Word Live: Secret Plans Unveiled
How is God involving you in his plans?
Bible passage
Ephesians 3:1–13
God’s marvellous plan for the Gentiles
3 For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles –
2 Surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given to me for you, 3 that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. 4 In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5 which was not made known to people in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets. 6 This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.
7 I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power. 8 Although I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ, 9 and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. 10 His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, 11 according to his eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. 12 In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. 13 I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory.
Holy Bible, New International Version® Anglicized, NIV® Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Explore
A vivid childhood memory is ‘helping’ my father with simple carpentry – I’m sure I got in the way! Involvement in God’s kingdom seems like that. He chooses to use flawed, frail, sinful people!
Paul’s concern to place his ministry in kingdom perspective frames this passage. Previously, he has given a thrilling panorama of Christ’s cosmic plans. Now we begin to see why. He writes from jail. For some, that will shake confidence in his ministry (v 13). But he is adamant. He is not a prisoner of Rome, but of Christ (v 1)! His imprisonment is part of those big picture, kingdom plans.
Verses 2–6. The word ‘mystery’ comes three times (also in v 9) – it’s clearly important. Originally, it meant something hidden that is then revealed (vs 3,4). The first clue to what that is comes in verse 2: the ‘administration of God’s grace’. Presumably that means how this grace gets shared. But the crunch comes in verse 6. What’s the surprise here?
Verses 7–12. Why does Paul say he is ‘less than the least’ of the believers?
How has God shown his grace to him? Then comes God’s greatest surprise: his weapon for defeating evil is the church (v 10)! Not only is it included in his plan. The church that Christ died for is the plan.
Author
Mark Meynell
Respond
How does this passage reassure us when we lose heart about God being at work? What about those who are persecuted as Christians? Praise God for his church!
Deeper Bible study
Help us, O Lord, to see all the people of your world through the eyes of you who created them in your image.
Does the opening of this reading hint that Paul was on death row, conscious that this was his last letter? He worries about its reception. Will readers know who he is? This mattered to Paul, especially in a letter which might be received after his death. Paul’s authority, indeed his right to say anything at all, was unalterably tied to his Damascus-road experience, his encounter with the living Jesus, which made him an apostle.1 Otherwise, he was an imposter. In that blinding light of revelation and in the darkness that followed, God revealed a ‘mystery’ to Paul (v 3) – although it was foretold already in his Hebrew Scriptures.2 This revelation was that Jews and Gentiles are equal in the sight of God, ‘heirs together’ of the ancient promises, sharing equally in all that Jesus has done for humankind, all of us ‘members together of one body’ (v 6).
I called my book on Christian missions in Aboriginal Australia One Blood, from the old wording in Acts,3 a much more powerful image than modern English translations. This verse inspired early missionaries when white settlers claimed that black people were below white people: God has made all human beings of ‘one blood’. There is something powerfully visceral about this. We are blood sisters and brothers to all humankind. All who physically share human DNA are also all formed spiritually in the image of God. Jesus died and rose again for all who share God’s image. Once more, the inspired words lift heart and mind to a cosmic level. The physical and moral universes shimmer in Paul’s mind. This had always been the intention of our Creator God. The redemption of Jew and Gentile, of all human beings, was an ‘eternal purpose’ (v 11), finally fulfilled in what Jesus has done.
‘God that made the world and all things therein … hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth’.4
1Acts 9:1–19 2Gen 22:18; Isa 49:6 3Acts 17:26, KJV 4 Acts 17:24,26, KJV
Author
John Harris
