Ephesians Chapter 3 Part 2

Ephesians 3:13 

"Wherefore I desire that ye faint not at my tribulations for you, which is your glory."

Paul says, “I ask you not to lose heart at my tribulations on your behalf, for they are your glory.” Apparently, many believers grieved over Paul’s extended years of imprisonment and over the almost continual suffering he endured because of his ministry. Paul’s suffering turned out for the honor rather than the disgrace of those to whom he ministered (Phil. 1:12).

“Which is your glory”: God will use Paul’s “tribulations” and sufferings in the ministry to spiritually benefit his recipients. Such edification will then bring about glory on their part in that they praise and honor God.

We learned in the last lesson, that Paul was called of God to minister to the Gentiles particularly. Paul had suffered much tribulation to bring the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ to these people. Paul does not mention that to get their sympathy, however.

He does not want them to suffer pain, because of the troubles and trials that he had faced to bring them the gospel. Paul was explaining to them that they might not be asked to suffer in the same way, and not to let this trouble them.

Paul counted it a pleasure to suffer for Christ. He received glory for this and felt that his glory blessed them, as well.

Ephesians 3:14 

"For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,"

“For this cause”: This expression resumes the apostle’s prayer begun (in verse 1), but delayed by the discussion (of verses 2-13). Paul prays for the Ephesians to use the power that their great status in Christ provides.

In saying, “I bow my knees”, Paul is not prescribing a required posture for prayer. He did not always pray while kneeling, and Scripture tells of God’s faithful people praying in many different positions, as shown in passages such as (Gen. 18:22, standing; 1 Chron. 17:16, on His face).

Paul chooses of his own free will to bow to the Father. This is a humble bowing in reverence to God who has figured out such a glorious plan of salvation, whereby all mankind can be saved. God will not force salvation on them, but has provided a way, if they choose to be saved. This really is a prayer to the Father in the name of Jesus.

Ephesians 3:15 

"Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,"

“Is named” means “is derived.” “The whole” Christian “family,” including those saints now departed and “in heaven,” and those saints still living on “earth,” all of them “derive” their spiritual life from God. Christians are no more or less the children of God than were believing Israelites, as well as believing Gentiles, before the coming of Christ.

“Every family” of believers is a part of the one spiritual family of God, in which there are many members but only one “Father” and one brotherhood.

God has a name that no one knows but Him for each of us. We are His sons, so we bear His name to some extent. In this sense, we will be named by the Father. Adam named all the animals on the earth as to their character and the work they would do on the earth.

God gives all in heaven and in earth a new name. This is the name that will be written on the white stone. The names that we use for God on this earth are a revealing of whatever He is doing at the time the name is used. Christians are Christians, because we are followers of Christ. Whatever our name is, we will be given the name by God.

Verses 16-19: In these verses Paul makes three prayer requests for the addressees;

(1) that they would “be strengthened with might by his Spirit” (verse 16), that is, that they be divinely enabled to successfully live the Christian life.

(2) “That” the readers “be able to comprehend … the love of Christ,” that is, to better understand the enormous love Christ has for them. And

(3) that they “might be filled with all the fullness of God,” that is, that the life, character, and virtues of God Himself may be fully developed in them.

Ephesians 3:16 

"That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;"

Almost every prayer of Paul’s that is recorded in Scripture was for the spiritual welfare of others. Even when he was persecuted, imprisoned, and in need of many things for his own welfare, he prayed primarily for fellow believers that they might be spiritually protected and strengthened.

Our weakness is in ourselves and our strength is in Him. The weak are made strong by the Spirit within us.

2 Corinthians 12:9 "And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me."

Galatians 2:20 "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me."

Our strength lies in the fact that the Spirit of the Risen Christ dwells within us. My flesh is weak, but my spirit (turned over to the Spirit of God), is mighty. God will give this strengthening power in the inner man to whoever desires it. He will grant our wish to be filled with the Spirit of God, if we ask for it.

All of God’s people are to be like Paul in having an overriding sensitivity to the spiritual needs of others, for the salvation of the unsaved and the spiritual protection and growth of the saved. We are to be sensitive to the spiritual needs of our wives, husbands, children, pastors, fellow church members, neighbors, fellow students, friends and co-workers.

To the spiritual believer, “the riches of His glory” are rich indeed. From the beginning of the letter Paul has been exulting over those divine riches:

God blessing us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places (1:3). His choosing us for Himself before the foundation of the world (1:4). His redemption and forgiveness (1:7). His making known to us the mystery of His will (1:9). His giving us an inheritance with His Son, Jesus Christ (1:11). And so on throughout the first two and a half chapters.

The phrase “of His glory” testifies that these riches belong to God because of who He is. They belong innately to His Person, which is to say, His glory, (1:17), where Paul calls God, “the Father of glory”. And (Exodus 33:18), where God reveals His personal attributes as glory.

The first step in living like God’s children is to be “strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man.” Yet most Christians never seem to get to this first step, not knowing what it is to see God’s power fully at work in them.

They suffer, the church suffers, and the world suffers because “the inner man” of most believers is never “strengthened with power through His Spirit.” The flaw is in the inner man,” where man himself cannot perform a cure. Only God can reach and cure the inner man.

Although the outer, physical man becomes weaker and weaker with age, the “inner,” spiritual man should continually grow stronger and stronger with power through His Spirit. Only God’s Spirit can strengthen our spirits. He is the one who energizes, revitalizes and empowers us (Acts 1:8). Where the strength of God increases, sin necessarily decreases. The nearer we come to God, the further we go from sin.

