Ephesians 3:1–13

Paul begins in Ephesians 3:1 intending to utter an intercessory prayer but breaks off immediately, to resume in 3:14, where he repeats his opening phrase, “For this reason ….” The seeming digression of 3:2–13 describes the stewardship entrusted to Paul by God’s grace—the apostle’s ministry to the Gentiles and its relationship to the “mystery of Christ” (3:4)—and it becomes a paradigm of how believers’ individual and corporate ministries are integral to this glorious plan of God.

Digression.

Surprisingly, Paul, the prisoner of Caesar prefers to call himself “the prisoner of Christ Jesus” (3:1). Here is a prisoner who, in earlier chapters of Ephesians, was extolling the triumph of the God he serves, the God who has exalted Christ as cosmic lord and is consummating all things in him. How can the ambassador of such a great God be a humble captive in the dungeons of a pagan emperor? Indeed, Paul’s captivity reflected the daily experience of God’s people—outnumbered, insignificant, weak, and suffering. If these saints were co-citizens being co-fitted and co-built into the dwelling of the glorious God (2:19–22), should not this privileged position of Christians be reflected in actuality now?

Digressive paradox: God’s people, the dwelling of God the Spirit, in humble circumstances.

In 3:2 (and in 3:9), Paul sees himself playing a definitive role as a preacher to the Gentiles, a steward in God’s grand plan. “The consummation of all things in Christ” (1:10), God’s cosmic plan to bring all things to completion and in alignment to his will in the fullness of time, was a “mystery” that had not been “made known” to humanity (3:5). But now it had now been “revealed” to God’s apostles and prophets by the Holy Spirit (3:5), a company that included Paul himself, to whom the “revelation” was “made known” (3:3). The “mystery” here is specifically about those who were once outside now being introduced into a new sphere of life, into a new “in-Christ” realm (2:11–22; 3:6). Thus, despite his paradoxical situation as a prisoner, in the wondrous divine action of consummating all things in Christ, Paul played a major role.

The digressive paradox: God’s people, the dwelling of God the Spirit, in humble circumstances. Yet God uses his people mightily.

This use of Paul in this divine action was entirely a matter of grace (3:2–3, 7–8). This focus on divine grace is hard to miss. Throughout this pericope, there is a preponderance of passive verbs: “was given” (3:2), “was made known” (3:3), “was not made known” and “has been revealed” (3:5), “was made a minister” and “was given” (3:7), “was given” (3:8), “has been hidden” (3:9), and “might be made known” (3:10). These (divine) passives underscore God as the subject of the divine actions: Paul was engraced by God to be a part of the grand divine program to consummate all things in Christ. It is no different for the ministry of the church or that of any individual believer—it is all by grace.

The digressive paradox: God’s people, the dwelling of God the Spirit, in humble circumstances. Yet God uses his people mightily, not because of who, what, or where they are, but because of divine grace.

The reader gets the distinct sense that even though Paul’s commission was unique, all the saints are also involved in this magnificent project, all engraced by God. Paul labels himself: “less than the least [literally, “leaster,” a word Paul coins] of all the saints” (3:8). Ironically, this imprisoned, “less-than-the-least”-ranked saint—a prisoner!—is the one who is part of the grand plan of God (3:8). Despite Paul’s “leasterness” (3:8), God’s work is manifest. And therefore, everything that is accomplished through Paul is acknowledged to be of God, and of God alone.

The digressive paradox: God’s people, the dwelling of God the Spirit, in humble circumstances. Yet God uses his people mightily, not because of who, what, or where they are, but because of divine grace. And if God can use Paul, less than the least of all, surely he can use all his children!

All God’s people, too, are engraced and empowered for great things, for it is “through the church”—i.e., the unity of this body—that God’s wisdom is manifested (3:10). If Paul, the “leaster” of the saints, could be so used, how much more the rest of the company, who have “boldness and access in confidence” to God (3:12). Therefore, believers are not to “lose heart” (3:13).

Paul’s divinely empowered role in the administration of God’s plan forms a paradigm for the ministry of all believers, as God is made known to the cosmos through the church.