EPHESIANS 3 GOD'S GIFT OF REVELATION

EPHESIANS 3

EPHESIANS 3 World English Bible 1 For this cause I, Paul, am the prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles, 2 if it is so that you have heard of the administration of that grace of God which was given me toward you; 3 how that by revelation the mystery was made known to me, as I wrote before in few words, 4 whereby, when you read, you can perceive my understanding in the mystery of Christ; 5 which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit; 6 that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel,

Hebrew and Greek Original Touvtou cavrin ejgw; Pau'loß oJ devsmioß tou' Xristou' Í*jihsou'Ñ uJpe;r uJmw'n tw'n ejqnw'n ei~ ge hjkouvsate th;n oijkonomivan th'ß cavritoß tou' qeou' th'ß doqeivshß moi eijß uJma'ß, Ío&tiÑ kata; ajpokavluyin ejgnwrivsqh moi to; musthvrion, kaqw;ß proevgraya ejn ojlivgw/, pro;ß oJ; duvnasqe ajnaginwvskonteß noh'sai th;n suvnesivn mou ejn tw'/ musthrivw/ tou' Xristou', oJ; eJtevraiß geneai'ß oujk ejgnwrivsqh toi'ß uiJoi'ß tw'n ajnqrwvpwn wJß nu'n ajpekaluvfqh toi'ß aJgivoiß ajpostovloiß aujtou' kai; profhvtaiß ejn pneuvmati, ei\nai ta; e~qnh sugklhronovma kai; suvsswma kai; summevtoca th'ß ejpaggelivaß ejn Xristw'/ #Ihsou' dia; tou' eujaggelivou,

OppeVerse 1 For this cause (toutou carin). Use of carin (accusative of cariß) as a preposition with the genitive and referring to the preceding argument about God's elective grace. It is possible that Paul started to make the prayer that comes in verses Ephesians 14-21 when he repeats toutou carin. If so, he is diverted by his own words "the prisoner of Christ Jesus in behalf of you Gentiles" (o desmioß tou Cristou Ihsou uper umwn twn eqnwn) to set forth in a rich paragraph (Ephesians 1-13) God's use of him for the Gentiles.

Verse 2 If so be that ye have heard (ei ge hkousate). Condition of first class with ei and first aorist active indicative and with the intensive particle ge that gives a delicate touch to it all. On oikonomian (stewardship, dispensation) see Ephesians 1:9; Ephesians 3:9; Colossians 1:25.

Verse 3 By revelation (kata apokalupsin). Not essentially different from di apokalupsewß (Galatians 1:12). This was Paul's qualification for preaching "the mystery" (to musthrion. See Galatians 1:9). As I wrote afore (kaqwß proegrapsa). First aorist active indicative of prograpw as in Romans 15:4, not picture forth as Galatians 3:1. But when and where? Epistolary aorist for this Epistle? That is possible. A previous and lost Epistle as in 1 Corinthians 5:9? That also is abstractly possible. To the preceding discussion of the Gentiles? Possible and also probable. In few words (en oligwi). Not = pro oligou, shortly before, but as in Acts 26:28 "in brief space or time" = suntonwß (Acts 24:4), "briefly."

Verse 4 Whereby (proß o). "Looking to which," "according to which." When ye read (anaginwskonteß). This Epistle will be read in public. My understanding in the mystery of Christ (thn sunesin mou en twi musthriwi tou Cristou). My "comprehension" (sunesin, Colossians 1:9; Colossians 2:2). Every sermon reveals the preacher's grasp of "the mystery of Christ." If he has no insight into Christ, he has no call to preach.

Verse 5 In other generations (eteraiß geneaiß). Locative case of time. He had already claimed this revelation for himself (verse Colossians 3). Now he claims it for all the other apostles and prophets of God.

Verse 6 To wit . Not in the Greek. But the infinitive (einai) clause is epexegetical and gives the content of the revelation, a common idiom in the N.T. Ta eqnh is in the accusative of general reference. Paul is fond of compounds with sun and here uses three of them. Fellow-heirs (sunklhronoma). Late and rare (Philo, inscriptions and papyri). See also Romans 8:17. Fellow-members of the body (sunswma). First found here and only here save in later ecclesiastical writers. Preuschen argues that it is equivalent to sundouloß in Colossians 1:7 (swma in sense of douloß). Fellow-partakers (sunmetoca). Another late and rare word (Josephus). Only here in N.T. In one papyrus in sense of joint possessor of a house.