If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward:
A dispensation of the grace of God was given to Paul toward Gentile believers, and he became the prisoner of Jesus Christ for the Gentiles because preaching to them made him a prisoner. It was given by direct divine revelation that opened to him the plan of salvation and the work accomplished through Christ. The mystery revealed was that the Gentiles should be fellowheirs and of the same body and partakers of His promise in Christ by the gospel, sharing equally as members of God's household, a truth hidden from the beginning of the world and not made known in other ages as now revealed by the Spirit. Though less than the least of all saints, he was by grace and the effectual working of divine power made a minister of this mystery to preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ and to make all see the fellowship of the mystery, opening a new and living way of deliverance from sin and death unto holiness and love. That same dispensation is now the pattern and burden for believers in the near end, a worldwide work to be done earnestly in a short time in proclaiming the unsearchable riches of Christ and the last message of warning and salvation to those who have never heard.
Paul's Commission to Gentiles
The dispensation of the grace of God was given to Paul toward Gentile believers, and he calls himself the prisoner of Jesus Christ for the Gentiles because preaching to the Gentiles made him a prisoner. That dispensation was received by direct divine revelation, and the revelation laid open before him the plan of salvation as wrought out by Christ and the work accomplished through Him. Through revelation God made known to him the mystery of Christ.
That mystery had been hidden from the beginning of the world and in other ages was not made known to men as it is now revealed to His holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. Its content is that the Gentiles should be fellowheirs and of the same body and partakers of His promise in Christ by the gospel, sharing equally as members of God's household. When believers read what Paul wrote before in few words they may understand his knowledge in this mystery of Christ.
By the gift of the grace of God given by the effectual working of His power Paul was made a minister of this mystery. Though less than the least of all saints, he was given insight into riches of grace so marvelous and deep that he could not present it all. He was thereby rooted and grounded so firmly that no suffering, reproach, or false fanciful theory could move him or make of no effect what he had seen of heavenly things.
The grace was given to him to preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ and to make all men see the fellowship of the mystery hidden in God who created all things by Jesus Christ. Through the sacrifice of Christ a new and living way has been opened for all. The Saviour's work laid open to him is to teach men hopeless and dead in trespasses and sins under sin and death how to obtain deliverance, so that quickened through faith in Christ Jesus they are helped to reach forth with mind, heart, and soul unto holiness and love. The intent is that now by the church the manifold wisdom of God might be made known to principalities and powers in heavenly places according to the eternal purpose purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
That revelation was not for that generation only but to be manifest in all ages and places. The gospel of the rich treasures of the grace of Christ and the abundant love of God through His Son as presented by Paul remains just as powerful today to awaken men from a cold, lifeless condition. Every minister is to show the abundant treasures of grace and ever-flowing love and mercy, bringing Jews and Gentiles through repentance, conversion, and belief into peace with God, unity with one another and oneness with Christ, transformation of character, renewal of love, fruit in good works, and partaking of the divine nature.
Present Worldwide Gospel Call
The stewardship of God's grace entrusted to Paul toward the Gentiles is now entrusted to believers as the pattern and burden for the time when the end is near. As his burden was to make known the mystery and preach the unsearchable riches of Christ, so the present burden is to do a world-wide work in earnest in a short time, proclaiming the truth unitedly and intelligently as a worldwide last message of warning and salvation to be borne to the world. That work is to make known the unsearchable riches of Christ and to tell those who have never heard the reasons of the faith where the world stands in its history, receiving the message of the chapter personally and proclaiming it to others as part of the urgent work of salvation. It is urgent because time is fast passing, the work is still undone, the world is growing worse and worse, and God's Spirit in mercy is still striving with souls.
The chapter reveals the work to be done for everyone who is saved and in the world at that time: Christ is to be revealed in and through them. That gospel work magnifies the truth through a sanctifying, cleansing, and refining influence. It is carried out by all who are united to Christ by faith and embrace the truth, not by ministers only.
The chapter is a lesson for ministers, teachers, and all who hold responsibility in God's work that their lives must show the principles of God's law. When imperfections of character are manifest in those who should be ensamples to the flock, those who set a wrong example in the school, in the church, in the world, wherever they may be, should not be entrusted with responsibilities until converted but should be advised to take up some other work where they will not lead others in a wrong direction. These words with the rest of Ephesians 3 must be read to hearers, impressed upon minds, and read most solemnly because the instruction means much. They reprove those who have become hard-spirited as strangers to the working of the Holy Spirit and call believers to a great reformation in words and works and spiritual understanding, to catch the inspiration of the angels in the heavenly courts and daily breathe the atmosphere of heaven.
Believers are to take hold of God in earnest and turn fully to the Lord while He will have mercy and abundantly pardon. They are to lift up the voice like a trumpet against the transgressions and sins that are shown to them because they hinder the proclamation, arousing people to the swift judgments coming on the world, for there will be no second probation. The worldwide proclamation is hindered by alienation, disunion, diversity of opinion, envy, evil surmisings, faultfinding, seeking the highest place, commercial business absorbing attention and consuming means, and a variety of things occupying minds. Though something has been done, a thousand times more might have been done, and believers are to put self out of sight, refuse Satan's plans, stop blocking advancement, and put on the whole armor of God.
