THE BOOK OF EPHESIANS
Lesson 10
The Description of the Original Gift of the Secret |
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1 | Return to Lesson 09 |
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J. Deering,
AncientPath.net
REVIEW
Our last
lesson concerned chapter 2. We looked at four specific areas that the apostle
Paul wrote to the Ephesian church.
First, we looked at
The Temple (the
Temple of Christ’s Church)
Architecture.
We found that the three “raw materials” God used in the building of His Temple
were 1 – Spiritually dead people, 2 – Spiritually disobedient people, and 3 –
Spiritual desirous people.
Second,
The “reproduction work”
(Christ – The Church). Again, Paul listed three areas of major importance. 1 -
The Contractor is God who works out of His wealth and power. 2 – The
Construction is great (elevating and excelling), and 3 – The work is guaranteed
(guaranteed by grace, not to be by any human works, and establishing a new
creation.
Third,
The “Temple appointments.”
Out with the old covenant ceremonial laws, and covenant aspects, and in with the
New. And then Paul goes on to describe the New covenantal aspects. Christ has
become the direct mediator for all. There are no longer Jews and Gentiles in the
plan – only all people as a single grouping. The plan covers the forgiveness of
all humans. Those who “believe” become one new Body in Christ. The revelation
that in the pre-Christ’s death times the Jews (Hebrews) were “near” to God and
the Gentiles were “far” from God. Now In-Christ, peace has been proclaimed and
all mankind is forgiven and has the opportunity to choose God in Christ and
become “Near.” Those who choose “not Christ” will become not just “far” but
“lost.” And last in this section revealed that those who are In Christ, have the
indwelling Spirit of God and have “perpetual access” to God the Father.
Fourth, and the last section of Chapter 2 (19-22) describes our
New Temple appearance.
1 - It is Secure. The members of the
Body of Christ are no longer “strangers or outsiders.” We are now immediately
members of the family of God. 2 – This new body is
built up from the apostles and prophets with Jesus Christ as the head
cornerstone. 3 – This new body
will
keep on growing… into a Holy Temple in the Lord. And 4 – Here’s the last
verse of Chapter 2:
You too,
in Christ,
are being built
together
into a
dwelling of God
by the
Spirit.
Our Outline of Lesson 10:
III. CHAPTER THREE
-
The Church As God's Top Secret
A.
The Description of the Original Gift of the Secret 3:1-5
1. The
Description is Related to a Special People 3:1
2.
The Description is Related to a Special Dispensation 3:2
3. The
Description is Related to a Special Revelation 3:3
4.
The Description is Related to Christ's Special Secret 3:4
5. The
Description is Related to the Spirit's Contemporary Ministry 3:5
III. CHAPTER THREE
-
The Church As God's Top Secret
A – The Description of the Original Gift of the Secret 3:1-5
1.
Ephesians
3:1 “The Description is related to a Special People”
THE STUDY
(3:1
Mac)
By reason
of this new creation
I, Paul, am the
prisoner of Christ Jesus
for the benefit of you
Gentiles.
(3:1
NASB)
For this reason
I, Paul,
the prisoner
of Christ Jesus
for the sake of you Gentiles
COMMENTARY
Prepositions are our friends... Paul begins this
section with “By reason of,” or "For this reason" in the NASB.” The "For" and
“by” introduce us to a continuation of the previous conversation with a
following result. An example: "I bought aspirin, “for” or “by reason of,” I had
a headache.
Paul uses these prepositions to refer back to the
"What You Have" part of the book (Chapters 1 & 2). If we were to look back at
that section, we would find a list of five things. First, you have the blessing
of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Second, you have the
expectations that Paul indicated as he prayed for you. Third, you are the
benefactor of the workings of God's might. Fourth, God has brought you Salvation
in His Son. Fifth, God has brought you into a cross-cultural unity where the
believing people of the covenant are united with the believing people of the
world.
Paul next introduces himself as "the prisoner of
Christ Jesus." He considers himself "in-chains," (Gk desmois, in chains) as the
prisoner of Christ Jesus. Paul considers himself to be absolutely under the
mandate to bring testimony of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles. He has no other
choice but to follow this new vocation placed upon him by the Lord Jesus
Himself. He is a "Prisoner of Christ Jesus." He is unable to follow his own
path, chained to Christ, he must follow the path of Jesus.
