Excitement is palpable in Ephesians chapter 3 

The apostle goes off topic, caught up with the excitement of the unsearchable riches of Christ

"for this cause" (3:1) is not continued until verse 14 

For this cause:

On the basis of 2:11-22, the tremendous blessings and benefits of being a Christian 

1. Peace with God 
2. Privilege of prayer 
3. Place in His church 
4. Presence of God 

Almost like a trip to tower of London where there is many a jewel on display 

We noted previously the setting of Ephesians chapter 3 is that of the Tower of London! A place once a:

• Prison

And now a :

• Treasure House

At the centre, a display behind thick glass impenetrable, the regal crown of the United Kingdom, adorned atop by the Koh-I-Nor diamond

Here in Ephesians chapter 3 we find a very similar place! 

For Paul this place is both a:

• Prison (Ephesians 3:1)

And a:

• Treasure Store (Ephesians 3:8) of the unsearchable riches of Christ 

Ephesians chapter 3 does differ from the Tower of London:

• Ephesians 3 is both a prison cell and a treasure store similtaneously. We have the prison and the riches simultaneously! 
• Don't need easy jet to reach it! 

It is as Paul peers through the bars of the prison cell that in his suffering, in his pain and in his problems and in:

• Prison

He sees 

• Purpose

Through the prison bars he sees purpose! 

Men had their PLAN but God has His PURPOSE!

This section (Ephesians 3:1 – 11) 

• Begins with Prison (3:1)
• Ends with Purpose (3:11)  - God’s purpose in Christ of which Paul, his life and ministry are now an integral part! 

Suffering can be bearable if we perceive purpose:

• A man who has a reason why to live can deal with almost any how 
• Leonid Rogozov – self appendectomy 1961 – the suffering had purpose and was worth it! 
• When we see the purpose in the pain and problems perhaps we can be encouraged to percevere 

From this prison cell Paul will expound to us the unsearchable riches of Christ! 

He acknowledges that

• Christ is Sovereign over his imprisonment (3:1) – he could have complained about the Roman authorities, the Jewish accusers, Satanic forces (Ephesians 6) but above and beyond them all he recognises the sovereign hand of God. “the prisoner of Christ Jesus” (3:1) note the Greek word order, first “Christ” in His Messianic authority (Psalm 2), with kingly and sovereign power:

• Anointed Priest (Psalm 110)
• Anointed King (Psalm 110; Psalm 2) 
• Anointed Prophet 
• All together in Christ 

• Not simply a prisoner of Rome, nor even of the forces of Satan but of Christ, and then “Jesus”. God makes even the "wrath of man" to praise Him. Instead of the prison obstructing his ministry the prison has facilitated it! 
• The Saviour is present with Paul in his imprisonment, so this prison experience is full of an appreciation of Christ. As a "prisoner of Jesus Christ" almost as if Christ, jailor like, holds Paul in that place, solitary confinement was not possible for Paul, it was always with Christ! Like his experience in 2 Timothy “Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me; that by me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion.” 2 Timothy 4:17. This is an expeirence not unlike that of Mark 6:31 "come yourselfs apart and rest a while" Sometimes maybe for te busy servant, runing about, pouring Himself out, burning the candle at both ends, sometimes the only thing that will sort it out is "the jail". Here in the prison cell Paul is caught up with the person of Christ! 

Christ is:

• Sovereign over the imprisonment
• Saviour in the imprisonment - present and pervasive 

Paul is a “prisoner for you Gentiles” (3:1)

Is this an investment worth making? 

Investing in God’s work is worthwhile. 

In God’s purpose, God’s people are worthwhile. 

CT Studd – gave up a fortune and a career in cricket 

Jim Elliot:

• ‘He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose’
• ‘He is no fool who parts with that which he cannot keep, when he is sure to be recompensed with that which he cannot lose.’

Paul was investing his life in something worthwhile 

‘Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage and then is heard no more, it is a tale told by an idiot full of sound and fury signifying nothing’ 

Macbeth Act 5 Scene 5 

Maybe not too far from the truth, for many a:

• Wasted life 
• Frittered life 
• Futile life

Squandered on utter triviality 

It seems the more trivial the pursuit today, the greater the reward and accolade:

• People pretending to be someone else in a story of make believe 
• Story tellers 
• Fantasists 
• Glory of fleeting sporting achievements 
• Many sacrifice their time and talents in trivial pursuits

By contrast Paul has invested His life and not squandered it (3:1), invested for Glory and not squandered for time.

Paul has invested it in something of lasting value, the work of God. 

Paul has taken Christ at His word

• ‘purchase of me gold tried in the fire’
• ‘lay up for yourself treasure in heaven’ 

The Christian life is not a life wasted but a life invested!

This prison becomes a:

• Pulpit
• Printing Press 
• School
• Sanctuary 

This prison becomes a place where:

• Christ is experienced 
• Christ is expounded 

A place not only of:

• Incarceration 
• Consecration 

To expound Christ I must first needs experience Christ 

Not simply as CS Lewis put it: 

• Fall in love with God 
• Fall in love with telling about God 
• Fall in love with the telling 

From this imprisonment comes a presentation of the:

1. Innocense - creation to fall, no law for no need of law
2. Conscience - fall to the law. Some would also see: 

1. Age of government - "if man shall she blood by man shall his blood be shed". Unconvinced that this represents a significantly distinctive dispensation. Government certainly developes through Genesis and beyond: Babel and Pharoah etc but from the days of Cain, retribution was a reality with the mark of Cain.
2. Promise to Abraham - definitely not a distinct dispensation, it does not involve the means of Divine administration of this world, selective, although very important but particular to Abraham. If we recognise this as a dispensation I would think you would need another for Melchizedek as well. 

On the basis of Romans chapter 5 I would see warrant in a single dispensation from conscience to law. 

1. Law
2. Grace
3. Tribulation - withdrawal of the Holy Spirit and the church – the Divine response to the rejection of Christ
4. Millenial reign of Christ
5. Eternal state 

• Not only what God is doing but the why, dispensations have a purpose, for the Glory of His Son. Not only are they distinctive means of Divine Administration but administration with an end in view.
• The dispensation of law is our school master leading us to Christ. In the law we have wonderful pictures and patterns of Christ in the sacrifices, offerings and tabernacle. 
• The dispensation of Grace is all of Christ 
• The Glory of God revealed in the eternal state with all focused on Christ! The foundations are the apostles of the lamb, the throne is of the lamb and the lamb is the light thereof! 
• The broad panorama of the unsearchable riches of Christ.
• The 14 mysteries

1. Mysteries of the Kingdom
2. Mystery of Israel regrafted (Romans 11) 
3. Mystery of the Gospel to all nations (Romans 16) 
4. Mystery of the Cross (1 Corinthians 2) 
5. Mystery of the Rapture (1 Corinthians 15) 
6. Mystery of His Will (Ephesians 1) 
7. Mystery of Christ (Ephesians 3) 
8. Mystery of the Church as the Bride of Christ (Ephesians 6) 
9. Mystery of Christ in us (Colossians 1) 
10. Mystery of Iniquity (2 Thessalonians 2) 
11. Great Mystery of Godliness (1 Timothy 3:16) 
12. Mystery of 7 stars and churches (Revelation 2) 
13. Mystery of God (Revelation 7) 
14. Mystery of Babylon the Great (Revelation 17) 

• The 2 great mysteries: 1 Timothy 3:16; Ephesians 5
• The 1 mystery of a great thing: Revelation 17 - note the disctinction here, not a great mystery sa is Christ and His people but now in dealing with iniquity and evil - the mystery of great thing! A different category all together! 

What are these mysteries? 

A 'definition' is often given:

• Truth once concealed and now revealed.

This is more accurately a feature of some of the mysteries of Christ rather than a definition. 

It is a paraphrase of Ephesians 3:5 and is thus a feature of the mystery of Christ. 

3 reasons why 'truth once concealed and now revelead is not a definition of the mysteries. 

1. Non specific, too generic - if this is our definition 

it would include almost all OT prophecy, given to some degree in obscurity eg "a virgin shall conceive and bring forth a son"! What did that means.

It would include the types and prophecies of the OT eg Genesis 22.

1. Inaccurate - not all mysteries are now revealed - 2 Thessalonians chp2 - mystery of iniquity, 1 Timothy 3:16 and the mystery of Babylon the great!
2. Cryptic - it seems an odd way to define a mystery by describing them as not mysteries! Paul, John and the Lord describe them consistently as mysteries, and still in the present tense eg 1 Timothy 3:16. It is a bit of a mystery to me to define a mystery as not a mystery. That is a mystery! 

Does a definition of the mysteries really matter? 

You should have been a hair dresser, you're so good with split hairs. 

A definition / understanding is worth pondering, if we get that wrong we may miss what the mysteries are actually about.

What are the mysteries. 

Consider the 3 core mysteries:

2 Great Mysteries 

1 Mystery of a Great thing 

1. Great is the mystery of Godliness 

1. Great mystery of Christ and His Church 

• Redemption of a people
• Reconciliation
• Relationship with God forever 

1. Mystery of Babylon the Great 

• Removal of all that opposes Christ, rejects Christ and Rebels against Christ.

If I were to ask you to summarise the message of the bible for me? God's plan as revealed within the pages of this book. How would you do?

• An hours ministry 
• A systematic theology 

How about in 3 points? 

I don't think you could do much worse that those 3 points! Even if it is my message and I'm quite pleased with it!

God's purpose for this universe from creation to redemption and beyond.

From eternity to eternity! 

These mysteries are not simply truths once concealed and now revealed, these mysteries are the answer of God to the question why? how? who?

The mysteries are God's plan for the universe.

This is the 'hidden' knowledge of the Christian faith, the true mysteries!

Maye God had purpose in the prison cell?

It was in the prison that:

• Joseph became a prophet 
• Daniel a type of Christ 
• Silas established the church at Philippi
• Paul unfolded the unsearchable riches of Christ 
• Onesimus was transformed from sinner and slave to saint. 

Makes you think that maybe God has a purpose in the prison cell at times?

Maybe in my:

• Loneliness
• Isolation
• Separation
• Despair
• Illness
• Restriction 

In my ‘prison’ type experience, maybe God will have purpose here too! 

Like Joseph in Genesis, there was purpose in his problems. 

Like Moses in Deuteronomy 8:2ff 

“for this cause” (Ephesians 3:1) 

1. Peace with God 
2. Privilege of Prayer 
3. Place in the Church 
4. Presence of God 

Paul doesn’t finish this sentence until 3:14 “for this cause I bow my knees” 

Paul sees the Power of God – the sovereign hand of Christ in his experience “of Christ Jesus”. Paul lives in the reality of a teaching he will give us later on in Ephesians 6:12; “we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities, against powers against the rulers of the darkness of this world...” Rome was but a pawn in a far bigger game. Neither Rome, Jewish 

1. more clearly that the “excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us” (2 Co 4:7). Here is the church growing and blossoming despite the fact that Paul has been taken out of the equation!

1. “So that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the palace, and in all other places; And many of the brethren in the Lord, waxing confident by my bonds, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.” (Phil 1:13-14). There were those who sat on the fence! How do we get them off the fence? Set the fence on fire! No longer able to sit upon the fence.  

1. “All the saints salute you, -- chiefly they that are of Caesar’s household” (Phil 4:22) Even with Paul’s imprisonment, the gospel goes out and souls are being saved! 

1. Is it not interesting that today we read Pauls prison epistles! Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Philemon and 2 Timothy! World population in AD 70 – about 250 million. Up until today about 7 billion bibles printed. The YOU bible version claims to have been installed on approximately 725 million devices! If Paul had never been in prison the maximum reach of his preaching ministry from Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Philemon and 2 Timothy would have been a few thousand! 

1. Perceives the Purpose of his prison cell and problems! We don’t always have that luxury of course, being able to see what our trial is all about! Acknowledging the sovereignty of God of course over our trials gives us the assurance that “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28). In faith we have the assurance of purpose! 

1. Paul shows us a fresh PERSPECTIVE on the service of God (v8). Paul develops and grows in the PEACE and PATIENCE of God! Perhaps if we were an apostle like Paul, with such gift, knowledge, opportunity we would expect unlimited success and blessing, yet we notice Paul’s approach to his ministry (3:8) – God owes him nothing! All that he has he has been given, this ministry is all of God’s grace, with humility he has the perspective that God owes him nothing! 

Verse 2:

“Dispensation” : “οἰκονομία” : administration

Paul recognises in this verse ‘dispensations’

The ‘dispensation of the Grace of God’ stands in contrast to something else mentioned earlier; a distinctive way in which God revealed Himself and His plans and purposes in days gone by; “the law” (Ephesians 2:15) which excluded Jew and Gentile from fellowship with Him. 

Dispensations are ways by which God operates or administers this world. God remains the same and unchanged but the means by which He operates, or what He does does not remain the same! 

• God does not perpetually flood the world 
• God does not continually demand animal sacrifices
• God does not constantly plague Egypt
• God does not continue to send His Son into the world 

At different times God operates by distinctive means.

The word dispensation does not appear that often in the NT, although significantly it does appear 7 X in the NT; Luke 16:2; Luke 16:3; Luke 16:4; 1 Corinthians 9:17; Ephesians 1:10; Ephesians 3:2; Colossians 1:25.

There are different ways of seeing these dispensations in scripture. 

I can identify at least 7 (maybe 8) distinct dispensations, administered by God in distinctive ways:

1. Age of Innocence (Creation to the fall)
2. Age of Conscience / government from fall to the law, some see government as a distinct dispensation from Noah to the Law with the command to punish murder by death, although I do note that some form of government was already in force pre fall as indicated by the mark on Cain. 
3. Age of Law from Exodus 20 to Christ 
4. Age of Grace from the advent of Christ 
5. Day of Tribulation 
6. Millenial Reign 
7. Eternal state 

Verse 3 – The Mystery

Paul references here the Mystery of Christ (3:4) which is a reference to Jews and Gentiles together in one body (3:6)

Why Christ? 

Christ or Messiah is the anointed one:

• Psalm 2:2 – The anointed King 
• Psalm 110 – parallels Psalm 2 – the word Christ not mentioned but refers to the Priest and King 
• Daniel 9:24 – 26 

As Messiah Christ incorporates the roles of all of those previously anointed:

• Prophet
• Priest
• King 

The believer is being brought into the blessings and benefit of this anointed one, prophet, priest, King and sacrifice for our sins (Daniel 9) we have not been excluded! 

A mystery:

• Truth once concealed and now revealed? 

This is certainly true of the church and this mystery of Christ (3:4-5) but:

• Not necessarily a great ‘definition’ of mystery per se!

Perhaps better to understand the idea of mystery within the setting of the time of the NT writings when many of the religions of that day had a core set of ideas or revelations kept for the initiated. These were ideas that were at the core or heart of the religious system but unknown to the uninitiated. 

These mysteries then form the back bone, the structure to God’s plan for the universe in Christ. They are in effect the answer as to the reason why / how / what God is doing with this universe. 