When the Spirit empowers our lives and Christ is obeyed as the Lord of our hearts, our sins and weaknesses are dealt with and we find ourselves wanting to serve others, wanting to sacrifice for them and serve them. Because Christ’s loving nature has truly become our own.

Ephesians 3:17 

"That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,"

This verse expresses the result of (3:16): “Christ” will “dwell” in the lives of those who are recipients of the Holy Spirit. Jesus already lives in them and in all Christians. The Greek word translated “dwell” means to settle down and be at home, to be at ease.

Jesus enters into our hearts the moment he saves us, but He cannot live there in comfort and satisfaction until it is cleansed of sin and filled with His will. He cannot be fully at home until He is allowed to dwell in our hearts through the continuing faith that trusts Him to exercise His lordship over every aspect of our lives.

When they are divinely strengthened (verse 16), they will then live the kind of lives God desires. When they thus please God, Christ will then “be at home” or “at ease” in their lives. As a permanent guest, He will enjoy living with them.

John 6:56 "He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him."

In this verse, we see that to partake of Jesus is to partake of life everlasting. We, through simple faith, receive Jesus as our Savior. To be fully turned over in our inner heart to Jesus, we must not only accept Him as our Savior, but we must realize that He is the Resurrection and the Life.

We must allow the Spirit of the Risen Christ to come and dwell in our heart. We see that in the following verse.

John 14:17 "[Even] the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you."

The greatest love that is in known to man, is the fact that while we were yet sinners, God sent His Son to save us. The only way we can show Him that we truly love Him, is to keep His commandments.

John 14:23 "Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him."

We no longer are under the control of the flesh and the lust thereof, if Christ has really come to live within us.

Romans 8:10 "And if Christ [be] in you, the body [is] dead because of sin; but the Spirit [is] life because of righteousness."

The result of our yielding to the Spirit’s power and submitting to Christ’s lordship in our hearts is love. When Christ settles down in our lives He begins to display His own love in us and through us. When He freely indwells our hearts, we become rooted and grounded in love, that is, settled on a strong foundation of love.

Make Jesus Lord of your life as well as Savior, and you will be rooted, and grounded in the kind of love that only God can give. Allow Christ to love others through you.

Ephesians 3:18 

"May be able to comprehend with all saints what [is] the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;"

When we are rooted and grounded in love, we then become able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth of love. We cannot comprehend the fullness of love unless we are totally immersed in love, unless it is the very root and ground of our being. To be rooted and grounded in love requires being rooted and grounded in God.

Love is available to every Christian because Christ is available to every Christian. Paul prays that we will become able to comprehend with all the saints. Love is not simply for the even tempered Christian or the naturally pleasant and agreeable Christian. Nor is it for some supposed special class of Christians who have an inside spiritual track. It is for, and commanded of, every Christian, all the saints.

To comprehend what is the breath and length and height and depth of love is to understand it in its fullness. Love goes in every direction and to the greatest distance. It goes wherever it is needed for as long as it is needed.

We all know that before we became a Christian or saint, we had no understanding of the greatness of God. The Spirit of Christ within us helps us to know the breadth, length, and height.

Ephesians 3:19 

"And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God."

Paul says that to know the love of Christ surpasses knowledge. Knowing Christ’s love takes us beyond human knowledge, because it is from an infinitely higher source. Paul is not speaking here of our knowing the love we are to have for Christ but the love of Christ, His very own love that He must place in our hearts before we can love Him or anyone else.

The love, mentioned in the verse above, is "agape". This is the God love. This love is an unconditional love. It is not a love because, but in spite of. This kind of love, loves the unlovable. This kind of love is what kept Jesus on the cross. He loved us so much, that He gave His body on the cross that we might live. He shed His blood in payment for our sin.

This kind of love cannot be explained to the carnal man. Man only loves because of something he hopes to gain from the love, but as I said, this is unconditional love. The fullness of God that He wanted us to be filled with is the grace of God. God offers all the gifts of the Spirit to the believer.

He wants us to be filled up completely with His fullness, so that there will be no room left for worldliness. The great commandment that Jesus gave to all believers is:

Mark 12:30 "And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this [is] the first commandment."

If we keep that commandment, then we are full of the Lord. Jesus was all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.

Colossians 2:9 "For in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily."

The inner strengthening of the Holy Spirit leads to the indwelling of Christ, which leads to abundant love, which leads to God’s fullness in us. To be filled up to all the fullness of God is indeed incomprehensible, even to God’s own children. It is incredible and indescribable. There is no way, this side of heaven, we can fathom that truth. We can only believe it and praise God for it.

If we are filled with Jesus, then we are filled with God. By definition, to be filled with God is to be emptied of self. It is not to have much of God and little of self, but all of God and none of self. This is a recurring theme in Ephesians.

Ephesians 3:20 

"Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,"

When the Holy Spirit has empowered us, Christ has indwelt us, love has mastered us, and God has filled us with His own fullness, then He is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think. Until those conditions are met, God’s working in us is limited. When they are met, His working in us is unlimited.

John 14:12-14 – “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go to the Father. And whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it”.

In making the three above petitions, verses 16-19, Paul has not asked for too much. For he prays “unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that” he can “ask or think.”

Now we see the richness of the grace of God. All that we can ask, or think, is not enough. The Lord will do far above the greatest things we can think. Notice, what it is according to. The power that worketh in us is the Holy Spirit within us. This power is a gift of God to help us minister (witness), to others.

Romans 4:21 "And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform."

