Глава III

The great mystery of Christ (1–6). Ap. Paul as the minister of this mystery (7). What is the ministry of the Apostle and what is the purpose of this ministry (8-12). Exhortation to the Ephesians (13) and the Apostle’s prayer for them (14–21) Eph.3:1–6. Ap. Paul here continues to prove the greatness of Christianity. He himself is personally deeply convinced of this, because the great mystery of Christ has been revealed to him - the mystery that all pagans will find salvation in Christianity, that pagans are also called to inherit divine promises. Eph.3:1. For this reason I, Paul, became a prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles. “For this reason” - that is, in order to help the pagans receive those benefits about which Ap. said in Eph.1 and in the last verses (Eph.2:19-22) of the second chapter. - “I became a prisoner of Jesus Christ,” that is, I serve Christ for you or for your benefit as a slave wearing bonds or shackles (this is the most difficult position in which a slave could find himself). Eph.3:2. As you have heard about the dispensation of the grace of God given to me for you, Ap. reminds readers that they have already heard that for the purpose of building our salvation, God gave the Apostle Paul. Ap. here he obviously alludes to his miraculous conversion to Christ, when he was commanded to go preach the Gospel of Christ to the pagans (Acts 9:15, 16) 8. Eph.3:3. because the mystery was revealed to me through revelation (about which I wrote briefly above), Eph.3:4. then, as you read, you can discern my understanding of the mystery of Christ, “Because” is more consistent with the context here in Greek. translate the particle ότι with the conjunction “what” and make the entire 3rd verse dependent on the verb of the 2nd verse “you heard”. - “The Secret”. By “mystery,” Ap. obviously means here what he says below in Eph. 3:6, namely the revelation that the pagans should also enter the Church of Christ. This mystery was indeed announced to the Apostle in a special revelation at his very calling (cf. Acts 22:21, 26:18; Gal.1:15, 16). – “About what” – more correctly: how – (καθώς). – “Briefly” is an allusion to Ephesians 2:11–22, which deals primarily with the calling of the Gentiles. - “Then you’re reading..”. those. Now, in my message, when it is read in your church, you will be able to check whether I really received from Christ the authority to proclaim the Gospel to the pagans, or, better yet, you will be able to find out what I mean by “the mystery of Christ,” to which I attach such great importance. Eph.3:5. which was not made known to the former generations of the sons of men, as it is now revealed to His holy Apostles and Prophets by the Holy Spirit, In order to further inspire readers with reverence for this secret of Ap. says that it was not announced to “the former generations of the sons of men,” or, more precisely: to other (ancient) generations or generations, “the son of men” (two dative cases, of which the second is an application or explanation to the first). Ap. Here he means by “sons of men” all the people who lived before Christ, even the Jews who were in communion with God. Although the prophets predicted to the latter about the future calling of the pagans to the kingdom of the Messiah, all these predictions were not as definite and clear as those revelations about this matter that the Apostles and prophets (New Testament) received in the New Testament through the Spirit of God 9 . “Despite the fact that the prophets spoke about the calling of tongues, this still remained a mystery. Why were those who were with Peter (at Cornelius) amazed? And Peter himself, through revelation from the Spirit, knew then that God had accepted the pagans too” (“John of Damascus”). Eph.3:6. that the Gentiles also may be fellow heirs, being one body, and partakers of His promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel, The content of this mystery (verse 6 depends on the verb of the 5th article “revealed”) is that the Gentiles should be “joint heirs,” that is, inherit the promise of salvation on an equal basis with the Jews, then, “forming one body,” i.e., belonging again on an equal basis with the Jews to the composition of the Church, which is the body of Christ, and “partakers” the promises of God." The pagans achieve all this through Christ, accepting with faith His gospel or the sermon about Christ, which the Apostles of Christ proclaim to them. Eph.3:7. of whom I became a minister by the gift of God’s grace, given to me by the action of His power. Ap. He considers it a matter of God’s special mercy towards him that it was given to him to serve as the proclamation of this great mystery. Eph.3:8–12. The ministry of the Apostle is to proclaim to the pagans the greatest mystery of God about their calling to the Church of Christ, and the purpose of this, by the way, is so that even the highest heavenly powers comprehend the great predestination of God about the salvation of all people. Eph.3:8. To me, the least of all saints, this grace was given - to preach to the pagans the unsearchable riches of Christ. Eph.3:9. and to reveal to everyone what is the economy of the mystery that has been hidden from eternity in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ, Here is Ap. finds out what his ministry is. He, the least of all the “saints,” that is, of the Christians (cf. Gal. 1:13, 14), was deemed worthy to preach to the pagans the “riches of Christ,” that is, the mystery of salvation, which even now is still “unsearchable,” that is, cannot be understood in all its greatness. Ap. I must everyone - not only pagans, but also Jews - to “reveal” or find out how the “dispensation” or the intention of God to save people – not only the Jews, but also the pagans, came to fruition, an intention that has existed for centuries, but unknown to people. - “Who created all things by Jesus Christ.” With these words Ap. explains why all people had to find salvation in Christ. The reason for this is that God created everything, the whole world, through Christ. People who were created, created through Christ, must also be recreated through Christ. Eph.3:10. so that the manifold wisdom of God may now be made known through the Church to the principalities and powers in heaven, Eph.3:11. according to the eternal purpose, which He fulfilled in Christ Jesus our Lord, Eph.3:12. in whom we have confidence and secure access through faith in Him. “So that she may now become known...”