The Nature and Design of Paul’s Commission, Vs. 1-13 —His Prayer for the Ephesians, Vs. 14-21
SECTION I.—Vs. 1-13
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For this cause, I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles,
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if ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward:
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how that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery, as I wrote afore in few words;
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whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ,
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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;
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that the Gentiles should be fellow-heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:
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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.
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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;
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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:
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to the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be
known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,
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according to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:
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in whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.
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Wherefore I desire that ye faint not at my tribulations for you, which is your glory.
ANALYSIS.
The office which Paul had received was that of an apostle to the Gentiles, vs. 1-2. For this office he was qualified by direct revelation from Jesus Christ, concerning the purpose of redemption, of his knowledge of which the preceding portions of his epistle, were sufficient evidence, vs. 3, 4. The special truth, now more plainly revealed than ever before, was the union of the Gentiles with the Jews as joint partakers of the promise of redemption, by means of the gospel, vs. 5, 6. As the gospel is the means of bringing the Gentiles to this fellowship with the saints, Paul was, by the special grace and almighty power of God, converted and made a minister of the gospel, vs. 7, 8. The object of his ministry was to make known the unsearchable riches of Christ, and enlighten men as to the purpose of redemption which had from eternity been hid in the divine mind, v. 9. And the object or design of redemption itself is the manifestation of the wisdom of God to principalities and powers in heaven, v. 10. This glorious purpose has been executed in Christ, in whom we as redeemed have free access to God. Afflictions endured in such a cause were no ground of depression, but rather of glory, vs. 11-13.
COMMENTARY.
V. 1. For this cause, i. e. because you Gentiles are fellow-citizens of the saints, and specially because you Ephesians are included in the temple of God.
As there is no verb of which the words, ἐγὼ Παῦλος, I Paul, are the nominative, there is great diversity of opinion as to the proper construction of the passage. The most common view is that the sentence here begun is recommenced and finished in v. 14, where the words, “For this cause” are repeated. The apostle intended saying at the beginning of the chapter what he says in v. 14. “For this cause, I Paul, bow my knees,” i. e. ‘because you Ephesians have been brought to God, I pray for your confirmation and growth in grace.’
Others supply simply the substantive verb (εἰμὶ). ‘For this cause I am the prisoner of Jesus Christ.’ But in this case to say the least, the article (ὁ δέσμιος) before the predicate is unnecessary. Others make the clause, the prisoner of Christ, to be in apposition to I Paul, and supply the predicate I am a prisoner. The sense would then be, ‘I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ, am a prisoner, and in bonds for you Gentiles.’ This is better than any of the various modes of explanation which have been proposed, except the one first mentioned, which gives a far better sense. It is far more elevated and more in keeping with Paul’s character, for him to say, ‘Because you are now part of God’s spiritual temple, I pray for your confirmation and growth;’ than, ‘Because you are introduced into