Hebrews 13:20 "Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,"

Hebrews 13:21 "Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom [be] glory for ever and ever. Amen."

We cannot say enough about the love of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He is the Resurrection and the Life. In Him we live, and move, and have our being.

1 John 4:9 "In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him."

Ephesians 3:21 

"Unto him [be] glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen."

The glory in the church is speaking of the believers in Christ. He is the everlasting One. The praise for the great plan of eternal life goes to the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. The world that they have provided for the believers in Christ has no end, it is one eternal day.

When by our yieldedness God can do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us. Only then are we truly effective and only then is He truly glorified. And He deserves glory in the church and in Christ Jesus, not only now, but to all generations forever and ever. The Amen confirms that worthy goal.

Philippians Chapter 2 Part One

Philippians 2:1 

"If [there be] therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies,"

Consolation “Encouragement”: From the Greek word that means “to come alongside and help, counsel, exhort, which our beloved Lord does for His own.

Consolation of love portrays the Lord coming close and whispering words of gentle cheer or tender counsel in a believer’s ear.

Fellowship of the Spirit refers to the partnership, of common eternal life, provided by the indwelling Holy Spirit.

God has extended His deep affection and compassion to every believer and that reality should result in unity.

This verse is as if he is asking them if their experience with Christ was real or not. Do you trust in Christ? Is His love real to you?

Do you fellowship with Him in your Spirit? Do you really believe in the mercy of God? Were you really baptized in the Holy Spirit?

This verse forms the basis for Paul’s appeal (in verse 2): “Fulfill ye my joy.” His thinking is this: Since these five benefits or virtues (“consolation”, “comfort of love”, “fellowship of the Spirit”, “bowels, and mercies”), exist in Christ. And since you are Christians, then exercise these virtues toward one another as you contend for the gospel and face opposition.

Philippians 2:2 

"Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, [being] of one accord, of one mind."

Fulfill ye my joy or (“Make my joy complete”). Paul rejoiced over the Philippians but his happiness was incomplete, owing to some disunity and lack of total harmony among them. The Greek equates what to Paul? It constitutes “complete joy” with the readers being likeminded.

This means “loving in harmony” with one another. That is, the Philippians can “fulfill” the writer’s joy by living in harmony among themselves. But what does such harmonious living entail? Beginning (in verse 2), and continuing through (verse 4), six participles spell out and clearly define what it means to “live in harmony”:

1.      Having the same love toward one believer as shown toward another, without partiality;

2.      Being of one accord; that is, they are to be united in spirit;

3.      Of one mind; that is, the whole church is to have the same values and goals;

4.      Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory, for selfish ambition or conceit;

5.      Let each esteem others better than themselves; that is, each is to regard his fellow Christian as more important than himself; and

6.      Look … every man also on the things of others; that is, each is to be just as concerned for the needs and problems of his brother as he is for his own affairs.

Then Paul says, if you answered yes in the verses above, conduct your life like a Christian. Agree with your Christian brothers and sisters and make me very happy. Love each other and get along. Be of one mind in the things of God. Let there be unity in your spirits.

Philippians 2:3 

"[Let] nothing [be done] through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves."

Selfishness is a Greek word, which is sometimes rendered “Strife”, because it refers to factionalism, rivalry, and partisanship that speaks of the pride that prompts people to push for their own way.

Empty glory or conceit refers to the pursuit of personal glory, which is the motivation for selfish ambition.

Lowliness of mind was a term of derision, with the idea of being low, shabby and humble.

Esteeming others more so than yourself is the basic definition of true humility.

Pride causes problems. It seems that a good bit of jealousy was going on, and Paul speaks against that. Paul is explaining to them that Christians consider the needs of others before themselves. Love your neighbor as yourself.

Strife and vainglory cause division in the church. Paul is saying, do not be stubborn and demand your own way. Think of the needs of others first. 

Philippians 2:4 

"Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others."

One of the main differences in Christian's attitude and the attitude of the world is that Christians are more thoughtful of others than the world. A Christian desires success for his Christian brothers and sisters, as well as his own success.

Philippians 2:5 

"Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:"

If we have taken on the mind of Christ, then our thoughts would be the same thoughts He would have about the same thing. He was unselfish and thoughtful of others. If we desire to be Christ like, then we will be unselfish and thoughtful of others.

Christ is the ultimate example of selfless humility.

Philippians 2:6 

"Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:"

Jesus was in the beginning with God, but His name, in heaven before he came to earth, was the Word of God. It was not robbery, because He was God the Word.

Paul affirms that Jesus eternally has been God. The usual Greek work for “existed” or “being” is not used here. Instead, Paul chose another term that stresses the essence of a person’s nature, his continuous state or condition.

Paul also could have chosen one of two Greek words for “form,” but he chose the one that specifically denotes the essential, unchanging character of something, what it is in and of itself. The fundamental doctrine of Christ’s deity has always encompassed these crucial characteristics.

“Equal with God”: The Greek word for “equality” defines things that are exactly the same in size, quantity, quality, character and number. In every sense, Jesus is equal to God and constantly claimed to be so during His earthly ministry.

1 John 5:7 "For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one."

This next Scripture really settles it.

John 1:1 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."

When the Word of God came to the earth, He took on the form of flesh and dwelt among us as Jesus Christ, the Son of God. He was "Immanuel", God with us. He had the flesh of man so that He could be tempted and suffer as we do in the flesh.

The Spirit within the flesh was God the Word.

