Ephesians 3:5 - In the Spirit (or not?)

-’...which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men as now it was revealed to the the holy apostles of Him and prophets in [the] Spirit...’

-Altho this Mysterious Message, this Good News of great joy for all peoples was mentioned throughout the years to other generations as God was communicating with His people, it had never been unpacked with the level of detail and specificity and clarity with which God’s Spirit revealed it to the apostles and prophets in that first century A.D.

-Note that Paul mentions both apostles and prophets.  The office/gift of apostleship was indeed a select and fairly finite group, but the gift of prophecy was apparently accessible to all, post-pentecost (cf 1Corinthians 14.1).  And yes, these were New Testament prophets Paul was talking about (cf Ephesians 2.20), not the ones we find operating in the Old Testament (one or perhaps two at a time, speaking to entire nations).  The whole point Paul is making is that even those previous guys, in spite of receiving some scant details from the Lord as to His plans for future rescue, even those guys were kept at least somewhat in the dark.  These New Testament guys (and gals!), while they operated perhaps on less of a national level than did their predecessors, speaking more directly to local assemblies, there is no doubt that they were indeed operating and that they were accorded considerable respect and status in the life of God’s people, at least in the early days of Christianity (cf Acts 11.27, 15.32, 21.9; Romans 12:6; 1Corinthians 11.4-5, 12.10, 12.28-29, 13.8-10, 14.1-6, 14.22, 14.29-32, 14.39; Ephesians 4.11; 1Timothy 1.18, 4.14).  And it was these prophets (some of them at least) who along w the apostles were collectively given much greater clarity about the mystery.

-It is rather unfortunate that in many modern uber-educated evangelical circles today (at least in the west) this prophetic function has all but ceased to be exercised in any formal or substantive way.  Some insist that the gift of prophecy itself has ceased, been phased out and removed altogether, along with the other so-called sign gifts, that there is no longer any need for the sign gifts now that the Church and the Canon (of Scripture) have been established, or perhaps that the sign gifts still are being given on a limited basis among those peoples where a Gospel foothold has yet to be established.  Is it not possible that for all our advanced western learning and reasoning skills we have immunized ourselves against much more than a whiff of the supernatural?  Instinctively skeptical, we doubt, we explain it away, we expect it not, and we settle for a far cry less than the greater works which Jesus promised.  It is written that Jesus could do no miracles in a certain place due to the unbelief of those who lived there - could perhaps the same be said of the Church in the west?  Have not many in the west in a quest to quench false teaching along with charismatic excesses have gone so far as to quench the Spirit right out of the church?  We know so much (and we need - and pray - so little).  We have it all under control.  And we have become an impenetrable fortress of formal doctrine and practice, practically impervious to the moves of the Spirit, the rushing Wind, that divine Zephyr, blowing where He wants, filling and gifting and guiding and empowering and unifying - and speaking.  In the Spirit - that’s what Paul says.  In the Spirit.  The atmosphere in which God’s people live, the air we breathe, the clothes we wear (clothes of power! cf Luke 24.49), the means by which we conduct ourselves (as one!), the wings on which the Church soars to show off the love and breathtaking goodness of Christ.  But have the wings been clipped?  Largely devoid of the Spirit, do not God’s people fairly resemble the newly-(un)clothed emperor, rather naked, suffocating in denominationalism and worldliness?  Are we not mostly fractured, impotent, insignificant, cultural afterthoughts?  God help us...

Ephesians 3:4 - The Marvelous Mysterious Message

-’...toward which you [all] are empowered [when] reading to understand the insight of me in the mystery of Christ...’ 

