Ephesians 3

Notes

Ver. 1. For my boldly maintaining that you believing Gentiles have an equal access to the church and presence of God, and are equally related to him, as the Jews, I am, at this very time, through the malice and indefatigable opposition of my carnal countrymen, a prisoner at Rome, of which I boast and glory, as I know it will turn out to your spiritual advantage. 2. For ye must needs have heard how Jesus Christ, in his infinite condescension and grace, appointed me as a steward in his family, and herald in his kingdom, to preach the gospel chiefly to you and other Gentiles, that ye might believe and he saved; 3, 4. And how, by repeated visions and revelations, and by the immediate inspiration of his Spirit, he made known to me the great mystery of the salvation of sinful men, through his own incarnation, obedience, death, resurrection, and ascension, and of the gracious calling of the Gentiles into his gospel church; as, according to the measure of my knowledge of it, I have already hinted unto you:—5. Which mystery was not at all made known to the Gentiles in former ages, nor so distinctly, fully, and clearly to the Jews, as it is now revealed to the holy apostles and other inspired teachers of the Christian church, in consequence of the resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ;—6. Particularly that branch of it,—that without any regard to circumcision or any other Jewish ceremonies, the idolatrous Gentiles should, equally and in the strictest connection with the Jews, be called and admitted into the same gospel church, partaking of all the privileges thereof, and be made members of the same mystical body of Christ, —to derive all enlightening, quickening, sanctifying, and comforting influence from him, and hold all their right and claim to all the promised blessings of the new kingdom under him, and partake of the promised Spirit in all his influences, gifts, graces, and glories shed on them abundantly through Christ: 7. Of which glorious gospel, being miraculously converted, and receiving a divinely free gift of the apostleship, I was, by the immediate appointment of Jesus Christ and his Father, made a preacher—to publish it in all its light, fulness, and glory; and had my commission ratified by many miraculous operations, and by an amazing success in the conversion and salvation of sinners. 8. Unto me, who was once a furious persecutor, blasphemer, and injurious person, and who in myself am still so transcendently worthless and hell-deserving, is this condescending, astonishing, and unparalleled favour shown—that I, above all the apostles, should be pitched upon to publish far and wide among the idolatrous Gentiles the glad tidings of salvation; and to be instrumental, in the hand of the Spirit, in making known and conveying to multitudes those exceeding riches of mercy and merit, of grace and glory, which are treasured up in Christ, and offered in the gospel through faith in him to the worst of sinners,—and which can never be fathomed, exhausted, numbered, or traced out in all their endless variety, excellency, and fulness. 9. And to make both Jews and Gentiles clearly perceive what a happy fellowship believers of all nations, as one church, under Christ their Head, now have in the exceeding great and glorious blessings of the gospel;—a mystery, in which unfathomable depths of divine compassion, wisdom, and grace are implied,—and which lay long concealed in the love and mind of God himself, who, in and with his Son Jesus Christ, created all things in heaven and earth; 10. And that even all the dignified and mighty ranks and orders of holy angels, who minister to the redeemed heirs of salvation, might, with ravishing pleasure, joy, and praise, behold and contemplate the infinite wisdom of God in the unnumbered displays of its glory in the doctrines, ministrations, blessings, and privileges of the New Testament church;—11. All which is now transacted in exact agreement with God's eternal love, which he had cherished in regard to his church, as considered in Christ their Head, Lord, and Saviour; 12. In and through whom, as the only Mediator between God and men, we have great liberty and enlargement of spirit in our dealings with God as our reconciled Father and Friend; and through faith receiving and resting on him alone for salvation, have a humble assurance of his favour towards us, his gracious acceptance of our persons and services, and his audience of our prayers for all real and necessary blessings. 13. In the contemplation of these things I entreat you never to be disheartened, affrightened, or made negligent or spiritless in your Christian course by the sufferings which I have to endure for my adherence to, and preaching of, the gospel; but rather to the honour of your Christian profession be encouraged, strengthened, and animated therein, as they are indeed a great honour put on me for the confirmation of what I preached and ye believed. 14. And that ye may be directed to this and all other necessary duties, I recommend you by the most affectionate, earnest, and solemn prayer, to the favour and mercy of the eternal Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our Father and Friend in him. 15. Of and under whom, and of the Father through him, all true worshippers, whether angels or saints, are gathered into one family, and have received the most transcendent and glorious honours and privileges; 16. And I plead that he who has already done so much for you may, in a manner answerable to his own immense fulness of wisdom, faithfulness, power, goodness, mercy, and grace, and by his almighty Spirit powerfully working in your renewed hearts, more and more fortify you against the efforts of inward corruptions or temptations from Satan or the world; and invigorate and animate you with holy courage to exercise every grace, perform every good work, endure every trial, and, abounding in holiness and comfort, to hold on to the end through all opposition and danger. 17. And that Jesus Christ, together with and by his Spirit, may be constantly present in your minds not only by the habit, but by realizing and appropriating acts of faith; and have a sensible abode in your hearts by continual gracious impressions and manifestations of his love to you as persons united to him;—that ye, being deeply fixed and firmly established in an experimental and assuring perception and faith of his love to you, and in your exercise of grateful returns of love to him, 18. May, by means of his oracles and ordinances, attended with the enlightening and sanctifying influences of his Spirit, be enabled to apprehend, and be suitably affected with, the unbounded love of Christ; clearly perceiving, as far as is possible for saints in this world, its unmeasurable extent, as it reaches to Gentiles as well as Jews, to all ranks, sorts, and degrees of sinners, and to all forms and degrees of spiritual and heavenly blessings:—its inconceivable length, in reaching from everlasting to everlasting;—its unfathomable depth, as it brought the most high God of glory to the lowest state of service, sufferings, and death, and makes him stoop to redeem us from our lowest depths of sinfulness and misery;—and its astonishing height, in his exalted intercession for us, and advancing us to the highest glory of which our nature is capable;—19. And may, by faith and spiritual experience, know more the virtue, power, and sweetness of the transcendent love of Christ, and of God in him, in all its most excellent manifestations, fruits, and effects,—which, in itself, and in its wonderful operations, provisions, and designs, infinitely surpasses all the comprehensions of angels and men;—that thereby ye may be more and more abundantly partakers of a divine nature, and, to your utmost capacity, enriched with all that fulness of light and grace, holiness, joy, and peace, which God has prepared, promised, and communicates to his loving people,—and in due time arrive at the most full and transcendent enjoyment of him as your infinite all in all. 20, 21. Now to this almighty, all-sufficient, gracious, and loving God, who, by that very power, of the almighty operations of which we have had abundant experience in our souls, is able to grant all those extensive blessings which I have desired, or which can be desired by us,—nay, to do infinitely above what we can ask or even conceive,—be ascribed all possible honour in the way of faith, love, adoration, worship, obedience, thanksgiving, blessing, and praise; on account of his infinite perfections, marvellous love, and mighty works of creation, providence, and grace,—in the whole universal church, in heaven and earth, and by every society and member thereof,—through Jesus Christ and his mediation,—during all the periods of time or ages of eternity; so may it and so shall it be.

