Speaking about his own ministry, Paul especially mentions his witness to the Church as a new...
Speaking about his own ministry, Paul especially mentions his witness to the Church as a new, united people of God, including both Jews who accepted the good news and recent Gentile converts (vv. 1-7). He apparently considers it a most important part of the more general witness to Christ and to the Kingdom (vv. 8-13). At first glance, such attention to a question that would seem not to be the most important in the context of messianic witness may appear to be only a tactical necessity, connected with the fact that the Ephesian church, like most other churches outside Palestine, was mixed, including both Jews and recent Gentile converts. But the matter is not only that.
On the one hand, the ancient prophets had already said that with the coming of the Messiah and the arrival of the messianic Kingdom, many Gentiles would turn to the God of Israel, becoming part of the people of God, and Paul, like many of his fellow countrymen and fellow believers, saw in the conversion of the Gentiles the fulfillment of ancient prophecies. But for the apostle, as can be seen, something else was also important: he understood that the very possibility of uniting two formerly unjoinable parts of humanity into one people bears witness to the essence of the Kingdom better than any words. For traditional ideas, widely held in rabbinic circles in Paul's time, assumed that Gentiles seeking the Kingdom must first become Jews by accepting Judaism. Such an approach assumed that the Jews themselves had no need to change anything fundamental in their spiritual life, that as a people-community they were fully ready to enter the Kingdom.
Paul, however, as can be seen, paints an entirely different picture: the Jews are no more ready for the Kingdom than the Gentiles, despite all their religiosity, which in this case cannot help them at all. Therefore both will have to change their spiritual life. In addition, no one can count on having some special means for paving his own road into the Kingdom: only the Savior himself can open it to those who seek. Such a picture, of course, contrasted rather sharply with traditional ideas, but it was precisely this picture that made it possible to understand what the Kingdom was, whose nearness Jesus bore witness to.
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3:1 For this cause - That ye may be so "built together," I am a prisoner for you gentiles - For your advantage, and for asserting your right to these blessings. This it was which so enraged the Jews against him.
3:2 The dispensation of the grace of God given me in your behalf - That is, the commission to dispense the gracious gospel; to you gentiles in particular. This they had heard from his own mouth.
3:3 The mystery - Of salvation by Christ alone, and that both to Jews and gentiles. As I wrote before - Namely, Eph 1:9-10; the very words of which passage he here repeats.
3:5 Which in other - In former, ages was not so clearly or fully made known to the sons of men - To any man, no, not to Ezekiel, so often styled, "son of man;" nor to any of the ancient prophets. Those here spoken of are New Testament prophets.
3:6 That the gentiles are joint - heirs - Of God. And of the same body - Under Christ the head. And joint - partakers of his promise - The communion of the Holy Ghost.
3:7 According to the gift of the grace of God - That is, the apostle - ship which he hath graciously given me, and which he hath qualified me for.By the effectual working of his power - In me and by me.
3:8 Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given - Here are the noblest strains of eloquence to paint the exceeding low opinion the apostle had of himself, and the fulness of unfathomable blessings which are treasured up in Christ.
3:9 What is the fellowship of the mystery - What those mysterious blessings are whereof all believers jointly partake. Which was, in a great measure, hidden from eternity by God, who, to make way for the free exercise of his love, created all things - This is the foundation of all his dispensations.
3:10 That the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church - By what is done in the church, which is the theatre of the divine wisdom.
3:12 By whom we have free access - Such as those petitioners have, who are introduced to the royal presence by some distinguished favourite.And boldness - Unrestrained liberty of speech, such as children use in addressing an indulgent father, when, without fear of offending, they disclose all their wants, and make known all their requests.
3:13 The not fainting is your glory.