THE BOOK OF EPHESIANS
Lesson 11 "The Definition of the Revealed Secret" |
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J. Deering,
AncientPath.net
REVIEW
In the first verse of our last study (lesson 10, Ch 3:1-5)
Paul described his relationship to Jesus Christ: “I, Paul, am the prisoner of
Christ Jesus.” We learned there that the word “prisoner” in the original
language was specifically a “prisoner” who was chained. This leads to the
conclusion that, as far as Paul was concerned, he was chained to Christ Jesus –
and was His bond servant.
But he didn’t stop there, he explained that the reason he
was chained… was “for the benefit of you Gentiles.” The word Gentiles means
everyone in the world who is not a “Jew,” a member of “the nations.” His mission
was to be chained to Jesus in the work of the ministry now presented to the
world, not just to the nation of Israel. Their “covenanted” nation was to be
dissolved and no longer “covenanted,” but would be reformed as a righteous
covenanted nation in the Kingdom age (future).
Paul also reminded his readers that they had already heard
how Jesus had made him an apostle – one “sent” to bring the Gospel, the good
news of the salvation offered by God the Father through Christ Jesus. And in
this knowledge, they should understand Paul’s “insight into the mystery of
Christ, His special secret – the development of a new body of “set-apart” people
through this salvation to eventually be known as “The Church.”
I found it interesting in verse 4 that Paul said to the
Ephesians, basically, “If you don’t understand all this… go back and re-read my
letter.
His final thought in verse 5 tells us that this “secret was
not made known to the sons of men in other generations” – the prophets. This
secret was something completely new!
THE
STUDY
The secret is this
The Gentiles are
to be
fellow members
of the Body, and
fellow partakers
of the promise
in Christ Jesus through the good news.
3:6[NASB]
to
be specific,
the Gentiles are
fellow heirs and
fellow members of the body, and
fellow partakers of the promise
in Christ Jesus
through the gospel,
COMMENTARY
For some time we have been exploring this new
arrangement whereby God now, through Jesus Christ, has established this
"Non-Jewish" assembly of people - from those who are of Jewish heritage and from
those who are not of Jewish heritage - for the specific purpose of having a
"People for Himself." You name the country or people of the world… and they are
included.
Up until the age of the church the Scriptures
have been basically all about the Nation of Israel. With the rejection of the
Christ by the Jewish leadership (and the Jewish people, and the Romans, etc.)
God temporarily closes the book concerning them. He moves onto a "new" plan,
that is new to us but formed before the foundations of the world. This plan
calls out a group of people from the whole world to be His own. In this new
group there is neither Jew nor Gentile, just people who Love the Lord Jesus
Christ with all their hearts - who have believed in and on Him.
It should be
known and remembered that Christ’s death on the cross offered freedom from the
penalty of sin and sins. It offered absolute redemption and justification before
almighty God – IF… and IF is the big moment. IF each individual agrees to the
terms of the offer. Jesus had a discussion with a man named Nicodemus who was
having trouble understanding Jesus’ offer of salvation. He said to Nicodemus,
“No one has
ascended into heaven, but He who descended from heaven: the Son of Man. As Moses
lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted
up; so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life” (John 3:13-15).
Israel was behaving very badly and “the Lord sent fiery serpents among the
people and they bit the people… so many of the people died” (Numbers 21:6-7). Then, “And Moses made a bronze serpent and
set it on the standard (a wooden pole); and it came about, that if a
serpent bit any man, when he looked to the bronze serpent, he lived” (Numbers
21:9).
Some 1500 years
later the nation of Israel was again behaving very badly – rejecting their
Savior – and He was placed upon that wooden post (the Cross) and all who looked
upon Him, and believed in Him, would be given “Life Eternal.” ““For God so loved
the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him
shall not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16). That leaves us with the
deciding factor being the “IF” question. The offer was made to all, but only
those who believed in who and what was being offered… The Son of God, and
salvation and eternal life… would attain it. These people would constitute this
new body of believers.
