Ephesians 3:1-6

Here's another Ephesians entry for you all to chew on.

INTO
Paul is writing the final chapter on theology to the Ephesians.

THROUGH
This selection also happens to be one long sentence, and doesn't even end at chapter six. He begins by introducing himself as a prisoner, and introducing a reason for why he is that way (v.1). Explaining that God "dispensed" His good grace on Paul for the sake of the Gentiles (v.2) in the form of the revelation of the mystery of God's truth - which he mentioned earlier in the letter (v.3) so they could understand his own knowledge of the mysteries of God (v.4). He continues by clarifying that this truth he reveals can be considered a mystery because it was not previously revealed to the "sons of men (v.5)." The final verse in this section finally gives the reason for the "dispensation of grace" mentioned in verse one, and that is so that the Gentiles could also be included in Christianity and the promise of glory and a relationship with God (v.6).

BEYOND
There are a few interesting things about this passage, the first one being that Paul names himself a prisoner of Christ. I would venture to say that this is a hardcore viewpoint, but true nonetheless. The attitude of Scripture seems to be that we are either a slave to sin or a slave to Christ. Our master is one or the other, not both, and not neither. This passage is just one example of that attitude. James also introduces himself in the same type of way - as a bondservant of Christ. We should submit ourselves to Christ to the point where we are as a slave. It's not as if this is going to be a terribly difficult task. Jesus promised that His yoke is easy and His burden light (Matt. 11:30); I just think that people, because they dont like the words slave, submit, or servant, make it harder than it has to be. Christ also promised that He will be helping us along the way the whole time, and we have access to His strength if we need help (Deut. 31:6, Heb 13:4, Phil 4:13).

The second part of the passage that stuck out to me was the fact that Paul calls God's truth a mystery and a revelation. We've been talking about truth in class, and this is one example of a truth that man could not have "figured out." This troubles me sometimes as there is generally no way to test this type of truth. I suppose what we can do is test it against the other Scripture we have, and that seems to be a more valid way even than using logic or experience (1 Cor 2:14). Sometimes we misinterpret experience, and then theres always the possibility of committing a logical fallacy if the logical path is chosen. In any case, it's comforting to know that God did reveal this truth to us through Paul, and I'm sure there are still other truths to be revealed to us later.

The last aspect of the passage that seemed prominent was the truth itself. It is that Gentiles also have a place in Christianity (i.e. if you're not a Jew, that is a direct descendant of one the twelve sons of Jacob, which I am not, this is for you). We get to have access to the Lord, which is a great truth, and probably the greatest comfort we can have. Frankly I like the idea of saving my life, and if I have to lose my life for Christ's sake to do that, so be it (Matt. 10:39, 16:25).