"For the sake of you Gentiles" is Paul's next
phrase and it would be better translated as "For the benefit of the Nations (Gk
ethnos, nations). Why was Paul a chained prisoner of Christ Jesus?
Because what He (First Christ then Paul) would say and do was for the direct
benefit of all the peoples of the world.
We can't change the past; however, we can
conjecture about it. What if God did not call Paul, or someone like him, to
explain the plan of God for the world - to the world. If they are to be included
in the plan of God, then they need to know that plan and the particulars
concerning the available salvation and continuing personal righteous
relationship with God that they can have through belief in the Son of God.
Romans 10:14-15 brings clarity to this question,
"14 How then will they call on Him in whom they
have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And
how will they hear without a preacher? 15 How will they preach unless they are
sent? Just as it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good
news of good things!”"
But God did call Paul to institute this revelation
concerning the "Mystery" of the Body of Christ - among the Gentiles. The Mystery
designed and made in the Eternal past... but kept secret until revealed to Paul
and the other apostles.
III. CHAPTER THREE
-
The Church As God's Top Secret
A – The Description of the Original Gift of the Secret 3:1-5
1.
Ephesians 3:1 “The
Description is related to a Special People”
2.
Ephesians 3:2 “The
Description is related to a Special Dispensation”
THE STUDY
(3:2
Mac)
You
certainly have heard
about the
dispensation springing from
the
grace of God that was given
to
me with
you in mind.
(3:2
NASB)
if
indeed
you
have heard of the stewardship
of
God’s grace
which was
given
to
me
for
you;
I really like MacCorkle’s introduction – “You
certainly have heard. He knows that
the Ephesians church “certainly” knows all about
Paul and his calling by the Lord Jesus Himself. The NASB starts with
"If indeed," which may be better translated as "Since indeed," for the testimony
of Paul's
calling,
salvation, and
ministry were well known by the readers of his letters. That's the
very point of his saying this, his readers know fully well of the
“Dispensation,” "stewardship," or administration, which is the
burden of bringing the Gospel
to the Gentiles. He speaks of it in every letter he writes, he obviously
preached it everywhere he went. It is not that he was possessed with his own
self-importance, but that he was
bound
to that message by
"the chains of Christ
Jesus."
"The
grace which was
given to me for
you," is such a marvelous statement. How very much like our God, once you get to
know Him, everything He
gives to us
is for
giving away to others - that
they might
know Him. He is the God of
revelation, He WANTS us to know Him and His plan -
through His Son,
by His
Holy Spirit -
in order to draw
together
a body of perfect unity in
Christ Jesus -
that we might be His
possession forever.
III. CHAPTER THREE
-
The Church As God's Top Secret
A – The Description of the Original Gift of the Secret 3:1-5
1.
Ephesians 3:1 “The
Description is related to a Special People”
2.
Ephesians 3:2 “The
Description is related to a Special Dispensation”
3.
Ephesians 3:3 “The
Description is related to a Special Revelation”
THE STUDY
(3:3
Mac)
That this
secret
was made known
to
me
by
revelation
as I wrote briefly above.
(3:3
NASB)
that by
revelation
there was made
known
to
me
the
mystery,
as I wrote before in brief.
COMMENTARY
Jesus reveals His plan to Paul and equips him
with the necessary information for carrying out that plan. Something entirely
new is being revealed and Jesus chooses Paul to begin this work. In order to
institute a "new plan" of God a new period of time is introduced to the world.
Like each of the divisions of time we have studied, it will begin with new
revelation that will set-up and define it. Biblical scholars' sometimes us the
word "dispensation" to describe these various time periods. I like the term
"administration" as we are more familiar with our American government system of
marking time on the grand scale using this same word. We mark our political
timeline with presidential administrations - a four year period.
We've discussed various administrations in the
Bible and each has an administrator (with the Jews, it is the High Priest), and
a political system of government that cascades down (From the King, Caesar,
President) to the ordinary people (much like our own government).
God placed evidence
in the Old Testament of the importance of the Gentile world in His
eternal plan.