Paul states that this new body of believers are
now "fellow members of the body." Each one who believes has full citizenship in
this new body of believers. No one is better because he is, or is not, a Jew.
All are now considered "One."
He also states that each one who believes is now
a "fellow partaker of the promise." That promise began with Abram and has
followed down the family line all the way to Jesus (The Last King of Israel).
The central core of the promise concerns "freedom from the effects and penalty
of Sin." All who come to Christ in
this age are included in the "Heirs." "Fellow Members," and "Fellow Partakers"
of this great promise.
Becoming a part of this Great Promise is the
very work of the Gospel, that Jesus, the very Son of God, died upon the cross at
Calvary in order to satisfy the just demands of God upon a sinful people for
their sin and sins. What He did there, willingly, places each and every believer
into the "forgiven Fellow Partakers" of this great promise and "Fellow Heirs" of
all things heavenly through Christ. It is now up to us, as members of this new
body of Christ to love, provide, and accept each other – anD to do what we can
do in order to win all those around us to our Savior, Jesus the Christ.
Gods Special Secret:
THE STUDY
3:7 [MAC]
I
was made
an
administrator
of this
good news
in accord with the
gift
springing from
God's grace.
This
gift
was given to me
to correspond
with the internal
operation of His power.
3:7 [NASB]
I
became a servant
of this
gospel
by the
gift
of God’s grace
given me
through the working
of his power.
THE COMMENTARY
Paul's story is
not new to us, a great persecutor of the Christians of his time. He was saved by
the Grace of God for this specific ministry of gathering the Church from among
the Gentiles.
Paul tells us that his salvation had specific
purposes that God would accomplish using His grace.
History is full of myths about gods who
accomplish mighty deeds, but among them there are no stories of a god who would
sacrifice himself in order to provide for the needs of man because he loved
them. Only the God of the Scriptures reaches down to love men and women of the
earth. Only the God of the Scriptures has a plan and program whereby mankind may
be released from the effects and penalty of sin. Like the hymn says, "Only a God
like You!"[1]
He wants us to know that this act of pulling the
world together under His Son's grace - through belief - took GREAT POWER to
accomplish. God worked through some of that great power in bringing Paul to
Christ. God also worked through His great power to establish a body of men and
women who would freely choose to love Him and then to establish a man named Paul
for the role of Teacher and Organizer of the new "Body of Christ." We should
remember that the power of God – for the building up of the Body of Christ, and
for bringing more men, women, and children into that body – is available to each
one of us who has already experienced salvation in Christ. Take His power and
run with it!!
THE
STUDY
3:8 [MAC]
This
special grace
was given to me,
the very least
of all the set apart
ones.
It
was given:
first,
to proclaim to the
Gentiles
the good news about
the un-trackable wealth
of Christ.
3:8 [NASB]
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,
COMMENTARY
Paul’s humility
is not an act. If you met him on the street, you might think so, but through the
Scriptures we learn that His life was completely changed – from persecutor to
protector – through the power of Christ. Only a man who has known such grace can
look upon himself and see that he was indeed a great sinner.
However, it does not stop there, Paul goes on to
see his mission of preaching the gospel to those who don’t know any truth about
Jesus Christ and this body of believers.
He was preaching the Unfathomable Riches of
Christ. We who have been educated in the Scriptures know much of the revelation
of God’s grace. Think of what Paul learned and understood from Jesus and the
Holy Spirit. Then think of the fact that Paul spoke of the Grace of God and of
the depth of it that was unfathomable – too deep to see to the bottom of it –
beyond our comprehension. Indeed, the richness of His kindness toward us is
unfathomable.
Gods Special Secret:
II.
Chapter 2 – The
Church as the Temple of Christ
III.
Chapter 3 – The
Church as God’s Top Secret
A.
