Ephesians 3.1c-Paul Was A Prisoner of Jesus Christ on Behalf of the Gentiles
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Saturday March 16, 2024
Ephesians Series: Ephesians 3:1c-Paul Was a Prisoner of Jesus Christ on Behalf of the Gentiles
Lesson # 133
Ephesians 3:1 For this reason, I myself, Paul, the prisoner owned by and under the authority of the one and only Christ who is Jesus for the benefit of each and every one of you as a corporate unit, who are Gentiles. (Lecturer’s translation)
The genitive second person plural form of the personal pronoun su (σύ) means “each and every one of you as a corporate unit” or “all of you without exception” since the word not only refers to the recipients of this epistle as a corporate unit but is also used in a distributive sense emphasizing no exceptions.
As we have noted throughout our study of the first two chapters of Ephesians, the referent of the second person plural form of the personal pronoun su (σύ) are Gentile Christians according to the contents of Ephesians 2:11.
The articular genitive neuter plural form of the noun ethnos (ἒθνος), “who are Gentiles” pertains to persons from an ethnic group or nation not allied with and trusting in the God of Israel who is Jesus Christ and is used in a collective sense for these people.
Thus, this word is used of those members of the human race who are not of Jewish racial descent and thus not members of the covenant people of God, Israel.
The articular construction of the word is “generic” which means that the article is distinguishing the Gentile race from the Jewish race.
This word functions as a genitive of simple apposition, which means that it is identifying specifically who the referent of the former is.
Thus, this indicates that they are Gentiles racially.
The genitive second person plural form of the personal pronoun su (σύ) is the object of the preposition huper (ὑπέρ), which means “for the benefit of, on behalf of” since the word functions as a marker of benefaction or advantage.
This expresses the idea that it was “for the benefit of” these Gentile Christians that Paul was a prisoner of the one and only Christ.
This interpretation is supported by the contents of Ephesians 3:2, which asserts that the stewardship of God’s grace, i.e. being a communicator of the mystery of Christ, i.e. the gospel, was given to Paul for the benefit of the Gentile Christian community.
It is also indicated by the contents of Ephesians 3:8, which asserts that this grace which was given to Paul by God the Father in order to preach the unfathomable riches of Christ to the Gentiles.
Therefore, this prepositional phrase reveals that Paul did not consider himself a prisoner of the Roman civil authorities but rather a prisoner of Jesus Christ.
Thus, he views his imprisonment as a part of the Father’s sovereign plan for his life as an apostle to the Gentiles.
Consequently, he is comforted in his imprisonment by this fact.
In fact, Paul was imprisoned because of the opposition of unregenerate Jews possessed with regards to him communicating the gospel to the Gentiles.
Therefore, in Ephesians 3:1, the apostle Paul informs the recipients of this epistle, who we noted were Gentile Christians that he was suffering persecution because of his ministry on behalf of the Gentiles.
References to persecution abound in Paul’s letters.
The apostle Paul taught Timothy in 2 Timothy 3:12 that every believer who does at any time desire to live a godly life by means of fellowship with Jesus Christ will certainly be persecuted.
Second Timothy 3:12 Now, in fact, each and every one who does at any time desire to live a godly life by means of fellowship with the Christ, who is Jesus, will certainly be persecuted. (Lecturer’s translation)
Paul’s declaration here in Second Timothy 3:12 that each and every Christian who does at any time desire to live a godly life by means of fellowship with Jesus Christ will certainly be persecuted is a divine promise to the Christian.
It is designed to reassure the godly Christian that persecution is a part of the Father’s plan for the Christian to advance them to spiritual maturity.
It is designed to draw them into a more intimate fellowship with the Father, Son and Spirit.
One of the identifying marks of a spiritually mature Christian is that of being persecuted by others for not conforming to the ungodly way of life in Satan’s cosmic system.
As Billy Graham once noted, “it is unnatural for Christianity to be popular.”
Persecution can take various forms in different countries and in different ages.
Some persecution is blatantly overt and some persecution is very subtle taking the form of rejection which can include being ignored, patronized or mocked.
It can take the form of condescension as well.
Both forms express the hostility of those who are enslaved to sin and Satan and his cosmic system.
This verb diōkō, “will certainly be persecuted” in Second Timothy 3:12 is used often in the Greek New Testament of the persecution of God’s people.
Matthew 5:10 “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (NASB95)
Matthew 10:22 “You will be hated by all because of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved. 23 But whenever they persecute you in one city, flee to the next; for truly I say to you, you will not finish going through the cities of Israel until the Son of Man comes.” (NASB95)
Matthew 23:34 “Therefore, behold, I am sending you prophets and wise men and scribes; some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues, and persecute from city to city, 35 so that upon you may fall the guilt of all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. 36 Truly I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation.” (NASB95)
The verb diōkō is used in relation to the persecution of Jesus Christ in John 5:16 and 15:20 as well as the persecution of Christians in John 15:20.
John 5:14 Afterward Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, “Behold, you have become well; do not sin anymore, so that nothing worse happens to you.” 15 The man went away, and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well. 16 For this reason the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because He was doing these things on the Sabbath. 17 But He answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I Myself am working.” (NASB95)
John 15:20 “Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also.” (NASB95)
The verb diōkō is used in relation to the persecution of Old Testament prophets in Acts 7:52.
It is used in relation to the Saul of Tarsus’ persecution of Christians in Acts 9:4-5, 22:7-8, 26:11, 14 and 15.
It also is used of persecution of Christians in Romans 12:14.
Romans 12:14 All of you continue to make it your habit to bless those who persecute you. All of you continue to make it your habit to bless and do not curse. (Lecturer’s translation)
The verb is used in relation to persecution of Paul and his fellow apostles Christians in 1 Corinthians 4:12.
It is used in relation to Paul’s persecution of Christians in 1 Corinthians 15:9.
The word is used in relation to the persecution of Christians in 2 Corinthians 4:9.
It is used again in relation to Paul’s persecution of Christians in Galatians 1:13 and Philippians 3:6.
It is used in relation to Satan’s persecution of the nation of Israel throughout history in Revelation 12:13.
In 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10, Paul commends the Thessalonian Christian community for persevering in the face of persecution as well as encouraging them to continue to do so.
This persecution inflicted upon the godly Christian who is faithful to the gospel will come from three sources which constitute the three great enemies of the godly Christian:
(1) Satan, our chief adversary, the devil (1 Pet. 5:8-9; Eph. 6:12; John 16:11; Col. 2:15; but note 1 John 2:13-14).
(2) The world, a system and arrangement of the affairs of men and government under the control of the evil one and opposed to God and His purposes for man (John 16:33; 1 John 5:4; Eph. 2:2).
(3) Indwelling Adamic sin nature or the flesh and all its corrupting power and life-dominating patterns (Rom. 7:15; 8:4-8, 13; Gal. 5:16-26).