Psalm 18:49
Therefore, I will praise you, Lord, among the
nations; I will sing the praises of Your name.
Deuteronomy 32:43
Rejoice, you nations, with His people for He
will avenge the blood of his servants; He will take vengeance on His enemies and
make atonement for His land and people.
Psalm 117:1-2
Praise the Lord, all you nations; extol Him,
all you peoples. For great is His love toward us, and the faithfulness of the
Lord endures forever, Praise the Lord.
Isaiah 9:1-2
Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for
those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the
land of Naphtali, but in the
future,
He will honor Galilee of the nations, by the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan.
The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the
land of deep darkness a light has dawned.
This new administration, spoken of by Paul,
literally springs forth from the mouth of God, as it is largely unforeseen in
the Old Testament.
Evidence can be
found there, but God had chosen not to
fully reveal His plan for this future in His past administrations on earth.
The motivation for this "springing forth" revelation is
the very grace of God reaching out to
the whole world with
equality. God's special program for
the nation of Israel has been set aside for this administration as He calls
forth a
"People for Himself."
Paul mentions that he has written of this
mystery before, and we can find that in 1 Corinthians 2:7-12
"7 but we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the
hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory; 8
the wisdom which
none of the rulers of this age has understood; for
if they had understood it they would
not have crucified the Lord of glory; 9 but just as it is written,
“THINGS WHICH EYE HAS NOT SEEN AND EAR HAS NOT HEARD, AND WHICH HAVE NOT ENTERED
THE HEART OF MAN, ALL THAT GOD HAS PREPARED FOR THOSE WHO LOVE HIM."
10 For to us God revealed them through the
Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. 11 For who
among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in
him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God. 12
Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but
the Spirit who is from God, so that we
may know the things freely given to us by God,"
Paul makes it clear that this new
administration of time has
not been
introduced by God to fix some problem He had not foreseen. God's plan for all
the ages has been formulated
before the
foundations of the world and all its creation. He has allowed
glimpses
of His plan but has chosen to only
fully reveal this age … following His Son's work on the cross.
III. CHAPTER THREE
-
The Church As God's Top Secret
A – The Description of the Original Gift of the Secret 3:1-5
1.
Ephesians 3:1 “The
Description is related to a Special People”
2.
Ephesians 3:2 “The
Description is related to a Special Dispensation”
3.
Ephesians 3:3 “The
Description is related to a Special Revelation”
4.
Ephesians 3:4 “The
Description is related to Christ’s Special Secret”
THE STUDY
(3:4
Mac)
So
when
you read it
you can perceive
my insight into
Christ's special secret.
(3:4
NASB)
By referring to this,
when
you
read
you
can understand
my insight
into
the mystery of Christ,
COMMENTARY
Paul anticipates the Ephesian
concerns as they read his letter. I can almost hear the members of
the Church at Ephesus, "Paul, How come you know so much about this new revelation about this new age?"
His answer (written before they asked) is
concise and brilliant and in two parts.
Part-1,
go back and re-read my letter from the beginning and consider all the details -
that you might
know them (The word Paul uses for "when you read," uses the verb
"to read aloud").
Part-2,
Paul gives them this answer:
"Because God
revealed it to me!" Apparently, the Ephesians would
find Paul annoying when he could
answer every question, they dreamed up to ask about this new age. He pre-thinks
them and includes answers
before they ask.
Paul also brings clarity to this new gathering
of "those who would believe," by calling them
"The Mystery of Christ." This new age is not about
us
- it is about
the Christ, the Holy Spirit, and the Glory of The Father.
John 17:6-10
6 “I have manifested Your name to the men whom
You gave Me out of the world; they were Yours and You gave them to Me, and they
have kept Your word. 7 Now they have come to know that everything You have given
Me is from You; 8 for the words which You gave Me I have given to them; and they
received them and truly understood that I came forth from You, and they believed
that You sent Me. 9 I ask on their behalf; I do not ask on behalf of the world,
but of those whom You have given Me; for they are Yours; 10 and all things that
are Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine; and I have been glorified in them.
III. CHAPTER THREE
-
The Church As God's Top Secret
A – The Description of the Original Gift of the Secret 3:1-5
1.