Ver. 1. For this cause—the equal admission of both Jews and Gentiles into the church of God—which doctrine the Lord revealed to him, and he faithfully preached—whereby he had provoked the Jews to persecute him as an apostate, and the Gentiles as a denouncer of their idolatry. C.

Ver. 2. If ye have heard. Rather, 'since;' for there could be no question of their knowledge of his commission and doctrine. C.

Ver. 8. Unsearchable—and inconceivable, as the word imports. — Note, The human mind can never grasp infinity—yet upon infinity alone can it rest with confidence. The infinite power and infinite mercy that meet in Christ can alone enable the perishing sinner to say, 'It is enough.' C.

Ver. 10. By the church. Through the means of the church— the founding, sustaining, chastising, comforting, and purifying of which afforded such new and conspicuous evidence of the inexhaustible wisdom of God. C.

Ver. 13. It is 'your glory' that ye be not disconcerted by any tribulations—which I endure patiently that you may be brought to the fellowship of Christ. C.

Ver. 15. Of whom, may, grammatically, refer either to the Father or to Jesus Christ; but the latter seems the more probable. See He. 2. 13, 17. C.

Ver. 19. Which passeth knowledge. How can we know what passeth knowledge? Just as the astronomer knows the heavens so far as he can see, yet concludes from unquestionable analogy that much lies beyond his range of vision.—With (rather, 'unto') all the fulness of God—the fulness of grace, which, being manifested in the Word made flesh (Jn. 1. 14), is from him, as from a fountain, poured forth into the hearts of believers, viz. intellectual gifts, spiritual graces, love, peace, communion with God, and holy dedication to his service. C.

Reflections.—Behold, my soul, how the divine grace, infinite wisdom, and eternal love of the most High appear in the conversion of Gentile sinners to the almighty Saviour! Great is the boldness of access we have now to God: and unsearchable the riches of mercies and blessings which the gospel brings to us.—With deep self-abasement and affecting admiration of God's favours ought ministers to preach it. With patience and courage they ought to labour and suffer as is most for the good of the church. And with frequent and fervent prayer should they carry on their whole work, asking for themselves and their people abundant supplies of grace.— While angels with admiration pry into these mysteries, let my soul contemplate the infinite love of my Kinsman Redeemer, and be filled with all the fulness of God. And while grace for ever reigns through his righteousness, let there be glory to God in the highest.