We could identify perhaps 14 distinct mysteries. 

1. Mystery of the Kingdom (Mark 4) 
2. Mystery of Israel (Romans 11)
3. Mystery of the Gospel to all nations (Romans 16:25) 
4. Mystery of the Cross (1 Corinthians 1 + 2) 
5. Mystery of the Rapture (1 Corinthians 15) 
6. Mystery of Christ in you (Colossians 1:27)
7. Mystery of His will (Ephesians chp 1) 
8. Mystery of Christ (Ephesians chp 3) 
9. Mystery of the Bride (Ephesians chp 5) 
10. Mystery of Iniquity (2 Thessalonians 2:7) 
11. Mystery of Godliness (1 Timothy 3:16)
12. Mystery of the 7 Churches (Revelation chp 1)
13. Mystery of God in judgment (Revelation 10:7) 
14. Mystery of Babylon the Great (Revelation 17:5)

The 3 greats form the backbone of theses mysteries:

1. Great mystery of Godliness (1 Timothy 3:16) 

The Revelation, Resurrection, Ascension, Exaltation and Glorification of Christ 

1. Great mystery of Christ and His people (Ephesians 5)

The Redemption and reconciliation and relationship of Christ with His people 

1. The mystery of Babylon the Great (Revelation 17)

The Removal, Rejection and Retribution of all that rebels against Christ. 

If I were to ask you to give me a summary of the bible, could you do much better? 

Not a bad summary of the bible!

A summary of the bible in 3 points!

I doubt you could do any better! 

Here is Gods plan for the universe.

Here is the message of the bible 

What is God doing?

Why is God doing it? 

How is God doing it? 

V8  “the unsearchable riches of Christ” 

Paul is tasked with this great challenge of preaching the unsearchable riches of Christ to the Gentiles. 

Notice his perspective on himself as he unfolds these riches! 

“unto me who am less than the least of all saints” (3:8) 

God owes Paul nothing! 

God does not owe him:

• An easy life
• A smooth passage
• Blessings
• Prosperity
• Popularity 

All Paul has, he has by the grace of God!

He is indebted to God, and not God to him! 

Prison is acceptable when grace is undeserved (v8) 

Perhaps there is a link between Paul’s appreciation of who he is (3:8) and Paul’s appreciation of who Christ is? 

• A small view of self
• A big view of Christ

Do we not need to be empty to then be filled? 

• Paul – when I am weak then I am strong 
• Elijah knew God’s power and presence in the famine, drought and persecution by Jezebel
• Moses encountered God as a fugitive in the backside of the desert 
• Let him that lacks wisdom ask of God who gives liberally and upbraideth not (James 1:5) 

Was it not:

• The blind man who saw the light of the world (John 9)
• The dead man who knew the resurrection power of Jesus (John 11)
• The hungry crowd who could testify to Christ as the living bread (John 6)
• A thirsty woman who drank of the living water (John 4) 
• Empty water pots that were filled to the brim by Christ with wine. (John 2) 
• An anxious and fearful upper room of disciples who enjoyed that peace of Christ which goes beyond all understanding! 

What is Paul sharing of Christ? 

What are these riches?

Are they things which Christ possesses?

• Cattle on the 1000 hills (Psalm 50:10)
• All that the Father hath are mine (John 16:25) 
• The whole world belongs to Him (John 1) 
• All things made by Him (Col 1:16)

I have never heard Paul ‘preach’ but we do have his epistles to read. They do not seem to be filled with the riches Christ possesses or creates but rather the riches of His:

• Character 
• Attributes 
• Person 
• Work 

ie riches of:

• Who Christ is 
• What Christ has done 

Riches are commodities we would attach value to either because of their:

1. Uniqueness

• Outstanding beauty 
• Scarcity 
• Complexity 

1. Relative worth - money 

1. Absolute worth 

• Heb 11:26 – Moses found greater riches in the reproach of Christ than the treasures in Egypt 

There is absolute worth in Christ! 

Illust: Jews heading to Auschwitz willing to give away all of their material possessions for a drink of water! 

“all that a man hath will he give for his life” (Job 2:4) 

Jesus is:

• In our hunger He is the Bread of life
• In my thirst He is the Living water 
• In my death He is the resurrection and the life 
• In my wandering He is the good Shepherd 
• In my sin He is the Saviour 
• In my weakness He is my helper 
• In my sorrow He is the comforter 
• In my emptiness He is the fullness that filleth all in all 
• In my path He is the Way 
• In my despair He is our Hope 
• In my fear He is our peace 
• The true vine sustaining His people 
• Possesses the words of Eternal Life
• Resurrection and the life
• Creator
• Judge 
• Upholds all things by His power 
• Holds the keys of hell and of death (Rev 1:18) 
• He is our peace 
• He is our redeemer 
• Our substitute 
• He is our hope 
• The door into heaven 
• Our Great High Priest 
• Our Good Shepherd 
• Our Great Shepherd 
• He is our comforter 
• King of Kings
• Lord of Lords 
• Bright and morning star 
• In my need of a lamb He is Jehovah Jireh (Genesis 22)
• For those who need healing heading out of Egypt He is Jehovah Rapha 
• For Gideon who saw the angel of the Lord and was afraid to die He is Jehovah Shalom 
• For David facing Goliath He is the Lord of Hosts (1 Samuel 17:45) Jehovah Sabaoth
• For those who need salvation He is Jehovah Tsidkenu 
• Hebrews 1 – titles of Jehovah 
• Revelation 17 – title of Jehovah 

Everything I need for time and for eternity is found in Him!

Fascinatingly it is Moses who teaches me the true value of these unsearchable riches in Christ! 

“By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter;
²⁵ Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;
²⁶ Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward.” (Hebrews 11:24-26)

Moses had in Egypt:

• Place
• Position
• Privilege
• Power
• Pleasure
• Possessions 

Here is an encouraging thought; if all I feel that I have of Christ is His reproach: 

• His tears and sorrow
• His rejection and alienation
• His pain and suffering 
• The hatred of men
• The contradiction of sinners
• The mocking and jeering
• Betrayal and unfaithfulness
• If the only grasp I feel of His things is His Cross
• If the only taste of Christ is the taste of His tears 
• When you feel you follow with a cross rather than for a crown
• The only fragrance of Christ you perceive is the anointing for His burial
• The only emotion the tears of His suffering 
• Heaven and it’s precious jewels seem a long way away
• The wiping away of all tears beyond your reach 
• The streets of gold are somewhere else 
• River of living water refresh another people in another city in another place 

If out of all of His riches I lay hold only of His reproach then compared to all that I could ever have in this world, this far out weighs in value and worth the world in its:

• Place
• Position
• Privilege
• Power 
• Pleasure 
• Possessions 

From the prison cell Paul presents the unserachable riches of Christ, the dispensations of God's grave and the great mysteries of God's plan and purpose for this fallen world. The Divine plan for this universe centres on the revelation of Jesus Christ, the Great Mystery of Godliness, the redemption of a people for Himself and the removal of all that rebels against Him. In Christ we find a Saviour unlike any other, full of unsearchable riches! He is the bread of life, the light of the world, the way the truth and the life, the door into heaven, the Shepherd of the sheep, our great High Priest, a Saviour of Sinners and our comforter. 

What a great Saviour! 

Dr J Stewart Gillespie 

Excitement is palpable in Ephesians chapter 3 

The apostle goes off topic, caught up with the excitement of the unsearchable riches of Christ

"for this cause" (3:1) is not continued until verse 14 

For this cause:

On the basis of 2:11-22, the tremendous blessings and benefits of being a Christian 

1. Peace with God 
2. Privilege of prayer 
3. Place in His church 
4. Presence of God 

Almost like a trip to tower of London where there is many a jewel on display 

We noted previously the setting of Ephesians chapter 3 is that of the Tower of London! A place once a:

• Prison

And now a :

• Treasure House

At the centre, a display behind thick glass impenetrable, the regal crown of the United Kingdom, adorned atop by the Koh-I-Nor diamond

Here in Ephesians chapter 3 we find a very similar place! 

For Paul this place is both a:

• Prison (Ephesians 3:1)

And a:

• Treasure Store (Ephesians 3:8) of the unsearchable riches of Christ 

Ephesians chapter 3 does differ from the Tower of London:

• Ephesians 3 is both a prison cell and a treasure store similtaneously. We have the prison and the riches simultaneously! 
• Don't need easy jet to reach it! 

It is as Paul peers through the bars of the prison cell that in his suffering, in his pain and in his problems and in:

• Prison

He sees 

• Purpose

Through the prison bars he sees purpose! 

Men had their PLAN but God has His PURPOSE!

This section (Ephesians 3:1 – 11) 

• Begins with Prison (3:1)
• Ends with Purpose (3:11)  - God’s purpose in Christ of which Paul, his life and ministry are now an integral part! 

Suffering can be bearable if we perceive purpose:

• A man who has a reason why to live can deal with almost any how 
• Leonid Rogozov – self appendectomy 1961 – the suffering had purpose and was worth it! 
• When we see the purpose in the pain and problems perhaps we can be encouraged to percevere 

From this prison cell Paul will expound to us the unsearchable riches of Christ! 

He acknowledges that

• Christ is Sovereign over his imprisonment (3:1) – he could have complained about the Roman authorities, the Jewish accusers, Satanic forces (Ephesians 6) but above and beyond them all he recognises the sovereign hand of God. “the prisoner of Christ Jesus” (3:1) note the Greek word order, first “Christ” in His Messianic authority (Psalm 2), with kingly and sovereign power:

• Anointed Priest (Psalm 110)
• Anointed King (Psalm 110; Psalm 2) 
• Anointed Prophet 
• All together in Christ 

• Not simply a prisoner of Rome, nor even of the forces of Satan but of Christ, and then “Jesus”. God makes even the "wrath of man" to praise Him. Instead of the prison obstructing his ministry the prison has facilitated it! 
• The Saviour is present with Paul in his imprisonment, so this prison experience is full of an appreciation of Christ. As a "prisoner of Jesus Christ" almost as if Christ, jailor like, holds Paul in that place, solitary confinement was not possible for Paul, it was always with Christ! Like his experience in 2 Timothy “Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me; that by me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion.” 2 Timothy 4:17. This is an expeirence not unlike that of Mark 6:31 "come yourselfs apart and rest a while" Sometimes maybe for te busy servant, runing about, pouring Himself out, burning the candle at both ends, sometimes the only thing that will sort it out is "the jail". Here in the prison cell Paul is caught up with the person of Christ! 

Christ is:

• Sovereign over the imprisonment
• Saviour in the imprisonment - present and pervasive 

Paul is a “prisoner for you Gentiles” (3:1)

Is this an investment worth making? 

Investing in God’s work is worthwhile. 

In God’s purpose, God’s people are worthwhile. 

CT Studd – gave up a fortune and a career in cricket 

Jim Elliot:

• ‘He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose’
• ‘He is no fool who parts with that which he cannot keep, when he is sure to be recompensed with that which he cannot lose.’

Paul was investing his life in something worthwhile 

‘Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage and then is heard no more, it is a tale told by an idiot full of sound and fury signifying nothing’ 

Macbeth Act 5 Scene 5 

Maybe not too far from the truth, for many a:

• Wasted life 
• Frittered life 
• Futile life

Squandered on utter triviality 

It seems the more trivial the pursuit today, the greater the reward and accolade:

• People pretending to be someone else in a story of make believe 
• Story tellers 
• Fantasists 
• Glory of fleeting sporting achievements 
• Many sacrifice their time and talents in trivial pursuits

By contrast Paul has invested His life and not squandered it (3:1), invested for Glory and not squandered for time.

Paul has invested it in something of lasting value, the work of God. 

Paul has taken Christ at His word

• ‘purchase of me gold tried in the fire’
• ‘lay up for yourself treasure in heaven’ 

The Christian life is not a life wasted but a life invested!

This prison becomes a:

• Pulpit
• Printing Press 
• School
• Sanctuary 

This prison becomes a place where:

• Christ is experienced 
• Christ is expounded 

A place not only of:

• Incarceration 
• Consecration 

To expound Christ I must first needs experience Christ 

Not simply as CS Lewis put it: 

• Fall in love with God 
• Fall in love with telling about God 
• Fall in love with the telling 

From this imprisonment comes a presentation of the:

1. Innocense - creation to fall, no law for no need of law
2. Conscience - fall to the law. Some would also see: 

1. Age of government - "if man shall she blood by man shall his blood be shed". Unconvinced that this represents a significantly distinctive dispensation. Government certainly developes through Genesis and beyond: Babel and Pharoah etc but from the days of Cain, retribution was a reality with the mark of Cain.
2. Promise to Abraham - definitely not a distinct dispensation, it does not involve the means of Divine administration of this world, selective, although very important but particular to Abraham. If we recognise this as a dispensation I would think you would need another for Melchizedek as well. 

On the basis of Romans chapter 5 I would see warrant in a single dispensation from conscience to law. 

1. Law
2. Grace
3. Tribulation - withdrawal of the Holy Spirit and the church – the Divine response to the rejection of Christ
4. Millenial reign of Christ
5. Eternal state 

• Not only what God is doing but the why, dispensations have a purpose, for the Glory of His Son. Not only are they distinctive means of Divine Administration but administration with an end in view.
• The dispensation of law is our school master leading us to Christ. In the law we have wonderful pictures and patterns of Christ in the sacrifices, offerings and tabernacle. 
• The dispensation of Grace is all of Christ 
• The Glory of God revealed in the eternal state with all focused on Christ! The foundations are the apostles of the lamb, the throne is of the lamb and the lamb is the light thereof! 
• The broad panorama of the unsearchable riches of Christ.
• The 14 mysteries

1. Mysteries of the Kingdom
2. Mystery of Israel regrafted (Romans 11) 
3. Mystery of the Gospel to all nations (Romans 16) 
4. Mystery of the Cross (1 Corinthians 2) 
5. Mystery of the Rapture (1 Corinthians 15) 
6. Mystery of His Will (Ephesians 1) 
7. Mystery of Christ (Ephesians 3) 
8. Mystery of the Church as the Bride of Christ (Ephesians 6) 
9. Mystery of Christ in us (Colossians 1) 
10. Mystery of Iniquity (2 Thessalonians 2) 
11. Great Mystery of Godliness (1 Timothy 3:16) 
12. Mystery of 7 stars and churches (Revelation 2) 
13. Mystery of God (Revelation 7) 
14. Mystery of Babylon the Great (Revelation 17) 

• The 2 great mysteries: 1 Timothy 3:16; Ephesians 5
• The 1 mystery of a great thing: Revelation 17 - note the disctinction here, not a great mystery sa is Christ and His people but now in dealing with iniquity and evil - the mystery of great thing! A different category all together! 

What are these mysteries? 

A 'definition' is often given:

• Truth once concealed and now revealed.

This is more accurately a feature of some of the mysteries of Christ rather than a definition. 