-The mystery of Christ... The mystery of Christ.  A Message which is strange indeed, difficult to explain and understand.  In this instance the difficulty arises because man in his fallen state instinctively and simultaneously tries to hide from God and make peace with God.  We feel guilty (because we are guilty), and so we try to avoid the One Who will hold us accountable.  But then our corrupted native impulse is to try and work our way back to God, using our own efforts and on our own terms.  In this state our minds are completely unable to divine what is necessary to restore Divine favor, to rebuild what was lost, that personal relationship with the God Who made us.  Thus the need to be able to understand what is the extent of the guilt (all have sinned), what is the just and necessary punishment for the guilty (the wages of sin is death), and more specifically how our Creator God planned to satisfy the requirements of righteousness and holiness by punishing an innocent substitute in our stead (His only begotten Son).  All these concepts are beyond intuiting really, beyond the capacity of fallen man to glean on his own (and sadly he is too often loathe to lend them much credibility if he ever gains so much as a glimpse).

-Yes, it was always going to be necessary for God Himself to reveal to us this mystery, these hard-to-understand truths, for Him to explain precisely how we can/need to be restored to fellowship with Him, and by extension how He plans to gather from every nation an assembly of restored worshippers who will be with Him forever in glory.  Fortunately God has been more than willing to reveal these truths - to His prophets and apostles and in this case to Paul himself.  But what became further necessary was to be able to explain both to the people God chose first (Israel) and to the rest of the peoples (referred to as Gentiles by the ‘chosen’ people) that the plans always included all the nations, every one of them in fact, the ends of the earth hearing this marvelous Mysterious Message of salvation through faith in that long-ago promised seed of Abraham, the very Son God sent to be our all-sufficient Sacrifice (Genesis 22.18, 26.4; Psalm 2.8, 22.27, 65.8, 67.1-7, 86.9, 96.3, 117.1, Isaiah 42.10, 45.22, 49.6, 52.10; Daniel 7.14; Micah 5.4; Luke 2.10; Matthew 28.19; Acts 1.8, 13.47; Revelation 5.9, 7.9).

Ephesians 3:3 - Uncovered - pay attention!

"...[that] according to revelation it was made known to me the mystery, just as I wrote before in brief..."

-What Paul is doing, his specific calling, and what he knows and is proclaiming about Jesus, this he received via direct revelation.  The word is apokalupsis (from which we get our word 'apocalypse'), but this word which was used to name the last book of the New Testament today in English has taken on implications of the catastrophe and destruction depicted in that famously cryptic tome.  The original Greek simply meant an uncovering, a revealing of a mystery or something hidden.  The Revelation of John (or rather to him) of the destruction and judgment and glories to come at the end of time was simply that, God uncovering those things for John to see and write down for posterity.  Same for Peter (2Peter 1.16-21).  Similarly, we find several mentions in Scripture of where Paul received direct divine uncoverings from the Lord (Acts 22.17-21, 26.15-18; Galatians 1.12, 2.2; 1Corinthians 11.23, 15.3; 1Thessalonians 4.15; 2Corinthians 12.1-7).  All that Paul was teaching and proclaiming, all his insight into mysterious truths about Who Jesus is and how to follow Him - he received directly from the Lord.  Thus we would do well by the grace of God to pay attention to it and try to understand and apply it as thoroughly and as faithfully as possible, because this is divinely-sourced (2Peter 1.19).

-Paul says that he mentioned this in writing (in a letter) to these Ephesians at some point previously.  This suggests the possibility of a now-missing letter.  Some maintain that Paul is simply referring to the previous two chapters in this letter.  It is important to consider whether Paul is saying that he wrote them about the mystery, or about the revelation he received regarding the mystery.  He has of course been unpacking the mystery in the preceding chapters, and he does in fact mention revealed knowledge earlier in this letter (Ephesians 1.9, 17), but there he is describing shared revelation.  The context here seems to indicate that Paul is focusing on the fact that God gave unique revelation (as well as specific instructions) directly to him, and nowhere else does he mention that in this letter.  Thus it is not unreasonable to assume that he had written them another short letter prior to this one where he told them that God had in fact given him direct revelation.  Clearly he did this rather frequently (writing letters AND mentioning his revelation) - no doubt he wants to remind his readers to keep in mind just who/what they are dealing with.  And to that point, Paul’s claim to direct divine revelation must be considered carefully.  Either he is lying, or we would be wise to pay very close attention to his heavenly words...

Ephesians 3:2 - The Way of God's People

-’...if indeed you heard [about] the house-stewardship of the grace of God the [one] having been given to me unto you [all]...’ 

