Ephesians 3

Ephesians 3 is the final chapter of the doctrinal first half (chapters 1–3) of the six-chapter book of Ephesians. Ephesians 2 declared that Gentiles and Jews have been made one body in Christ. Chapter 3 builds on this by explaining the mission entrusted to Paul. The chapter is commonly read as follows: Paul begins to pray in verse 1, digresses in verses 2–13 to speak of his own ministry, and then resumes the prayer in verse 14 with the same phrase, "For this cause."

Outline

• Verses 1–6 Paul, a prisoner for the sake of the Gentiles, sets forth the mystery of Christ made known to him by revelation. That mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise.
• Verses 7–13 Paul calls himself "less than the least of all saints" and says he was made a minister to preach the riches of Christ among the Gentiles. Through the church, God makes known His manifold wisdom to the principalities and powers in heavenly places. Paul urges his readers not to lose heart because of his tribulations.
• Verses 14–19 Paul bows his knees before the Father in prayer. He prays that his readers may be strengthened in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in their hearts, that, being rooted in love, they may comprehend the breadth, length, height, and depth of the love of Christ, and that they may be filled with the fullness of God.
• Verses 20–21 The chapter closes with a doxology giving glory to God, who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think.

Key Verses

• Ephesians 3:6 "That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body" — summarizes the content of the "mystery" of which this chapter speaks.
• Ephesians 3:19 "And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge" — the heart of the prayer in verses 14–19.
• Ephesians 3:20 "Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly" — the doxology that concludes the first half of the letter.

People and Places

• Paul: Identified as the author of the letter, he describes himself as a prisoner for the sake of the Gentiles. For this reason Ephesians is classified among the Prison Epistles and is traditionally held to have been written in Rome.
• Gentiles: Those who are not Jews; they are the letter's primary recipients.

Points for Reflection

• Verse 5, "Which in other ages was not made known," is interpreted in different ways. Dispensationalism sees it as evidence that the church is a new entity that was hidden in the Old Testament. Covenant theology reads it to mean that the Old Testament already contained promises of salvation for the Gentiles, but that their full meaning has now been revealed.
• Many interpreters take the "principalities and powers" of verse 10 to refer to angels or other spiritual beings.
• Paul's self-description in verse 8 is often compared with 1 Corinthians 15:9, "the least of the apostles."
• Regarding the authorship of Ephesians, some scholars propose that it was written by a disciple of Paul. Church tradition and many evangelical scholars, however, affirm Pauline authorship.

In the Korean Church

Verses 14–19 are frequently used in preaching as a model of intercessory prayer for church members. Verses 20–21 are often quoted as a doxology at the close of worship services and prayers.