Ephesians 3.9a-The Purpose for which the Father Bestowed upon Paul the Unmerited Blessing of Serving the Gospel
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Tuesday May 21, 2024
Ephesians Series: Ephesians 3:9a-The Purpose for which the Father Bestowed upon Paul the Unmerited Blessing of Serving the Gospel
Lesson # 155
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. 9 Specifically, in order to cause everyone to be enlightened as to what constitutes this unique dispensation, which is a mystery, which has been hidden from previous ages because of God’s will, who has caused each and every animate and inanimate object to be created. (Lecturer’s translation)
Ephesians 3:9 is composed of an infinitival purpose clause, which explains specifically the purpose for which the Father bestowed upon Paul the unmerited blessing of serving the gospel as an apostle to the Gentiles.
It asserts that the Father gave Paul this gift in order to enlighten everyone in the Gentile Christian community as to what constitutes this unique dispensation, which was a mystery, which has been hidden from previous ages because of the Father’s will, who caused each and every animate and inanimate object to be created.
This infinitival purpose clause is epexegetical because it explains specifically what Paul means by the infinitival purpose clause he employs in Ephesians 3:8.
The latter we noted asserts that to Paul, the less than least of all the saints, the unmerited blessing of serving the gospel was given in order to proclaim to the Gentile Christian community the unfathomable wealth brought about by their justification by faith in and union and identification with Christ.
Now, I believe that the conjunction kai (καί), which introduces this infinitival purpose clause, is epexegetical and not adjunctive.
However, many expositors believe that this second infinitival purpose clause here in Ephesians 3:9 is adjunctive which means that it presents a purpose, which is in addition to the previous purpose for which the Father gave to Paul the unmerited blessing of the responsibility and privilege to serve the gospel, which is in addition to the one presented in Ephesians 3:8.
Thus, the purpose mentioned in Ephesians 3:9 would be the second one that Paul lists with regards to the Father bestowing upon him the unmerited blessing of serving the gospel as an apostle to the Gentiles.
However, I am convinced that this second infinitival purpose clause is epexegetical in that it is explaining specifically the previous infinitival purpose clause in Ephesians 3:8.
Thus, I am of the conviction that the second infinitival purpose clause in Ephesians 3:9 explains specifically what Paul means when he asserts in Ephesians 3:8 that to him the less than least of all the saints this unmerited blessing of serving the gospel by communicating to the Gentile Christian community this mystery in order to proclaim to them the unfathomable wealth brought about by their justification by faith in and union and identification with Christ.
This interpretation is indicated by the fact that the unfathomable wealth now possessed by Gentile church age believers, which was brought about by their faith in Jesus Christ at justification and union and identification with Him, was a mystery or secret known only by the Father, which thus required that they receive enlightenment from Paul with regards to it.
The assertion in Ephesians 3:8 that Paul proclaimed to the Gentile Christian community the unfathomable wealth brought about by their justification and union and identification with Jesus Christ is ambiguous and begins to be defined and needs clarification.
In other words, these Gentile church age believers needed to be enlightened as to what specifically gave them this unfathomable wealth produced by their justification and union and identification with Christ.
It is identified by the content of the incomparable mystery, which Paul speaks about in Ephesians 3:4, which was produced by their union and identification with Christ.
In Ephesians 3:5, Paul asserts that this mystery was by no means made known to members of the human race in dispensations prior to the church age as it has now been revealed through the personal agency of the Lord’s holy apostles and prophets by means of the omnipotence of the Spirit.
Then, in Ephesians 3:6, he identifies the content of this mystery, namely that, that Gentile 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.
So therefore, when Paul asserts in Ephesians 3:8 that he received the unmerited blessing of serving the gospel in order to proclaim to the Gentile Christian community the unfathomable wealth brought about by their justification by faith in and union and identification with Christ, he means that the purpose of this gift was to enlighten this community.
Specifically, to enlighten them that they are now fellow heirs with Jewish church age believers as well as fellow members of the body of Christ likewise fellow partakers of the Messianic promise because of justification by faith in and union and identification with Jesus Christ.
Thus, Ephesians 3:9 is explaining the previous purpose clause because it identifies what Paul proclaimed to the Gentile Christian community, namely, enlightenment with regards to this mystery, whose content has already been revealed in Ephesians 3:6.