Ephesians chapter 3.

[@@Paul@@]

Some comments i have on chapter 3.There is some tricky things going one here… If we’re careful, we can catch it.

Eph 3:1-21 KJV
(1) For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles,​

Paul starts out saying “For this cause” and then says, “I Paul, the prisoner…” He does not say for what cause, yet. He gives us his title “Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles”, and then explains WHY he called himself that NOT the cause.

(2) If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward:
(3) How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words,
(4) Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)
(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;
(6) That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:
(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.
(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;​

Here we see a “mystery” being further revealed. See verse 5. “…not made known ….as it is now revealed…” what Paul was speaking of must have been revealed to some extent previously. It was never known, as it is NOW being revealed, but it was known. As this is also further clarified in most of Pauls writings and the book of Acts: It’s always “by the scriptures and the prophets OR since the beginning of the world… Look in Acts 28, Paul was teaching the Jews, out of the scriptures, the “kingdom of God”.

Act 28:23 And when they had appointed him a day, there came many to him into his lodging; to whom he expounded and testified the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses, and out of the prophets, from morning till evening.​

When writing His word the Holy Ghost is always aware which words He chooses to describe things… If something is being taught out of the law or the prophets, it must have been made known (to some extent).

(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:
(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,
(11) According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:
(12) In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.
(13) Wherefore I desire that ye faint not at my tribulations for you, which is your glory.​

Again, we are still learning WHY Paul referred to himself as a prisoner for the gentiles (see verse 1). As we noticed above, the “mystery of Christ” (verse 4) had been made known to some extent before by the law and by the prophets. Now we see a “fellowship of the mystery” which was Hid in God. This is not a coincidence… Something that was Hid in God could never have been revealed previously, at all.

(14) For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,​

Ah, now we finally get to “For this cause”. Now, to figure out “what cause” Paul is referring to, we have to re-read chapters 1 and 2. Remember, there was no chapter breaks in the Greek.

Eph 2:22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.​

(15) Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,
(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;
(17) That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,
(18) May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;
(19) And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.
(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,
(21) Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.​

So in verses 2-13 Paul was explaining WHY he gave himself the title in verse 1. He was not explaining “the cause” yet. It’s not until verse 4 where we see what he was going to do for “this cause”.
Because of what he wrote in chapters 1 and 2 Paul was bowing his “knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ”. That’s quite a humbling action for a man that was just wishing to be “...accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh: (Rom 9:3 KJV)”

It’s because of what our Lord Jesus Christ did for US that Paul was bowing his knees. Personally, I was so humbled when I finished chapter one because of what God has given and done for us (and even more so what He’s making),,,,,, It changed my life and I get it. I get what Paul was trying to do…

 

[KleinerApfel]

Hello @@Paul@@,

Ephesians is a wonderful letter isn't it?

Bear in mind that the original text was exactly that - a letter.
Now I don't know about you, but I never mark chapters and verses in my letters!

So when we read at the beginning of a "chapter", imposed by scribes much later for their convenience, we need to go back and relate the new statement to the words of the preceding "chapter."

Sometimes chapters and verses seem to fall in the most peculiar places, and can hinder the flow of the original author. We end up with the ridiculous situation of a chapter beginning "therefore" so often. I don't know how the scribes decided where to divide things, but sometimes it has been less than helpful!

Keep on enjoying the book, blessings, Susana

 

[kensky]

Some comments i have on chapter 3.There is some tricky things going one here… If we’re careful, we can catch it.

Eph 3:1-21 KJV

(1) For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles,
​

Paul starts out saying “For this cause” and then says, “I Paul, the prisoner…” He does not say for what cause, yet. He gives us his title “Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles”, and then explains WHY he called himself that NOT the cause.

.

…

i think paul, did not hired the services of an ammenuasis to write this letter. an ammenuasis usually transcribed or writes the letter for a person. so the style might be quite different than the other books of Paul. jews think chiastically, jews doesn't think in a clear, cut logical pattern for that is how westerns think. when we say chiastic, for example:

in a certain chapter w/c has 20 verses, the first 5 talks about freedom, 6-14 talks about Christ's death, then again in 15-20 it talks about freedom. this verse shows a chiastic structure because the topics are not addressed in a logical and chronological way just as we, today think.

try to study hermeneutics, don't just interpret the verses by itself alone, it might be that chapter 3 is still part of the flow of thought of chapter 2 or chapter 3 is a part of chapter 4. what determines the thought flow is the change in the main of what the verses are saying, don't use the chapter divisions to determine the flow of thought but determine it with the topic that flows, you can easily notice it with as you read slowly and critically of the verses and examining it if the verse you are currently reading is still part of that topic. remember, letters don't have chapter divisions and back then letters don't have divisions, you have to find out the flow of thought back then w/c if we compared to our method of writing is very confusing.

 

[Patt Myle]

You lead a good study on Ephesians 3 on this forumn boad

God bless