Philippians 2:7 

"But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:"

The NASE says He “emptied Himself. From the Greek word comes the theological word “kenosis”; i.e., the doctrine of Christ’s self emptying in His incarnation. This was a self renunciation, not an emptying Himself of deity nor an exchange of deity for humanity.

Jesus did, however, renounce or set aside His privileges in several areas:

1.      Heavenly glory, while on earth He gave up the glory of a face to face relationship with God and the continuous outward display and personal enjoyment of that glory;

2.      Independent authority, during His incarnation Christ completely submitted Himself to the will of His Father;

3.      Divine prerogatives, He set aside the voluntary display of His divine attributes and submitted Himself to the Spirit’s direction;

4.      Eternal richness, while on earth Christ was poor and owned very little; and

5.      A favorable relationship with God. He felt the Father’s wrath for human sin while on the cross.

Jesus left His title (Word of God), in heaven and took on the lowly flesh of man. He came to this earth in the form of man to rescue mankind from their sin. Since the problem was in the flesh of mankind, Jesus took on flesh. His flesh was in the likeness of man, so that He could defeat Satan as a man. In heaven, He was worshipped.

He left that to save His creation. He became a lowly servant to mankind. He had no reputation as Jesus on the earth. His glory was in heaven as the Word of God.

Christ became more than God in a human body, but He took on all the essential attributes of humanity, even to the extent that He identified with basic human needs and weaknesses. He became the God-Man: fully God and fully man.

Philippians 2:8 

"And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross."

Christ’s humanity is described from the viewpoint of those who saw Him. Paul is implying that although He outwardly looked like a man, there was much more to Him (His deity), than many people recognized naturally.

After the humbling of incarnation, Jesus further humbled Himself in that He did not demand normal human rights, but subjected Himself to persecution and suffering at the hands of unbelievers.

Beyond even persecution, Jesus went to the lowest point or furthest extent in His humiliation in dying as a criminal, following God’s plan for Him. Even further humiliation was His because Jesus’ death was not by ordinary means, but was accomplished by crucifixion, the cruelest, most excruciating, most degrading form of death ever devised. The Jews hated this manner of execution.

He wanted to taste every aspect of the suffering on the cross for you and me. Him being fashioned as a man, He suffered pain as you and I would. Notice, in the Garden of Gethsemane, He said, my Spirit is willing, but my flesh is weak.
Matthew 26:41 "Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed [is] willing, but the flesh [is] weak."  

He humbled Himself and did the will of the Father. One must die for the sins of the people. This had to be to free mankind from sin. Notice also, that all of this was the will of Jesus, (humbled Himself).

Philippians 2:9 

"Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:"

This in a sense, is speaking of God the Father exalting Him. Whether this name spoken of here is the unspeakable name in heaven, or not, we do not know. We do know that on the earth this name is Jesus which means Jehovah Savior.

He was exalted, because he had been humbled. He had been exalted ruler in heaven, before He came to earth. This just puts Him in the exalted position He had held in heaven from the beginning.

Christ’s exaltation was fourfold. The early sermons of the apostles affirm His resurrection and coronation (His position at the right hand of God), and allude to His intercession for believers. He did not concern Christ’s nature or eternal place within the Trinity, but His new identity as the God-Man meant God gave Him privileges He did not have prior to the Incarnation.

If He had not lived among men, He could not have identified with them as the interceding High Priest. Had He not died on the cross, He could not have been elevated from that lowest degree back to heaven as the substitute for sin.

Name: Christ’s new name which further describes His essential nature and places Him above and beyond all comparison is “Lord”. This name is the New Testament synonym for Old Testament descriptions of God as sovereign ruler. Both before and after the exaltation, Scripture affirms that this was Jesus’ rightful title as the God-Man.

Philippians 2:10 

"That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of [things] in heaven, and [things] in earth, and [things] under the earth;"

Jesus was the name bestowed at His birth, not His new name. The name for Jesus given in the fullest sense after His exaltation was “Lord”.

The entire intelligent universe is called to worship Jesus Christ as Lord. This mandate includes the angels in heaven, the spirits of the redeemed, obedient believers on earth, the disobedient rebels on earth, demons and lost humanity in hell.

This now is speaking of His creation, whether in heaven, earth, or under the earth. Creator God deserves all praise. We should praise Him that we are recreated in Him at our new birth. We do know that all prayers made to the Father must be spoken in the name of Jesus to receive entrance to the throne of God.

We do know that He has given believers on the earth the power of attorney to use the name of Jesus. We do know that miracles occur in the name of Jesus. There is great power in the name of Jesus. Look with me, at some of the other names this Jesus is called by.

Isaiah 9:6 "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace."  

My own belief is that the name (Jesus), encompasses all these names.

Philippians 2:11 

"And [that] every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ [is] Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

The word for “confess” means “to acknowledge”, “affirm” or “agree”, which is what everyone will eventually do in response to Christ’s lordship. Willingly and blessedly or unwillingly and painfully.

"Jesus Christ is Lord" means that we recognize Him as our Savior (Jesus), we recognize Him as Messiah, the Anointed One (Christ), and that we have turned our will over to His will and call Him Lord. Every tongue means all that have the gift of speech. It also, means everyone who has the breath of life.

“Lord” primarily refers to the right to rule, and in the New Testament it denotes mastery over or ownership of people and property. When applied to Jesus, it certainly implies His deity, but it mainly refers to sovereign authority.

For every tongue to confess would bring glory to the Father.

John 1:14 "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth."  

The glory of Jesus was the glory of His Father in Him. When we glorify Jesus, we are also glorifying the Father. Even earthly fathers are glorified in their sons.

