Ephesians 3:1-13
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Good morning, brothers and sisters. Victor Chong is my name. The message today is entitled “The Gospel of One New Humanity”. I am tasked to share on Ephesians 3:2-13; but I shall include chapter 3 verse 1. The reason is that Ephesians chapter 3 verses 1 to 7 is one single long convoluted sentence, totalling 106 words. Secondly, verse 1 is a hanging sentence; it is incomplete by itself. It is as though Paul interrupted his thought and go on talking about something else before returning to this same thought in verse 13; thus verses 1 and 13 bracket what Paul has to say for the rest of the 2 sentences in 11 verses in between. So, I apologise that you would have to hear Ephesians 3:1 being preached twice - this and next Sunday.
Now Ephesians 3:1 starts with these words, “For this reason …”
For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles—
I will be mostly using the ESV in this message.
The phrase tells us that what Paul writes in chapter 3 is a follow-on of what he has said before. That is to say, to make sense of what Paul is going to say here, we need to remember what Paul has written in the previous 2 chapters. Now, I won’t test you by asking what Paul has said in chapters 1 and 2. But we might just start with a brief historical background of the book and I will come back to some parts of what Paul has written in chapters 1 and 2 when necessary. I would be repeating certain things that have been said, and if this sounds familiar, I ask of your patience. But I do hope that at the end of this message, we can give a one-sentence summary of what Ephesians is all about.
Background
Background
The book or letter of Ephesians was written by the apostle Paul to the churches in Asia Minor, what is known as Turkey today. In fact, Paul himself was born and brought up in the southern part of Asia Minor - in a city called Tarsus. Paul spent 2 and a half years preaching the gospel in Ephesus, probably circa AD53; so he is familiar not only with the city and the churches there, but also the history, life, thoughts and outlooks of the Ephesians. And chapter 3 here is really pivotal in the book, as Paul summarises his thoughts in this chapter before he moves on to the applications in chapters 4-6.
The city of Ephesus was one of the largest cities in the ancient world during the classical Roman period; it was rich, populous and popular, especially among the pilgrims of Artemis. The temple of Artemis in Ephesus was probably the largest building in the classical Roman world and one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world. Yet, beneath the wealth, luxury and glory, lies a dark underbelly and an even darker past. Ephesus was founded by Greek migrants in 1000BC. Lying at the cross road of the great ancient civilisations, the Greek city states and later Rome to the west, the Assyrian-Babylonian-Persian empires to the east and Egypt to the south, Ephesus both benefited from it geographic position, and at the same time suffered as it lies on the war paths of the great empires. The city fell into Roman’s influence in 129BC, who treated the whole region as a cash cow; and taxes rose exorbitantly. A few hundred Roman elite families, mostly war veterans, settled and lived in fabulous luxury in the city, while the great majority barely had enough to eat. A good one-quarter to half of the population was slaves. The smouldering resentment finally erupted in what historians call the Asiatic Vesper in 88BC, during which 80 000 to 150 000 Romans; including women and children, in fact, anyone who spoke with a Latin accent, were killed. When Rome re-gained control of the region, a huge indemnity was imposed, along with 5 years of back taxes, which effectively bankrupted the entire region.
Most of the residents in Ephesus were Greeks; the ancient Greeks divided humanity into Greeks and what they called, Barbarian or non-Greek speakers; and into man and women, free and slaves. The free Greek man holds the highest social status. And they view these divisions not only natural, but essential for the function of the world order.
There was also a sizeable population of Jews in the region. The Jews, on the other hand, divide the world into Jews and Gentiles. Except for certain pious gentiles, the Jews generally viewed the Gentiles as idolatrous, unclean, of low morality, and like their mute, blind and deaf idols, the Gentiles are hopelessly loss, without God and without hope.
So, there is a deep divide between the Romans and the Greeks, and between the Jews and the Gentiles, in Asia Minor; and in fact in the whole empire. These differences and divisions would from time to time boil over to riots, brutal suppression, and mass killing, as we saw just now. And it is into a divided, violent world like this that this letter was written; in fact, it is into a world like this that Christ was born, and the Gospel given. If we look around us today; our world is not too different in many respects; and this highlights why, all the more, we need to read Paul’s letter to the Ephesians; and why the world needs the Gospel more than ever.
