For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles,
Paul truly calls himself the prisoner of Jesus Christ for the Gentiles, because his preaching and work for them is what made him a prisoner. He writes as an aged prisoner from Rome to set before believers the unsearchable riches of Christ as grace freely offered to fallen humanity through redemption. He was entrusted with the stewardship of God's grace toward the Gentiles, with the mystery of Christ and of salvation made known to him by revelation. That mystery, hidden in other ages, is that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs of the same body and partakers of His promise in Christ by the gospel, which he as least of saints was made a minister to preach with power to make all see. This same burden now rests on believers, who must unitedly proclaim the truth and last message of warning and salvation in earnest because the end is near.
Paul's Imprisonment for Gentiles
Paul truly calls himself the prisoner of Jesus Christ for the Gentiles. His preaching to the Gentiles and his work for them is what made him a prisoner. The verses that follow explain that God entrusted him with the message that the Gentiles share equally in the inheritance and promise of the gospel in Christ. His words about the work given to him are to be received as addressed personally to believers, who are responsible for carrying that work forward by proclaiming the message of salvation. The chapter's instruction is to be practiced, and its teaching supports bearing a living testimony for God under all circumstances.
He writes as an aged prisoner from his prison in Rome to the believers in Ephesus. He writes to set before them the unsearchable riches of Christ. Those riches are the treasure of grace freely offered to fallen humanity and fallen people through the plan of redemption.
Mystery of Grace Revealed
For this cause Paul stands as prisoner of Jesus Christ for the Gentiles because the dispensation of the grace of God toward the Gentiles was entrusted to him, and by revelation God made known to him the mystery of Christ and of the plan of salvation as wrought out by Christ. That mystery had been hidden in other ages and not made known to the sons of men as it is now revealed to His holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit: that the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ by the gospel. He had written of it before in few words so that readers might understand his knowledge in the mystery of Christ. He was made a minister of this gospel according to the gift of God's grace by the effectual working of His power, though less than the least of all saints, to preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ and to make all see the fellowship of the mystery hid from the beginning of the world in God who created all things by Jesus Christ, to the intent that now by the church the manifold wisdom of God might be known to principalities and powers in heavenly places according to the eternal purpose in Christ Jesus our Lord.
He had passed over the ground of beholding Christ to become like Him, seeing the perfection of God's law in Christ, becoming dissatisfied with everything but perfection, and fighting the warfare with the tempter and gaining victory through Christ's saving power, and through the sacrifice of Christ a new and living way has been opened for all. The work of Christ laid open to him was to teach that men hopeless and dead in trespasses and sins under sin and death have deliverance and life and power through the gospel of Jesus Christ, being quickened through faith in Christ Jesus to reach with mind, heart and soul unto holiness and love. This revelation was not to save only the generation when Christ lived on earth but to be manifest in all ages, to all worlds, to all cities great and small, to towns and villages, with every minister where called showing the abundant treasures of Christ's grace and His ever-flowing love and mercy. The gospel as he presented it is just as powerful today in revealing the rich treasures of Christ's grace and the abundant love of God revealed through His Son.
The marvelous insight into riches of grace so marvelous and deep blessed him and rooted and grounded him so firmly in truth that no sufferings, no reproaches, no false theories, false religions, or fanciful ideas could lead him to deny it or to a new theory making void what was inwrought into his being, for all truth and holiness is unchanging and cannot be made into fanciful error or a lie. He could not present to others all that he himself had seen. The revelation was to help the Jews understand the Scriptures and the mission of Christ, yield former opinions, and receive the gospel in its fulness, with the desire to open it to the Jewish nation and to Israel as once chosen that the honest in heart might be saved from perdition and become sons and daughters of God and members of the royal family manifesting the riches of God's grace and His kindness, mercy and tenderness through the gift of His only begotten Son.
Those cut away from the true vine by impenitence when Christ came in human likeness, and Gentiles through repentance and belief in the gospel, may be grafted into the living vine stock, the church of Christ, to have peace with God and a sanctified conscience, dwell together in peace and love and unity in oneness with Christ, be renewed in love to God in and through Jesus Christ, be transformed through His Spirit to be partakers of the divine nature in disposition, words and works with kindness of temper and transformation of character, bear fruit in good works, and see the heavenly things in Christ Jesus as children of the heavenly birth. This leads to boldness and access with confidence by faith in Him, and to the prayer that believers be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in their hearts by faith and they be rooted and grounded in love and filled with all the fulness of God.