Philippians 2:12 

"Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling."

“Obeyed" is their faithful response to the divine commands Paul had taught them.

“Work out your own salvation”: The Greek word rendered “work out” means “to continually work to bring something to fulfillment or completion.” It cannot refer to salvation by works, but it does refer to the believer’s responsibility for active pursuit of obedience in the process of sanctification.

“Fear and trembling”, is the attitude with which Christians are to pursue their sanctification. It involves a healthy fear of offending God and a righteous awe and respect for Him.

God has no grandchildren, only children. Salvation in Jesus is a very personal thing. Each person has to receive Jesus for himself. Paul is explaining to them that they are responsible to God for themselves. Do you act more Christ like around your preacher than you do when you are alone?

Go back and ask God into your heart, if your answer was yes. Your preacher can only save himself. You are responsible for your own soul. He can tell you about Jesus and help you find Him, but you must accept Him for yourself.

You must decide what you are going to do with Jesus. You have heard about Jesus, now it is up to you whether you accept Him and Life, or reject Him and go to hell.

Philippians 2:13 

"For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of [his] good pleasure."

Although the believer is responsible to work out his own salvation (verse 12), the Lord actually produces the good works and spiritual fruit in the lives of believers. This is accomplished because He works though us by His indwelling Spirit.

God energizes both the believer’s desires and his actions. The Greek word for “will”, indicates that He is not focusing on mere desires or whimsical emotions but on the studied intent to fulfill a planned purpose. God’s power makes His church willing to live godly lives.

“Good pleasure” means that God wants Christians to do what satisfies Him.

God dwells in the heart of the believer. When He has taken up residence in you, then your heart directs your actions. You do the will of God even when you are alone, because Christ in you is the hope of glory.

Ephesians 1:18 "The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,"

Colossians 1:27 "To whom God would make known what [is] the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:"

Ephesians Chapter 3 Part One

The primary reemphasis is on the great mystery now revealed by God that Gentiles and Jews are one in Christ and that there is no longer any distinction. The revelation of the mystery is discussed in verses 1-3, the explanation of it in verses 4-6, the proclamation of it in verses 7-9 and finally the intention of it in verses 10-13.

To be specific, he says in verse 6, the sacred secret never before revealed is that “the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.” That verse is essentially a summary of 2:11-22.

In 3:1-13 the apostle leads us to focus on five aspects of this divine mystery: its prisoner, its plan, its preaching, its purpose and its privileges.

Ephesians 3:1

"For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles,"

The writer begins his second prayer in behalf of the readers. “For this cause” indicates the reason for his prayer; this expression refers to their being part of the church, which is “a habitation of God” (2:22). Since God lives in the recipients, Paul prays for them. “I Paul”: from this point the apostle’s prayer is side-tracked until its resumption in verse 14.

Before beginning his prayer, Paul decided to go over again some of those truths which prompted it, emphasizing their divine source. The apostle knew the value of repetition in teaching and the importance of establishing authority when teaching such new and nontraditional doctrine.

We none understand a truth fully when we first hear it. God’s truths are so marvelous and vast that we will never comprehend them fully in this life, no matter how many times we hear and study them.

This digression reveals Paul’s own divinely appointed part in disclosing the enormous truth explained in 2:11-22 – that Gentile believers now stand on equal footing with their Jewish brethren in God’s family.

The prisoner of Jesus may be read “a prisoner because of Jesus.” Paul’s imprisonment is due to the Lord’s work; it is not due to any wrongdoing on his part.

Although Paul had been a prisoner for about two years in Caesarea and two years in Rome, he did not consider himself to be a prisoner of any government or person. Rather, he knew he was under Christ’s control, and every aspect of his life was in the Lord’s hands. He suffered imprisonment for preaching to Gentiles, see 2 Cor. 4:8-15.

For the cause of the Gentiles being offered Christianity is possibly what Paul is speaking of here. Paul really would rather have brought his message to the Jews, but the Lord had sent him to the Gentiles.

The reason the Lord chose him to bring the message to the Gentiles could have been because he had been a Pharisee. The fact that he was ministering to the Gentiles, would show the great change that had come when he received the Lord Jesus into his life.

From verses 2-13 in this parenthetical passage, Paul interrupted the thought begun in verse 1 to reemphasize and to expand upon the truths he had just written. He was compelled to affirm his authority for teaching the oneness of Jew and Gentile in Christ, verses 2-7, a new and far reaching truth that most of the Ephesians doubtless found difficult to comprehend or accept.

Ephesians 3:2

"If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward:"

On man's part the continuing requirement is obedience to the revelation of God. This obedience is a (dispensation) or stewardship of faith.

“Stewardship … given me”: “Stewardship” here means an administration or management. Paul did not choose the stewardship of his apostleship or ministry. God had sovereignly commissioned him with the calling, spiritual gifts, opportunities, knowledge and authority to minister as the apostle to the Gentiles.

“The dispensation of the grace of God” means “the provision consisting of God’s grace.” This refers to the divine ability given Paul which enabled him to successfully execute his apostolic ministry to the Gentiles.

Every believer is a steward of the calling, spiritual gifts, opportunities, skills, knowledge, and every other blessing he has from the Lord. Everything we have belongs to the Lord, and we are therefore entrusted as stewards to manage our lives and everything we possess in behalf of the One to whom they belong.

We are faithful stewards when we use what we have to minister to those within the family of God and witness to those who are without. “As each one has received a special gift,” Peter admonishes us, “employ it in serving one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God” (1 Peter 4:10).