It is a paraphrase of Ephesians 3:5 and is thus a feature of the mystery of Christ. 

3 reasons why 'truth once concealed and now revelead is not a definition of the mysteries. 

1. Non specific, too generic - if this is our definition 

it would include almost all OT prophecy, given to some degree in obscurity eg "a virgin shall conceive and bring forth a son"! What did that means.

It would include the types and prophecies of the OT eg Genesis 22.

1. Inaccurate - not all mysteries are now revealed - 2 Thessalonians chp2 - mystery of iniquity, 1 Timothy 3:16 and the mystery of Babylon the great!
2. Cryptic - it seems an odd way to define a mystery by describing them as not mysteries! Paul, John and the Lord describe them consistently as mysteries, and still in the present tense eg 1 Timothy 3:16. It is a bit of a mystery to me to define a mystery as not a mystery. That is a mystery! 

Does a definition of the mysteries really matter? 

You should have been a hair dresser, you're so good with split hairs. 

A definition / understanding is worth pondering, if we get that wrong we may miss what the mysteries are actually about.

What are the mysteries. 

Consider the 3 core mysteries:

2 Great Mysteries 

1 Mystery of a Great thing 

1. Great is the mystery of Godliness 

1. Great mystery of Christ and His Church 

• Redemption of a people
• Reconciliation
• Relationship with God forever 

1. Mystery of Babylon the Great 

• Removal of all that opposes Christ, rejects Christ and Rebels against Christ.

If I were to ask you to summarise the message of the bible for me? God's plan as revealed within the pages of this book. How would you do?

• An hours ministry 
• A systematic theology 

How about in 3 points? 

I don't think you could do much worse that those 3 points! Even if it is my message and I'm quite pleased with it!

God's purpose for this universe from creation to redemption and beyond.

From eternity to eternity! 

These mysteries are not simply truths once concealed and now revealed, these mysteries are the answer of God to the question why? how? who?

The mysteries are God's plan for the universe.

This is the 'hidden' knowledge of the Christian faith, the true mysteries!

Maye God had purpose in the prison cell?

It was in the prison that:

• Joseph became a prophet 
• Daniel a type of Christ 
• Silas established the church at Philippi
• Paul unfolded the unsearchable riches of Christ 
• Onesimus was transformed from sinner and slave to saint. 

Makes you think that maybe God has a purpose in the prison cell at times?

Maybe in my:

• Loneliness
• Isolation
• Separation
• Despair
• Illness
• Restriction 

In my ‘prison’ type experience, maybe God will have purpose here too! 

Like Joseph in Genesis, there was purpose in his problems. 

Like Moses in Deuteronomy 8:2ff 

“for this cause” (Ephesians 3:1) 

1. Peace with God 
2. Privilege of Prayer 
3. Place in the Church 
4. Presence of God 

Paul doesn’t finish this sentence until 3:14 “for this cause I bow my knees” 

Paul sees the Power of God – the sovereign hand of Christ in his experience “of Christ Jesus”. Paul lives in the reality of a teaching he will give us later on in Ephesians 6:12; “we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities, against powers against the rulers of the darkness of this world...” Rome was but a pawn in a far bigger game. Neither Rome, Jewish 

1. more clearly that the “excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us” (2 Co 4:7). Here is the church growing and blossoming despite the fact that Paul has been taken out of the equation!

1. “So that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the palace, and in all other places; And many of the brethren in the Lord, waxing confident by my bonds, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.” (Phil 1:13-14). There were those who sat on the fence! How do we get them off the fence? Set the fence on fire! No longer able to sit upon the fence.  

1. “All the saints salute you, -- chiefly they that are of Caesar’s household” (Phil 4:22) Even with Paul’s imprisonment, the gospel goes out and souls are being saved! 

1. Is it not interesting that today we read Pauls prison epistles! Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Philemon and 2 Timothy! World population in AD 70 – about 250 million. Up until today about 7 billion bibles printed. The YOU bible version claims to have been installed on approximately 725 million devices! If Paul had never been in prison the maximum reach of his preaching ministry from Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Philemon and 2 Timothy would have been a few thousand! 

1. Perceives the Purpose of his prison cell and problems! We don’t always have that luxury of course, being able to see what our trial is all about! Acknowledging the sovereignty of God of course over our trials gives us the assurance that “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28). In faith we have the assurance of purpose! 

1. Paul shows us a fresh PERSPECTIVE on the service of God (v8). Paul develops and grows in the PEACE and PATIENCE of God! Perhaps if we were an apostle like Paul, with such gift, knowledge, opportunity we would expect unlimited success and blessing, yet we notice Paul’s approach to his ministry (3:8) – God owes him nothing! All that he has he has been given, this ministry is all of God’s grace, with humility he has the perspective that God owes him nothing! 

Verse 2:

“Dispensation” : “οἰκονομία” : administration

Paul recognises in this verse ‘dispensations’

The ‘dispensation of the Grace of God’ stands in contrast to something else mentioned earlier; a distinctive way in which God revealed Himself and His plans and purposes in days gone by; “the law” (Ephesians 2:15) which excluded Jew and Gentile from fellowship with Him. 

Dispensations are ways by which God operates or administers this world. God remains the same and unchanged but the means by which He operates, or what He does does not remain the same! 

• God does not perpetually flood the world 
• God does not continually demand animal sacrifices
• God does not constantly plague Egypt
• God does not continue to send His Son into the world 

At different times God operates by distinctive means.

The word dispensation does not appear that often in the NT, although significantly it does appear 7 X in the NT; Luke 16:2; Luke 16:3; Luke 16:4; 1 Corinthians 9:17; Ephesians 1:10; Ephesians 3:2; Colossians 1:25.

There are different ways of seeing these dispensations in scripture. 

I can identify at least 7 (maybe 8) distinct dispensations, administered by God in distinctive ways:

1. Age of Innocence (Creation to the fall)
2. Age of Conscience / government from fall to the law, some see government as a distinct dispensation from Noah to the Law with the command to punish murder by death, although I do note that some form of government was already in force pre fall as indicated by the mark on Cain. 
3. Age of Law from Exodus 20 to Christ 
4. Age of Grace from the advent of Christ 
5. Day of Tribulation 
6. Millenial Reign 
7. Eternal state 

Verse 3 – The Mystery

Paul references here the Mystery of Christ (3:4) which is a reference to Jews and Gentiles together in one body (3:6)

Why Christ? 

Christ or Messiah is the anointed one:

• Psalm 2:2 – The anointed King 
• Psalm 110 – parallels Psalm 2 – the word Christ not mentioned but refers to the Priest and King 
• Daniel 9:24 – 26 

As Messiah Christ incorporates the roles of all of those previously anointed:

• Prophet
• Priest
• King 

The believer is being brought into the blessings and benefit of this anointed one, prophet, priest, King and sacrifice for our sins (Daniel 9) we have not been excluded! 

A mystery:

• Truth once concealed and now revealed? 

This is certainly true of the church and this mystery of Christ (3:4-5) but:

• Not necessarily a great ‘definition’ of mystery per se!

Perhaps better to understand the idea of mystery within the setting of the time of the NT writings when many of the religions of that day had a core set of ideas or revelations kept for the initiated. These were ideas that were at the core or heart of the religious system but unknown to the uninitiated. 

These mysteries then form the back bone, the structure to God’s plan for the universe in Christ. They are in effect the answer as to the reason why / how / what God is doing with this universe. 

We could identify perhaps 14 distinct mysteries. 

1. Mystery of the Kingdom (Mark 4) 
2. Mystery of Israel (Romans 11)
3. Mystery of the Gospel to all nations (Romans 16:25) 
4. Mystery of the Cross (1 Corinthians 1 + 2) 
5. Mystery of the Rapture (1 Corinthians 15) 
6. Mystery of Christ in you (Colossians 1:27)
7. Mystery of His will (Ephesians chp 1) 
8. Mystery of Christ (Ephesians chp 3) 
9. Mystery of the Bride (Ephesians chp 5) 
10. Mystery of Iniquity (2 Thessalonians 2:7) 
11. Mystery of Godliness (1 Timothy 3:16)
12. Mystery of the 7 Churches (Revelation chp 1)
13. Mystery of God in judgment (Revelation 10:7) 
14. Mystery of Babylon the Great (Revelation 17:5)

The 3 greats form the backbone of theses mysteries:

1. Great mystery of Godliness (1 Timothy 3:16) 

The Revelation, Resurrection, Ascension, Exaltation and Glorification of Christ 

1. Great mystery of Christ and His people (Ephesians 5)

The Redemption and reconciliation and relationship of Christ with His people 

1. The mystery of Babylon the Great (Revelation 17)

The Removal, Rejection and Retribution of all that rebels against Christ. 

If I were to ask you to give me a summary of the bible, could you do much better? 

Not a bad summary of the bible!

A summary of the bible in 3 points!

I doubt you could do any better! 

Here is Gods plan for the universe.

Here is the message of the bible 

What is God doing?

Why is God doing it? 

How is God doing it? 

V8  “the unsearchable riches of Christ” 

Paul is tasked with this great challenge of preaching the unsearchable riches of Christ to the Gentiles. 

Notice his perspective on himself as he unfolds these riches! 

“unto me who am less than the least of all saints” (3:8) 

God owes Paul nothing! 

God does not owe him:

• An easy life
• A smooth passage
• Blessings
• Prosperity
• Popularity 

All Paul has, he has by the grace of God!

He is indebted to God, and not God to him! 

Prison is acceptable when grace is undeserved (v8) 

Perhaps there is a link between Paul’s appreciation of who he is (3:8) and Paul’s appreciation of who Christ is? 

• A small view of self
• A big view of Christ

Do we not need to be empty to then be filled? 

• Paul – when I am weak then I am strong 
• Elijah knew God’s power and presence in the famine, drought and persecution by Jezebel
• Moses encountered God as a fugitive in the backside of the desert 
• Let him that lacks wisdom ask of God who gives liberally and upbraideth not (James 1:5) 

Was it not:

• The blind man who saw the light of the world (John 9)
• The dead man who knew the resurrection power of Jesus (John 11)
• The hungry crowd who could testify to Christ as the living bread (John 6)
• A thirsty woman who drank of the living water (John 4) 
• Empty water pots that were filled to the brim by Christ with wine. (John 2) 
• An anxious and fearful upper room of disciples who enjoyed that peace of Christ which goes beyond all understanding! 

What is Paul sharing of Christ? 

What are these riches?

Are they things which Christ possesses?

• Cattle on the 1000 hills (Psalm 50:10)
• All that the Father hath are mine (John 16:25) 
• The whole world belongs to Him (John 1) 
• All things made by Him (Col 1:16)

I have never heard Paul ‘preach’ but we do have his epistles to read. They do not seem to be filled with the riches Christ possesses or creates but rather the riches of His:

• Character 
• Attributes 
• Person 
• Work 

ie riches of:

• Who Christ is 
• What Christ has done 

Riches are commodities we would attach value to either because of their:

1. Uniqueness

• Outstanding beauty 
• Scarcity 
• Complexity 

1. Relative worth - money 
2. Absolute worth 

• Heb 11:26 – Moses found greater riches in the reproach of Christ than the treasures in Egypt 

There is absolute worth in Christ! 

Illust: Jews heading to Auschwitz willing to give away all of their material possessions for a drink of water! 

“all that a man hath will he give for his life” (Job 2:4) 

Jesus is:

• In our hunger He is the Bread of life
• In my thirst He is the Living water 
• In my death He is the resurrection and the life 
• In my wandering He is the good Shepherd 
• In my sin He is the Saviour 
• In my weakness He is my helper 
• In my sorrow He is the comforter 
• In my emptiness He is the fullness that filleth all in all 
• In my path He is the Way 
• In my despair He is our Hope 
• In my fear He is our peace 
• The true vine sustaining His people 
• Possesses the words of Eternal Life
• Resurrection and the life
• Creator
• Judge 
• Upholds all things by His power 
• Holds the keys of hell and of death (Rev 1:18) 
• He is our peace 
• He is our redeemer 
• Our substitute 
• He is our hope 
• The door into heaven 
• Our Great High Priest 
• Our Good Shepherd 
• Our Great Shepherd 
• He is our comforter 
• King of Kings
• Lord of Lords 
• Bright and morning star 
• In my need of a lamb He is Jehovah Jireh (Genesis 22)
• For those who need healing heading out of Egypt He is Jehovah Rapha 
• For Gideon who saw the angel of the Lord and was afraid to die He is Jehovah Shalom 
• For David facing Goliath He is the Lord of Hosts (1 Samuel 17:45) Jehovah Sabaoth
• For those who need salvation He is Jehovah Tsidkenu 
• Hebrews 1 – titles of Jehovah 
• Revelation 17 – title of Jehovah 

Everything I need for time and for eternity is found in Him!

Fascinatingly it is Moses who teaches me the true value of these unsearchable riches in Christ! 

“By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter;
²⁵ Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;
²⁶ Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward.” (Hebrews 11:24-26)

Moses had in Egypt:

• Place
• Position
• Privilege
• Power
• Pleasure
• Possessions 

Here is an encouraging thought; if all I feel that I have of Christ is His reproach: 

• His tears and sorrow
• His rejection and alienation
• His pain and suffering 
• The hatred of men
• The contradiction of sinners
• The mocking and jeering
• Betrayal and unfaithfulness
• If the only grasp I feel of His things is His Cross
• If the only taste of Christ is the taste of His tears 
• When you feel you follow with a cross rather than for a crown
• The only fragrance of Christ you perceive is the anointing for His burial
• The only emotion the tears of His suffering 
• Heaven and it’s precious jewels seem a long way away
• The wiping away of all tears beyond your reach 
• The streets of gold are somewhere else 
• River of living water refresh another people in another city in another place 

If out of all of His riches I lay hold only of His reproach then compared to all that I could ever have in this world, this far out weighs in value and worth the world in its:

• Place
• Position
• Privilege
• Power 
• Pleasure 
• Possessions 

Paul, imprisoned in Ephesians chapter 3 recognises the sovereign power of Christ over that prison and discovers the Saviour in that prison! This section of Ephesians chapter 3 begins with prison and ends with purpose! There is purpose in the prison! Purpose for Joseph, Daniel, Onesimus, Silas and Paul. From that prison pours the unsearchable riches of Christ, an appreciation of the dispensations of God's Grace and of the mysteries of the New Testament, 14 in number, 2 great mysteries and 1 mystery of a great thing. 

Dr J Stewart Gillespie 

graceinchrist.org

Viktor Frankl: ‘If life has meaning and suffering is part of life then suffering has meaning’

It was that perspective of seeing life even at its most difficult as possessing meaning that helped see Frankl through Auschwitz and in his clinical judgment made the difference between surviving suffering or succumbing to suffering. 

Ever before Auschwitz or Frankl’s book Paul demonstrates the same thing. 

“Everything can be taken form a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms – to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.”