A dispensation of the grace of God was given to Paul toward Gentile believers, and he became the prisoner of Jesus Christ for the Gentiles because preaching to them made him a prisoner. It was given by direct divine revelation that opened to him the plan of salvation and the work accomplished through Christ. The mystery revealed was that the Gentiles should be fellowheirs and of the same body and partakers of His promise in Christ by the gospel, sharing equally as members of God's household, a truth hidden from the beginning of the world and not made known in other ages as now revealed by the Spirit. Though less than the least of all saints, he was by grace and the effectual working of divine power made a minister of this mystery to preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ and to make all see the fellowship of the mystery, opening a new and living way of deliverance from sin and death unto holiness and love. That same dispensation is now the pattern and burden for believers in the near end, a worldwide work to be done earnestly in a short time in proclaiming the unsearchable riches of Christ and the last message of warning and salvation to those who have never heard.
Paul's Commission to Gentiles
The dispensation of the grace of God was given to Paul toward Gentile believers, and he calls himself the prisoner of Jesus Christ for the Gentiles because preaching to the Gentiles made him a prisoner. That dispensation was received by direct divine revelation, and the revelation laid open before him the plan of salvation as wrought out by Christ and the work accomplished through Him. Through revelation God made known to him the mystery of Christ.
That mystery had been hidden from the beginning of the world and in other ages was not made known to men as it is now revealed to His holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. Its content is that the Gentiles should be fellowheirs and of the same body and partakers of His promise in Christ by the gospel, sharing equally as members of God's household. When believers read what Paul wrote before in few words they may understand his knowledge in this mystery of Christ.
By the gift of the grace of God given by the effectual working of His power Paul was made a minister of this mystery. Though less than the least of all saints, he was given insight into riches of grace so marvelous and deep that he could not present it all. He was thereby rooted and grounded so firmly that no suffering, reproach, or false fanciful theory could move him or make of no effect what he had seen of heavenly things.
The grace was given to him to preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ and to make all men see the fellowship of the mystery hidden in God who created all things by Jesus Christ. Through the sacrifice of Christ a new and living way has been opened for all. The Saviour's work laid open to him is to teach men hopeless and dead in trespasses and sins under sin and death how to obtain deliverance, so that quickened through faith in Christ Jesus they are helped to reach forth with mind, heart, and soul unto holiness and love. The intent is that now by the church the manifold wisdom of God might be made known to principalities and powers in heavenly places according to the eternal purpose purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
That revelation was not for that generation only but to be manifest in all ages and places. The gospel of the rich treasures of the grace of Christ and the abundant love of God through His Son as presented by Paul remains just as powerful today to awaken men from a cold, lifeless condition. Every minister is to show the abundant treasures of grace and ever-flowing love and mercy, bringing Jews and Gentiles through repentance, conversion, and belief into peace with God, unity with one another and oneness with Christ, transformation of character, renewal of love, fruit in good works, and partaking of the divine nature.
Present Worldwide Gospel Call
The stewardship of God's grace entrusted to Paul toward the Gentiles is now entrusted to believers as the pattern and burden for the time when the end is near. As his burden was to make known the mystery and preach the unsearchable riches of Christ, so the present burden is to do a world-wide work in earnest in a short time, proclaiming the truth unitedly and intelligently as a worldwide last message of warning and salvation to be borne to the world. That work is to make known the unsearchable riches of Christ and to tell those who have never heard the reasons of the faith where the world stands in its history, receiving the message of the chapter personally and proclaiming it to others as part of the urgent work of salvation. It is urgent because time is fast passing, the work is still undone, the world is growing worse and worse, and God's Spirit in mercy is still striving with souls.
The chapter reveals the work to be done for everyone who is saved and in the world at that time: Christ is to be revealed in and through them. That gospel work magnifies the truth through a sanctifying, cleansing, and refining influence. It is carried out by all who are united to Christ by faith and embrace the truth, not by ministers only.
The chapter is a lesson for ministers, teachers, and all who hold responsibility in God's work that their lives must show the principles of God's law. When imperfections of character are manifest in those who should be ensamples to the flock, those who set a wrong example in the school, in the church, in the world, wherever they may be, should not be entrusted with responsibilities until converted but should be advised to take up some other work where they will not lead others in a wrong direction. These words with the rest of Ephesians 3 must be read to hearers, impressed upon minds, and read most solemnly because the instruction means much. They reprove those who have become hard-spirited as strangers to the working of the Holy Spirit and call believers to a great reformation in words and works and spiritual understanding, to catch the inspiration of the angels in the heavenly courts and daily breathe the atmosphere of heaven.
Believers are to take hold of God in earnest and turn fully to the Lord while He will have mercy and abundantly pardon. They are to lift up the voice like a trumpet against the transgressions and sins that are shown to them because they hinder the proclamation, arousing people to the swift judgments coming on the world, for there will be no second probation. The worldwide proclamation is hindered by alienation, disunion, diversity of opinion, envy, evil surmisings, faultfinding, seeking the highest place, commercial business absorbing attention and consuming means, and a variety of things occupying minds. Though something has been done, a thousand times more might have been done, and believers are to put self out of sight, refuse Satan's plans, stop blocking advancement, and put on the whole armor of God.