Category Archives: Bible Study

Ephesians 3:16

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That according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being.

Ephesians

Ephesians 3:16

Beginning in verse 16, we enter into the content of Paul’s prayer. Petition 1 – God would grant you to strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner person. He asked that this be provided according to the riches of God’s glory.

So, let’s pick this apart a little bit. First we need to consider how great and deep are the riches of God’s glory? I think we would all agree that they are infinite. His glory is infinite and the riches of his glory are infinite. It is according to this richness that he bases his request. In other words, use the vastness of your power and glory to provide what I’m asking for to these people.

What, then, does he request? He is asking that God would strengthen their inner being, their heart and soul. Further, he is asking that it be strengthened with power. Paul is asking that his people would have an inner strength provided by God Himself.

And finally, the mediator of this transfer of strength is the Holy Spirit. In other words, may God use His Holy Spirit to infuse power into you so that the inner man is strengthened.

Isn’t that something we all would like to see in our own lives and in the lives of our fellow Christians. Maybe we should pray for things like this rather than merely praying for health and safety.

Exported from Logos Bible Software, 10:41 AM December 11, 2020.

Ephesians 3:14-15

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For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named.

In verse 14, Paul begins to explain how he is praying for the Ephesian Christians. He begins by telling them that he is going to give them the reason that he is praying. That reason is basically the content of the prayer which begins with the word “that” in verse 16.

He says in verse 14 that he bows his knees before the Father. Whether we physically position ourselves on our knees or not, doesn’t it show us the proper attitude with which we should come before God. The Bible tells us in other place to come boldly before the throne of grace, but that doesn’t mean proudly or carelessly. There should be a humility to our coming before the God of the universe.

Verse 15 is basically telling us that every one on earth can trace their history back to God the Father. He is the one who created Adam and Eve in the first place. He is the one who gave them life, and that life has been transmitted continuously until that life reached you and me.

Next time we’ll look at the prayer itself and see how it might be a template for how you and I can pray for one another.

Exported from Logos Bible Software, 3:16 PM December 9, 2020.

Ephesians 3:12-13

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In whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him. So I ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory.

The eternal purpose of God was realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, according to verse 11. Paul begins verse 12 with “in whom.” I’ve pointed out before that our position “in Christ” is our identity. When we trust Christ we are placed in Him. His history becomes our history. For example, we have died and were raised with Him. We are currently seated with Him in heavenly places. So, you need to learn to adjust your thinking to believe the truth that you are in Christ.

Paul says that in Him we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him. It reminds me of what Hebrews 4:16 says, “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

We have access. And yet we take that access for granted. Access to the throne of the King is not something that is easily acquired. But if you are the King’s child, access is available.

So, since all of these things are true, Paul asks his readers and disciples not to lose heart over what he is suffering. The suffering which Paul is enduring on their behalf is their glory. We don’t use glory in our vocabulary much, but in the natural world, what might be your glory? Perhaps your position, or your family, or some achievement. Long hair is a woman’s glory. A young man’s strength is his glory. So, our glory is something we might be legitimately proud of. Not in the sinful sense.

We would never use the term suffering in relationship to glory, but here Paul says that his suffering is their glory, their point of boasting. It doesn’t make sense to us. In Galatians 6:14 Paul says the cross of Christ is his place of boasting.

Perhaps we need to do a little more meditating on this concept. It might free us from the bondage of the normal centers of our boasting and glory and center us more on the cross and that point of suffering which ultimately became the means for our salvation.

Exported from Logos Bible Software, 2:03 PM December 7, 2020.

Ephesians 3:11

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This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord,

This eternal plan which we discussed in the last post was according to the eternal purpose of God. I can’t stress this enough. God’s decrees and plans are eternal. His plans and purposes are not dependent on what people do. This eternal plan was realized in Christ Jesus our Lord.

So, let’s summarize the last couple of verses. God has had an eternal purpose, realized and revealed through Jesus Christ coming into the world as a man. This mystery has been hidden for all generations until revealed to the apostles and prophets of the first century.

Paul’s preaching as well as our own is to bring this mystery to light. And what is the goal? That the multifaceted wisdom of God might be made down to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places.

A key part of this is to understand that making known the wisdom of God to the principalities and powers occurs through the church. The church is the body of Christ. The church is the people whom God has saved, filled with His Spirit and commissioned to worship together and proclaim the gospel. So, living as a Christian as part of the church involves more than just being a good testimony to those who are around us. It involves demonstrating to these powers, even those we wrestle against, demonstrating what God is like. How merciful and gracious He is in having taken enemies and turned them into friends, joint-heirs with Christ to rule and reign with Him.

Exported from Logos Bible Software, 1:16 PM December 3, 2020.

Ephesians 3:8-10

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To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things, so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.

This commentary is going to be a little longer than most because I want to cover the entire sentence that runs from verse 8 all the way through verse 10. I would suggest reading these verses a couple of times to get the flow of Paul’s logic, and then read through this commentary on those verses. You can spread your study over several days, but I didn’t want my comments to be broken up mid-sentence.

Paul is going to explain an amazing truth that has been given to him to explain. He begins by demonstrating his humility, calling himself the very least of all the saints. That’s saying something, isn’t it. Here is a highly educated Jewish leader, chosen by God to write a large portion of the New Testament, and he calls himself the least of all the saints.

What is the message he is to preach? He is going to proclaim the good news of the fathomless riches of Christ. A fathom is a measurement of depth of the ocean. Fathomless means there is no way to measure the depths of the riches of Christ. There is so much wealth there, it is impossible to get to the bottom of it.

By the way, he calls the opportunity to proclaim this good news, grace. In other words, he counts it as an undeserved gift of God to be able to declare this message.