Prayer
Prayer
Let us start with a word of prayer as we begin to look at the passage for the message today.
The Mystery of Christ
The Mystery of Christ
Ephesians 3:1 (ESV)
For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles—
Paul refers to himself as “a prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf” of the “Gentiles” recipients of his letter, indicating that he was writing this letter in prison, probably in Rome, circa 62AD, some 8-9 years since he left Ephesus; as recorded in the last chapter of Acts, Acts 28:16
And when we came into Rome, Paul was allowed to stay by himself, with the soldier who guarded him.
And in the next 2 verses,
assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for you, how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly.
These 2 verses refer to Paul’s dramatic conversion on the road to Damascus in Acts 9 and the events after, when Paul received revelation from Jesus himself. Paul explains here that his understanding of what he is writing to the Ephesians is revealed to him by God himself.
Paul reiterates here the reason that he writes to the Ephesians, Ephesians 3:4-5
When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit.
Paul was writing to the Ephesians to tell them his insight, his understanding of the great mystery of Christ that was only fully made known in the the time of Paul, and not to those before - though he hinted in Ephesians 2 that the Old Testament prophets had some inkling, some idea of what is going on. And what is this “mystery of Christ” that Paul speak of?
In Ephesians 3:6
This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.
To suggest that the unclean, idolatrous, immoral Gentiles, who from time to time would oppress the Jews because of their religious fervour is something unthinkable and incredulous, not only to the Jews, but also to the Gentiles who know the Jews.
And yet, it is a mystery that God has has planned and purposed even before the creation of the universe - Ephesians 1:3-4
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love
One New Humanity in Christ
One New Humanity in Christ
“The mystery of Christ” that Paul speaks of is the grand vision of God to form a new humanity in and through Christ, by breaking down all the divisions that exist - between Greeks and Romans, Jews and Gentiles, males and females, slaves and frees to create one new humanity, Ephesians 2:14-16
For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.
and back to where we were, Ephesians 3:6
This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.
The mystery is that not only has God created a new humanity, but now even the Gentiles share in all the blessings of the Jews, the Chosen People of God - being heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, inheriting the entire Creation with Christ, and being the one same body of Christ, one Church; and sharers and partakers in all the promises in Christ.
No other New Testament work comes close to the grandeur of this cosmic vision that Paul wrote here. And for such a grand, “soaring, theme” that transforms the entire humanity, Paul composes some of the most magnificent sentences in the entire New Testament canon. Some would consider Ephesians and not Romans to be Paul’s magnum opus. A New Testament scholar, Professor Rikk Watts, has this to say about Ephesians,
“[Ephesians is] unique in the New Testament - there is nothing that comes close to its poetic lyricism and Paul’s piling up of cascading cadences; for example, fully half of its opening chapter consists of a single magnificently structrured Greek sentence. Our best attempt to render this into English simply pale into mute silence along side it.”
This is the first point in today’s message. God’s plan for us is far greater that the salvation of each of us. The Gospel is far bigger than my personal salvation, your salvation, or our collective salvation. God’s plan - and the Gospel - is not only to save, but also to transform the whole world; making all of us into one united, new humanity in Christ, by reconciling us to him, and to one another; bringing peace to the whole world. And God achieves this eternal purpose by abolishing the walls that divide us; the walls in our thinking, our mind, our attitude, that divide and separate us; that separate “us” from “them”, and “me” from “you”.
Application:
Application:
Belinda and I joined this church about 14 years ago with 2 teenage kids in tow. We dropped by to check out this church on one Sunday morning and we have not left since. The main reason is how we were welcomed into this church, into your lives on that very first Sunday morning. We have been to churches where the walls of separation are palpable; but not here. I want to encourage all of you this morning, that the way you have welcomed us, and continue to welcome strangers and new comers is proof of God’s transforming work in your life. And I want to encourage you to continue to welcome those who dropped by to have a look; to welcome them into this church, into our life group, into our life, as you have always done.