. This expression depends on the verb of verse 9: “to open.” The purpose of the educational ministry of the Apostle is so that the “manifold”, that is, the wisdom of God revealed in various forms and forms, appears in all its greatness for the highest angelic ranks, who hitherto, like the Old Testament people, did not yet know that the pagans would be called into communion with God (cf. 1 Pet. 1:12). The wisdom of God is revealed to the Angels by the very existence of the Church of Christ (“through the Church”), made up of Jews and pagans. This revelation of the mystery of God takes place for the Angels according to God’s eternal determination, which God brought to fruition through Jesus Christ. Ap. adds that as a result of the great merits of Christ, we all now have access to God, we approach Him without any fear as our Father. In this case, of course, faith in Christ is necessary. Eph.3:13. Therefore, I ask you not to lose heart at my tribulations for your sake, which are your glory. “Therefore,” i.e., in view of all that has been said about the greatness of Christianity and in particular about the great mystery of the calling of the pagans. - “Please don’t be discouraged..”. The Ephesians should not grieve when they hear about the suffering of St. Paul in Rome, but to be proud that because of them St. went to this suffering. The latter say that Ap. fully convinced of the truth of his sermon with which he addressed the pagans. If he did not have confidence that the pagans really have the right and opportunity to enter the kingdom of Christ, then he would not have proclaimed this to them, thereby incurring persecution from his enemies. Eph.3:14. For this reason I bow my knees before the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, This contains the prayer of the Apostle for the Ephesian believers, in which Ap. first he speaks about the one to whom he is praying (Eph. 3:14-15), then he sets out his very request for the Ephesians, so that they would be strengthened in faith and perfected in Christian knowledge (Eph. 3:16-20) and, finally, sends praise to God (Eph. 3:21). Eph.3:15. from whom is the name of every family in heaven and on earth, “From whom every fatherland is named.” .. All fatherlands or otherwise generations (πατριαί) of creatures, both heavenly and earthly, were created from God. – “To name” – in relation to God sometimes means “to create” (cf. Ps. 147:4; Is. 40:26). Eph.3:16. that He might grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man, “Strongly” is better translated: by the power of God, of course, (δυνάμει). – “In the inner man” – see Rom.7:22. This is also like intelligence, but not only as a theoretical ability, but also as conscience, a person’s moral sense. Eph.3:17. by faith let Christ dwell in your hearts, “To dwell by faith,” that is, so that when you become stronger internally, Christ will dwell in you for permanent residence (κατοικῆσαι). This, however, requires strong faith in Christ. Eph.3:18. that you, being rooted and established in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height, Eph.3:19. and to understand the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. These two verses depict the results of “Christ dwelling in your hearts.” The Russian translation takes into this 18th verse the last words of verse 17 (see v. Eph. 3:17 according to the Greek and Glorious text) and does this completely thoroughly, because the Greek expression: εν αγάπη ερριζωμένοι καί τεθέμ . completely inconsistent with the previous one: κατοικῆσαι Ι. Χριστόν. In the Russian translation, therefore, the idea is given that being in Christian love (“rooted” indicates the image of a plant taking deep roots into the soil, and “established” indicates the image of a building on a solid foundation) will allow the Ephesians, along with other Christians (“saints”), to comprehend in all its greatness and from all sides (“latitude and longitude....)” the main subject of Christian knowledge, namely the infinitely exalted love of Christ, by which Christ gave Himself as a sacrifice for the sins of people, and in general become filled with all divine grace-filled gifts (“the fullness of God”). Eph.3:20. But to Him who, by the power that works within us, is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, Eph.3:21. To him be glory in the Church in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, from age to age. Amen. The praise of God is quite appropriate here, since the third chapter of Ap. ends the dogmatic part of his message - an image of the greatness of Christianity. God is here portrayed as one who can give us much more than we ask of Him. - “By the power working in us” - more correctly: “in accordance with or in accordance with what His power is already doing in us Christians.” What was done by this power - you can read about this in the Apostle above, for example. in Ephesians 2:1–10. - “In the Church in Christ Jesus.” The first expression denotes the environment in which the glorification of God should take place, and the second - the incentive for this glorification. This motivation is the work of our salvation accomplished by Christ. – “To all generations” – to subsequent generations. - “From century to century” - more precisely: “centuries of centuries or the most distant centuries, going to infinity” (Prof. Bogdashevsky). This is the definition of the expression “to all generations.” Some interpreters see in this expression “having heard about your faith” evidence that the letter was not written to the Church of Ephesus, since de Ap. Having founded the Ephesian Church himself, he could not speak about it as something unknown to him personally. But here by faith there is no reason to understand the readers’ belief in the Gospel or their initial acceptance of the Christian faith. Firstly, the combination of the concepts “faith” and “love” speaks against such an assumption: from here it is necessary to conclude that Ap. here means faith as a constant virtue like love, and not as a separate moment in a person’s life. Then from the message itself it is clear that Ap. writes to such Christians who are already quite mature in relation to Christian development Ap. and in other epistles he sometimes puts the New Testament prophets alongside the Apostles. Wed. 1 Cor. 12 You might be interested in: