Ephesians 3.8b-The Divine Purpose of Paul Receiving the Blessing of Serving the Gospel
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Friday May 3, 2024
Ephesians Series: Ephesians 3:8b-The Divine Purpose of Paul Receiving the Blessing of Serving the Gospel
Lesson # 153
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—2 if and let us assume that it is true for the sake of argument that each and every one of you as a corporate unit have surely heard about the stewardship, which is unique to the grace, which originates from the one and only God, which was given to me for the benefit of all of you as a corporate unit without exception. (Of course, every one of you have in fact heard about it.) 3 Namely that, the mystery was made known for the benefit of myself as revelation as I wrote beforehand in a concise manner. 4 Concerning which, that is, by each one of you making it your habit of hearing read publicly, all of you will for your own benefit become able to comprehend my insight into this incomparable mystery, which is produced by your unique union and identification with Christ. 5 This mystery was by no means made known to members of the human race in previous generations as it has now been revealed through the personal agency of His holy apostles as well as prophets by means of the omnipotence of the Spirit. 6 Namely, that the Gentiles are fellow heirs as well as fellow members of the body likewise fellow partakers of the promise because of justification by faith in and union and identification with Christ Jesus by means of the proclamation of the gospel. 7 I assumed the position and responsibility of serving this gospel according to the gift originating from the one and only God’s grace, which was given to me according to the activity produced by the exercise of His power. 8 To me, the less than least of all the saints, this grace was given in order to proclaim to the Gentiles the unfathomable wealth brought about by this justification by faith in and union and identification with Christ. (Lecturer’s translation)
Ephesians 3:8 is composed of the following:
(1) relative pronoun clause: Emoi tō elachistoterō pantōn hagiōn edothē hē charis hautē (Ἐμοὶ τῷ ἐλαχιστοτέρῳ πάντων ἁγίων ἐδόθη ἡ χάρις αὕτη), “To me, the less than least of all the saints, this grace was given.”
(2) infinitival purpose clause: tois ethnesin euangelisasthai to anexichniaston ploutos tou Christou (τοῖς ἔθνεσιν εὐαγγελίσασθαι τὸ ἀνεξιχνίαστον πλοῦτος τοῦ Χριστοῦ), “in order to proclaim for my benefit to the Gentiles the unfathomable wealth brought about by this justification by faith in and union and identification with Christ.”
Now, the infinitival purpose clause in Ephesians 3:8 present the purpose for which God the Father gave to Paul the unmerited blessing of proclaiming to the Gentile Christian community the unfathomable wealth brought about by their justification by faith in Jesus Christ and union and identification with Him.
It presents the purpose of the Father giving Paul the unmerited blessing of being a servant of the gospel at the moment of justification.
The noun ethnos (ἒθνος), “the Gentiles” refers to 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 verb euangelizō (εὐαγγελίζω) refers to Paul proclaiming to the Gentile Christian community the unfathomable wealth produced by their justification by faith in Jesus Christ and union and identification with Him.
The reader must understand that when Paul speaks of proclaiming the gospel to the Gentiles, he is not referring to communicating the gospel to them as unbelievers but rather as people who are already children of God because his statement in Ephesians 3:8 is directly to his statements in Ephesians 3:2-7.
In fact, in Ephesians 3:7, we noted in great detail that Paul served the gospel by communicating the mystery that Gentiles church age believers are fellow heirs as well as fellow members of the body likewise fellow partakers of the promise with Jewish church age believers because of justification by faith in and union and identification with Christ Jesus by means of the proclamation of the gospel.
In relation to the believer, the Gospel message is God’s victorious proclamation regarding the believer’s deliverance and victory positionally from the power of Satan, the old sin nature and the cosmic system of Satan (See Romans 5-7).
By positionally, I mean that God views the believer as crucified, died, buried, raised and seated with Christ, which was accomplished at the moment of salvation through the Baptism of the Spirit when the omnipotence of God the Holy Spirit placed the believer in an eternal union with Christ.
The baptism of the Spirit identifies the believer with Christ in the sense that the omnipotence of God the Holy Spirit causes the believer to become identical and united with the Lord Jesus Christ and also ascribes to the believer the qualities and characteristics of the Lord Jesus Christ.
It identifies the believer with Christ in His crucifixion (Romans 6:6; Galatians 2:20), His death (Romans 6:2, 7-8; Colossians 2:20; 3:3), His burial (Romans 6:4; Colossians 2:12), His resurrection (Romans 6:5; Ephesians 2:6; Philippians 3:10-11; Colossians 2:12; 3:1) and His session (Ephesians 2:6; Colossians 3:1).
The believer can experience this victory and deliverance by appropriating by faith the teaching of the Word of God that he has been crucified, died, buried, raised and seated with Christ (Romans 6:11-23; 8:1-17; Galatians 2:20; Colossians 3:5-17).
Now, in Ephesians 3:8, the noun ploutos (πλοῦτος), “wealth” which appears here in the infinitival purpose clause here in Ephesians 3:8 also appeared in Ephesians 1:7, 18 and 2:7.
Now, as was the case in Ephesians 1:7, the noun ploutos (πλοῦτος), “wealth” here in Ephesians 3:8 refers to the infinite or unmeasurable unmerited spiritual benefits that Paul received as a result of the Father declaring him justified based upon the merits of object his faith, Jesus Christ as well as his union and identification with Him.
This word is modified by the articular accusative neuter singular form of the adjective anexichniastos (ἀνεξιχνίαστος), “unfathomable” which emphasizes the unfathomable nature of the infinite or unmeasurable unmerited spiritual benefits that Paul received as a result of the Father declaring him justified based upon the merits of object his faith, Jesus Christ as well as his union and identification with Him.
The proper name Christos (Χριστός), “Christ” contains the figure of metonymy, which means that the Christ is put for the church age believer’s faith in Him at justification as well as their union and identification with Him through the baptism of the Spirit at their justification.
Specifically, it means that the Christ is put for Paul’s faith in Him at justification as well as his union and identification with Him through the baptism of the Spirit at his justification.
This word functions as a genitive of production, which expresses the idea that this unfathomable wealth, which Paul was proclaiming to the Gentile Christian community was “produced by” or “brought about by” their faith in Christ Jesus at justification and union and identification with Him through the baptism of the Spirit.
In other words, this unfathomable wealth is “the product” of their faith in Christ Jesus at justification and union and identification with Him through the baptism of the Spirit at justification.
The middle voice of this verb euangelizō (εὐαγγελίζω) is an indirect or benefactive middle which expresses the idea that it was “for Paul’s own benefit” that he entered into the state of proclaiming to the Gentile Christian community the unfathomable wealth brought about by their justification by faith in Jesus Christ and union and identification with Him.
It would be for Paul’s benefit or advantage because it would result in rewards at the Bema Seat Evaluation of the church, which immediately follows the rapture of the church, which is imminent (Rom. 14:10-12; 1 Cor. 3:11-15; 2 Cor. 5:10).