It is as Paul peers through the bars of the prison cell that in his suffering, in his pain and in his problems and in:

• Prison

He sees 

• Purpose

Through the prison bars he sees purpose! 

Like Joseph in Genesis, there was purpose in his problems. 

Like Moses in Deuteronomy8:2ff 

“for this cause” (Ephesians 3:1) 

1. Peace with God 
2. Privilege of Prayer 
3. Place in the Church 
4. Presence of God 

Paul doesn’t finish this sentence until 3:14 “for this cause I bow my knees” 

Paul perceives:

1. A fresh perspective on his problems! Illust: Would you like someone to stick a knife in your belly? A rhetorical question! If I were to explain the assailant was a surgeon, the knife, a surgical blade, the setting a surgical theatre, the procedure an operation to save your life, would this be something you may be interested in? Illust: Leonid Rogozov, Antarctic Expedition 1960-1961, took out his own appendix, the suffering and pain was worth the risk and the outcome! 

1. Power of God – the sovereign hand of Christ in the experience “of Jesus Christ”. Paul lives in the reality of a teaching he will give us later on in Ephesians 6:12; “we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities, against powers against the rulers of the darkness of this world...” Rome was but a pawn in a far bigger game. Neither Rome, Jewish opposition nor even Satan had the upper hand, Christ was sovereign in all things, working out His plan and purpose.

1. Paul sees the Proof of the Power of God! Here is Paul’s lifelong work in a sense, evangelising the gentiles and establishing the Christian church and building up Christians. He has seen tremendous success in so doing! Consider the story of the Acts of the Apostles. But was all of this Paul? All of this Paul’s persuasive preaching? Paul’s great biblical arguments? Was it a personality cult? Is / was Christianity all just one man's ideas? Is most of the NT not all down to one man Paul? We still here that today. Illust: old teacher, 27 books in NT – how many written by Paul? It’s just one man’s ideas then? Now that Paul is taken out of the equation we can see more clearly that the “excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us” (2 Co 4:7). Here is the church growing and blossoming despite the fact that Paul has been taken out of the equation!

1. “So that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the palace, and in all other places; And many of the brethren in the Lord, waxing confident by my bonds, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.” (Phil 1:13-14) 

1. “All the saints salute you, -- chiefly they that are of Caesar’s household” (Phil 4:22) Even with Paul’s imprisonment, the gospel goes out and souls are being saved! 

1. Is it not interesting that today we read Pauls prison epistles! Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Philemon and 2 Timothy! World population in AD 70 – about 250 million. Up until today about 7 billion bibles printed. The YOU bible version claims to have been installed on approximately 725 million devices! If Paul had never been in prison the maximum reach of his preaching ministry from Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Philemon and 2 Timothy would have been a few thousand! 

1. Perceives the Purpose of his prison cell and problems! We don’t always have that luxury of course, being able to see what our trial is all about! Acknowledging the sovereignty of God of course over our trials gives us the assurance that “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28). In faith we have the assurance of purpose! 

1. Paul shows us a fresh PERSPECTIVE on the service of God (v8). Paul develops and grows in the PEACE and PATIENCE of God! Perhaps if we were an apostle like Paul, with such gift, knowledge, opportunity we would expect unlimited success and blessing, yet we notice Paul’s approach to his ministry (3:8) – God owes him nothing! All that he has he has been given, this ministry is all of God’s grace, with humility he has the perspective that God owes him nothing! 

Verse 2:

“Dispensation” : “οἰκονομία” : administration

Paul recognises in this verse ‘dispensations’

The ‘dispensation of the Grace of God’ stands in contrast to something else mentioned earlier; a distinctive way in which God revealed Himself and His plans and purposes in days gone by; “the law” (Ephesians 2:15) which excluded Jew and Gentile from fellowship with Him. 

Dispensations are ways by which God operates or administers this world. God remains the same and unchanged but the means by which He operates, or what He does does not remain the same! 

• God does not perpetually flood the world 
• God does not continually demand animal sacrifices
• God does not constantly plague Egypt
• God does not continue to send His Son into the world 

At different times God operates by distinctive means.

The word dispensation does not appear that often in the NT, although significantly it does appear 7 X in the NT; Luke 16:2; Luke 16:3; Luke 16:4; 1 Corinthians 9:17; Ephesians 1:10; Ephesians 3:2; Colossians 1:25.

There are different ways of seeing these dispensations in scripture. 

I can identify at least 7 (maybe 8) distinct dispensations, administered by God in distinctive ways:

1. Age of Innocence (Creation to the fall)
2. Age of Conscience / government from fall to the law, some see government as a distinct dispensation from Noah to the Law with the command to punish murder by death, although I do note that some form of government was already in force pre fall as indicated by the mark on Cain. 
3. Age of Law from Exodus 20 to Christ 
4. Age of Grace from the advent of Christ 
5. Day of Tribulation 
6. Millenial Reign 
7. Eternal state 

One of the earliest ways of organising the dispensations goes back to Poiret who listed 7 dispensations and linked them / paralleled them with the phases of human growth and maturity.

Verse 3 – The Mystery

Paul references here the Mystery of Christ (3:4) which is a reference to Jews and Gentiles together in one body (3:6)

Why Christ? 

Christ or Messiah is the anointed one:

• Psalm 2:2 – The anointed King 
• Psalm 110 – parallels Psalm 2 – the word Christ not mentioned but refers to the Priest and King 
• Daniel 9:24 – 26 

As Messiah Christ incorporates the roles of all of those previously anointed:

• Prophet
• Priest
• King 

The believer is being brought into the blessings and benefit of this anointed one, prophet, priest, King and sacrifice for our sins (Daniel 9) we have not been excluded! 

A mystery:

• Truth once concealed and now revealed? 

This is certainly true of the church and this mystery of Christ (3:4-5) but:

• Not necessarily a great ‘definition’ of mystery per se!

Perhaps better to understand the idea of mystery within the setting of the time of the NT writings when many of the religions of that day had a core set of ideas or revelations kept for the initiated. These were ideas that were at the core or heart of the religious system but unknown to the uninitiated. 

These mysteries then form the back bone, the structure to God’s plan for the universe in Christ. They are in effect the answer as to the reason why / how / what God is doing with this universe. 

We could identify perhaps 14 distinct mysteries. 

1. Mystery of the Kingdom (Mark 4) 
2. Mystery of Israel (Romans 11)
3. Mystery of the Gospel to all nations (Romans 16:25)
4. Mystery of the Cross (1 Corinthians 1 + 2) 
5. Mystery of the Rapture (1 Corinthians 15) 
6. Mystery of Christ in you (Colossians 1:27)
7. Mystery of His will (Ephesians chp 1) 
8. Mystery of Christ (Ephesians chp 3) 
9. Mystery of the Bride (Ephesians chp 5) 
10. Mystery of Iniquity (2 Thessalonians 2:7) 
11. Mystery of Godliness (1 Timothy 3:16)
12. Mystery of the 7 Churches (Revelation chp 1)
13. Mystery of God in judgment (Revelation 10:7) 
14. Mystery of Babylon the Great (Revelation 17:5)

V8  “the unsearchable riches of Christ” 

Paul is tasked with this great challenge of preaching the unsearchable riches of Christ to the Gentiles. 

What is Paul sharing of Christ? 

Riches are commodities we would attach value to either because of their:

1. Uniqueness

• Outstanding beauty 
• Scarcity 
• Complexity 

1. Relative worth  - money 
2. Absolute worth 

• Heb 11:26 – Moses found greater riches in the reproach of Christ than the treasures in Egypt 

There is absolute worth in Christ! 

Illust: Jews heading to Auschwitz willing to give away all of their material possessions for a drink of water! 

“all that a man hath will he give for his life” (Job 2:4) 

Jesus is:

• Bread of life
• Living water 
• Possesses the words of Eternal Life
• Resurrection and the life
• Creator
• Judge 
• Upholds all things by His power 
• Holds the keys of hell and of death (Rev 1:18) 
• He is our peace 
• He is our redeemer 
• Our substitute 
• He is our hope 
• The door into heaven 
• Our Great High Priest 
• Our Good Shepherd 
• Our Great Shepherd 
• He is our comforter 

Everything I need for time and for eternity is found in Him!

Ephesians chapter 3 describes Paul's imprisonment but not simply from the human perspective! Paul sees the plan and purpose of God in his prison cell! He is the prisoner of Jesus Christ. Through the prison and the pain God's church is being build, souls saved from Caesar's household, Christians emboldened in the Gospel and 5 prison epistels written, subsequently shared to over 9 billion souls! Paul chose how we would see and respond in these difficult circumstances. Paul's joy lay in playing his part in the dispensation of the Grace of God, one of 7 dispensations in the Bible : the dispensations of innocence, conscience, law, grace, tribulation, millenial reign and eternal state. God has His plan for Paul, for the whole world and for you.
Dr J Stewart Gillespie
Graceinchrist.org 

Ephesians chapter 2 is a call first to reflection and to remember. Remember what once you were, dead in trespasses and sins, what you now are, raised up with Jesus Christ in the heavenly places and ask the question; so what? Does this make a difference to my life?

In Ephesians chapter 2 we see that the Christian enjoys 4 great spiritual privelages and blessings: 

1 - Peace with God 

This peace is both verticle; between the Christian and God and horizontal, between believers. We see a picture of this peace in the peac offering of Leviticus chapter 3 with the removal of the diaphragm or caul above teh kidneys. 

2 - Privelage of prayer 

This access to God by His Holy Spirit can be and is manifested in at least 5 distinct forms of prayer:

1. Thanksgiving (Philippians 4:6)
2. Worship (Hebrews 13:15)
3. Intercession (Romans 8:26)
4. Supplication (Philippians 4:6)
5. Confession (1 John 1:9)

Here is a challenge to enjoy the blessings and privelages God has for us in Christ. 

3 - Place in God's church, as believers we are not expected simpy to ‘go to church’ nor simply to be part of the congregation, but rather to be part of the concrete, an integral component of the church which He is building! 

4 - Presence and reality of God in His church and amongst His people.

Systematic teaching from the letter to the Ephesians 

Dr J Stewart Gillespie

26th March 2024

So what is the Christian life all about? 

• Evangelism?
• Service?
• Worship?
• Testimony?
• Fellowship with Christ?
• Raising a family in the nurture and admonition of the Lord?
• Playing our part in the Church?

The list could go on and grows the more we think about it! Ephesians chapter 2 helps to point us to a summary of the content and purpose of the Christian life in the proverbial nutshell! The Christian is lives out his life in 2 spheres; and in the experience of two relationships, he is both in touch with and in fellowship with Jesus Christ in heaven (Ephesians 2:6), seated and enjoying that living relationship with Christ and he is similtaneously walking amongst men on earth (Ephesians 2:10). Here is a soul once “dead in trespasses and sins” and now “alive in Christ”! This is same soul who was dead and alienated from the l life of God (Acts 3:5); who rejected the light of God (John 1:5); the love of God (John 3:16) and the language of God (John 8:43) but who now lives out his live in love (Ephesians 3:19), light (Ephesians 5:8); life (Ephesians 2:5) and enjoying the language of heaven (Ephesians 1:13)! This saved and regenerated soul has been let loose in a dark, cold, world of empty despair. It is against the deep darkness that is the night of this world that the glorious light of the gospel and of those who belong to Christ shines the most brightly. 

Dr J Stewart Gillespie

Noticed already how we can divide Ephesians: 

Chapters 1 to 3 – Doctrine 

Chapters 4 to 6 – Practice 

Practice is built upon our doctrine 

What we believe determines how we live 

We have seen some dramatic examples of this over the last century: 

• Camp Davidians – mass suicide to enter into some gate in heaven 
• Holocaust – believing Jews and others were sub human 
• Islam – belief in Mohammed and Koran, Jihad and Muslim lands resulted in terrorism, oppression and murder. 

What we believe determines how I live 

See that here in Ephesians 4:1; 20-22 

Doctrine affects practice 

The WORD determines the WALK 

What we saw, as the WORD was misrepresented the WALK was unrecognisable. 

Let us be careful, doctrine determines practice

We noted too a further:

Pattern or Template: 

The journey of Israel from Egypt to Canaan, under Moses and then under Joshua:

1. Redemption – Exodus 12 
2. Sanctification 
3. Construction of Tabernacle 
4. Dimensions of Divine Love 
5. Service in the tabernacle (Ephesians 4:1ff)
6. Walk / Journey – chapters 4 and 5 
7. Battle (chapter 6) 

We could see the structure of the epistle through the pattern of the 3 prayers of Ephesians:

1. WHY God saved you – Reason for our salvation – following after the doctrines of election, predestination, adoption, inheritance, redemption 
2. WHAT our redemption is all about – Preparation for the Christian walk, the heart of the Christian experience 
3. HOW we succeed – the Victory in our walk 

Or consider:

1. DOCTRINE – The REVELATION of God 
2. DEVOTION – Our RELATIONSHIP with Christ 
3. DISCIPLESHIP / DUTY – The REALITY of faith and victory 

Hope (v18) 

Keep your hope before you! 

If you lose your hope you lose your way! 

‘A man who has a reason why to live can deal with almost any how.’ (Friedrich Nietzsche)

Hope – do we have hope? 

A hope set before us??

Was it not:

Hope that sustained Noah through 40 days of rain

Hope that sustained Moses and Israel through 40 years in the wilderness

Hope that sustained Job through 40 chapters of suffering 

Hope sustained Paul (Phil 1:21) in His lifelong service for Christ 

Hope sustained men and women of faith in their race in the midst of persecution and trial (Hebrews 12:1) 

Hope sustained great men and women of faith (Hebrews 11)

That Hope is: “the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints” (v18) 

This is a strange and difficult phrase, could mean one of 2 things:

1. God has an inheritance in or amongst the saints, ie that the saints are God’s inheritance. This is of course true but maybe doesn’t fit too well with the context in 1:11, 14, rather than what God gets. 
2. The inheritance belonging to and from God, shared amongst the saints, ie not what God gets but what we get. This is similar to 
   1. “And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.” Acts 20:32 and 
   2. “To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.” Acts 26:18 

It is our inheritance ie what we get rather than what God gets that has been the theme so far of Ephesians chapter 1 and it is to our inheritance, ie what we get that the Ephesian letter will lead us into in chapter 6, ready and equipped for battle to cease our inheritance in Christ.

Surely verse 18 could have been clearer? 

As a consequence of this we are presented with a fascinating truth which is infused through the rest of Ephesians, that the inheritance of God’s people is collective!

God’s people were not designed to go it alone! 

Salvation is an individual and personal encounter and experience! The Christian life begins with an individual experience but it does not continue as such! We will forever share in a collective experience of Christ and a collective inheritance. 

This thought leads me into the truth of the church “His body” (1:23) 

Eternally our inheritance is among the saints! 

