Bibelkommentare

This chapter consists of two parts. I. Of the account which Paul gives the Ephesians concerning himself, as he was appointed by God to be the apostle of the Gentiles, Eph 3:1-13. II. Of his devout and affectionate prayer to God for the Ephesians, Eph 3:14-21. We may observe it to have been very much the practice of this apostle to intermix, with his instructions and counsels, intercessions and prayers to God for those to whom he wrote, as knowing that all his instructions and teachings would be useless and vain, except God did co-operate with them, and render them effectual. This is an example that all the ministers of Christ should copy after, praying earnestly that the efficacious operations of the divine Spirit may attend their ministrations, and crown them with success.

This chapter Ephesians 3 consists properly of three parts:

I. A statement that the Gentiles were to be made partakers of the gospel, and that the work of proclaiming this was especially entrusted to Paul; Ephesians 3:1-12. In illustrating this, Paul observes:

(1) That he was the prisoner of Jesus Christ in behalf of the Gentiles; Ephesians 3:1. He was in bonds for maintaining that the gospel was to be preached to the Gentiles, and for endeavoring to convey it to them.

(2) he reminds them all of the fact that he was called by special revelation to make known this truth, and to convey to the Gentiles this gospel - supposing that they had heard of the manner of his conversion; Ephesians 3:2-3.

(3) he refers them to what he had said before in few words on this point as proof of his acquaintance with this great plan of the gospel; Ephesians 3:3-4.

(4) he speaks of this great truth as a "mystery" - the "mystery of Christ;" the great and important truth which was concealed until Christ came, and which was fully made known by him; Ephesians 3:4-6. This had been hidden for ages. But now it had been fully revealed by the Spirit of God to the apostles and prophets in the Christian church that the great wall of partition was to be broken down, and the gospel proclaimed alike to all.

(5) the apostle says, that to him especially was this office committed to proclaim among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches. of Christ; Ephesians 3:8-9.

(6) the "design" of this was to illustrate, in view of all worlds, the great wisdom of God in the plan of salvation; Ephesians 3:10-12. It was intended to show to other intelligent beings the glory of the divine perfections, and to make manifestations of the divine character which could be perceived nowhere else.

II. Paul expresses an earnest wish that they should comprehend the glory of this plan of salvation; Ephesians 3:13-19. Particularly, he desires them not to faint on account of his afflictions in their behalf; declares that he bows his knees in prayer before the great Father of the redeemed family, that God would be pleased to strengthen them, and enlighten them, and give them clear views of the glorious plan.

III. The chapter concludes with an ascription of praise to God, in view of the great goodness which he had manifested, and of the glory of the plan of salvation; Ephesians 3:20-21.

Paul, a prisoner for the testimony of Jesus, declares his knowledge of what had been a mystery from all ages, that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs and of the same body with the Jews, Ephesians 3:1-6. Which doctrine he was made a minister, that he might declare the unsearchable riches of Christ, and make known to principalities and powers this eternal purpose of God, Ephesians 3:7-12. He desires them not to be discouraged on account of his tribulations, Ephesians 3:13. His prayer that they might be filled with all the fullness of God, Ephesians 3:14-19. His doxology, Ephesians 3:20, Ephesians 3:21.