-Paul is Christ’s prisoner, but no onerous obligatory prison sentence, this.  God gave Paul a job, a specific calling - He put him in charge of His grace, to help to spread it to the nations, to those nations and peoples who were not Jews.

-He uses the word oikonomia, which is the work done by someone who manages a household, someone who the Owner of the House puts in charge of taking care of the House, of running the affairs of the Home and Family.  This is clearly someone the Owner trusts, and with whom He entrusts a precious and in this case sacred possession (since this is God’s household we’re talking about).  God put Paul in charge of His House (or parts of it), the Church, which is entirely made up of people on whom God had lavished and poured out His grace by pouring out the blood of His only Son.  Grace at Calvary, grace leading up to and at conversion, and grace every day after that as His people walked with Him.  And so Paul’s job, this high calling and task which God had entrusted to Him, was to minister this grace to the nations, to help them learn about and begin to experience and multiply to others this amazingly rich undeserved favor. 

-And here’s the thing: anyone and everyone who is so blessed as to be a recipient of God’s grace is likewise expected to channel it to others, just like Paul, and while the scope perhaps may not be quite as broad, the calling is similar.  I will bless you, and you will be a blessing, God says (Genesis 12.2).  I will show you My grace and mercy, and you will spread it to others (Matthew 18.33).  This is the way of God’s people - we don’t hide it under a bushel (NO!), we don’t bury it in the ground.  We are the city on a hill, multiplying God’s grace to all around.  We get really good at loving and blessing and giving grace to one another and then our neighbors and the nations.  A most precious possession, but one which is meant be shared.  Failing here, God’s people fail entirely.

Ephesians 3:1 - So what?

"For the sake of this - I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ [Jesus] on behalf of you the nations...’

-Paul now prepares to tell us about HIS response, about the part he is playing in this great worldwide building project - and what actually comes out is a thirteen verse biopic detour that begins with twin truths about who Paul really is.  He is a prisoner, a prisoner OF Christ, and a prisoner FOR the nations. 

-The word for prisoner here refers to someone or something who is bound, tied (or possibly chained) up.  It can refer to a donkey or to a bundle of sticks or to one held prisoner.  The one thus bound is under the direct control of that which has bound them/it.  Contained, no longer free.  Paul of course had become well acquainted with this condition in real life (cf Acts 16.23-24), and if this letter was indeed written while Paul was in Rome, he would have been a prisoner for years at this point (Acts 21.33 is where his Jerusalem-to-Rome capitivity actually began).  But it is more enlightening to consider WHO Paul holds responsible for the binding and their reason for doing so.  So notice what he does not say here - he does not say that he is a prisoner of Rome, or of Caesar, or of the Jews who in fact were the ones most directly responsible for his imprisonment.  No, he is a prisoner of Christ, and this works on two levels.  In all likelihood, Paul is in prison or under some kind of house arrest in Rome at this time, but he sees the big picture, and knows Who is ultimately in control of the situation.  It is neither the Romans, nor the Jews.  Whether in prison or free, Christ is in control - He’s got this.  And Paul knew that if he was literally in prison, it was because Christ had a reason for him to be there.  But wait - there’s more.  Paul was bound by Jesus in a much more all-encompassing sense, such that were he to find himself free from any physical bonds, his heart was forever bound by Christ.  He at no time saw himself as being free and self-determinant.  He had been bought with a price, and was no longer his own man, not at all free to go and say and do whatever and wherever whenever he pleased (1Corinthians 6.20).  Yes, he was imprisoned when he wrote this, but he had been a prisoner ever since he surrendered his life to Jesus.