Presently God has placed us among the saints (v23) 

It is amongst the saints that we receive a foretaste of this inheritance. It is amongst the saints we find: 

• The Presence of Christ with His people (1:23) 
• The Privilege of access (2:13-16,18) 
• The Presence of Christ in His people (3:14ff) 
• The Revelation of Christ in the Church (chapter 4) 

1. Revelation (chp 1) 
2. Relationship (chp 3) 
3. Reality (chp 6) 

We find a taste of that in the church 

In the church the tremendous multiplicity of gift (Ephesians 4:10 ff) brings a great revelation of Christ to His people. 

We don’t believe in one man ministry:

• Pastors are in the plural 
• No NT precedent for one teaching elder or pastor – elders plural (when they can be) 
• Gifts are plural, all believers are gifted and the expectation is that we will use those gifts 

Here in Ephesians chapter 4 we see the reason for this. The use of this diversity of gift amongst God’s people is needed to reflect the full glory of Christ in order that His people may be brought to Christ likeness! 

That you may know what is the hope of His calling and what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints. Ephesians chapter 1 verse 18 points the Christian to the present experience of the future expectation of his inheritance. The inheritance God has for His people will be forever shared collectively amongst His people. This experience we taste of today in His Church, the body, building and bride of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is in the church that the full variety and diversity of spiritual gifts are given to glorify and reveal Jesus and build up the Christian, transforming and conforming them to the image of Jesus! 

God indeed is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied with Him! 

Dr J Stewart Gillespie

Prayer, a priority to Paul, is a priority to the Christian and appropriately commences, concludes and forms the centre of the letter to the Ephesians. The letter to the Ephesians opens with a prayer of priority, a prayer that the Christians in effect may feed upon the Lord Jesus, that they might encounter the Spirit of Wisdom, and revelation in the knowledge of Him. The priority in the work of Holy Spirit is in the revelation of a Person, that is Jesus, and thus the purpose He has for us and the power which flows flows from Him. Never underestimate the power of Jesus in the life of the Christian. This power is of the same quality and is measured according to the resurrecting power seen in Jesus Christ! This is the power which raised Lazarus, liberated Israel, rebuilt Jerusalem and instated a Shepherd as a Sovereign! We may be down and week but with God we are not out! 

The Christian life in Ephesians hangs on 3 prayers:

1. Feeding (1:15-23)
2. Filling (3:14-21)
3. Fighting (6:18)

We seen at least 2 previous ways we could divide up the letter:

1. Chapters 1 to 3 – Doctrine – why we do it
2. Chapters 4 to 6 – Practice – what we do 

Suggested that we could take the template from the OT of Israel, led by Moses and then Joshua from the Exodus to the promised land. That journey would encapsulate:

1. Redemption – Exodus 12 – Ephesians chp 1 
2. Sanctification – leaving the world and Satan behind (2:1-4) and moving up the mountain (Exodus 20) and into the heavenly places in Christ (Eph 2:5-10)
3. Fellowship in the tabernacle (Exodus 25ff) which is the church of Ephesians 2:11ff – a place where God dwells (Ephesians 2:22), where we meet with God (2:18).
4. Dimensions of Divine love – the ark of the covenant records it as 2 ½ cubits by 1 ½ cubits by 1 ½ cubits, here we have it in Ephesians 3:14-21. 
5. The walk of God’s people (Ephesians chapter 4 and 5) – the wilderness journey 
6. Battle and victory (Ephesians 6:10ff) 

These 3 prayers are not simply random prayers punctuating the epistle but they do reflect the structure of the letter and the pattern of the Christian life. 

The first prayer concludes the section on:

• Election 
• Predestination 
• Adoption
• Redemption 
• Inheritance 
• Sealed with the Spirit

With a prayer that we might appreciate what the purpose of all of this is! 

A very apt prayer! 

It is a prayer which draws us to:

1. A Person 
2. God’s Purpose 
3. God’s Power 

The first ministry here in Ephesians after the Spirit of God seals me is the Revelation of God, which is of course through Christ:

• “But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:” (John 15:26)
• “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you. All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall show it unto you.” (John 16:13ff)
• “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” (John 17:3)
• “For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” (2 Co 4:6) 

The first priority to know Him! 

• “That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;” (Phil 3:10)

His Power (1:19)

The power available to us as God’s people is a power after the same type, the same kind as that which raised up Christ from the dead! (Ephesians 1:2) 

His power is a resurrecting power.

This is a power after the fashion of the power which:

• Regenerated a lost world with 8 people
• Made of Abraham a great nation
• Promoted a slave and prisoner to second in command in Egypt 
• Turned a slave and fugitive to Saviour of Israel
• Brought water from the rock 
• Turned a shepherd to a sovereign 
• Raised up a ruined Jerusalem from the ashes in the days of Nehemiah
• Rebuilt a destroyed temple in the days of Ezra 
• Restored a lost kingdom and nation to Israel 
• Raised Lazarus from the dead
• Restored Onesimus from uselessness to usefulness

In Ephesians 3:14-21 the experience and reality of this power arises from the experience of the indwelling presence of Christ (3:17), His filling comes from us being “rooted and grounded in love” (3:17;19) it is that trust in Christ, in His love that brings me to surrender to Him, understanding that He can be utterly trusted and that I can safely surrender to Him (Ephesians 3:19). 

It was the experience of this love that:

• Brought Zacchaeus to surrender half of his goods
• Brought Paul to present his life on the alter 
• Brought the servant to total surrender and commitment (Exodus 21:6)
• Brought Mary to anoint Jesus 

Dr J Stewart Gillespie

“The Holy Spirit of Promise”

Consider the Spirit of God, such a vast subject! 

The actions and manifestation of the Holy Spirit, are the actions and manifestations of God! 

The subject is immense!

1. His role in Creation (Genesis chp 1) 
2. His role in inspiration (2 Peter 1:20ff) 
3. His role in the Incarnation (Luke 1:35) 
4. His role in spiritual gifts and the Gift of prophecy 
5. His role in Sanctification 
6. His role in Consecration 
7. His role in the Conviction of sin (John 16:8)
8. His role in Conversion
9. His role in Regeneration (John 3) 
10. His role in Comfort and consolation (John 14)
11. His role in Education (John 14:26; 1 John 2:27) 
12. His role in the Ministry of Christ (John 14) 
13. His role in Spiritual gifts (1 Co12) 
14. His role in Prayer (Romans 8) 
15. His role in Leading and guiding (Romans 8)
16. His role in the transformation of character – fruit of the Spirit (2 Co 3:17-18)

The Spirit of God has many and varied roles and is active wherever God is active. To fully understand or systematise the Spirit of God we would have to fully understand God! 

What we have in Ephesians is something a bit more focused however. 

The Spirit of God is the believer’s:

1. Pledge
2. Proof 
3. Person

He is our:

1. Guide 
2. Guardian 
3. Guarantee

The ministry of the Spirit of God in the life of the Christian is a ministry from: 

Redemption (Ephesians 1:7) 

To: 

Redemption (Ephesians 1:13-14)

We are redeemed (Ephesians 1:7) 

We are to be redeemed (Ephesians 1:14) 

Redemption has 2 aspects:

• What we are redeemed from – Egypt – slaves to pharaoh 
• What we are redeemed to – The promised land – servants of the Lord 

In redemption there is an out and there is an in! 

Out of Egypt and into the promised land. 

Out of slavery to Pharoah and into the service of the Lord 

The ministry of God’s Holy Spirit thus runs:

• From redemption (1:7) to redemption (1:14) 
• From time to eternity 
• From earth to heaven 

“The Holy Spirit of God whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption” (Eph 4:30). He is with us all that journey through! 

He is the "Holy Spirit of promise" (1:13)

Certainly He is the promised Holy Spirit: 

• John 14:16
• John 15:26
• John 16:13
• Luke 24:49
• Acts 19:1ff 

But in the context of Ephesians chapter 1 He is more than the promised Holy Spirit. He is the guarantor of God’s promises:

• “earnest” – ‘arrabon’ – engagement ring 
• He is the promised guarantee that the leaving we have endured will lead to an entering in to an inheritance which we can expect.
• He takes us from redemption to redemption

That path guided by the Holy Spirit for the Christian is a picture which we see over in Genesis chapter 24, in the unnamed servant who leads Rebekah from Haran / Nahor to Canaan.

The Holy Spirit will lead us through too. 

1. Salvation 

Set apart unto salvation – 2 Thess 2:13 

Conviction of sin (John 16:8)

Regeneration (John 3)

1. Revelation of Jesus Christ (John 16:15; 14:26)
2. Sanctification 

Sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit (1 Co 6:11)

Leave the world, the flesh and the Devil behind and drawn into the presence of Christ 

1. Relationship 

Romans chapter 8

Prayer (Romans 8:26) 

1. Consecration and transformation 

The inner working of the Spirit of God 

“The Spirit of ... power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Tim 1:7) 

Power – Ephesians 3:16 

Love – Ephesians 3:17 

Sound mind – Ephesians 3:18 

Consider 2 Corinthians 3:16ff – conformed to the image of Christ 

1. Gifts of the Spirit for the Church 

Cf. 1 Corinthians 12:1ff 

The Spirit of God operative in the church, drawing believers together in the community of the church.

1. Character moulded 

The transformation of the believers character 

The conformation of the Christian to Jesus 

The victory over the flesh (Romans 8:13) 

Cf. The fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22)

1. Conduct shaped 

The transformation of conduct 

Led by the Spirit (Romans 8:1ff)

Filled by the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18ff) 

1. Spiritual warfare 

Spiritual battle – conflict and warfare 

1. Illuminating the Word of God 

A fairly extensive list of the ministry of the Holy Spirit 

That list of the working of the Holy Spirit is effectively an outline of the entire letter of the Ephesians! 

The Holy Spirit will lead us through too. 

1. Salvation and sealing (Ephesians 1:13)
2. Revelation of Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:17) 
3. Sanctification (Ephesians 2: 1-10)
4. Relationship and prayer (Ephesians 2:11-3:13 )
5. Consecration and transformation (Ephesians 3:14-21)
6. Gifts of the Spirit for the Church (Ephesians 4:1-16)
7. Transformation of Character (4:17-31)
8. Transformation of Conduct (5:1-20)
9. Spiritual warfare (6:10-20)
10. Illuminating the Word of God (6:17) 

The Spirit of God leads us in Ephesians to lay hold of our blessings in Christ. 

Let us impose a template on the Ephesian letter – take it from the life of Moses, the journey of the nation of Israel: 

• Redemption from Egypt – Ephesians chp 1 
• Sanctification from Egypt and Pharaoh – Ephesians chp 2 
• Building a sanctuary – Ephesians chp 2 
• Inner Holy of Holies – a place of 
• Walk through the wilderness – battling Amalek chapters 4 + 5 
• The final victory in spiritual battle and taking the land  (Ephesians 6)

What do I take from this? 

• Without God’s Spirit I can do nothing 
• The first work of the Spirit of God after salvation and sealing is the revelation of Christ 
• There are no shortcuts 
• I cannot move from salvation to victory without sanctification, fellowship, relationship, transformation and a walk consistent with my profession!

The Christian is in possession of a glorious inheritance in the Lord Jesus. This inheritance in Christ in Ephesians chapter 1 comes with a promise, a pledge, an earnest or even an engagement ring! Our inheritance in Christ comes with a promised guarantee, sealed by the Holy Spirit. We see a typical picture of this story in Genesis chapter 24 as the unnamed servant of Abraham goes to Mesopotamia to find a bride for Isaac. 

Dr J Stewart Gillespie 

09/01/2025

It is amazing the impact on individual lifes, the history of nations, the record of the bible and the plan and storyof redemption that valuing our inheritance can have! Naboth knew the true cost of holding onto his inheritance and refusing to surrender, swap or sell his vineyard! It cost him his life. The 5 daughters of Zelophehad so cherished their inhetitance that they forced a change in Old Testament Law with unexpected and almost unbelievable consequences. The presidence they set in Numbers chapter 27 and Numbers chapter 36 became a decisive factor in cementing the relationship between Ruth and Boaz in Ruth chapter 4 and from that relationship not only came the King of Israel David but so too the Lord Jesus Christ. Let us as Christians hold onto, value and treasure our inheritance in Christ, refusing to devalue, despise, or disregard that inheritance for a world that disappoints and material prosperity that disappears. 

Ephesians chp 1 vs 11 – Living in the Light of Our Inheritance

Heading somewhere, heading home.

We are heirs of God, let us live like it! 

Living from the gutter to Glory!

There was a latin phrase which caught on a number of years ago after the film ‘The Dead Poets Society’ – Carpe Diem – seize the day! The modern equivalent of which YOLO – you only live once! 

The believer in Ephesians chapter 1 is encouraged not simply to seize the day or live for the moment, as if you only live once but rather to:

‘Lay hold of eternity’!

We noted previously in the context of redemption the importance of our inheritance! The theme of inheritance runs through the whole bible and the importance of it.

Inheritance is linked to:

• Identity
• Purpose 

Bible maps, and biblical maps of the promised land are divided up:

• Not by states
• Not by shires

But by:

• Tribes

Ie according to the tribes or families of the nation of Israel.

The land was their inheritance! 

The land was their inheritance, and by the way it was their inheritance in perpetuity! There was provision for this in Leviticus chapter 25, for redemption and for the return of the land as an inheritance in perpetuity to the tribes of Israel at the year of Jubilee. 

These Old Testatment land laws and registers, strangely included in the Word of God, when perhaps other material could not be so included 

“And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen.” (John 21:25)

All of this material recorded and included in the scriptures regarding land laws, inheritance laws, redemption rights and the year of Jubilee (Leviticus 25:10,13), impresses upon us as New Testament believers that when God gives an inheritance, it is forever! That is a good lesson to learn! 

Our inheritance in Christ is the next step in the flow of truth here in chapter 1:

• Chosen – verse 4 
• Predestined for adoption – verse 5 
• Redeemed – verse 7 
• Wisdom of God’s purpose worked out not as a photo but as a film! In 4 dimensions and not only 3! Wisdom projected from the Divine mind onto the canvas of time (vs 9 to 10). To gather all things in Christ, the church is the first glimpse of the new world and of this purpose (Ephesians 1:10). 

We have been chosen, predestinated, adopted, and redeemed for a purpose (Ephesians 1:11). From our perspective that purpose is our “inheritance” (Eph 1:11)

All of this of course flows from God:

• Election 
• Predestination to adoption 
• Redemption 
• Inheritance 

1. “Chosen in Him”

Chosen not for good in me! 

God cannot chose between men for salvation the way we chose! When it comes to human choice we tend to chose the best option! The best room in the house, the best cake on display in the bakers window, the best job. When it comes to God choosing the sinner, the situation is clear (Romans 3:9ff). Just as when God formed Adam of the dust of the ground, it wasn’t that one handful of dust was any less dirty than another handful of dust! It was because of what could do with that handful of dust! 

1. Adopted

The Old Testament is bookended by adoption! 

The Old Testament year, and redemptive calendar begins on:

• 14^th day of the 1^st month Abib / Nissan with Passover 

The Old Testament calendar ends on:

• 14^th day of the last month Adar with Purim 

The first feast celebrates the nations release from a place – Egypt. 