"Dispensation", in the verse above, means administration. The job of bringing the message of grace to the Gentiles had been given to Paul by the Lord Jesus.

Acts 9:15 "But the Lord said unto him, go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:"

In the beginning when Paul had founded the church at Ephesus, they heard that God had called him to bring the gospel message to the Gentiles primarily and to all men as convenience arose. This was, in a sense, Paul's converts and he felt responsible for them knowing the truth.

Ephesians 3:3

"How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words,"

 “As I wrote afore in few words” refers to 1:9-10 and 2:11-22 where the author only touched on “the mystery” which God had “made known” to him. In the most general of terms 1:9-10, identifies this “mystery” as the establishing of a new humanity under the headship of Christ. A bit more specifically, 2:11-22 defines it as the inclusion of Gentile Christians along with Jewish Christians in God’s family. But 3:6 will spell out with even more precision exactly what this mystery entails.

As we said, above, Paul did not learn the good news of the gospel in the school he attended under Gamaliel. His knowledge of the good news of Jesus had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit of God, while he spent 3 years in the Arabian Desert seeking truth of God.

Paul would never have sought for the truth about Jesus, had he not encountered the great Light on the road to Damascus. The writing in a few words was earlier in this letter to Ephesians.

Ephesians 3:4

"Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)"

It was Paul’s intention not simply to declare the mystery but to explain and clarify it. When Ephesian believers, and every subsequent believer, would read his explanations (here stated as an assumed part of Christian living), Paul’s hope was that they would come to understand his God-given insight into the mystery of Christ.

There were many truths hidden and later revealed in the New Testament that are called mysteries. Here is one: Jew and Gentile brought together in one body in the Messiah. Paul not only wrote of the mystery that, in Christ Jew and Gentile become one in God’s sight and in His kingdom and family, but also explained and clarified that truth. He realized that spiritual knowledge must precede practical application. What is not properly understood cannot be properly applied.

Paul had just casually mentioned it before, and now he will go into greater detail about his encounter with Jesus Christ and with his subsequent study through the teaching by the Holy Spirit.

Some of the things, pertaining to Jews and the Gentiles, had to be unlearned of Paul, because in the law, the Jews thought of all Gentiles as unclean heathen people.

Ephesians 3:5

"Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;"

“In other ages was not made known”: Though God had promised universal blessing through Abraham, Genesis 12:3, the full meaning of that promise became clear when Paul wrote Gal. 3:28. Isaiah 49:6 predicted salvation to all races, but it was Paul who wrote of the fulfillment of that pledge, Acts. 13:46-47.

Paul disclosed a truth that not even the greatest prophets understood, that within the church, composed of all the saved since Pentecost in one united body, there would be no racial, social, or spiritual distinctions.

That the divine blessings of salvation would be extended to the Gentiles was made known from Genesis 12:3 onward. That Gentiles could be saved, therefore, was no secret. But a mystery “not made known” in Old Testament times was the incorporation of Jewish and Gentile believers alike as fellow members of the body of Christ. This secret is “now revealed unto his holy apostles and” (Christian) “prophets.”

The other ages that Paul is speaking of, is pertaining to the days of the Old Testament. The Law of Moses was full of ordinances and sacrifices, but offered very little personal fellowship with the Lord. Christianity is so different from the law. The law was fulfilled in Jesus and the Christians are no longer under the regulations the law put upon them.

The “sons of men” refer to mankind in general, not just to God’s chosen people, Israel. Before the church age no person, not even the greatest of God’s prophets, had anything but a glimpse of the truth that Paul now discloses. The Old Testament teachings that relate to this mystery can only be understood clearly in light of New Testament revelation.

Man could not truly understand the things of God. To speak of a person as a son of man, means that he is a flesh man. Jesus paid our debt for us and we Christians have been adopted into the family of God. We are not any longer sons of men, we are sons of God. Sons of God are following the Spirit of God, not the flesh of man.

No one knew the full meaning of God’s promise to Abraham that “in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Gen. 12:3) until Paul wrote, “And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “All the nations shall be blessed in you’”(Gal. 3:8).

No one knew the full meaning of Isaiah’s prediction, “I will also make You a light of the nations so that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth” (Isa. 49:6), until it was explained by Paul to mean the offering of the gospel of Jesus Christ (the Messiah) to the Gentiles as well as the Jews (Acts 13:46-47).

The clues they had in the Old Testament were a mystery to them because too much information was lacking. That is why Jews in the early church, even the apostle Peter (see Acts 10) had such a difficult time accepting Gentile believers as being completely on the same spiritual level as Jews.

And that is why Paul was concerned in this letter to the Ephesians to state and restate, to explain and explain again, that great truth.

Ephesians 3:6

"That the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:"

As mentioned before, it is difficult for us to realize how incredibly revolutionary that truth was to Jews of Paul’s day. In spite of the fact that the Old Testament teaches that Gentiles will be blessed by God (Gen. 12:3; 22:18; 26:4; 28:14), that Gentiles will bless God (Psalm 72), that the Messiah will come to the Gentiles (Isa. 11:10; 49:6; 54:1-3; 60:1-3), that they will be saved by the Messiah (Hos. 1:10; Amos 9:11) and that they will receive the Holy Spirit (Joel 2:28-29).

The idea of including Gentiles in one body with Jews was the spiritual equivalent of saying that lepers were no longer to be isolated, that they were now perfectly free to intermingle and associate with everyone else as normal members of society.