3:1-5, The
Description of the Original Gift of the Secret
B.
3:6-13, The Definition of the Revealed Secret
1.
3:6 The is the
Promise in Christ through the Good News.
2.
3:7-8 The Secret
is an Operation of Grace and Power that Includes the Gentiles.
3.
3:9-12,
The Secret is an Operation of Grace
and Power that includes the Gentiles.
THE STUDY
3:9-12 The Church Through Grace and Power
Second,
to inform all men
as to what the
dispensation of this secret is,
which stood hidden
from the people of the
ages in God
Who created all things.
3:9 [NASB]
and
to make plain to everyone
the administration
of this mystery,
which for ages past
was kept hidden in God,
who created all things.
COMMENTARY
Right from the
beginning of this verse does Paul make it clear that God’s plan – spoken and
taught by Paul – was for “everyone.” His mission was to inform all of mankind –
men, women, and children, of this completely life changing opportunity.
Mid-sentence Paul brings the revelation from God the Father, concerning God the
Son, that educates us concerning God's’government (administration) for this age
(the Church age) and the one to come (The Kingdom Age). The "administration of
the mystery" that was hidden for ages. God choose not to reveal this new age of
grace throughout the Old Testament. Why?
THE
STUDY
3:9-12 The Church Through
Grace and Power
3:10 [MAC]
God's
ultimate purpose in this is that
the colorful spectrum of
God's wisdom
might be made known
to
the governments and
the authorities
in the heavenly places
through the agency of the Church.
3:10 [NASB]
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,
COMMENTARY
Manifold is a wonderful word, having its root in knowledge that is bound up into a garment which is folded upon itself so that it is "many folded." Wonderful things revealed as each fold is opened. Heating and Air Conditioning systems, automobile engines, and many other items use manifolds to channel the output of a single source into many outputs. That's one picture of the manifold wisdom of God. Its source is one, the channels of delivery are manifold. Paul's thought takes us to the knowledge that you can only understand the whole of the grace of God as you add together every channel of its delivery. Just as you can only begin to understand how powerful your home heating or air conditioning system is by understanding its effects in the sum of your rooms.
Who are the
measurers of God's grace to man? Angels, creatures, demons, and Satan himself.
The Unfathomable Riches of Christ - made known to the heavens through US. How
manifold is the grace of God - when you see it work through the sum of each and
every individual believer. How rich and awesome is that manifold knowledge.
THE
STUDY
3:9-12 The Church Through
Grace and Power
3:11 [MAC]
This is
compatible with
the purpose for the ages
which He designed and
(He) has carried out
in Christ Jesus
our Lord.
3:11 [NASB]
according
to
his eternal purpose
that he accomplished
in Christ Jesus our Lord.
COMMENTARY
We believers
could look upon ourselves and see the greatness of God's grace, but we would be
missing the most important feature of that Grace, for it is IN-HIM, the living
and dying Christ, that the eternal purposes of God are made complete. He is what
the kingdoms and powers of this world and of the heavens see. He is the object
of their inquiry, not us. Those which are holy will praise His wonderful Name
because of His unfathomable grace. Those who are unholy will curse His name but
know of His unfathomable grace and their hate will consume them. Their
punishment will be eternal, wise and just.
THE
STUDY
3:9-12 The Church Through
Grace and Power
3:12 [MAC]
We are
enjoying
freedom of speech and
confident access to God
in Him
through His faithfulness.
3:12 [NASB]
In him and
through faith in him
we may approach God
with freedom and confidence.
COMMENTARY
On our side of this story, what Christ has done - has made it possible (because we have been made righteous - the very righteousness of God) for us to literally walk into the presence of Almighty God with both boldness and confidence in our access to Him, through our simple faith in God's precious, one of a kind, Son. That is the outcome of God's unfathomable grace towards us. This should lead us into absolute humility - we could do nothing, yet He did it all - for us - that He might get the glory forever.