The last feast celebrates the nations release from a person – Hamman.

With both of these feasts there is connected a prominent OT character:

1. Purim – Esther 

Interestingly both Moses and Esther are adopted! 

The whole of the redemptive history of the Old Testament is bookended by adoption! 

1. Redeemed

Redemption encompassing:

1. Ransom
2. Release
3. Relationship 

Not purely a negative phenomenon, but redeemed for a purpose! Most clearly seen perhaps with the redemption of the nation from Egypt, seen too with Ruth and perhaps in picture form with Rebekah! 

There are some great examples of those who held fast to their inheritance! They weren’t for letting it go! 

Individual lifes, the story of the bible, the destiny of nations and the course of history was shaped by those who had an appreciation of their inheritance, so too for us. My inheritance: what I have in Christ and where I am going with the Christian faith. 

1. Naboth – the cost of his inheritance 
2. Daughters of Zelophehad – the commitment to their inheritance 
3. Ruth – the consequences of holding onto that inheritance 

They will be encouraged to:

• Deny
• Despise
• Disregard
• Devalue 

Their inheritance but they didn’t and neither must I!

Live your life in the light of that inheritance. 

The believers inheritance permeates the whole of the Ephesian epistle: 

1. Privileges of that inheritance (Ephesians 2) 

• Prayer
• Praise

1. Practices of that inheritance (Ephesians 3+4) 

• Preeminence of Christ 
• Perfecting of the saints
• Preaching of the word of God 
• Practice of gifts

1. Prospect of that inheritance (Ephesians 5)

• Relationship
• Resemblance

In living out our life as Christians in the light of our inheritance we can make an unexpected impact for Christ!

1. Naboth

• 1 Kings chp 21 
• Naboth valued his inheritance – it wasn’t just a vineyard or a business, it was his inheritance (21:1). He wouldn’t give it up to be turned into a lawn! 
• Naboth was encouraged to devalue his inheritance:

Naboth valued it with his life

1. Daughters of Zelophehad

• Numbers chapter 27 and 36 
• The 5 daughters of Zelophehad, petition Moses as the land is about to be divided up, they too want their portion and their inheritance. 
• In the first half of Numbers many did not value, were not prepared to fight for their inheritance in the land eg the 10 out of the 12 spies who were sent doen to spie out the land. 
• These daughters forced a change in case law and received their right to inherit from their father in the absence of a son. 
• They really valued their inheritance!
• This had an unexpected consequence which arises in Numbers chapter 36. Having inherited their fathers land they are restricted to marry within the tribe. 
• I f I were to tell you that your salvation depended on the passion and pursuit of their inheritance would you believe me? Their conviction and passion for their inheritance was used by God to direct subsequent events that lead us ultimately to the birth of Jesus Christ! 

1. Ruth

• Ruth chapter 4
• What is happening here? 

Probably not as a consequence of the levirate laws of marriage in Deuteronomy 25 which applies to:

• Brothers (Lev 25:5) and the widows “brother in law” (Lev 25:5)
• Who “dwell together” (Lev 25:5) – taken by the Rabbis as indicating brothers with inheritance rights to the same father, ie living on the family land.
• The child born as a result is credited to the deceased brother (Deut 25:6) 

This was not what transpired in the book of Ruth:

• Boaz was a near kinsmen (Ruth 3:12,13), not a brother and Naomi perceived no levirate right per se of redemption by Boaz. 
• Naomi seems quite clear regarding levirate marriage in Ruth 1:11ff this would depend upon her having another son. 
• Boaz credits the choice of Ruth as the cause of the union rather than legal rights per se “Let it even be established, that thy name may be magnified forever, saying, The LORD of hosts is the God of Israel, even a God to Israel: and let the house of David thy servant be established before thee.” (Ruth 3:10)
• Once the son is born he is credited to Boaz (Ruth 4:21) and not Mahlon

This does not fulfil the criteria we know of for levirate but rather fits better with the legislation given as a consequence of the problems raised by the daughters of Zelophehad in Numbers 27 and 36.

It appears to have been their faithfulness and commitment to ensuring their inheritance in Numbers chapter 27 and the subsequent issues which arose in Numbers 36 with legislation that committed the daughter who inherits her fathers property to marry within the tribe. The faithfulness of the daughters of Zelophehad had unexpected consequences, reaching far beyond the daughters of Zelophehad! Their faithfulness in a sense turned the course of history, bringing to pass the marriage of Ruth and Boaz and thus the line of David and of Messiah! 

Bible teaching from Ephesians chapter 1 

Dr J Stewart Gillespie

An introduction to Paul's letter to the Ephesians. We consider an outline of the epistle, the main themes of the letter to the Ephesians and the structure of the letter. We note the division of the letter into doctrinal and practical sections and the the rich treasure trove of blessings which are ours as 'blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.' Part of our systematic study through the letter to the Ephesians. 

Notes on Ephesians chapter 1 verses 1 to 3:

Ephesians – Ephesus from a natural perspective was a strange place to send this letter to!

Ephesus was a place of:

• Pagan Temples 
• Pagan gods
• Pagan statues 
• Artemis 
• Cult of Caesar 
• Physical altars and temples 

The letter to the Ephesians was spiritual:

• His people become His temple / building. 
• God indwells His people!

This new way was not so much a RELIGION as a RELATIONSHIP with the one true and living God and that was counterculture and revolutionary!

Such was the impact of the gospel at Ephesus! 

1. Chapters 1 to 3 – Doctrinal 
2. Chapters 4 to 6 – Practical:

These 2 main sections are joined together by the prayer of 3:14-21, the keystone of the Ephesian letter.

Some of the old preachers used to remind us that practice is dependant upon doctrine. There is probably nowhere else that this is so clearly seen as in the letter to the Ephesians. It is evident in the very structure of the epistle. The concluding three chapters of practice rest in the first 3 verses of doctrine.

4:1 – illustrates the connection between doctrine and practice quite clearly! 

Or: 

1. God’s Plan of Adoption – chps 1 to 2
2. The Privileges of Adoption – chps 2 to 3 
3. The Practice of Adoption and Salvation – chps 4 to 6

No nation rises higher than its gods! 

If your god commits:

• Murder
• Incest
• Theft
• Adultery
• Drunkenness
• Capricious 
• Cruelty
• War 

If these are your gods, then you really don’t have much to walk worthy of, your standards aren’t very high. 

Bring that to a contemporary setting; if you believe that life has no meaning, no purpose, no destiny and that no one is in control, that we are but the random products of a million chemical reactions and accidents, you may rightly as the question; ‘what is the point to it all?’ From thence it is but a small step to despair and oblivion! 

“Paul an apostle of Jesus Christ” (1:1) 

Some struggle with the teaching of Ephesians chapter 1:

• Election 
• Predestination 
• God’s choice to salvation 

Some do their best to evade the clear and simple teaching of this chapter:

• Arminianism – God chooses those whom He foreknows would choose Him!
• Corporate election – God chooses the means of salvation, ie Christ but not those who are to be saved. God chooses Christ and we choose to be in Christ. 

We really don’t need the whole bible to disprove these ideas and establish the principle of Divine, sovereign, personal, individual election to salvation. 

We just need one book – Ephesians.

We just need one chapter – Ephesians chapter 1.

We just need one verse – Ephesians chapter 1 verse 1!

God clearly did not choose Paul because Saul would choose God!

God did not clearly appoint the means of salvation and leave Saul of Tarsus to find Christ! That is a million miles away from the events recorded in Acts 9. Not only did Saul ‘not seek after God’ (Romans 3:11) but Saul actively rebelled against God and rejected Christ (Acts 9:13). 

Paul’s apostleship is “by the will of God” as all salvation and calling is “by the will of God”.

“to the saints, to the faithful in Christ Jesus” (v1) 

“The Saints” 

• Holy ones – set apart for God 
• What God makes us 
• We do not make ourselves saints 
• God does that 
• What God does for me!

“To the faithful” 

• What we do for God 

Consider John chapter 6 “will you also go away?”

Consider Luke chapter 17 and the 10 lepers and only 1 returns.

There were many faithful in the New Testament:

• Timothy
• Epaphroditus
• Paul
• John 
• Priscilla and Aquila

I believe it is a terrible tragedy when we claim what God did for us as Saints and then deny and reject what we are to do for God as “faithful”.

In Ephesians faithfulness to God in Christ is very much with the setting of the church:

• Playing our part in His body as members 
• Being part of the temple in worship 
• Gifts God has given to us (4:1-16) 
• Walk in chapters 4 to 6 

Verse 3: “blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ Jesus” 

Consider the Flor del la Mar, sunk in 1511 off of the coast of Malaysia, full of stolen treasure from the Sultan of Malaca. It contained gold, silver, precious stones valued today at about £2 billion. It is yours for the taking. Problem is, that treasure is as far down as our treasure is up! How do we get to it? 

Dr J Stewart Gillespie

Structure & Setting: 

There are 6 chapter in letter to the Ephesians: 

Chapters 1 to 3 are Doctrinal 

Chapters 4 to 6 are Practical 

There appears to be a clear division in the letter to the Ephesians, marked clearly by the closing doxology at the end of chapter 3. 

3:14-21 – is a transitional section where we move from Doctrine to Practice, from theory and thence into life 

We shall endeavour to expound this prayer within the limitations of our understanding & experience. 

All 3 persons of the Godhead are involved individually (3:14, 16, 17) and also  collectively (3:19) 

We are not speaking about salvation, but rather we are speaking about consecration, that is practical sanctification. 

Ever before we can, “walk” (4:1) we must first learn to crawl. 

Before the believer can “Walk” (4:1) for God, he must “Bow the knee” to God (3:14). “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up” (James4:10) 

Paul is looking for Great Results in the life of the believer: 

“to comprehend,” (v18) the Love of Christ 

‘to have an experiential knowledge’ (v19) of Love of Christ 

“be filled with all the fullness of God,” (20) 

Don’t despair, Great Results are expected but Great Resources are available: 

The Spirit of God (v16) 

“the riches of His Glory” (v16) 

A God who “is able” (v20) 

A “Power that worketh in us” (v20) 

3:14-21: The Deeper Work of Christ: 

“For this cause…” (3:14), In view of God’s work collectively in building His Church (chp2; 3:6), Paul prays for a work individually. 

The Church collectively will only be as spiritual as believers individually. 

Note at the outset: 

The Principle of Relationship: “Father” (3:14) – this is a  “Family” relationship. Paul’s prayer is for a deeper relationship with Christ & God. 

The Atmosphere of Love: This is the character and substance of the family relationship. Draw near to our Father not in fear to God. Cf. vs17 & 19. 

Note 7 Key Requests (8 Verbs in Total): 

“to be strengthened.” (v16) 

God’s Spirit comes & strengthens the believer in the, “inner man.” 

Note the purpose, note the conjunction, “that” (v17) – ‘in order that’ 

The Spirit does a preparatory work in the believer’s heart 

Remember how the Spirit performed a preparatory work when you were not saved, convicted you of, “sin and of righteousness and of judgement,” (Jo16:8). 

“The opening of the heart’s innermost door to the personal presence of Christ…& so the full appreciation of His salvation.” HCG Moule (p129) 

“That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith” (v17) 

Paul is praying that God would do individually in the Christian what He has done collectively in the church.  

You know that Christ is already “in” the believer, “how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates.” (2Co13:5) 

Paul is not praying that Christ would be, “in” them but rather that He would “dwell in,” them. 

Even that might not satisfy you, knowing Romans 8:9 goes further that the “Spirit of God” “dwells in” the believer as does the “Spirit of Christ.” 

Here is Paul apparently praying for something which has already happened? So what is Paul praying for? 

2 words used for “dwell” in those 2 verses: Rom8:9 & Eph3:17. 

Not just Christ present in the heart but Christ at home in the heart. 

The word for dwell in Ephesians 3:17 is more intensive, not just to be there but to stay there, settled and at home there, 

Not just Christ Present in our Heart – That is already our PRIVELAGE 

but Christ at Home in our Heart – That is our PROSPECT. 

It is possible to be at the point PERSONALLY where Laodicea was COLLECTIVELY (Rev3:20). Doors in our life and activity can at times be effectively closed to Christ. There can be areas of the believers life, in which Christ’s Lordship is denied, where Christ isn’t even at the negotiating table, e.g. choice of partner – unequal yolk, job, house etc. 

Notice it’s, “by faith,” (3:17), not pursuing some esoteric/physical experience, that wouldn’t be, “by faith.” A deep work of the Spirit of God in our life. 

 “being rooted and grounded in love” (v17) 

“Rooted” – Biological term      

“Grounded,” – Architectural term 

In both cases the ‘soil’ is the same – “love”         

We’ve been, ‘strengthened,’ & ‘indwelt’ by Christ & with His indwelling comes, “love.” 

The characteristic feature of the heart in which Christ dwells – “Love” 

Why “Love”? Surely Christ brings with Him a whole host of graces & virtues? 

Love as a Divine characteristic is fundamental and can’t be simplified it any further. 

There are some graces you can simplify. 

Take ‘Grace’ – Reduced back to ‘Love’ eg John3:16. 

“Love” is an Irreducible Spiritual Principle. It lies at the root of a whole variety of spiritual graces & virtues: 1Corinthians 13:5ff. 

Galatians 5:22 – A single “fruit of the Spirit,” all sharing the same character of that first fruit of “love” 

So basic/irreducible is this Spiritual Principle that it can only be traced back to the character of God Himself: “God is love.” (1 John 4:8) 

 “be able to comprehend” (v18) &  “to know” (v19) 

Consider these 2 together, joined together by, “and” 

“Comprehend,”– to apprehend, to attain 

“to know,” 

Notice the contrast between the experience mentioned in v18 & v19: 

v18 – For a Collective appreciation– “all saints” 

v19 – For an Individual appreciation – “ye” 

v18 – For our mind – The Love of Christ appreciated 

v19 – For our heart – “passeth knowledge” – The Love of Christ experienced 

v18 – Objective – dimensions 

v19 – Subjective – ‘Better felt than telt’ 

Recall the contrast with the unregenerate man of Eph4:18: 

“understanding,” is in darkness – nothing for his mind       

“heart” is blind – nothing for his heart   

The believer has an enlightened “mind” & a full “heart”   

v18 – Is not this what we have just done in chp 2? Considered the Objective/Demonstrated love of Christ to us all in God’s plan of salvation. Considered the: 

“Breadth” – 2:14-16 – Encompassing Jew & Gentile 

“Length” – 2:7 – Extending on into Eternity 

“Depth” – 2:1-2 – To which His love reached down to us 

“Height” – 2:5-6 – To which His love raised us 

Here is something for all believers to meditate upon collectively. The love of Christ towards us. The love of Christ demonstrated at Calvary & beyond. 

“to know” (v19) 

The love of Christ experienced in the life of the individual believer, yet always surpassing the merely intellectual. 

