Commentary - Ephesians 3:1-13

Bird's-eye view

In this section of his letter, the apostle Paul takes a brief, but glorious, parenthetical detour. He begins to pray for the Ephesians, but before he can get into the substance of his prayer, he feels compelled to explain the foundation of it all, which is his unique calling and the message he was given. He is a prisoner, not of Rome, but of Christ Jesus Himself, and his chains are a direct result of the message he preached: the full inclusion of the Gentiles into the people of God. This great secret, which he calls the "mystery," was hidden for ages but has now been revealed by the Spirit. The mystery is that Gentiles are now co-heirs, co-members of the body, and co-partakers of the promise. The church, this unified body of Jew and Gentile, is not a divine afterthought. It is the very instrument through which God is now displaying His multifaceted wisdom to the angelic powers, both good and evil. Paul's suffering, therefore, is not a cause for despair but is their glory, a testament to the truth of this world-altering gospel.

This passage is a profound meditation on God's sovereign plan in history. It moves from Paul's personal circumstances in a Roman cell to the eternal purpose of God conceived before time began. The church is revealed to be at the very center of God's cosmic agenda. The gospel Paul preaches is not just about individual salvation, but about the creation of a new humanity in Christ, a reality so profound that it becomes a lesson for the angels. This understanding is what gives believers boldness and access to God, and it is what should prevent them from losing heart in the face of affliction.

Outline

Context In Ephesians

Ephesians 3:1-13 functions as an extended parenthesis. Paul begins a sentence in verse 1, "For this reason I, Paul...", which he does not complete until verse 14, where he picks it up again with "For this reason I bow my knees...". This entire section is an excursus that explains his authority and the nature of his ministry. It flows directly from the stunning conclusion of chapter 2, where Paul declared that Christ has abolished the hostility between Jew and Gentile, creating one new man and building them together into a holy temple, a dwelling place for God. Before praying for this new temple to be strengthened, Paul pauses to marvel at his own role as the minister chosen to announce this previously hidden reality. This section, therefore, provides the theological grounding for both the prayer that follows and the practical instructions for unity that will dominate the second half of the epistle.

Key Issues

God's Open Secret

The word "mystery" in our modern context usually means a riddle to be solved, a whodunit. But the biblical use of the word mysterion is different. It refers not to something unknowable, but to something that was once hidden and is now revealed. It is an open secret. For centuries, God's plan of redemption was veiled, spoken of in types and shadows. The Old Testament was full of promises that the Gentiles would be blessed through Abraham's seed, but the precise nature of that blessing, the exact way they would be incorporated into the people of God, was not made clear. The mystery is not that Gentiles would be saved, but that they would be saved and made part of the very same body as believing Jews, with no distinction, enjoying the status of fellow heirs and fellow members. This was the bombshell. This was the truth that was now, in the fullness of time, being broadcast from the housetops by the apostles, and it is this truth that forms the foundation of the one holy, catholic, and apostolic church.

Verse by Verse Commentary

1 For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles,

Paul begins by identifying himself not by his authority, but by his affliction. He is a prisoner. But notice whose prisoner he is. He is not, fundamentally, a prisoner of Nero or of the Roman state. He is the prisoner of Christ Jesus. His Lord is sovereign over his chains, and his imprisonment serves the Lord's purposes. Furthermore, his chains are directly connected to his mission. He is in prison "on behalf of you Gentiles." It was his very message of Gentile inclusion on equal footing with Jews, without the requirement of circumcision, that so inflamed his countrymen and led to his arrest. His chains are a testament to the truth of the gospel he preaches to them.

2 if indeed you heard of the stewardship of God’s grace which was given to me for you;

The "if" here is not expressing doubt, but is a rhetorical way of saying, "Assuming, as I am sure you have..." They had certainly heard of his ministry. He calls it a "stewardship," or an oikonomia in the Greek. This is the word for the management of a household. God is the master of a great house, and He has a plan for how it is to be run. Paul was appointed as a steward, a manager, entrusted with a specific task: to dispense the riches of God's grace to the Gentiles. The gospel was not his to hoard or to alter; it was a sacred trust given to him for their benefit.

3-4 that by revelation there was made known to me the mystery, as I wrote before in brief. About which, when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ,

Paul's understanding was not the product of his own rabbinic training or intellectual genius. It was given to him directly "by revelation" from God. This refers to the direct encounters he had with the risen Christ. The "mystery," this previously hidden plan, was unveiled to him. He mentions that he has already touched on this "in brief" earlier in the letter (e.g., Eph 1:9-10; 2:11-22). He writes this so that when they read it, they can share in his understanding. This is a crucial point about the nature of Scripture. It is not a collection of opaque riddles. It is God's clear communication, and through reading what the apostles wrote, we can have the same insight into the mystery of Christ that they had.