Call to Proclaim Today
For this cause opens the message given to believers now because the end is near, a worldwide work to be done in earnest in proclaiming the truth and the last message of warning and salvation. Paul's burden as prisoner for the Gentiles is the burden to be carried now, doing a great work in a short time, aroused to understand the true position. There is to be no more working at cross-purposes with God nor hindering of the work, but God's work taken up intelligently and unitedly and warning and salvation proclaimed as with one voice, turning fully to the Lord now while mercy and abundant pardon may be found, for there will be no second probation.
Believers are to take hold of God in earnest and to show God's people their transgressions that are hindering the proclamation of the last message of warning to the world. His words about the work given to him are to be received as addressed personally, with responsibility for carrying that work forward by proclaiming the message of salvation. The chapter reveals the work to be done in everyone who is saved and in the world: Christ is to be revealed in and through them, magnifying the truth through its sanctifying, cleansing, and refining influence. That work is accomplished by all who are united to Christ by faith, since the church includes every believer, not only ministers, and those who embrace the truth are members of one family.
The chapter gives a lesson for all teachers, ministers of the gospel, and everyone in a responsible position in God's work, requiring life and conduct to show God's principles and to be ensamples to the flock. When imperfections of character appear and a wrong example is set in the home, school, church, or world, there is need of conversion before being entrusted with responsibility, or counsel to take up some other work where others will not be led in a wrong direction. Its instruction means much and is to be practiced, to be read solemnly to hearers and impressed upon their minds, supporting a living testimony for God under all circumstances. Many have become hard-spirited as strangers to the working of the Holy Spirit and need a great reformation in words and works and spiritual understanding, catching the inspiration of angels and daily breathing the atmosphere of heaven.
The second and third chapters together hold a lesson for all to study about seeking wisdom from God in earnest prayer to learn the way of the Lord. Transgression of the law cost the blood of the Son of the infinite God to redeem, and this is to be seen with hatred for the sins that wounded Jesus. A contrite heart is to be kept while viewing Jesus as a compassionate tender High Priest.
Paul truly calls himself the prisoner of Jesus Christ for the Gentiles, because his preaching and work for them is what made him a prisoner. He writes as an aged prisoner from Rome to set before believers the unsearchable riches of Christ as grace freely offered to fallen humanity through redemption. He was entrusted with the stewardship of God's grace toward the Gentiles, with the mystery of Christ and of salvation made known to him by revelation. That mystery, hidden in other ages, is that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs of the same body and partakers of His promise in Christ by the gospel, which he as least of saints was made a minister to preach with power to make all see. This same burden now rests on believers, who must unitedly proclaim the truth and last message of warning and salvation in earnest because the end is near.
Paul's Imprisonment for Gentiles
Paul truly calls himself the prisoner of Jesus Christ for the Gentiles. His preaching to the Gentiles and his work for them is what made him a prisoner. The verses that follow explain that God entrusted him with the message that the Gentiles share equally in the inheritance and promise of the gospel in Christ. His words about the work given to him are to be received as addressed personally to believers, who are responsible for carrying that work forward by proclaiming the message of salvation. The chapter's instruction is to be practiced, and its teaching supports bearing a living testimony for God under all circumstances.
He writes as an aged prisoner from his prison in Rome to the believers in Ephesus. He writes to set before them the unsearchable riches of Christ. Those riches are the treasure of grace freely offered to fallen humanity and fallen people through the plan of redemption.
Mystery of Grace Revealed
For this cause Paul stands as prisoner of Jesus Christ for the Gentiles because the dispensation of the grace of God toward the Gentiles was entrusted to him, and by revelation God made known to him the mystery of Christ and of the plan of salvation as wrought out by Christ. That mystery had been hidden in other ages and not made known to the sons of men as it is now revealed to His holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit: that the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ by the gospel. He had written of it before in few words so that readers might understand his knowledge in the mystery of Christ. He was made a minister of this gospel according to the gift of God's grace by the effectual working of His power, though less than the least of all saints, to preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ and to make all see the fellowship of the mystery hid from the beginning of the world in God who created all things by Jesus Christ, to the intent that now by the church the manifold wisdom of God might be known to principalities and powers in heavenly places according to the eternal purpose in Christ Jesus our Lord.