Christ is ‘dwelling in the heart’ (v17) 

With Him comes the irreducible spiritual principle of, “Love.” 

The believer’s character is changed. This ushers in the revolution of Love in Believer’s Heart 

The presence of live is evidenced by its outpouring to others: “If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.” (1Jo4:12) 

From that love grows all of those graces of 1 Corinthians 13, accompanied by the fruit of Galatians 5:22. See what’s happening, something of the very character of God is being seen in the life of the believer. Christ is being formed in them (Gal4:19), We are approaching “unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ” (Eph4:13). 

“be filled with all the fullness of God” (v19) 

We are being: “Filled with all the fullness of God.” 

“But even though the love of Christ surpasses human knowledge yet you shall know it if you have Christ dwelling in you.” (Theophylact) 

I don’t measure up – It’s too difficult – I’m not able 

Human Inability is combined with Divine Ability: “He is able.” (3:20)

Notes from a message preached on Ephesians chapter 3 in our systematic series of bible studies in Paul's letter to the Ephesians, audio recordings free to download as mp3 files or listen online to the bible teaching preached in the Bridgend Gospel Hall New Cumnock.

Yours by Grace in Christ 

Dr J Stewart Gillespie

Paul the Prisoner (v1-2) 
Paul the Prophet (v3-6) – forthtelling the mind of God 
Paul the Preacher (v7-13) – what he has received he now speaks 
Paul the Priest (v14-21) – undertakes a priestly activity 

 Not just about Paul, applicable to us: 

A Suffering Saint (v1-2) Lessons for us in our suffering 
A Privileged Saint (v3-6) Privileges believer brought into 
A Serving Saint (v7-13) The service of Christian life. 
A Praying saint (v14-21) The apostle’s burden for evangelism & for others has as a consequence v14, “For this cause.” 

The sanctuary is the preparation place for service 

Prayer is the prerequisite for preaching 

Paul the Prisoner: A Suffering Saint (v1-2) 

Situation – imprisoned, unjustly accuse, restricted movements. 

Had been given the task of evangelising the Gentile world, but now immobilised & incarcerated imprisoned. 

Depressed? Disheartened? Discouraged? Defeated? 

Through his suffering we can see a remarkable prisoner who can see: 

               The Purpose in a Prison Cell 

If there’s purpose in a prison cell, there’s purpose in a believers suffering 

Seen it at Philippi (Acts16) – Philippian Jailor & household saved. 

v13 continues the thought. 

Paul thought of his role as apostle to the Gentiles (v1). He could see his sufferings for their greater glory (v13) & for the building of the church, “For you Gentiles.” (v1)   

Thought developed in Phil Chapter 1, tells us exactly how this happened: 

His sufferings brought him into a whole new mission field (1:13). 

By the end of the Philippian epistle he is able to send greetings from, “They that are of Caesar’s household,” (Philippians 4:22). 

Was this experience in prison described in the Philippian epistle, one of the occasions when Satan overstepped himself? 

Apostle Paul was then brought in chains to Rome. 

By this means he was placed at the very centre of the Empire and thus able to exert an influence in perhaps even in Caesar’s household. 

God moves, and a fledgling Church is established. 

Right in the very midst is the apostle himself. 

Proverbs 16:7, “When a man’s ways please the LORD, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.” 

Paul can see the hand of God in it all. 

His sufferings encouraged others to go out to a whole new mission field (Phil1:14). 

His sufferings brought Glory to Christ by the way he conducted himself during those sufferings (Phil1:20). 

 A purpose in Paul’s sufferings, a purpose in ours. (Rom8:28) 

 Don’t always know the purpose in them - Job 

Paul the Prophet:  A Privileged Saint (v3-6) 

 “Wrote afore in few words,” (v3) – refer back to chp2, when he wrote of Jew & Gentile in 1 body. 

v5 – A Brief Definition of Mysteries in General. 

 Not esoteric knowledge. Truth previously hidden & now revealed. 

 Not something only for the select few. 

 Not like the Masons. 

v6 – A Brief Definition of this Mystery in Particular. 

 Dealt with in Eph2:11-22. 

 Note 3 words with the Greek prefix of “sun,” (v6), cf 2:5,6. Three great  ‘Together’ words 

“Fellow heirs,” & 
“Same body,” & 
“Partakers of His promise.” 

 “Same body,”- only here in the New Testament. This is the earliest occurrence of this word in Greek literature. This word is not known in secular Gk. Could this be a new word for a new revelation? 

 Almost as though Paul is saying the Greek language is inadequate to describe this new revelation. 

 Perhaps we could best translate the word as “concorporate” – Jew & Gentile on equal terms. Not so much the idea of the Gentile being brought into Israel. 

“The Gentiles have not been added to an already existing entity; they are fully equal, joint members, totally necessary for the life of the body.” (Lincoln p181) 

 v6 – The Content of the Mystery 

 v4 – The Communication of the Mystery 

 The mystery is ‘revealed unto’ the apostle (v3) but it is to be ‘understood’ by the believer (v4). 

 The Privilege of the NT believer to understand & enjoy these truths previously hidden. (1Pet1:12) 

 Paul expects us to enjoy them: “when ye read,” (v4) not, “if ye read” 

Paul the Preacher : A Serving Saint (v7-13) 

 Principle of scripture: what God pours in is to be poured out (Jo7:38).  

 Note the humility with which the service of Paul is marked. 

“minister,” or “servant” this is not a clergyman of course, no such division between laity and clerisy was known in the days of the New Testament church. 1 Timothy 3 envisages many teachers or overseers and many deacons in 1 assembly. No 1man ministry ministry, not one man over 1 church or even one man over many churches! This would deny the truth of 1Corinthians 12. 

According to the “Gift” (v7) 
“the Grace of God.” (v7) 

 What his service is all about (v8): 

 The Missionary: “Unto me who am less than the least…” – A correct view of self. Paul takes a SUPERLATIVE & turns it into a COMPARATIVE – “leaster,” – another new word (cf. v6) 

 The Mission: “I should preach” – A fervour for our mission, single minded, undistracted & focused. 

 The Mission Field: “among the gentiles” – Clearly identified. If the unsaved are the mission field, why preach the gospel to converted we may wonder? 

 The Message: “Unsearchable riches of Christ.” – An appreciation of what we have. 

 “Unsearchable,” (v8) – Unfathomable, inexhaustible 

 “A wealth the limit of which no man can ever find,” (Wm Barclay). 

 “Suggests the picture of a reservoir so deep that soundings cannot reach the bottom of it. No limit can therefore be put to its resources.” (Lincoln) 

 Perhaps true to say the “unsearched riches of Christ,” for many. 

 Have a little glimpse into the “Unsearchable riches,” in Ephesians: 

Christ Personally: 

Christ as Prophet (2:17) 
Christ as Priest (2:11) 
Christ as King (5:5) 

Christ & His Relationship to the Church: 

Christ as Head of the Body (1:22) 
Christ as Chief Corner Stone of the Temple (2:20) 
Christ as Bridegroom to the Church (Chp5) 

Christ Presented As: 

Lord of Life: 2:5 
Lord of Love:  3:17ff 
Lord of Light: 5:14ff 

Christ Is The: 

Sphere of our Blessings (1:3) – All due to our relationship with Christ. 
Purpose of our Sanctification  (1:4) 
Origin of our Salvation (1:7; 5:23) 
Focus & End of the Dispensation (1:10; 3:9) – “Whatever’s the world coming to?” 
Object of our Adoration (1:12) – Now & forever. 
Means of Reconciliation (Chp2:11-22) 
Route of Communication (2:18; 3:12) 
Means of Creation (3:9) 
Bestower of our Gifts (4:7ff) 
Example of Dedication (5:2) 
Source of Illumination (5:14) 
Standard of Affection (5:25) 

This is what we have to offer men & women. Christ & nothing else. Especially not entertainment/Social Club 

 As Jew & Gentiles are saved by the preaching of the gospel, & incorporated into, “one body,” (v6), so the “administration” (not “fellowship,”) of the mystery is         ‘seen’ (v9). 

 Are these the longest verses in Bible??? (v9-11). They span in time from ‘creation’ onto ‘now’ and ultimately to ‘eternity’! 

 “the principalities and powers,” look on, (v10). From their appreciation of spiritual truth, perhaps not just evil angelic forces as per 6:12. (cf. Matt16:23) 

 When world was created, angelic powers present. 

 In garden of Eden Satan interested (Gen3:1ff) 

 Cherubim observed the fall & implemented the judgment (Gen3:24) 

 Perhaps in days of Noah angelic forces were interested in man (Gen6:4) 

 Angels involved with Abraham, Lot & destruction of Sodom (Gen18&19) 

 Michael in days of Daniel (Dan12:1) 

 Angels observe the birth (Lk1:11,19, 26; 2:9), temptation (Matt4:11) & sufferings (Lk22:43), & death (Jo20) of Christ. 

 Angelic forces saw man fall, creation crumble, world corrupted, Christ crucified. Was God’s work to come to nought? 

 But now “by the church” they see the, “manifold wisdom of God,” 

 “Manifold” – “much-variegated,” or “multi-coloured” 

 They see the working out of God’s “eternal purpose,” in Christ (v11), cf. 1:10. Thought of God’s purposes for believers in chp1 – at a practical level, but here is God’s one, “Eternal Purpose.” 

Paul the Priest : A Praying saint (v14-21)

Notes from a message preached on Ephesians chapter 3 in our systematic series of bible studies in Paul's letter to the Ephesians, audio recordings free to download as mp3 files or listen online to the bible teaching preached in the Bridgend Gospel Hall New Cumnock. 

Yours by Grace in Christ  

Dr J Stewart Gillespie

Afraid to live? 
Afraid to die? 
We have the answer. “He is our peace.” 

Ephesians chapter 2 verse 11: 
“Remember,” – Good to remember, “the hole of the pit whence ye are digged,” (Isa51:1). 

This is of course not so much remembering our sin! Rather remember the “mercy” (v4), “love” (v4) and “grace” (v5,8) of God. 

“The humility which springs from the removal of our sins must ever be deeper than that which springs from the discovery of them. The former connects us with God: the latter has to do with self.” (CH Mackintosh p313) 

Sometimes we might be tempted to think that now we’re saved, we’ve something to glory in, but all we are is what Christ has made us (2:8,10) 

“Gentiles,” & “Circumcision,” is “in the flesh.” 

This DIVISION of humanity is at the level of the FLESH. (2:11-17) 
The new and eternal DIVISION of humanity is at the level of the SPIRIT. (2:1-10) 
1. Those who are DEAD – Spiritually (v1-3) 
2. Those who are ALIVE in Christ – Spiritually (v5-10) 

Reconciliation therefore must also be at the level of FLESH (v15) 
“Flesh,” - Sometimes used of muscle tissue; It is used in this way in the last mention of, “flesh,” in NT (Rev19:21). 
More often in the Bible the idea od the flesh is used of the “fallen human nature,” eg when speaking of the “Works of the flesh,” (Gal5:19), cf Eph2:13 

Flesh can also be used in the sense of a “living humanity,” John 1:14, Hebrews 5:7, Ephesians 5:30, the word ‘flesh’ is used in this sense here. 

Note the 5 fold condition, mainly relative to the flesh: 

“Without Christ,” – refers to the Messianic hope in the context, cf. Romans 9:5 “The God of Hope,” (Rom15:13). “Without God,” thus, “no hope,” 

“Christless, stateless, friendless, hopeless & Godless.” (W. Hendricksen) 

“No Hope,” A deep source of problems and of despair in our society. A deep seated problem underpinning spiraling suicide rates amongst the young, drug addiction, and alcohol abuse. Do we have a genuine care and thought for others? If so ought not this to spur us onto evangelism? 

Position (v13) 
“But now,” – The turning point of Division at the level of the Flesh 
cf. 2:4 – Turning point of Division, at the level of the Spirit. 
Position – “in Christ Jesus,” 
Reconciliation: Notice the Sphere of Reconciliation (v14-15) 

“in His flesh” & “in Himself” (v15) 

“He is our peace,” – Peace in a person, compare John 20:19, Isaiah 9:6 

PEACE with God & PEACE with one another this is OBJECTIVE PEACE 
There is also the personal experience of that peace consider the illustration of this in Mark 4:35,39,5:1 

“And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still,” (Mark 4:39) : This is a SUBJECTIVE PEACE. 

When Christ presents redeemed humanity to God, doesn’t present a humanity that is divided. Chris presents a united humanity to God. 
It is significant that it was at the level of the flesh there was division (2:11). 

Thus division is put away at the LEVEL OF THE FLESH (2:15). 
Consider also the division at the LEVEL OF THE SPIRIT (2:5). 

“Flesh”(v15), significant choice of words. Not just the death of Christ, as indicated by, “Body,” or “Blood,” but indicates the life of Christ (John1:14, Hebrews 5:7, Ephesians 5:30), given in death (Romans 7:4), to abolish the law, but continuing on as a new humanity (2:15). Cf. Luke 24:39. 

“These ordinances had their sphere of action in the flesh. But Christ (as living in connection with all that), being dead, has abolished the enmity to form in Himself of the two – Jew and Gentile – one new man…” (JND) 

Consider the Peace Offering of Leviticus chapter 3: 

Peace that on the basis of shed blood (Leviticus 3:8) 
Peace that was on the basis of a sacrifice (Leviticus 3:6) 

In the peace offering we note that God and the Priest and the offerer all having a portion (Leviticus chp7). This is a unique scenario in the law of the offerings! 

We are able to describe a procedure characteristic of the Peace Offering, found also in the Sin Offering (Leviticus 4:9), but only as the sin offering relates back to the Peace Offering (Leviticus 4:10). 
This procedure is performed upon the sacrificial animal. We note that in the Peace Offering that the priest is always to be careful to remove, “The caul above the liver,” (Leviticus 3:4,10,15). 

There is only one organ that is above the liver & kidneys; that is the DIAPHRAGM 
The priest was always careful to take the animal, to remove the diaphragm, the organ that divided the animal in 2 parts, chest and abdomen, “the middle wall of partition,” and to make, “both one.” The New Testament believer would understand this. 
There was to be no division in the peace offering. 
What Christ has made, we keep. 
“in His flesh” & “in Himself” (v15) - the Sphere of Reconciliation 
Saved Jew & Saved gentile both in Christ; brought together with that dividing wall between them taken down forever as it was in the peace offering, both are now part of a New Humanity in Christ. 

The Means of Reconciliation (v16) 

“By the Cross,” – The Means cf. “In his flesh,” (v15) – The Sphere 

“The Cross,” – Put away the law, which prevented Jew & Gentile coming together, (Rom7:4) 

“The Cross,” – Put away sin, which prevented Jew & Gentile coming to God, (Heb9:26) 

Bible teaching from Paul's letter to the Ephesians chapter 2. "He is our Peace". A message from our systematic bible study in the Ephesian epistle. Join us as we preach and study through the letter to the Ephesians, in this expository verse by verse Bible Teaching series. Yours by Grace in Christ, Dr J Stewart Gillespie.