-Paul gives us the reason WHY he is imprisoned as well - for the nations.  Of course he is refering to the Gentiles, and that includes every other nation and people besides the Jewish one.  But both the cause and the purpose for him being bound is because he is called to carry the Good News about Jesus to the Gentiles, if you will to the entire rest of the world.  He was doing that all throughout Asia and on into Europe, which is what stirred up the Jews to try to get him arrested and killed in the first place, but (don’t miss this) he is still doing it!  He is leveraging his imprisonment, making the most of it and every opportunity to help advance the Good News among the Gentiles.  No pity partying or navel-gazing here.  He’s in prison, chained up between two Roman guards - so what?  If I am in prison, or wherever I am, so what?  I’m in the hospital - really, so what?  It is so not about me.  Whether free and healthy or sick or in prison, God’s got this.  This - whatever this is - can and should ultimately lead to an opportunity for me to tell my story about Jesus to someone.  I may not have a calling with a scope as broad as Paul’s, but I am to be just as much an abassador as he was, representing the One Who sent me to those around me wherever and in whatever circumstances I am.  No one is out to get me.  Life is not out to get me.  And even if they were, so what?  'Mine' is not mine to spend as I please.  Remember that all things are from Christ and by Him and for Him.  When we leave Christ out of the equation in essence we become practical atheists.  He is behind this and in the middle of this and orchestrating this, all for the nations and for my neighbors, those who do not yet know Him.  So I can fairly say that I am whatever I am because of Him - I am His prisoner.  Whatever hand I may think life has dealt me, He is the Dealer, and He is the House.  And in reality, I am ALWAYS playing with house money.  So what?  So, I am not ever just a prisoner.  I am a prisoner OF Christ FOR Christ.  I am not ever just a cancer patient - I am a cancer patient of Christ.  I am not just a doctor treating a cancer patient - I am a doctor of Christ.  I am an orphan of Christ.  I am a widow of Christ - I am His widow.  I am His teacher, lawyer, engineer, coach - whatever I am, wherever I go, whatever I do, I am His.  All this is for Him.  For the nations.  Or should be.  Once again, I have a long way to go...

Ephesians 2:22 - Temple Version 3.0

"...in Whom also you [all] are being built together unto a dwelling of God in [the] Spirit."

-You all, the people there in Ephesus, this locally gathered assembly of believers in Christ, particularly Greek and Jew, are being built/brought/joined/united together, a holy temple, yes, becoming a place where God Himself lives permanently, and God’s Spirit is the One making it happen... 

-Yes, almighty thrice-holy God Himself is living and dwelling in their midst, right there in Ephesus and the midst of every assembly of bona-fide Christ-followers.  This New Testament temple (version 3.0) is holy not only because God has declared it so and set it apart but also because He. Is. Present.  No shekinah glory this time round per se, but nevertheless I AM is here.  The ground on which we conduct ourselves as a church is holy ground because God is present (cf Exodus 3.5, Joshua 5.15).  It is ours to show off God’s breathtaking goodness to all those around us through the way we relate to one another (John 13.35), and we dare not bring the filth of the world into our midst, but that it should be washed and cleansed and healed by the blood of Jesus (which is what He do).  We can be so flippant, so nonchalant, so unaware and disengaged and so casual in our disregard for assembly, for OUR own assembly and responsibilities thereto, for our mutual need and connectedness and of what God is growing and building us to be.  And it’s not about me getting my fire insurance and getting a good enough weekly dose of ‘church’ to keep my faith intact until I can get another fix next week.  The gathered Church universal and the localized expressions of it, the people to Whom God has entrusted His blessings and the Good News, we are His rescue plan, plan A for revealing and bringing Jesus to a lost and broken and dying world.  We are, we must be that city on a hill, the light of the world (Matthew 5.14).  Tag, we’re it - the mission now is committed to us, Good News being borne by a whole bunch of beautiful feet.

-As we will see later, all that needs to happen for this unity thing between believers to get cranked up is for them to be together, not merely in proximity but in relationship.  But simply spend some time together, admittedly something more than sitting in a pew next to each other for an hour once a week.  Share a meal (or two).  Study, discuss, pray, serve together, play, do life together, go somewhere together (have you ever been on a mission trip? - it can literally happen in a week if you have the time).  The potential is there, just waiting to be tapped, the possibilities are endless, and yet so are the distractions and excuses.  So many things I think I’d rather do apart from God’s people, so much time I spend doing my own thing.  Remember the words of Jesus: ‘where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.’ (Matthew 18.20)  What will it take for God’s people to actually gather and BE together, spend time together, more than 18 inches of pew once a week?  And how about STAY together?  Definitely more on that in chapter 4...