5 which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it was now revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit:

Here he clarifies the timeline of this revelation. This was not common knowledge in "other generations." The Old Testament saints looked forward in faith, but they did not see the fulfillment with the clarity that the New Covenant church enjoys. The full picture was "now revealed." And to whom? To God's "holy apostles and prophets." This refers to the foundational, authoritative offices of the New Testament church. The revelation came "in the Spirit," emphasizing that this is a divine work, not a human discovery.

6 that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel,

This verse is the heart of the mystery, the content of the revelation. Paul heaps up three compound words to drive the point home. Gentiles are now: 1. Fellow heirs. They inherit all the covenant promises of God right alongside believing Jews. 2. Fellow members of the body. They are not a separate entity or a junior annex; they are incorporated into the one body of Christ, the church. 3. Fellow partakers of the promise. The great promise of salvation and the indwelling Spirit is theirs. All of this is "in Christ Jesus" and comes "through the gospel." There is no other way in, for Jew or Gentile.

7 of which I was made a minister, according to the gift of God’s grace which was given to me according to the working of His power.

Paul returns to his own role. He did not apply for this job. He was "made a minister." It was a "gift of God's grace." He never forgot that he was the chief of sinners, a persecutor of the church, and that his apostleship was a pure, unmerited gift. And this ministry did not operate on his own strength, but "according to the working of His power." The God who powerfully saved him is the same God who powerfully works through him.

8 To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to proclaim to the Gentiles the good news of the unfathomable riches of Christ,

Here we see the inverse relationship between grace and pride. The greater the apprehension of grace, the deeper the humility. Paul does not see himself as the greatest apostle, but as the "very least of all saints." This is not false modesty; it is the honest assessment of a man who knows what he was and what he has been given. And what was this grace given for? To preach. To announce the good news of the "unfathomable riches of Christ." The wealth that is in Christ cannot be measured, surveyed, or exhausted. It is a bottomless treasure.

9 and to bring to light for all what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God who created all things;

His task is to illuminate, to make plain for everyone to see, God's grand plan. He again calls it the "administration" or stewardship of the mystery. This plan was not a recent invention. It was hidden "for ages in God." This takes us back before Abraham, before Adam, into the eternal counsels of the Godhead. And lest we think this is a minor affair, Paul reminds us that this is the plan of the God "who created all things." The one who spoke the cosmos into existence is the same one who is now creating this new humanity, the church.

10 so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places.

This is one of the most staggering verses in the Bible. It gives us the "so that," the purpose of the mystery. The church, this assembly of redeemed sinners from every tribe and tongue, Jew and Gentile, now exists as a cosmic object lesson. Through the church, God is putting His "manifold wisdom" on display. The Greek word is polypoikilos, which means multi-colored or richly varied. And who is the audience for this display? The "rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places." This refers to the entire angelic realm, both the elect angels who rejoice and the fallen demons who rage. The church is God's theater, and the angels are learning about the depth and brilliance of God's wisdom by watching Him work in us. Our unity, our love, and our faithfulness are a sermon preached to the heavens.

11 This was in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord,

This grand cosmic display is not an improvisation. It is all part of a script written in eternity. It is the outworking of God's "eternal purpose." History is not a series of random events; it is the unfolding of a divine plan, and the center of that plan, the agent through whom it is all accomplished, is Christ Jesus our Lord.

12 in whom we have boldness and confident access through faith in Him.

The result of this grand, eternal, cosmic plan is intensely personal. Because we are "in Him," in Christ, we have "boldness." We can speak freely to God. We have "confident access." We can draw near to the throne of grace without fear, not because of who we are, but because of our "faith in Him." Our access is not based on our performance, but on His finished work.

13 Therefore I ask you not to lose heart at my afflictions on your behalf, which are your glory.

Paul brings it all back to his starting point. "Therefore," in light of this glorious, eternal, cosmic plan in which you are central, do not be discouraged by my chains. My sufferings are not a defeat for the gospel; they are a validation of it. They are the cost of bringing this mystery to you. In a profound sense, my afflictions are "your glory." They are the seal of the authenticity of the message you have received and the love of the apostle who brought it.

Application

First, we must recover a high view of the church. The church is not a religious social club or a vendor of spiritual goods and services. It is the body of Christ, the temple of the Holy Spirit, and the centerpiece of God's eternal purpose. It is the theater in which God is displaying His manifold wisdom to the universe. How we conduct ourselves in the church, our pursuit of unity, and our faithfulness to the gospel has cosmic significance. The angels are watching.

Second, we must understand the nature of true humility. Paul, an apostle with unparalleled revelations, considered himself the "very least of all saints." True Christian maturity does not lead to swagger, but to a profound sense of unworthiness in the face of the "unfathomable riches of Christ." Our confidence is not in ourselves, but in the God who gave us a ministry we did not earn and a salvation we could never deserve.

Finally, we must learn to see our suffering in light of God's glorious plan. Paul did not see his chains as a tragedy but as a tool. His afflictions served the gospel and were a source of glory for the churches he served. When we suffer for our faith, we should not lose heart. It is a sign that we are participating in the same mystery for which Paul was imprisoned. Our faithfulness in trial is part of the sermon the church is preaching to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.