The Doctrinal Basis of Sanctification 

Ephesians chapter 2 is the middle of the doctrinal section in Ephesians 
Chapters 1 to 3 – Lays the foundation of the doctrinal basis for Chapters 4 through to 6 of Ephesians. 
We see the development of the doctrine of sanctification in the Ephesian epsitel in both negative and positive terms: 4:1, 17; 4:22, 24; 5:18 
Paul lays the foundation for sanctification in this section here (2:1-10) 
There are 2 fundamental errors which will undermine your sanctification: 
1. An elevated appreciation of the world: A world which seems to the Christian so appealing, a place it would seem of unimagined possibilities, adventure, excitement, riches, pleasure 
2. An impoverished appreciation of Christ: What we have in the Lord Jesus seems hardly worth holding onto, let alone sacrificing anything for. 
The second of these two errors is usually the greater and more fundamental of the two! Perhaps the illustration of the strength and sanctity of a marriage bond is relevant here. A married couple stay together, not so much because everyone else becomes ugly to them but rather because they appreciate and value supremely what they have in one another. 
There are two ways you can preach sanctification: 
1. We could attempt to preach believers away from the world, exposing it for what it is. 
2. Preach & present Christ, what we have & can find in Him. 
Paul does both: 
1. What We Were in the World: Dead in Sins: Condemnation (v1-3) 
2. What We Have in Christ: Alive in Christ: Transformation (v4-10) 

What We Were in the World: Dead in Sins: Condemnation (v1-3) 
There are 3 great powers or influences that controlled our pre-conversion self: 
1. The World (v2) 
2. The Devil (v2) 
3. The Flesh (v3) 
The World (v2) – “the age of this world,” – an unusual phrase. This would indicate everything that characterizes this present age: 
• In the secular sphere of the world – Repudiating God 
• In the moral sphere of the world – Amoral – Repudiating Absolutes 
• In the physical sphere of the world – it is Materialistic – Glorifying money & possessions 

The Devil (v2): “The prince of the power of the air.” Paul chooses his title for Satan carefully, relates him to the earth, “air,” – used by Greeks to refer to lower atmosphere, between earth & moon, surrounding the earth.The REPRESSIVE, MALEVOLENT influence of Satan. 
The authorised text omits an “of,” at the beginning of this phrase in verse 2 – “of the spirit that now worketh,” – A Greek genitive. It is that spirit, which brings a pervading influence of evil in, “the children of disobedience,” 
Perhaps here we are able to perceive the all pervasive influence and atmosphere of Satan in the world! 
We recall at Ephesus the world and the entertainment it provided in the amphitheatre (Acts19:29), the world & its commerce seen in the silver shrines (Acts19:27) and the world & its religion; that of the great Temple of Diana of Ephesians. None of these secular influence were of positive spiritual value to a genuine believer; in fact they actively opposed and distracted from the Lord Jesus Christ! God sees all of this activity as under the influence of Satan! 
We have perhaps heard the question, what harm is in it? Perhaps we must first perceive, as the apostle does here in Ephesians chapter 2 that in examining the anatomy and structure of this world we discover that Satan is in it!! 
For the Christian the question often arises as to where to draw the line? Perhaps the correct answer is the one that many are most reluctant to apply in practice: ‘As far away from this world as possible!” 
Jim Elliot: “We cannot have both heaven and earth for our part & as our portion, a wise man chooses that which lasts the longest.” 

We notice that there were three features that characterised us in our pre conversion days: 
1. Death (v1) 
2. Disobedience (v2) 
3. Desires of the flesh (v3) 
We were spiritually dead in: “Trespasses,” – Broken Laws – Sins of commission and in “Sins,” – Missed Standards – Sins of omission 
That’s the mess, that’s what you were in the past 2:1,2,3, “were…times past,” – Don’t go back to it! The antidote to this is personal sanctification. 
What We Have in Christ: We are alive in Christ: Transformation (v4-10) 
“But God,” (v4) – Only God could do something in these circumstances 
God & His, “mercy,” (v4), “love” (v4), “grace” (v4,8) 
Notice in this section the 3 words beginning with the Greek prefix of ‘sun’ “συν”: 
v5 – “Quickened together” – linked with His RESURRECTION 
v6 –“Raised up together” – Linked with His ASCENSION 
v6 – “Sit together” – Linked with His SESSION 
Yet what do these 3 great statements all mean for me? I’m very much here on earth! These are great statements of what we refer to as positional truth: “with Christ,” (v5), “in Christ” (v6), “through Christ,” (v7). These are not theoretical nor abstract and certainly not pie-in-the-sky statements of truth! 
These are positional truths; meaning that these truths, these conditions and blessings which we have been brought into we personally do nothing to bring them about. As a consequence of course nothing you do will shake them either! Cf. Salvation John 10:28-29; Ephesians 1:4. These great positional truths are ours because of our ‘position’ in or perhaps better still because of our personal relationship with the Lord Jesus. Because we are personally connected the Lord Jesus certain attributes and blessings which rightfully belong to Jesus become ours too! 

“Quickened together” – linked with His RESURRECTION (v5) 
Perhaps we can understand a bit about ‘quickening’. We were once “Dead in trespasses & sins,” but by conversion and by salvation our condition has been radically transformed so that we now are the possessors of new life in Jesus Christ (John chapter 3). 
We can surely recognise the evidences of that new life by: 
• Our Appetite for spiritual food and nourishment, bread to sustain this new life in Christ – Heb5:12; 1Pet2:2. 
• Our Alienation from the world – Gal6:14; we really feel estranged from this world and it’s values, morality (or lack of it) and spirituality. We don’t belong here 
• Desire for the word – 1Pet2:2; a sure evidence of the new Divine nature in a human soul. 
• Fellowship with believers – 1 John 3:14 – a desire given by God; an attraction of like for like! 
• A Delight in the things of Christ – 1 John 2:3 – a phenomenon incomprehensible to a fallen world. 

“Raised up together” – Linked with His ASCENSION (v6) 
Does this refer to a time in the future? (1 Thessalonians 4:17, 2 Timothy 2:12) Note the tenses here however: an aorist tense or point tense, usually in the past. Notice too the timing here: “together with Christ,” associated with what happened to Christ in the past. If verses 1 to 3 tell us what we were in the world then verses 4 to 10 surely tell us what we have in Christ. We now move in a different sphere and belong to a different order. We belong to those “Heavenly places,” places above “the World,” and above “The prince of the power of the air.” We left all of that behind us. We are no longer under the old repressive regime of, the world, the flesh, and the devil. It used to be the case that when Satan said, “jump,” we jumped. We are now marked by: 
1. ELEVATION → Above it all, diff. Sphere/atmosphere 
2. LIBERATION→ Not controlled by the world, flesh, devil. 
• We share in Christ’s victory (1:20-22; 2:2) 
• 1Jo4:4, “greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world” 
• Rom6:18, “Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness” 
• Rom8:1, “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit” 
• We may of course even as Christians fall or sin, but power is given to resist, when we fall we make a choice. We are now under a new regime and under a new authority. 
God did not “quicken us together with Christ,” simply to bring us back under the same old repressive forces. Brought us into a liberty & freedom. 
Here’s what we have in Christ, we now have the power to: 
• “walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,” (Eph4:1) 
• “walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind” (Eph4:17) 

“As living evidences of His kindness, we shall point people, away & beyond ourselves to Him, to whom we owe our salvation.” 
(Stott p82 on verse 7) 

Bible teaching from Paul's letter to the Ephesians chapter 2. A study in the sanctification of the Christian. A message from our systematic bible study in the Ephesian epistle. Join us as we preach and study through the letter to the Ephesians, in this expository verse by verse Bible Teaching series. Yours by Grace in Christ, Dr J Stewart Gillespie.

The believer is a man with a PURPOSE 
One of the key words in the chapter (1:9,11) 
Epistle to the Ephesians, like all other epistles, an Epistle with a PURPOSE, unlike all other’s an Epistle about a PURPOSE:  

1.    God’s PURPOSE for believers 
2.    God’s PURPOSE for His SON 
3.    God’s PURPOSE for believers & His Son together. 
Says Paul: “The church is like:” 

1.    A Building – but Christ is the chief corner stone (Eph2:20) 
2.    A Body – but Christ is the Head (Eph4:15, 5:23) 
3.    A Bride – one day to be united with Christ (Eph 5:32) 

Ephesians 1: 1-14 Introduction 

3 Sections each ending with an Exclamation of Praise: 

1)    God the Father (v3-6) 
2)    God the Son (v7-12) 
3)    God the Spirit (v13-14) 

The believer is a man greatly blessed, by all 3 persons of the Godhead! 

Overview of our Blessings in Christ: 
“blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places” (v2) 

1)    Election (v4) 
2)    Sanctification (v4) 
3)    Predestination (v5) 
4)    Adoption (v5) 
5)    Redemption (v7) 
6)    Absolution (v7) 
7)    Wisdom & Understanding (v8) 
8)    Revelation (v9) 
9)    Consummation (v10) 
10)    Worship & Adoration (v6, v12, v14) 
11)    Reception of the Holy Spirit (v13-14) 

A Purpose which: 

1)    PREDATES this world (v4) 
2)    SEPARATES us from the world (v4) 
3)    PREDESTINATES us out of this world (v5) 
4)    INSTATES us as Sons (v5) 
5)    REGENERATES & REDEEMS (v7) 
6)    CONSUMMATES with everything under the headship of Christ (v10) 
7)    GENERATES praise & worship forever (v6, v12, v14) 
8)    ANTICIPATES the fulfillment of the Divine Promise (v13-14) 

Overview of our Blessings in Christ:  (v3) 
As we consider our blessings, “in Christ,” – ought to have an effect upon us: 
“Blessed be…” (v3): describing what God is, “inherently worthy to be praised.” 
 “Hath blessed us…” (v3):  
As we appreciate what God has done for us, our hearts return in praise & worship to Him. How is our worship? How is our appreciation of our blessings in Christ? By the end of our study in Ephesians chp1 our heart ought to be lifted up in worship to God. 

1)    The SOURCE of blessings, “the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Blessings come from God & worship returns to God 

2)    The SCOPE of blessings, “all spiritual blessings” If I were to say that we had “a lot” of spiritual blessings in Christ, tell me I’m talking nonsense, don’t have a lot, have “all” or “every” spiritual blessing. 

3)    The SPHERE of blessings, “in heavenly places,” To begin to appreciate what we have in Christ , have to move into the heavenly sphere. Let go of the earthly & mundane, work & worries etc, move into the heavenlies.  

1)    Election & Sanctification (v4) 
“he hath chosen us in him” – Strange phrase, now we’re saved we’re, “in Him.” But here we are chosen, “in Him before the foundation of the world.” 
God chose us not because of what we were before we were saved but because of what God would make us after we were saved. 
ELECTION excludes PRIDE & SELF-WORTH. God’s sovereign Grace. 
Paul deals with ELECTION Practically, not like the theologians. Doesn’t debate Divine sovereignty & Human responsibility, or explain the how & the wherefores: 
1.    With respect to SANCTIFICATION (Eph1:4). God has chosen you. There must be some purpose to Divine chose. God must have something for you that is: SANCTIFICATION.  
Not MYSTICAL, not MAGICAL, but PRACTICAL. 
Rom12:1-2: Biblical double definition of holiness! 

2.    With respect to SECURITY (Rom8:29,33ff). God has chosen me; therefore my salvation doesn’t depend upon me! Not upon my grasp of Him but upon His eternal PURPOSES & COUNSELS. Plagued with doubts about your salvation? Am I good enough? Probably not! Am I trying hard enough? Probably not! Is my faith strong enough? Probably not! But for the purposes of eternal security it matters not one whit! (May affect reward of course). 

 “Holy” – POSITIVE & “Without blame” – NEGATIVE 

 “In love” – the whole issue of election is encompassed in an atmosphere of perfect love. 

2)    Predestination & Adoption (v5) 
v4 – Show the family likeness. v5 – Adopted into the family (Heb2:11) 

Adoption unknown in the OT. In Roman law the adopted son has the same rights as the natural son. 

3)    Worship & Adoration (v6, v12, v14) 

God’s ultimate purpose, to have a people who will both worship Him & cause Him to be worshiped for ever. 

Worship & Adoration, begins in time & perfected in eternity 
     
  
4)    Redemption & Absolution (v7) 

Purchased at a great cost (1Pet1:18). Redemption – Bought from something: 
1.    Freedom from the Guilt of Sin: Rom3:24 
2.    Freedom from Presence of Sin: Rom8:23 
3.    Freedom from Penalty or Punishment of Sin: Eph1:7, redemption is seen here as synonymous with forgiveness. 

Redemption ; therefore we are not our own.  

5)    Wisdom & Understanding (v8) 
God has given us all of these blessings, & with them the ability to understand/appreciate them. 
Sometimes wonder how folks can sit under gospel preaching & remain oblivious. Wisdom & understanding – a Divine gift.     

6)    Revelation (v9) 

Something hidden & now revealed – “a mystery” 

7)    Consummation (v10-11) 

 “Dispensation”: originally referred to the management of a household. This is the Divine management of the universe.     
All things headed up in Christ. 
 “We have obtained an inheritance,” – really The inheritance which we are, rather than the inheritance which we have: 
1.    The context emphasises us as God’s portion (1:4,5) 
2.    “Have obtained an inheritance,” is in the passive voice (Bruce) 
3.    OT background, Israel as God’s inheritance (Deut32:8-9;Ps33:12) “Then all the “seasons,” of the story of redemption will attain their “fullness,” will be fulfilled, accomplished, so that the actual result shall correspond to the Divine ideal.” (HCG Moule) 

  
1)    Reception of the Holy Spirit (v13-14) 

Hear ,  Believe ,  Receive (v13)– Note the order. The Spirit is a first blessing, not a second blessing. 
The Holy Spirit:  
God’s Seal Upon us: Property & slaves had a seal upon them. 

God’s Promise to us: The Holy Spirit which was promised? (Jo15:26, 16:7, Acts1:4). More to it than that. This is the Spirit who leads us into & guarantees for us, our blessings & purposes in Christ (Eph1:14; 4:30). Here at the end of all our blessings in Christ, we have ministry on the Spirit of God. No coincidence. The abiding work of the Spirit, cf. Jo16:15. Not tongues (1Co13:8), not healings (IITim4:20). 

God’s Pledge for us: “Earnest”: a guarantee, pledge, deposit payed by the buyer until purchase price paid in full, compare the modern Greek: an engagement ring. 

Bible teaching from Paul's letter to the Ephesians chapter 1. A message from our systematic bible study in the Ephesian epistle. Join us as we preach and study through the New Testament, in this expository verse by verse Bible Teaching series. Yours by Grace in Christ, Dr J Stewart Gillespie.