THE STUDY
Gods Special Secret:
3:13 [MAC]
This is the
reason
I am asking you
not to lose heart
over my trials
on your behalf,
seeing they are in your
honor.
3:13 [NASB]
I ask you,
therefore,
not to be discouraged
because of my sufferings for you,
which are your glory.
COMMENTARY
Paul concludes
this part of his letter (3:7-12) with one of his famous "Therefore" statements.
"Therefore," Paul asks, and we need to look back at the message of 3:7-12 to see
the point he will make in this verse. In the earlier verses of Chapter 3 Paul
was addressing the revelation of "The Church age." What it was, and why it had
come. God's plan had been revealed and it included the temporary setting aside
of Israel for the establishment of a Royal Priesthood who would belong to Jesus
the Christ forever. This priesthood would be the administers of the program of
God for this age - and enjoy a similar relationship, always in His presence, for
eternity. It is in other books where Paul expounds upon the close of this age
and the transition into the next; the terrible tribulation and remarkable
blessings of "The Day of the Lord."
Paul's concern for the Body of Christ is that
they (we) might "lose heart" because of Paul's tribulations. Everywhere Paul
went the evil one stirred up trouble - both for Paul and the Body of Christ.
Paul would spend a good portion of his life in jail or in prison as a result. He
was tormented, whipped, beaten, starved - for the cause of the Gospel to the
Gentiles. I can almost hear the evil one telling his minions, "First it was with
the Jews, now the Gentiles... this is quickly getting out of my control...
'therefore,' go and persecute this man, Paul."
Paul was much loved by believers. His worry was
that they would stop evangelizing and teaching in an effort to bring an end of
persecution to Paul.
But Paul corrects their incorrect attitude. He
says, "my tribulations (are) on your behalf, for they are your glory." We poor
humans, with our tiny little self-centered brains, always seem to try to correct
the plan of God when it does not meet our expectations. Paul wants his readers
to recognize, and appreciate, the bigger picture of God's plans. God is
glorifying Himself, in Jesus Christ, through the tribulations of Paul - thereby
building up the Body of Christ. Paul says that His tribulations are not only
necessary - but are the very source of great glory to God and them.
We know well the principle that persecution
builds faith. Anyone who has ever ministered to those who are under persecution
or deprivation know the blessing of seeing the vitality of their faith. Anyone
who has ever been under persecution knows the blessing of an ever-growing
vitality of faith in their own lives as they live for Christ. Paul's
tribulations brought forth vitality of faith in that new Body of Christ. In
turn, the suffering of persecution by the early church also brought forth a
vitality of faith - and so on, and so forth. Persecution brings forth vital
faith. The outworking of the persecution in each generation produces an
exponential growth of the faith of the succeeding generation of those who
believe. Praise God for those who have gone before - often through great
persecution - that has resulted in the growth of our faith - may we be the ones
who the next generation sees for the growth and vitality of their faith!
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HOMEWORK: |
Look at the question and ignore the
answer. Then study the answer!
3:6-13 “The Definition of the Revealed Secret”
3:6
The Secret is the Promise in Christ Through the Good News.
3:6 [Mac]
6 The
secret is this —
the Gentiles are to be
fellow
heirs,
fellow members
of the Body, and
fellow partakers
of the promise
in Christ Jesus
through the good news.
1.
What’s the deal with the differences between the
Jews and the Gentiles?
Some lessons ago we discussed God’s breaking up of the ages into administrations, or dispensations. Periods of time where God could institute different periods of testing in order to find human beings who willingly and voluntarily (under any circumstances) choose the Almighty God of the Bible as their God, to love Him with all their heart, soul, and mind.