INTRODUCTION TO Ephesians 3

In this chapter the apostle hints at his state and condition as a prisoner, and at the afflictions he endured for the sake of the Gospel; and whereas he knew these would be objected to his ministry, and be discouraging to the saints, he chiefly insists on these two things; namely, to assert his office of apostleship, and observe the knowledge of divine mysteries, and gifts of grace bestowed on him, which he does with all modesty and humility; and also to exhort the saints to constancy and perseverance, notwithstanding his tribulations; for which purpose he puts up several petitions for them; and the whole is concluded with a doxology, or an ascription of glory to God. In Ephesians 3:1, he declares himself a prisoner of Christ, for the sake of the Ephesians; and which was no objection to his being an ambassador of Christ, and an apostle of his, seeing he had a commission from him to dispense the word of his grace, Ephesians 3:2, of which, his knowledge in the mystery of Christ, he had by revelation, was an evident proof, Ephesians 3:3, which might easily be understood by what he had written in the former part of his epistle, Ephesians 3:4, and was such as had not been given to the saints in former times, as it was to him, and others, now, Ephesians 3:5, particularly the knowledge of the mystery of the calling of the Gentiles by the Gospel, Ephesians 3:6, of which Gospel to the Gentiles he was made a minister, through the gift of grace, and the energy of divine power, Ephesians 3:7, of which high honour he was unworthy, being, in his own esteem, the meanest of all the people of God; and the grace and favour was the greater, inasmuch as it was the unsearchable riches of Christ he was sent to publish, and that among the Gentiles, Ephesians 3:8, and to give men light into a mysterious affair, which from eternity had been hid, and kept a secret in the heart of God, the Creator of all things, Ephesians 3:9, but was now committed to him with this view, not only to be made known to the church, but by that to the heavenly principalities and powers, even that wise scheme of things which displays the manifold wisdom of God, and was formed according to an eternal purpose in Christ, Ephesians 3:10, through whom a way of access is opened to God, with boldness, faith, and confidence, as the Gospel declares, Ephesians 3:12. Wherefore, though he endured much tribulation for the sake of preaching this Gospel, this should not at all sink their spirits, or move them away from the hope of it; but they should rather glory that they had such a faithful preacher and defender of it, Ephesians 3:13. And as he desired their perseverance, so he prays for it, and for several things in order to it; the posture in which he prayed was by bowing the knee; the person to whom he prayed is described by his relation to Christ, as his Father, of whom, or of Christ, the whole family of God in heaven and earth are named, Ephesians 3:14. The petitions made by him are for internal strength from the Spirit of God, that so they might be enabled to persevere, Ephesians 3:16, and also, that Christ might continue to dwell in their hearts by faith, which would keep them from falling; and likewise, that they might have a lively sense, and a full persuasion of their interest in the love of God; even so as to comprehend with others its breadth, length, depth, and height, which would engage them to press forward, and to hold on, and out, and not faint at tribulations, Ephesians 3:17, And particularly he prays; that they might know more of the love of Christ, which is not fully to be known, and which would constrain them to follow him, and cleave to him with full purpose of heart; and that they might have a full supply of all grace to support, influence, and assist them, Ephesians 3:19, and for his own, and their encouragement, with respect to having the petitions made, the apostle ascribes glory to God by Christ, as it should be done in the church throughout all ages of time, under this consideration, as being able to do for his people abundantly more than they are able to ask of him, or can think of asking of him, or receiving from him, Ephesians 3:20.

III.

[3.Prayer for the Further Knowledge of this Mystery (Ephesians 3:1-21).

(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 suffering (Ephesians 3:1-13).

(2) PRAYER for their full understanding of this mystery (although passing knowledge) by the indwelling of Christ, wrought in them by the gift of the Spirit, and accepted in faith and love (Ephesians 3:14-19).

(3) DOXOLOGY TO THE FATHER through Christ Jesus for ever and ever (Ephesians 3:20-21).]

The chapter is in form a parenthesis of fervent prayer and thanksgiving between the doctrinal teaching of Ephesians 2 and the resumption and summing up of that teaching in Ephesians 4:1-13. At the same time it involves much profound implicit teaching in itself.

Ch. Ephesians 3:1-13. He would pursue the subject of the Temple, but digresses to say more of the world-wide scope of the Gospel

For this cause] With such a present and such a future for my reason, motive, hope. Here begins a sentence broken immediately by a great digression. Where is it resumed? At Ephesians 3:8, or at Ephesians 3:13, or at Ephesians 3:14? On the whole we decide for the latter, not only because the identical phrase “for this cause” recurs there, but because the thought of the Indweller, and the Foundation (“grounded,” Ephesians 3:17), recurs there also. It is thus as if the Apostle had been just about to pray that the great Lord of the Temple might take a new (an ever new) possession of the Edifice preparing for Him; but had been diverted, by the designation he gives himself, to speak at large of his Gentile commission. For a parenthesis on the like scale see the latter half of Romans 5. Such deviations into side-fields of pregnant thought are characteristic of some minds of high calibre; and we are never to forget that while it is everywhere the Inspirer who speaks through the Apostle, He as truly uses the Apostle’s type of mind as He uses the Greek type of language to be His perfect vehicle of expression.

I Paul] For a similar emphatic Ego, cp. 2 Corinthians 10:1; Galatians 5:2; Colossians 1:23; Philemon 1:19. (1 Thessalonians 2:18 is not quite in point, nor the passages, Colossians 4:18; 2 Thessalonians 3:17; where he speaks of his autograph name.) The motive here seems to be the profound personal interest of the Apostle in his great commission, brought to the surface by the statement he has just made of the grandeur of its issue in the completion of the Temple of the Universal Church. “It is I, positively I, who am, wonderful to say, chief minister in the process.” And there may also be the emphasis of intense personal interest in the Ephesian converts; a loving pressure, so to speak, of his personality upon theirs.—On the “self-consciousness” of St Paul, see Howson, Character of St Paul, Lect. II.

the prisoner of Jesus Christ] So Philemon 1:1; Philemon 1:9; 2 Timothy 1:8; and below, Ephesians 4:1, with an interesting difference, which see. Our Epistle thus stands grouped with Philippians, Colossians, Philemon, 2 Timothy, as an Epistle written from prison.—“Of Jesus Christ”:—under all aspects of life Paul belongs to Christ. Whatever he is, does, or suffers, it is as Christ’s property. There is also an obvious reference to the fact that his imprisonment was for Christ’s cause; but this is not all.

for you] On behalf of you. See Acts 22:21 for illustration. His imprisonment, due to Jewish hostility, was thus ultimately due to his assertion of the free welcome of the Gentiles to Messiah’s covenant. Acts 15 records the crisis within the Church which corresponded to this assault from without.