The “mystery” of verse 3 that has just been divinely disclosed, verse 5, is now explicitly defined. It is “that the Gentiles” are to be “fellow heirs,” that is they now enjoy equal share in a heavenly inheritance to which they, unlike the Jews, had no right by birth. And they are “of the same body” as fellow members; that is, Gentiles have been incorporated into the divine family on the same equal footing before God.

They are just as intimately related to the Lord and just as much loved by Him as are their Jewish brethren. And they are “partakers of his promise;” that is, they are fellow partakers of covenant promises from which they were formerly excluded (2:12).

In a word then, the “mystery” is that of Gentile Christians standing on the same even ground of grace before God and of their being equally included in the body of Christ (the church) along with Christian Jews.

All believers in Christ are heirs with Christ.

Romans 8:17 "And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with [him], that we may be also glorified together."

The promises were made to Abraham and his seed.

Galatians 3:29" And if ye [be] Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise."

All Christians, regardless of their status or position before being saved, are now fellow partakes of everything that pertains to Christ through the gospel, which is everything that pertains to Christ.

The catch to all of this is do you belong to Christ? It does not matter whether you are male or female, old or young, or whether you are black or white. The thing that matters is, have you given yourself to Christ? If you do, then you inherit the same promise of faithful Abraham.

Being in Christ through acceptance of the gospel is what creates among believers their perfect and absolutely new society. There can never be true oneness apart from that reality. And there can never be practical unity in the church until Christians realize and live by the positional unity they already have in Christ, their one Lord and Savior.

Ephesians 3:7

"Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power."

No man can make himself a minister (literal servant) of God, because the calling, message, work and empowering of genuine ministry to and for God are His prerogative alone to give. See Acts 26:16; 1 Cor. 15:10; Col. 1:23, 25, 29.

Minister is from diakonos, the basic meaning of which is servant, in particular a servant who waits on tables. It later came to refer to servants in general. By definition, a servant is one who acts on the commands of others, who recognizes and submits to a higher power. His primary responsibility is to do what he is told to do.

Notice, that Paul did not make himself a minister. He was called of God for the purpose of ministering to the Gentiles. Paul is very aware that the grace of God given to him was not because of his deeds, because he had actually been persecuting the Christians when God called him.

1 Corinthians 15:10 “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more that all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with Me”.

It was not Paul’s education, natural abilities, experience, power, personality, influence, or any other such thing that qualified him to be a minister of Jesus Christ. He was made an apostle, a preacher and a servant by the will and power of His Lord. He felt unworthy of any reward, as if he had sought sacrificially to serve in this way.

Not many of us see the same type of dramatic thing that Paul did. God stopped him in his tracks, and set him on a totally new path. The power of God that was so evident in Paul's call was the extremely bright Light that Paul saw. It blinded him for three days and then he received his physical and spiritual sight as a gift from God.

This encounter with the Light {Jesus Christ} transformed Paul from a prejudiced Pharisee to a believing Christian.

Any person in the ministry of the church whom God has not appointed is a usurper. No matter how seemingly good his intentions, he can do nothing but harm to the work of the Lord and to the Lord’s people.

Then or now, the man who is genuinely called by God is in constant danger of losing his effectiveness by coming to think of himself as more that a servant. When he loses his sense of servant hood, at that same time he loses his spiritual power and usefulness.

When he exalts himself and begins to work in his own human power and according to his own plans, he competes with God and forfeits his spiritual power. To lose dependence is to lose everything, because everything that is of any value in our lives, including power for effective service, comes only from the Lord.

Ephesians 3:8

"Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;"

Though an apostle and a specially chosen minister of the mysteries of the gospel, Paul considered himself “the very least of all the saints.” The term “least” is a comparative, indicating less than the least. That was not mock humility, but his honest assessment of himself. In light of God’s perfect righteousness, Paul’s assessment of himself was not false humility but simple honesty. He knew his unworthiness.

This shows just how humble this proud Pharisee had become. He believes that he is not less than just the apostles, but all of the believers who accepted Jesus without question. He had not believed in the beginning. He is questioning why God would choose someone like him, who had not believed in the beginning for such a large task as this.

Paul is saying, that this is not through his own ability he brings this message of the unsearchable riches of Christ. It is Christ in him that is bringing this message to them. Paul is the mouth that God is speaking to them through. This is what makes Paul such a good teacher. It is Christ bringing the message through him.

To the end of his life he considered himself the foremost of sinners (1 Tim. 1:15).

“The unsearchable riches of Christ”: All God’s truths, all His blessings, all that He is and has. The purpose of every preacher is to declare those riches, to tell believers how rich they are in Christ. That is why it is so important for Christians to understand the greatness of their position in the Lord.

Simply knowing about the riches of Christ is not enough, however. When we fall into sin and disobedience we forfeit the present blessing of those riches, just as did the fleshly, disobedient Corinthian believers. Like the Laodiceans, they thought they were rich and in need of nothing, not realizing that they were really “wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked” (Rev. 3:17).

We learned in a previous lesson that Paul was like an ambassador. An ambassador brings the message of the one who sent him, not his own message.

Ephesians 3:9

"And to make all [men] see what [is] the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:"

Paul is saying, in effect, “I am not only called in the vertical area to preach the unfathomable riches of Christ, but in the horizontal area to teach about the administration, the stewardship or dispensation, of the mystery of the church age.” The first area deals with our relationship to God and the second with our daily living and our ministry to each other as fellow believers.