He had passed over the ground of beholding Christ to become like Him, seeing the perfection of God's law in Christ, becoming dissatisfied with everything but perfection, and fighting the warfare with the tempter and gaining victory through Christ's saving power, and through the sacrifice of Christ a new and living way has been opened for all. The work of Christ laid open to him was to teach that men hopeless and dead in trespasses and sins under sin and death have deliverance and life and power through the gospel of Jesus Christ, being quickened through faith in Christ Jesus to reach with mind, heart and soul unto holiness and love. This revelation was not to save only the generation when Christ lived on earth but to be manifest in all ages, to all worlds, to all cities great and small, to towns and villages, with every minister where called showing the abundant treasures of Christ's grace and His ever-flowing love and mercy. The gospel as he presented it is just as powerful today in revealing the rich treasures of Christ's grace and the abundant love of God revealed through His Son.
The marvelous insight into riches of grace so marvelous and deep blessed him and rooted and grounded him so firmly in truth that no sufferings, no reproaches, no false theories, false religions, or fanciful ideas could lead him to deny it or to a new theory making void what was inwrought into his being, for all truth and holiness is unchanging and cannot be made into fanciful error or a lie. He could not present to others all that he himself had seen. The revelation was to help the Jews understand the Scriptures and the mission of Christ, yield former opinions, and receive the gospel in its fulness, with the desire to open it to the Jewish nation and to Israel as once chosen that the honest in heart might be saved from perdition and become sons and daughters of God and members of the royal family manifesting the riches of God's grace and His kindness, mercy and tenderness through the gift of His only begotten Son.
Those cut away from the true vine by impenitence when Christ came in human likeness, and Gentiles through repentance and belief in the gospel, may be grafted into the living vine stock, the church of Christ, to have peace with God and a sanctified conscience, dwell together in peace and love and unity in oneness with Christ, be renewed in love to God in and through Jesus Christ, be transformed through His Spirit to be partakers of the divine nature in disposition, words and works with kindness of temper and transformation of character, bear fruit in good works, and see the heavenly things in Christ Jesus as children of the heavenly birth. This leads to boldness and access with confidence by faith in Him, and to the prayer that believers be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in their hearts by faith and they be rooted and grounded in love and filled with all the fulness of God.
Call to Proclaim Today
For this cause opens the message given to believers now because the end is near, a worldwide work to be done in earnest in proclaiming the truth and the last message of warning and salvation. Paul's burden as prisoner for the Gentiles is the burden to be carried now, doing a great work in a short time, aroused to understand the true position. There is to be no more working at cross-purposes with God nor hindering of the work, but God's work taken up intelligently and unitedly and warning and salvation proclaimed as with one voice, turning fully to the Lord now while mercy and abundant pardon may be found, for there will be no second probation.
Believers are to take hold of God in earnest and to show God's people their transgressions that are hindering the proclamation of the last message of warning to the world. His words about the work given to him are to be received as addressed personally, with responsibility for carrying that work forward by proclaiming the message of salvation. The chapter reveals the work to be done in everyone who is saved and in the world: Christ is to be revealed in and through them, magnifying the truth through its sanctifying, cleansing, and refining influence. That work is accomplished by all who are united to Christ by faith, since the church includes every believer, not only ministers, and those who embrace the truth are members of one family.
The chapter gives a lesson for all teachers, ministers of the gospel, and everyone in a responsible position in God's work, requiring life and conduct to show God's principles and to be ensamples to the flock. When imperfections of character appear and a wrong example is set in the home, school, church, or world, there is need of conversion before being entrusted with responsibility, or counsel to take up some other work where others will not be led in a wrong direction. Its instruction means much and is to be practiced, to be read solemnly to hearers and impressed upon their minds, supporting a living testimony for God under all circumstances. Many have become hard-spirited as strangers to the working of the Holy Spirit and need a great reformation in words and works and spiritual understanding, catching the inspiration of angels and daily breathing the atmosphere of heaven.
The second and third chapters together hold a lesson for all to study about seeking wisdom from God in earnest prayer to learn the way of the Lord. Transgression of the law cost the blood of the Son of the infinite God to redeem, and this is to be seen with hatred for the sins that wounded Jesus. A contrite heart is to be kept while viewing Jesus as a compassionate tender High Priest.