Albert Barnes Commentary Ephesians 3

Ephesians Chapter 3

ANALYSIS OF CHAPTER 3

This chapter properly consists of three parts:

1. 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 on 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.

2. 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 on 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.

3. 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).

For this cause. On account of preaching this doctrine; that is, the doctrine that the gospel was to be proclaimed to the Gentiles.

I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ. A prisoner in the service of the Lord Jesus, or made a prisoner in His cause. He was not a prisoner for crime, or debt, or as a captive in war, but a captive in the service of the Redeemer.

This status as a prisoner proves that at the time of writing this, Paul was in bonds, and there can be no question that he was in Rome.

This phrase would be more correctly rendered, For this cause I, Paul, am the prisoner, etc. So Tyndale renders it, For this cause I, Paul, the servant of Jesus, am in bonds. Locke, Rosenmüller, Doddridge, Whitby, Koppe, and others also understand it this way. By this construction, the abruptness now apparent in our common version is avoided.

For you Gentiles. That is, made a prisoner at Rome on your behalf, because I maintained that the gospel was to be preached to the Gentiles .

He was taken first to Caesarea and then to Rome. The cause of his imprisonment and all his difficulties was that he maintained that the gospel was to be preached to the Gentiles; that when the Jews rejected it, God rejected them; and that he was specially called to carry the message of salvation to the heathen world.

If you have heard. eige. "If at least, if indeed, if so be, spoken of what is taken for granted." Robinson. Compare to 2 Corinthians 5:3; Galatians 3:4; Ephesians 4:21; Colossians 1:23, for the use of the particle. The particle here is not designed to express a doubt whether they had heard of it or not, for he takes it for granted that they had.

Doddridge renders it, "Since I well know you have heard," etc. He had informed them of his being called to be the minister to the Gentiles (Ephesians 3:3), but still there was a possibility that they had not received the letter containing the information, and he goes, therefore, into another statement on the subject, that they might fully comprehend it.

Hence this long parenthetical sentence—one of the longest that occurs in the writings of Paul, and expressed under the impulse of a mind full of the subject; so full, as we would say, that he did not know what to say first. Hence it is exceedingly difficult to understand the exact state of mind in which he was.

It seems to me that the whole of this long statement grew out of the incidental mention (Ephesians 3:1) of the fact that he was a prisoner for the Gentiles. Instantly he seems to have reflected that they would be grieved at the intelligence that he was suffering on their account.

He goes, therefore, into this long account to show them how it happened: that it was by the appointment of God; that it was in the evolving of a great and glorious mystery; that it was in a cause adapted to promote, in an eminent degree, the glory of God; that it was according to an eternal purpose. And he, therefore (Ephesians 3:13), says that he desires that they would not "faint" or be unduly distressed on account of his sufferings for them, since his sufferings were designed to promote their "glory." He was comforted in the belief that he was making known the glorious and eternal plan of God, and in the belief that it was for the welfare of mankind; and he, therefore, entreated them also not to be troubled inordinately at his sufferings.

The dispensation, Greek economy; rendered stewardship (Luke 16:2–4); and dispensation (Ephesians 1:10, 3:2; Colossians 1:25).

See Barnes on Ephesians 1:10.

It means here that this arrangement was made that he should be the apostle to the Gentiles. In the assignment of the different parts of the work of preaching the gospel, the office had been committed to him of making it known to the Gentiles.

Of the grace of God. In the arrangements of his grace.

Which is given me to you-ward. Toward you who are Gentiles. Not to the Ephesians particularly, but to the nations at large. See Barnes on Galatians 2:7.

How that by revelation. See Barnes on Galatians 1:12.

He refers to the revelation that was made to him when he was called to the apostolic office—that the gospel was to be preached to the Gentiles, and that he was converted for the special purpose of carrying it to them. See Acts 9:15; Acts 22:21.

Unto me the mystery. The previously concealed truth that the gospel was to be preached to the Gentiles. See Barnes on Ephesians 1:9, on the meaning of the word mystery.

As I wrote afore in few words (Margin: a little before). Commentators do not agree on what this refers to. Bloomfield, Doddridge, Rosenmuller, Erasmus, Grotius, Locke, and others suppose that he refers to what he had written in the two previous chapters regarding the plan of God to call the Gentiles to his kingdom.

Calvin supposes that he refers to some former epistle which he had written to them, but which is now lost. He remarks in regard to this, "If the solicitude of Paul be rightly considered; if his vigilance and assiduity; if his zeal and studious habits; if his kindness and promptitude in assisting his brethren, it is easy to suppose that he wrote many epistles, publicly and privately, to this place and to that place. But those only which the Lord saw necessary to the welfare of his church has he taken care to have preserved."

In this opinion there is nothing in itself improbable (compare Introduction to Isaiah, § 6).

(1.)—But it may be doubted whether Paul here refers to any such epistle. The addition which he makes, whereby, when ye read, etc., seems rather to imply that he refers to what he had just written.

Whereby when ye read. By simply reading this, you may understand the view I hold concerning the plan of salvation, and the knowledge I have of God's method of saving people, particularly His intention regarding the salvation of the Gentiles.

In the mystery of Christ. This does not refer to anything mysterious in the person of Christ, or the union of the Divine and human nature in Him, or to anything difficult to understand in the work of the atonement. It means the previously concealed doctrine that through the Messiah the Gentiles were to be received into the same privileges as the Jews, and that the plan of salvation was to be made equally free for all. This great truth had been previously concealed, or only partially understood, and Paul says that he was appointed to make it known to the world. His knowledge on the subject, he says, could be understood by what he had written, and from that they could judge whether he was qualified to state and defend the doctrines of the Gospel.

Paul evidently supposed that the knowledge he had on this subject was of eminent value, that it was possessed by few, and that it was important to understand it. Therefore, he dwells on it. He speaks of the glory of that truth. He traces it back to the counsels of God. He shows that it entered into His eternal plans, and he evidently felt that the truth he had communicated in the earlier part of this epistle was among the most important that could come before the mind.

Which in other ages. The great purposes of God regarding the salvation of mankind were not revealed (see Barnes on Romans 16:25).

And prophets. Those who exercised the office of a prophet or inspired teacher in the Christian church (see Barnes on 1 Corinthians 12:1).

By the Spirit. This proves that those who exercised the office of prophet in the Christian church were inspired. They were persons endowed in this manner for the purpose of imparting to the newly-formed churches the doctrines of the Christian system.

There is no evidence that this was designed to be a permanent order of men in the church. They were necessary for settling the church on a permanent basis, in the absence of a full written revelation, and when the apostles were away. When the volume of revelation was finished, and the doctrines of the gospel were fully understood, the functions of the office ceased.