What else is involved in this declaration? He says in verse 9 that he is going to bring to light something that has been hidden for ages. That’s what a mystery is in the New Testament. Where has this plan been hidden? It has been hidden in God who created all things. So what is Paul claiming? He is claiming that there is something that has been hidden in God Himself since before creation, and now he, Paul, is going to explain what that plan is. How does he know the plan? Verse 3 told us that it was given to him by revelation. God told him!

The question is, “Why?”. Why is this plan being made known now, and why to Paul? Verse 10 answers that question. So that the multi-faceted wisdom of God might be revealed and made known. To whom, Paul? Who are the recipients of this picture of the manifold wisdom of God?

The answer to that question is the principalities and powers. The rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. Wait a minute! Isn’t it the rulers and authorities that we wrestle against? “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities and powers in the heavenly places.” Ephesians 6:12.

So, let me see if I understand this. In the wisdom of God, He revealed this mystery to Paul so that the principalities and powers of the universe would see and know the amazing wisdom of God!

And through what means is this knowledge to be transmitted to the principalities and powers? Through the church! The church is God’s instrument through the preaching of the gospel and through lives transformed by the power of God — transformed from rebellious traitors to Christ-like followers — the principalities and powers, who have been warring against God since the beginning, will see how amazing God is!

Exported from Logos Bible Software, 10:17 AM December 3, 2020.

Ephesians 3:7

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Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God’s grace, which was given me by the working of his power.

In verse 6, Paul had said that Gentiles are fellow heirs and members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus. How is that possible? Through the gospel.

Now in verse 7, Paul says that he was made a minister of that gospel. That means he is a steward or caretaker of it. His life is involved with serving the cause of the gospel.

How did he come to this position? He tells us that it came as a result of the gift of God’s grace. In other words, he was given this service through no merit if his own, but only because God decided to give it to him.

But, this isn’t an easy thing to be taken for granted. It was given by the working (energizing) of God’s power.

So let’s make sure we have the picture. Paul was a Jewish leader, stridently against the teachings of Christians. God met him on the road to Damascus and turned his life around. Then out of sheer grace and with the almighty power of the spirit of God, God handed him this work of service of the gospel. This message essentially told Gentiles they were in. Believe the gospel and you’re in.

Exported from Logos Bible Software, 9:40 AM November 24, 2020.

Ephesians 3:6

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This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

So what is the mystery we have been talking about? Paul explains it in verse 6. The mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

In the Old Testament, God had made unconditional promises to Abraham and his seed. And, as we learn in other places in Paul’s writings, Christ is that seed, and those who trust Christ are heirs together of the promise. (Romans 4:16; Galatians 3:7-9; Galatians 3:29) That is what Paul is alluding to here in verse 6.

Exported from Logos Bible Software, 9:27 AM November 24, 2020.

Ephesians 3:4-5

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When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit.

Paul has been writing about the mystery that was given to him by revelation. In verse 4 he tells his readers that they will understand the insight he has into this mystery as they read his letter to them.

This mystery had not been revealed to any of the previous generations of people, but God had chosen to reveal it to the generation during and shortly after the life of Christ.

The revelation of the mystery was given specifically to the apostles and prophets. These are men who were specifically selected by God to be the recipients of this mystery. The revelation came through the work of the Holy Spirit.

It’s important to note that Paul had formerly opposed any teaching related to the gospel of Christ. He had tortured, imprisoned, and killed many of Jesus’ followers. And yet, here he is, sticking his neck out, so to speak, in order to claim that he was one of those who was the recipient of this message. That is an amazing conversion!

Exported from Logos Bible Software, 9:21 AM November 24, 2020.

Ephesians 3:1-3

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For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles— assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for you, how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly.

Chapter 3 begins with “For this reason….” To find the reason, we go back to the previous chapter. He has just been discussing the fact that Jew and Gentile have been brought together into one body which is growing into a holy temple, a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

Paul goes on to say that he is a prisoner on behalf of the Gentiles. God had given him this ministry. Paul was a Jew, but his ministry was to the Gentiles. This was actually a difficult assignment.

He then goes on in verse 2 to say that a stewardship of God’s grace had been given to him. A stewardship is a responsibility. A steward managed the affairs of the master’s house. Paul had been given the truth about the grace of God that had been hidden, but was now being revealed. He was to guard and manage this truth of the grace of God so that it was transmitted completely and carefully to the Gentiles.

He explains in verse 3 how this mystery was made known to him by revelation. Paul writes in Galatians 1:11, 12: “For I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel that was preached by me is not man’s gospel. For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.” He presumably received this revelation in Arabia, according to Galatians 1:17.

Exported from Logos Bible Software, 9:18 AM November 24, 2020.

Ephesians 2:20-22

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built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

In verse 20, Paul continues from verse 19 where he had said Gentiles are now fellow citizens and members of the household of God.

This household, of which we are a part, has been built on a foundation. What is that foundation? The apostles and prophets. They came before us and laid the foundation for us. And more than that, the cornerstone, or capstone, is none other than Jesus Christ.

With Christ the center-supporting piece of the foundation, the whole superstructure is built up in Him.

And has the structure is built piece by piece, member by member, it is joined together. (Colossians 2:19 speaks of it being knit together.) The whole body of Christ is knit, joined, united together and what? It grows. God is building His church. It is growing as new people believe and are joined to the body.

And what is it becoming? It is becoming a holy temple in the Lord. What is a temple. It is the place where God Himself lives and is worshipped.

Verse 22 continues the thought. This is not just theoretical about hypothetical people being joined to the body. Verse 22 says, “In him you also….”

You. Yes, you! If you are a believer, you have been knit into the body that is a dwelling place for God by the Spirit! Think about that. A dwelling place of God.

Exported from Logos Bible Software, 9:44 AM November 17, 2020.