Ephesians 2:21 - On building a NOT-a-building...

"...in Whom [the] whole building being fitly framed together is growing unto a holy temple in [the] Lord..."

-No ordinary building, this.  A holy temple, set apart, wholly other, unique and special and sanctified, clean, pure, undefiled, a remove-your-dirty-shoes kind of place where God puts His Name and where He is present, where people can learn about Who God is, what He is like, where all the nations of the earth can see and access and worship the one true God.  And yes, scattered throughout the Old Testament, are glimpses of a holy place of worship which serves as a beacon to all the peoples of the earth (Micah 4.1; Isaiah 56.7, 2.2-3; 1Kings 8.43).

-Indeed, the entire universal Church of Jesus Christ is one big temple, a place where worship and celebration can (should) be found and where God is present, where He has caused His Name to dwell, where the nations can come to glimpse and learn about God - or should be able to.  Any unbeliever should be able to show up at any localized expression of this Temple and get a glimpse of what God is like and how to know Him.  The building and framing process is still happening, the Master Architect has a master plan which He is steadily carrying out, more and more people and peoples are being added in and all the more in these last days, people from every nation tribe and tongue, from all walks of life with all kinds of backgrounds and abilities, and each one is gifted in various ways to join in on this magnificent mother of all construction projects.  But again, the Church is NOT a building, not some physical edifice manufactured with human hands, with hammer and saw and chisel.  It is a living entity, a growing assembly of the redeemed, of those who have bowed the knee to Jesus Christ and in whom His Spirit now lives and reproduces the very life of Christ.  This is true for both the worldwide Church as well as the localized expressions thereof.  And the raw material which causes the growth and which holds it all together?  Neither nails nor screws nor any kind of earthly gorilla glue - it's love.  The love of God which those who have received from Him manifest to one another.  Build well today...!

Ephesians 2:20 - Blood, sweat and tears...

"...having been built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, being [the] cornerstone Himself Christ Jesus...”

-No brick and mortar edifice, this.  We’re talking heart and soul and real flesh - and real blood which was poured out in order to begin building this house that is the family of God.  

-And of course for these readers there was no brick and mortar whatsoever.  Theirs was to meet in homes.  Yes, they were perhaps in many cases small enough to pull that off, but they were also poor enough and persecuted enough that building a building was neither practical nor wise.  Not to say that what they had was better but for them it was all about people.  People loving people, people reaching people, people who need people.  For us, the modern western Church, it tends to be more about buildings and programs.  And the preacher.  Preacher does the heavy lifting while we watch and listen.  Or until we find him wanting and find ourselves a better preacher with a better program.

-But to the point, we have the foundation of this family home being built on the backs of the apostles and the prophets - their blood and sweat and tears, their lives, and their words.  Most commentators tend to agree that these are New Testament prophets, by the way.  But what these guys did was drive the growth and expansion of the body of Christ in the first century after He was crucified, beginning with Christ as their jumping off point and carrying on through the enabling of the Holy Spirit.  They are our example, and their words - aka God’s Word delivered to us through them - is our spiritual milk and bread and meat (along with the Old Testament too, of course).  And most importantly there is no other starting point than Christ.  He is the Chief Cornerstone, the first and primary brick that must be laid in the heart and life of every would-be believer and assembly.   It is said that the ancient traditions associated with the laying of cornerstones for buildings or temples included the offering of a sacrifice which would be buried under the cornerstone and whose blood it was believed would give strength and stability to the entire building.  In this case it really is the blood of Christ which He Himself offered up that kicked off the entire enterprise to begin with.  He it is Who both inaugurates and perpetuates this new household of faith, this new temple, this new way even to enter in.  There is no starting without Him, no growing or continuing apart from Him.  Yes, progress in the Christian life begins with Christ, and is fueled by God's Word and by being in community (i.e. doing life) with His people.  How are we doing?