summary of grace for the nations

In this interpretation of Ephesians, which is continued here, the apostle now comes to a repetition and summary. Chapter three begins as follows:

“Therefore I, Paul, am the bondservant of Christ Jesus for you who are of the Gentiles – if indeed you have heard of the administration of God’s grace which has been given to me for you.”
Eph 3:1-2

The first word of this section (translated as therefore, thus, wherefore) introduces a reason. It connects the following with the previous. The Greek toutou (Greek τουτου, “from this”) is also found in the same letter in the following places: Eph 2:2 (the course of this world); Eph 3:1(Wherefore I, Paul); Eph 3:14(Wherefore I bow my knees); Eph 5:31(Therefore shall a man leave his father and mother); Eph 6:12 (the world rulers of this darkness). One belongs to the other. They are causally connected.

What now follows in Ephesians is a summary of what was said before. He mentions this explicitly in Ephesians 3:3 when he speaks of the revelation of a mystery, “just as I wrote shortly before”. Chapter 3 is therefore not immediately something new, but he takes up where chapters 1 and 2 left off. “Therefore I, Paul”, tells, on the basis of the previous words, where he now stands.

“Therefore I, Paul, am the bondservant of Christ Jesus for you who are of the Gentiles.”
Eph 3:1

In chapter 2, Paul explained in detail that the believers from the nations who are in the church are now considered full members. None of the apostles tells of this except Paul. The apostle sees himself as bound by Christ Jesus for you who are from the Gentiles.

So although Paul was imprisoned in Rome and Roman soldiers were keeping watch (Acts 28:16), Paul did not see himself as a prisoner of the Romans, but as a “bound prisoner of Christ Jesus”. That is his interpretation. It is a remarkable statement that speaks of his faith and trust. He sees his life situation as being linked to his task and to his Lord, Christ Jesus, at all times. It does not say that Christ Jesus has taken him captive, but rather the opposite, that he himself sees his captivity in relation to Christ Jesus and his task.

What is new about Paul’s message

It cannot be emphasized enough how much becomes new with Paul. Until then, Jesus and the twelve apostles had spoken exclusively of the expectation of Israel and its fulfillment (Mt 15:24; Acts 1:6; Rom 15:8). Only proselytes from the nations could be considered for this messianic expectation. This can be seen from the few people from the nations who came into contact with Jesus in the Gospels. This is not the situation today.

In a messianic expectation, the blessing comes to the nations via Israel. Israel first, and then the gentiles. That was the expectation. It did not materialize. Today, blessing does not come via Israel, but goes directly (Rom 11:11-13). That is what most Christians expect. However, none of this existed before Paul. Only with Paul do believers in the nations receive blessing directly (Eph 2:18). The change is striking and of great significance. It was extraordinary and new.

When Paul begins his preaching, he appears as an apostle to the nations (Rom 11:13) and as a teacher of the nations (1 Tim 2:7; 2 Tim 1:11). This has never happened before. What Paul proclaimed was a mystery before him (Rom 16:25).

If Paul is dismissed today with a shrug of the shoulders, this is the result of a long tradition in which Paul was increasingly marginalized and the proclamation of the message of the Gospels was popularized. This is the proclamation of the approaching messianic kingdom. It is not about the church today and several things disappear at once:

• The believers from the nations that existed through Paul’s preaching (today’s churches and congregations) are without foundation. The Gospels and the preaching of the Twelve were never intended to establish a way to God without the mediation of Israel.
• At the same time, the proclamation based on the resurrection, which never came to maturity in Jesus’ preaching,is also missing. This only happens later, after the resurrection.

Imagine what it was like in those days. There were no believers from the nations who were on an equal footing with the believers from Israel in the churches. This is the topic that Paul addresses in Ephesians. It is new. It is so new that he has to repeat it now.

“Therefore I, Paul, am the bondservant of Christ Jesus for you who are of the Gentiles – if indeed you have heard of the administration of God’s grace which has been given to me for you.”
Eph 3:1-2

Here is the only important question we can repeat: Have we heard about this administration of God’s grace given to Paul specifically for the nations? There is the groundbreaking news. Have you and I heard about it? Is that part of the preaching in your church or community? Then he continues:

“Since by a revelation the mystery was made known to me (just as I wrote shortly before, by which you can understand my understanding of the mystery of Christ as you read.”
Eph 3:3-4

Please note: Paul has not taken anything from the other apostles here. What he writes before and here concerns a mystery that was previously unknown. The doors were opened wide for believers in the nations. They now have free access to the Father for the first time (Eph 2:18), without any further mediation from Israel. This was unheard of and should make it clear how great Paul’s understanding of the mystery of Christ was.

The mystery of Christ

So what was the mystery of Christ? It was this equal incorporation of the believers of the nations into the church founded by Paul. It goes on to say:

“The mystery of Christ, which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets: In the Spirit are those from the nations

• • joint lot holder and a
  • joint body and
  • joint partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus

through the gospel, of which I have become a minister, according to the gift of God’s grace which was given to me according to the working of His power.”
Eph 3:5-7

Note how Paul describes it: It is a reality “in the spirit”. It is by no means something you can grasp with your hands. It is a reality, but one that is realized in faith. There are no outward signs, no miracles, no special insignia. As a spiritual reality, this gift is only within the church and in the spirit.

This is of course reminiscent of the last verses of the previous chapter, where Paul wrote:

“So then you are no longer sojourners and sojourners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the family of God … in (Him, Christ) you (those from the nations) are also being built up into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.”
Eph 2:19-22

In the third chapter, Paul expands on what he has just written. He confirms that the church knows only equal members from all nations. This was new and a great encouragement for those from the nations who until then had not had a fully clarified position in the church. Paul explains that these things are in the Spirit. In doing so, he is breaking new ground, because previously there was still the temple in Jerusalem for the Jewish believers. But now Paul describes that we are all together a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

Unknown makes unpopular

Repetition is a didactic means of anchoring a message more firmly. Paul regularly had to deal with people who were suspicious of the equalization of all believers and a message of grace (without performance). If Paul is right, it’s too easy, isn’t it? Whoever can live by grace, not by performance, has it easy?

These are hidden mechanisms that distract people from grace. Advantages of differences are undermined in Paul’s message. This can mean the loss of advantages or a loss of one’s own religious significance. Of course this is uncomfortable. People defend themselves against such losses. This often happened to Paul. Consider the following statements, for example:

“I marvel that ye are so soon turned from him that called you by the grace of Christ unto another gospel, which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.”
Gal 1:6-7

“You walked well; who stopped you from obeying the truth? The persuasion is not of him who calls you. A little leaven leavens the whole lump.”
Gal 5:7-9

“And why not, as we are blasphemed, and as some say that we speak? Let us do evil that good may come? Their judgment is just.”
Rom 3:8

A message of grace, a unification of believers within the church – none of these things can be taken for granted. They are often rejected. It is important that Paul explains his message again and again. This is precisely what he does here, in Ephesians 3:1-7.