Ephesians- Chapter 3- Lesson 2-Verses 6-8

Verse 6
Paul’s revelation of the mystery hidden through the ages.   See Colossians 1: 26-27.
I) That the Gentiles should be:
A)  Fellow- heirs, Romans 8: 17 says we are joint heirs with Christ.  Think of the implications of this standing!
B) Of the same body, refer back to chapter 2, verses11-21.  This is the experiential aspect of the mystery.  Add to this thought the fact that we are baptized into Christ Romans 6: 3-11, therefore we are seated together with him in heavenly places.  This is the positional aspect of the mystery that assures the future aspects of resurrection and exaltation to sit with him as his bride on his throne.  Revelation 3: 21.
C) Partakers of his promise- Galatians 3:14 talks about the Gentiles might enjoy the blessings of Abraham, that blessing culminating in the promise of a “seed” which is Christ.  The next thing mentioned in this verse is the promise of the Spirit, the Comforter Jesus promised in John 16.  The indwelling of God with his people for which Jesus prayed in John 17: 26.  God has always desired to dwell with his people as illustrated in the tabernacle which he commanded Moses to build, so that he might dwell among them.
II) This promised is secured “in Christ”.  He is our hope, anchored, secured within the veil.
III) By the gospel- What is the gospel, a message of glad tidings, of pardon full and free.  A pardon that removes the enmity and makes man and God friends, even as Abraham who was called the friend of God. See John 15: 13-15.
Verse 7
I) Wherefore I was made a minister.  Colossians 1: 25
A) The word minister is the word translated in other places “deacon”.
1) Deacons do not choose (run for) the office, they are selected by the church.  It is a duty thrust upon them.
2) God thrust this duty upon him. Acts 9: 15-16 and Romans 15:15-16.
II) According to:
A) The gift of grace, this was no natural talent or ability.  God enabled Paul for the task assigned.  In the parables of the talents and pounds, the master’s condemnation was that the gift was not put to use, not what it had gained.  Paul states God had given him a gift and he had put it to use, risked failure, but had not failed.
B) By the effectual working of his power. Now he states why he had not failed.  It was;
1) The effectual working- this is one Greek word from which we get our word energy.  It speaks of power or energy designed to accomplish a task.  The same word is found in Hebrews 4: 12 speaking of the word of God.  It is self-sufficient, in it is the energy needed to divide asunder….
2) Power, Greek word from which we get dynamite.  The power of dynamite is within its makeup, there is no outside influence.  The Holy Ghost in Paul was the dynamic needed to complete the task.  Just as the sower sowing seed, the sowers responsibility is to sow the seed, once sown the life in within the seed, God maketh it to grow.  Psalm 126, our responsibility is to sow, God’s is to give the increase.
Verse 8
I) Unto me- is not a boast but an admission of the fact that duty was laid upon him and no doubt of marvel.
II) Who am less…  In 1 Corinthians 15: 9 the he is the least of the apostles; in This Epistle he is least of saints; in 1 Timothy he is chief of sinners.  These statements appear in the order of writing, it appears the older he got the more he realized just how bad he really was.  Though no doubt outwardly he was being conformed to the image of Christ, inwardly he realized just how bad he really was and how far he by the grace of God had come.  I remember an old saint in his eighties telling me that it never ceased to amaze him how much trouble he had with sin even though many of the outward temptations of the flesh were no longer the problem they once were.
III) This grace was given- again there is no doubt that Paul was amazed that God would entrust him with such a duty.
IV) The grace entrust was the honor of preaching the gospel to the gentiles.
V) The unsearchable riches of Christ- unsearchable is a track that cannot be explored.  If this is true then how much is there to be discovered?
Men have such a difficulty accepting salvation by grace that they do not seem willing to delve into all the things that God has wrought in Christ and really let their minds carry them into the vast expanse of the grace of God.