God found a man named Abram (later named Abraham) and told him to go back to his home, pack his things, get a good night’s sleep, and be ready in the morning for God to tell him to go on a great journey. Abram went back to his home, packed his things, got a good night’s sleep, and was ready in the morning to go where God would tell him to go. God told him to travel (a very long way to go) to a place called Haran. Abram loaded his thing onto his mule and went to Haran. God counted Abram’s actions as righteousness. Later, God told Abraham to bring his son to a mountain top and slay him, offering him to God. Abraham brought his son (who went willingly, by the way) to the mountaintop and placed him on a rock altar, raised his knife… and God stopped Him. For Abraham was about to willingly sacrifice his willing son – and it so touched God’s heart… for that was what God was going to do many centuries later with His own Son. Thus, Abraham was selected to be the grandfather of a nation of descendants known as the Hebrew people which became the nation of Israel – a covenanted nation, a nation under contract with God. The Old Testament is the story basically of that covenanted people – who were supposed to lead the world into belief in the One Almighty God of the Bible. Instead, they turned their love inside out and lived for themselves casting away the nations around themselves. When God introduced His Son as a baby human child into the world – things turned very bad and when the child became a man and began doing His Father’s work, the leaders of that covenanted nation put Him to death – with one result being God’s setting aside of the covenanted nation and opening His program of salvation for men, women, and children to the world at large. In order to accomplish this God, through Jesus His Son, with the power of His Holy Spirit established a new body of believers – what we now know as The Church.
3:7-8, The Secret is an Operation of Grace and
Power that Includes the Gentiles.
3:7 [MAC]
I
was made
an
administrator
of this
good news
in accord with the
gift
springing from
God's grace.
This
gift
was given to me
to correspond
with the internal operation of His power.
3:8 [MAC]
This
special grace
was given to me,
the very least
of all the set apart
ones.
It
was given:
first,
to proclaim to the
Gentiles
the good news about
the un-trackable wealth
of Christ.
3:9-12, The Secret is to be Dispensed Now that it
has been Revealed.
3:9 [MAC]
Second,
to inform all men
as to what the
dispensation of this secret is,
which stood hidden
from the people of the
ages in God
Who created all things.
3:10 [MAC]
God's
ultimate purpose in this is that
the colorful spectrum of God's wisdom
might be made known to
the governments and
the authorities
in the heavenly places
through the agency of the
Church.
3:11 [MAC]
This is
compatible with
the purpose for the ages
which He designed and
(He) has carried out
in Christ Jesus
our Lord.
3:12 [MAC]
We are
enjoying
freedom of speech and
confident access to God
in Him
through His faithfulness.
1.
(3:9) Why is this “dispensation” so very different from the grace of God
dispensed before Jesus Christ’s death on the cross?
All through
the previous ages mankind largely refused the love and grace of God (the God of
the Bible). From creation to just before the flood only 8 persons still
believed. The nation of Israel was established based on the Faith of Abraham,
and by the time Jesus was 33 years old and had preached across Israel of the
love of His father and the eternal salvation offered… and they rejected their
God and put their God’s Son to death on the Cross.
This new “dispensation” would encompass the whole world. Every person would
either have enough personal revelation knowledge or direct contact with
believers, missionaries, churches, etc. that the Holy Spirit would contact, and
try to convince of the truth in Christ of the Grace of God Almighty in the offer
of personal salvation.
2.
(3:10) Where does Paul say this grace needs to be witnessed?
3.
(3:11-12) What does Paul indicate that the ministry of the church and its
representatives have received in order to make preaching effective?
3:13, The Secret is on Trial that its Benefits may
Display its Brilliance.
3:13 [MAC]
This is the
reason
I am asking you
not to lose heart
over my trials
on your behalf,
seeing they are in your
honor.
No question here – I just want you to see that Paul, in all his trials and tribulations wanted all those who knew him and loved him for his work amongst them… was to enable them to be strong in their Gospel ministries as well as their individual lives, for His suffering was for them and they should see that as his honoring of them! And thus you should see that your pastors, leaders, teachers, elders, deacons all labor as it is an honor for them to serve you! And this is the brilliance of God’s plan!
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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