CHAPTER 3

Ephesians 3:3. ἐγνωρίσθη] Elz. Matth. Reiche have ἐγνώρισε, in opposition to decisive testimony. A more precisely defining gloss.

Ephesians 3:5. Before ἑτέραις Elz. has, likewise against decisive testimony, ἐν, which was attached on account of the double dative.

Ephesians 3:6. αὐτοῦ] after ἐπαγγ. is, with Lachm. and Tisch., upon preponderating evidence, to be deleted.

Ephesians 3:7. ἐγενόμην] Lachm. Tisch. Rück, read ἐγενήθην, after A B D* F G א. With this preponderant attestation the more to be preferred, in proportion to the ease with which the more current form might involuntarily creep in.

τὴν δοθεῖσαν] Lachm. and Rück.: τῆς δοθείσης, approved also by Griesb. Attested, it is true, by A B C D* F G א, min. Copt. Vulg. It Latin Fathers; but how readily would the genitive present itself to the mechanical copyist after Ephesians 3:2! comp. Ephesians 3:8.

Ephesians 3:8. ἐν τοῖς] A B C א, min. Copt. have merely τοῖς. So Lachm. and Rückert. Strongly enough attested; specially as the parallel in subject-matter, Galatians 1:16, offered ἐν as an addition.

The neuter τὸ πλοῦτος is also here and at Ephesians 3:16 preponderantly attested.

Ephesians 3:9. πάντας] suspected by Beza, placed within brackets by Lachm. But it is wanting only in A א, two min. Cyr. Hilar. Jer. Aug. The omission, at any rate too feebly attested, may have been accidental, or even after ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν intentional.

οἰκονομία] Elz. has κοινωνία, in opposition to almost all the witnesses. An interpretation.

After κτίσαντι Elz. has διὰ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, which is defended, it is true, by Rinck (in whose view Marcion had deleted it) and by Reiche (who holds it to have been omitted by the orthodox), but is condemned by the decisive counter-testimony as an exegetico-dogmatic addition.

Ephesians 3:12. τὴν παῤῥησίαν κ. τὴν προσαγωγήν] The second τήν is wanting in A B א* 17, 80, Lachm. Rück.; but its superfluousness occasioned the omission. F G have τὴν προσαγωγὴν εἰς τὴν παῤῥησίαν, a change produced by the absolute τὴν προσαγ.

Ephesians 3:14. τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησού Χ. is wanting in A B C א 17, 67** Copt. Aeth. Erp. Vulg. ms. and important Fathers. Deleted by Lachm. Tisch. Rück. Harless. An addition to πατέρα readily offering itself, although defended by Reiche (on insufficient internal grounds).

Ephesians 3:16. δῴη] A B C F G א, 37, 39, 116, and several Fathers have δῷ. So Lachm. and Rück. With this important attestation δῷ is here the more to he preferred, as δῴη offered itself to the copyists from Ephesians 1:17.

Ephesians 3:18. βάθος κ. ὕψος] Lachm. reads ὕψος κ. βάθος, on considerable but not decisive evidence. But the sequence of thought, “height and depth,” was more familiar. Comp. Romans 8:39.

Ephesians 3:21. ἐν τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ] So D** K L, min. Syr. utr. Goth. Chrys. and other Greeks. But A B C א 73, 80, 213, Copt. Arm. Slav. ms. Vulg. Jer. Pel. have ἐν τ. ἐκκλ. καὶ ἐν Χ. Ἰ. (so Lachm. and Rück.). D* F G, It. Ambrosiast. have ἐν Χ. Ἰ. καὶ τῇ ἐκκλ. Only 46 and Oros. have ἐν Χ. Ἰ. merely, without ἐν τῇ ἐκκλ., evidence which is far too weak to justify suspicion of ἐν τῇ ἐκκλ. (in opposition to Koppe and Rück.). The καί, although strongly attested, is an old unsuitable connective addition; and the placing of ἐν τ. ἐκκλ. after ἐν Χ. Ἰ. is a transposition in accordance with the sense of rank. Hence, with Tisch. and Reiche, the Recepta is to be upheld.

CONTENTS.

On this account am I, Paul, the prisoner of God for the sake of you, the Gentiles (Ephesians 3:1). Effusion over the nature of his office as apostle of the Gentiles (Ephesians 3:2-12), which concludes with the entreaty to the readers not to become discouraged at the sufferings which he is enduring on their behalf (Ephesians 3:13). On this account he beseeches God that they might be inwardly strengthened in the Christian character, in order that they may know the whole greatness of the love of Christ, and thereby become filled with all divine gifts of grace (Ephesians 3:14-19). Doxology, Ephesians 3:20-21.