Ephesians 3:1 “The
Description is related to a Special People”
2.
Ephesians 3:2 “The
Description is related to a Special Dispensation”
3.
Ephesians 3:3 “The
Description is related to a Special Revelation”
4.
Ephesians 3:4 “The
Description is related to Christ’s Special Secret”
5.
Ephesians 3:5 “The
Description is related to The Spirit’s Contemporary Ministry”
THE STUDY
(3:5
Mac)
This
secret was
not made known to the sons
of men
in other generations,
as it has been
revealed
by the Spirit just now,
in this generation,
to His set apart apostles
and prophets.
(3:5
NASB)
which
in other
generations
(this secret) was
not made known to
the sons of men,
as it has
now been revealed to His
holy apostles and prophets
in the Spirit;
COMMENTARY
Each of the apostles were confronted, as Jews,
with the revelation of The Body of Christ. Each had to wrestle with God's focus
upon the Gentiles. Each had to come
to the
conclusion that God had called
out a
brand-new assembly of people
who would, of
their own free will,
choose
Jesus the Christ as their own
personal God. What a wonderful work of
grace for
God the Father to take these very
powerful men and reveal this new age and its purposes to them.
Each of them would receive God's
revelation concerning this and recognize that
this new Body of Christ was the Work of God.
HOMEWORK: |
Look at the question and ignore the
answer. Then study the answer!
(3:1
Mac) “The Description is related to a Special People”
By reason
of this new creation
I, Paul, am the
prisoner of Christ Jesus
for the benefit of you
Gentiles.
1.
Why has Paul been called
to be a Prisoner of Christ Jesus?
Paul was called directly
and immediately by Jesus Christ Himself so that Paul could be educated on the
New Covenant guidelines for Faith in Christ Himself. This “revelation” would
then be directed to Paul as his particular ministry to the Gentiles (the whole
of the world) and this would also include the Jews. This new ministry would
result in a new assembly of world wide believers (both Jew and Gentile) known as
“the Body of Christ.”
2.
Why is this new
revelation so important to “you Gentiles?”
From the beginning (back
before creation of anything) God wanted a human people to become His immediate
family members. He chose earth to be the home of that people. Here, the people
of the world would be put into a situation where they would have to choose “our
Almighty God, or not God Him.” His purpose would be to gather those who would
believe in Him as their God and believe in His human born Son as the path to
that salvation. They would have to respond positively to His Holy Spirit in
order to make that choice. From the beginning mankind was given the opportunity
to make a choice based upon the revelation of God in their times. The offer was
to the whole world. Every human being ever born would be given enough revelation
to come to a conclusion – either Yes Almighty God, or no Almighty God. His
family would be populated only with the “Yes” believers who by Faith would
listen to His Holy Spirit and choose Him. The Gentiles of the Bible make up all
of the population of the world with the exception of the Hebrew people, later
known as the Jew. They were placed under a voluntary covenant – and chose,
largely, not God – and many still do.
(3:2
Mac)
“The Description is related to a Special Dispensation”
You
certainly have heard
about the
dispensation springing from
the
grace of God that was given
to
me with
you in mind.
1.
What is Paul reminding
the Ephesian church about here?
Paul reminds them about
all of his previous visits and the letters he has sent their way. The content of
his messages includes the starting up by God of a “New dispensation,” a new age,
separate and distinct from the age of the old covenants that God had made with
the Hebrew people, now known as the Jews. He’s reminding them that this new age
is by The Grace of God – it is a gift from Him – and that the Ephesian
believers, as well as all new believers, are included in God’s Gracious New Gift
of Salvation.
2.
What does Paul mean when
he states that “The grace of God that was given to me with you in mind?
We need to consider
Paul’s background. The Apostle Paul was likely born between 5 BC and 5 AD in
Tarsus, a major city in Asia Minor (now in Turkey).
Paul was a Roman citizen
by birth. He was a Jew whose Jewish name was Saul, and he was educated in
Jerusalem under the famous teacher Gamaliel. Paul was a zealous Pharisee who
persecuted and had Christians killed - until he had a vision of Jesus on the
road to Damascus, which converted him to Christianity.
