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Eph 3:1-21.

HIS APOSTOLIC OFFICE TO MAKE KNOWN THE MYSTERY OF CHRIST REVEALED BY THE SPIRIT: PRAYER THAT BY THE SAME SPIRIT THEY MAY COMPREHEND THE VAST LOVE OF CHRIST: DOXOLOGY ENDING THIS DIVISION OF THE EPISTLE.

As the first chapter treated of THE FATHER'S office; and the second, THE SON'S, so this, that of THE SPIRIT.

1. of Jesus Christ--Greek, "Christ Jesus." The office is the prominent thought in the latter arrangement; the person, in the former. He here marks the Messiahship of "Christ," maintained by him as the origin of his being a "prisoner," owing to the jealousy of the Jews being roused at his preaching it to the Gentiles. His very bonds were profitable to ("for" or "in behalf of you") Gentiles

(Eph 3:13; 2Ti 2:10).

He digresses at "For this cause," and does not complete the sentence which he had intended, until

Eph 3:14,

where he resumes the words, "For this cause," namely, because I know this your call of God as Gentiles

(Eph 2:11-22),

to be "fellow-heirs" with the Jews

(Eph 3:6),

"I bow my knees to" the Father of our common Saviour

(Eph 3:14, 15)

to confirm you in the faith by His Spirit. "I Paul," expresses the agent employed by the Spirit to enlighten them, after he had been first enlightened himself by the same Spirit

(Eph 3:3-5, 9).

2. If--The Greek does not imply doubt: "Assuming (what I know to be the fact, namely) that ye have heard," &c. "If, as I presume," The indicative in the Greek shows that no doubt is implied: "Seeing that doubtless," &c. He by this phrase delicately reminds them of their having heard from himself, and probably from others subsequently, the fact. See

Introduction,

showing that these words do not disprove the address of this Epistle to the Ephesians. Compare

Ac 20:17-24.

the dispensation--"The office of dispensing, as a steward, the grace of God which was (not 'is') given me to you-ward," namely, to dispense to you.

3. he made known--The oldest manuscripts read, "That by revelation was the mystery (namely, of the admission of the Gentiles,

Eph 3:6; 1:9)

made known unto me

(Ga 1:12)."

as I wrote afore--namely, in this Epistle

(Eph 1:9, 10),

the words of which he partly repeats.

4. understand my knowledge--"perceive my understanding" [ALFORD], or "intelligence." "When ye read," implies that, deep as are the mysteries of this Epistle, the way for all to understand them is to read it

(2Ti 3:15, 16).

By perceiving his understanding of the mysteries, they, too, will be enabled to understand.

the mystery of Christ--The "mystery" is Christ Himself, once hidden, but now revealed

(Col 1:27).

5. in other ages--Greek, "generations."

not made known--He does not say, "has not been revealed." Making known by revelation is the source of making known by preaching [BENGEL]. The former was vouchsafed only to the prophets, in order that they might make known the truth so revealed to men in general.

unto the sons of men--men in their state by birth, as contrasted with those illuminated "by the Spirit" (Greek, "IN the Spirit," compare

Re 1:10),

Mt 16:17.

as--The mystery of the call of the Gentiles (of which Paul speaks here) was not unknown to the Old Testament prophets

(Isa 56:6, 7; 49:6).

But they did not know it with the same explicit distinctness "As" it has been now known

(Ac 10:19, 20; 11:18-21).

They probably did not know that the Gentiles were to be admitted without circumcision or that they were to be on a level with the Jews in partaking of the grace of God. The gift of "the Spirit" in its fulness was reserved for the New Testament that Christ might thereby be glorified. The epithet, "holy," marks the special consecration of the New Testament "prophets" (who are here meant) by the Spirit, compared with which even the Old Testament prophets were but "sons of men"

(Eze 2:3,

and elsewhere).

6. Translate, "That the Gentiles are," &c. "and fellow members of the same body, and fellow partakers of the (so the oldest manuscripts read, not 'HIS') promise, in Christ Jesus (added in the oldest manuscripts), through the Gospel." It is "in Christ Jesus" that they are made "fellow heirs" in the inheritance of GOD: "of the same body" under the Head, CHRIST JESUS; and "fellow partakers of the promise" in the communion of THE HOLY SPIRIT

(Eph 1:13; Heb 6:4).

The Trinity is thus alluded to, as often elsewhere in this Epistle

(Eph 2:19, 20, 22).

7. Whereof--"of which" Gospel.

according to--in consequence of, and in accordance with, "the gift of the grace of God."

given--"which (gift of grace) was given to me by (Greek, 'according to,' as in

Eph 3:20; 1:19:

as the result of, and in proportion to) the effectual working (Greek, 'energy,' or 'in-working') of His power."

8. am--Not merely was I in times past, but I still am the least worthy of so high an office (compare

1Ti 1:15,

end).

least of all saints--not merely "of all apostles"

(1Co 15:9, 10).

is--Greek, "has been given."

among--omitted in the oldest manuscripts Translate, "to announce to the Gentiles the glad tidings of the unsearchable

(Job 5:9)

riches," namely, of Christ's grace

(Eph 1:7; 2:7).

Ro 11:33,

"unsearchable" as a mine inexhaustible, whose treasures can never be fully explored

(Eph 3:18, 19).