The verse is better read, “And to reveal what is the plan (arrangement) of the mystery, for it has been hidden for ages by God who created all things.” The two reasons for which God gave Paul this grace (“ability”) are (1) to preach the gospel to Gentiles, verse 8, and (2) to disclose God’s plan for implementing the Jew-Gentile mystery in human history.

This message had been concealed for many years, until the time of the cross. The mystery of the fellowship, to me, is the fact that God would even want to fellowship with sinful man. This was God's plan from the beginning. He made man that He might fellowship with him as a Father does with a son.

Jesus created all things. Jesus' name, at the time He created all things, was the Word of God.

John 1:1-3 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." "The same was in the beginning with God." "All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made."

He took on the name Jesus, when He came to the world to save mankind. Paul, in speaking to these people, knew they all believed that the Word of God created everything. His concern was that they realize that Jesus was the Word of God.

Ephesians 3:10

"To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly [places] might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,"

“Principalities … Powers”: Angels, both holy and unholy. God through the church manifest His glory to all the angels. The holy angels rejoice (see Luke 15:10; 1 Peter 1:12) because they are involved with the church. In heavenly places refers to the entire realm of spiritual beings.

Angels are also spoken of in such terms in Eph. 1:21 and Col. 1:16. In Ephesians 6:12 Paul uses similar words in regard to fallen angels. God has brought the church into being for the purpose of manifesting His great wisdom before the angels, both holy and unholy.

The New Testament emphasis is on the holy angels’ concern with the church, but it is obvious that the fallen angels can also to some extent see what is going on, though they have no desire or capacity for praise.

Paul’s disclosure of this mystery teaches angels (“principalities and powers in heavenly places”) of God’s wisdom.

This is speaking to the end that those who God has given limited authority to in the heavenlies were not really aware of this, until Jesus was victorious on the cross. Lucifer, the old devil, really thought that the cross was defeat for Jesus, when, in fact, it was His greatest victory. The church, of course, is the believers in Christ.

Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to the believers to teach us all things. Jesus said Himself that He had not hidden things from those who believe. The Holy Spirit of God opens our understanding to the things of God.

Matthew 11:25-27 "At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes." "Even so Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight." "All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and [he] to whomsoever the Son will reveal [him]."

The worldly people have eyes to see, but they do not see, because their understanding has not been opened. The wisdom of God is so far above the normal understanding that even the angels in heaven did not understand, until it was revealed to them by God.

Ephesians 3:11

"According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:"

Paul continues to explain that everything God has ever done has had the ultimate purpose of giving Himself glory. As Paul declares elsewhere, “there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things, and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him” 1 Cor. 8:6), and “All things have been created by Him and for Him” (1 Col. 1:16).

The church does not exist simply for the purpose of saving souls, though that is a marvelous and important work. The supreme purpose of the church, as Paul makes explicit here, is to glorify God by manifesting His wisdom before the angels, who can then offer greater praise to God. The purpose of the universe is to give glory to God, and that will be its ultimate reality after all evil is conquered and destroyed.

The holy angels not only are interested in the salvation of men (1 Peter 1:12) but constantly watch the face of God in heaven to see His reaction to the treatment of His saved earthly children (Mat. 18:10, 14), standing ready to carry out any mission in their behalf.

In the classroom of God’s universe, He is the Teacher, the angels are the students, the church is the illustration, and the subject is the manifold wisdom of God.

God is not like man that He should be influenced by circumstances. Salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord was part of the eternal plan of God. This was all decided by God, even before He made man. His purpose was the salvation of man.

It was always the plan for Jesus to save His people who believed in Him, by giving Himself as sacrifice for them. We are just as if we had never sinned, because of the blood that Jesus shed to pay our debt to God in full. The law was fulfilled totally in this.

There was nothing left for us to sacrifice. He paid it all when He took our sin on His body, and He became our substitute. Salvation for all mankind is in the Lord Jesus Christ. There is salvation in no other.

Ephesians 3:12

"In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him."

When we put our faith in Jesus Christ we can freely come to God and share in all of heaven’s unfathomable riches. In Judaism only the high priest could enter the presence of God in the Holy of Holies, and that but briefly once a year on the Day of Atonement. For anyone else to come into God’s presence meant instant death.

But now, Paul says, every person who comes to Christ in faith can come before God at any time and with boldness and confident access. That is the privilege within the mystery of the church.

Heb. 4:15-16: “For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and may find grace to help in time of need”.

We are not to be flippant or irreverent but are to come to the Lord with an honest, open heart – in freedom of speech and freedom of spirit. Confident access is trust that knows no fear of rejection, because we belong to Him (1 Tim. 3:13).

“Access with confidence”: Every person who comes to Christ in faith can come before God at any time, not in self-confidence but in Christ-confidence.

This verse affirms that Christians “have boldness” (freedom of speech before God) “and access” (the right of entering His presence”) “with confidence” (assurance of being heard by God) “by the faith of him” (through relying upon Christ to gain God’s ear).

The veil of the temple was rent from the top to the bottom at the moment Jesus cried, it is finished on the cross. This signified that Jesus had opened the way to the Father for all who would believe. Jesus is the Way. No man cometh to the Father, but by Him. He is the door that we must walk through on our way to the Father.

The door in heaven is now open to all the Christians. We can boldly go to the throne of God, knowing that we are in right standing with God, because we are washed in the blood of the Lord Jesus. We now pray directly to the Father in the name of Jesus Christ.

We Christians are now the sons of God. We have been purchased with the precious blood of Jesus. We are even allowed to use the special endearing name for the Father "Abba". Only His children call Him by that name.

Romans 8:15 "For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father."