The Gospel and the Church
The Gospel and the Church
Let us return to Ephesians; again verses 8 to 12 is one long sentence in the original letter; Ephesians 3:8-9
To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things,
Paul calls himself “the very least of all the saints” because he persecuted the believers before he went to Damascus, in 1 Corinthians 15:9
For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
And yet God showed him extra-ordinary grace, as an enemy of God, and commissioned him to preach this unsearchable, inscrutable, inexpressible riches of Christ, and to reveal the eternal mystery of God’s plan, to adopt us into God’s household as children of God.
The Church: The Manifold Wisdom of God
The Church: The Manifold Wisdom of God
And God does this for a purpose, a reason. What is it? Ephesians 3:10
so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.
And this has been God’s eternal purpose for us, the believers, in Christ, even before the creation of the universe, Ephesians 3:11-12
Ephesians 3:11–12 (ESV)
This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him.
And which is the purpose of the Law as Moses said in Deuteronomy 4:6-8
Keep them and do them, for that will be your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples, who, when they hear all these statutes, will say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’ For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as the Lord our God is to us, whenever we call upon him? And what great nation is there, that has statutes and rules so righteous as all this law that I set before you today?
Glory in Suffering
Glory in Suffering
Now, Paul returns to his half finished sentence in Ephesians 3:1
For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles—
and finishes it here, Ephesians 3:13
So I ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory.
The NRSV translated it thus, Ephesians 3:13
I pray therefore that you may not lose heart over my sufferings for you; they are your glory.
Paul is saying that his suffering and imprisonment is glory for the Ephesians. Now, how is someone’s else’s imprisonment a glory to anyone? The glory here refers to the spiritual glory, the heavenly glory that believers receive in heaven, the same meaning, for example, in 1 Peter 5:4
And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.
Paul urges the Ephesians not to lose heart, not to be discouraged in their faith because of his imprisonment, and because of the persecution they will face. Paul suffered as he did to bring the Gospel to the Ephesians, the Gospel that gives the Ephesians, and us, the boldness and access to God, with confidence, through our faith in Jesus. Therefore, “so”, they are not to lose heart for what Paul has suffered for them, and for us.
The second point of the message today is that the Church, in her unity and reconciliation with both God and man, is a demonstration of God’s wisdom to the world.
Summary
Summary
Brothers and sisters, we live in a broken, messed up world; and we are made into one new humanity in Christ. As the body of Christ, we are to show the world, those who don’t know God, the wisdom of God in the goodness of our life together.
Peace and reconciliation are spiritual
Peace and reconciliation are spiritual
… and they can’t be engineered by social sciences, political changes, or scientific advancement. Without God, there is no foundation or basis for peace instead of war, reconciliation instead of strife, unity instead of division. And without Christ, there will be no means for reconciliation, and therefore, no lasting peace, with God and with one another.
Among the Catholics, Orthodox and Protestants, we are certainly the most divided. There are more than 45,000 different denominations of Christianity worldwide today. It is estimated that the number of denomination is growing faster that the number of Christians worldwide.
And Jesus prayed this for a reason - not just being prophetic - just before his passion or crucifixion, in John 17:20-22
John 17:20–22 (ESV)
“I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one,
The boundaries:
The boundaries:
Can I ask this in love? Can we examine our heart this morning, and see if there is anything that divides us? Now, I am not saying that there are no boundaries; but what I am saying is this - let us look at the differences, the significance, the importance, the impacts, and the effects of these differences in light of eternity; in the perspective of eternity. And be humble about what we know, not forgetting what Paul has to say about knowledge in 1 Corinthians 13:9-10
For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away.
What are the eternal consequences of believing in pre-millennialism and post-millennialism? Calvinism and Arminianism and Molinism? Does that outweigh the importance of unity, and Edge Church being the manifestation of God’s wisdom, love, peace and reconciliation to those who don’t believe in Christ and who don’t know our Bible? If the answers are no, then perhaps, there’s not where the boundaries lie.
Closing prayer
Closing prayer
Let us close with a word of prayer.