Given this dramatic
complete conversion, it should be seen that he was the perfect choice to bring a
new generation of people to God and Christ – especially those from around the
world as instructed by God’s Holy Spirit. He became a “zealous” Christian with
amazing enablement from God’s Holy Spirit. Without Paul (in human terms), it is
probable the worldwide Church may never have come to pass.
(3:3
Mac)
“The Description is related to a Special Revelation”
That this
secret
was made known
to
me
by
revelation
as I wrote briefly above.
1.
What was the important
“Secret” revelation?
The
specialness of Paul’s message concerning the “secret” is the fact that the Love
of God for all of mankind was finally revealed through the substitutionary
sacrifice, forecasted throughout the Old Testament, of the very Son of God in
human form. It was revealed to Paul, after the fact, and it immediately changed
his entire life. Paul then became “a bondservant” of His Lord Jesus Christ. It
became his special ministry of life to reveal and teach about this new assembly
of believing human beings who would receive eternal life and forgiveness –
simply by believing by faith the essential facts. The essential facts, quoted by
the Jewish Sheema, required the individual to Love God, in your heart, mind, and
soul. Further revealed in making that love through Jesus, the Christ, through
the power of God’s Holy Spirit.
2.
What did Paul write
“Briefly above” in this letter?
Chapters 1 and 2
summarize all the benefits that were revealed to Paul at and following his visit
by the post-ascended Son of God. A brief summary of Paul’s conversion can be
found in Acts 8:1-3; 9:1-31.
(3:4
Mac)
“The Description is related to Christ’s Special Secret”
So
when
you read it
you can perceive
my insight into
Christ's special secret.
1.
What document is Paul
referencing that the Ephesians need to “read and perceive?”
The
Contents of Chapters 1 & 2 of His letter to the Ephesians. These first two
chapters can be remembered as the "What
You Have in Believing in Jesus Christ as your substitute sacrifice at the cross
of Calvary.” That sacrifice began the
making of a new “set-apart people,” who were neither Jew nor Gentile. They were
instead a separate grouping of humans, filled with the Spirit of God and made
members of the family and household of God. Paul basically says, “If
you
don’t understand where I’m going with this letter –
go back and re-read the pages that
come before this point in the text.”
(3:5
Mac)
“The Description is related to The Spirit’s Contemporary Ministry”
This
secret was
not made known to the sons
of men
in other generations,
as it has been
revealed
by the Spirit just now,
in this generation,
to His set apart apostles
and prophets.
1.
What Special Revelation
is Paul writing about?
Paul tells the Ephesians
that the Holy Spirit’s ministry amongst both the Jews (Hebrews) and the rest of
the world has remarkably changed. Previously God’s plan was for the nation of
Israel to become the leader of all the world to bring people to God and win
them. The Holy Spirit of God would then leave them and move on. Their
destinations were, 1 – as lovers of God, The Bosom of Abraham; 2 – as
disobedient non-believers, The Place of the Dead. Their eternal destinations
would be assigned at the Day of Judgement.
With the completion of
God’s plan for redemption through the death of His Son Jesus. Those who would
believe that this was accomplished and completed in Jesus, whether they were Jew
or Gentile (any other race of people in the world), the Holy Spirit would come
upon them and attempt to convince them, and if they would believe, the Holy
Spirit of God would take residence (indwell) in their physical bodies, and show
them continuing revelation of the things in God’s revealed word. If they would
not believe, the Holy Spirit would leave them.
2.
What does the last line
of the verse mean?
The setting apart of the
apostles and prophets indicates that through the Holy Spirit’s work believers
would realize that the apostles and prophets were true and worthy, and their
teachings were the truth.
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The Book of Ephesians
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The Writings of Douglas B.
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The Outline
and Expanded Translation Text presented in this study is from Dr. MacCorkle's God's
Special Secret - The Case Paul Argues in the Epistle to the Ephesians, Copyright
1993 by Douglas B. MacCorkle. Printed and bound in the United States of America.
Published by the not-for-profit MacCorkle bible Ministries, Inc. Books, P.O. Box
320909, Cocoa Beach, Fl. 32932-0909.
J. Deering
-
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2025-01-19 update