Ephesians 3

The Explanation

Paul is writing this letter from prison. Let that sink in for a moment. He is sitting somewhere in a cell in Rome, chained up, and yet the first thing he writes in this chapter is: "For this cause I, Paul, am the prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles." He does not say he is a prisoner of the Romans, but of Christ. That is how he sees it.

Then Paul tells about something he calls a "mystery." That word does not mean a puzzle you have to solve, but a secret God kept hidden for a long time and now finally reveals. And that secret is this: the Gentiles, meaning all people who are not Jewish, may also fully belong to God's people. They are, as Paul writes, "fellow heirs and fellow members of the body." No second-class believers, but equal.

For us this sounds obvious, but back then it was earthshaking. For centuries the Jews were God's special people. And now Paul says God has room for everyone at His table. Paul feels small when he thinks about this. He calls himself "less than the least of all the saints." That is remarkable, because Paul was a smart man and a leader. But he knows: I am only allowed to tell this because God gave it to me, not because I am so great myself.

At the end of the chapter Paul kneels down. You can almost picture him: an older man in chains, on his knees on a cold floor. And he prays a huge prayer for the church. He asks that God will make them strong on the inside, that Christ may live in their hearts, and that they may understand how wide, long, high, and deep the love of Christ is. But at the same time he says that love is too great to fully understand. That is a beautiful contradiction: know it, and yet know that you can never fully know it.

What Does This Mean?

Paul shows us that God's plan is much bigger than we often think. God is not busy with a small group of favorites. He is building something worldwide. And He is doing this through the church, so that even the angels and rulers in the heavens see how wise God is.

And notice: Paul does not say "try harder to be good." He prays that they will discover how much they are loved. That is where everything begins with him. Not with our achievement, but with God's love that is bigger than we can grasp.

The Common Thread

The whole chapter revolves around Jesus. Through Jesus the wall between Jew and Gentile fell away. Through Jesus we may come to the Father "in boldness and confidence," writes Paul. That means: with our heads held high, not fearful.

This connects to God's great promise, all the way back to Abraham. God said then: "In you all families of the earth will be blessed." For a long time no one really understood how that would work. Now Paul says: this is how. Through Jesus, all peoples come home to God. The secret is out.

For You

Maybe you sometimes feel that you do not really belong. That you are too quiet, or too different, or you have done something you are ashamed of. Paul writes precisely to you: through Jesus you may come near, with confidence.

And try this once: instead of quickly praying "Lord, help me be good today," pray what Paul prays. Ask if God will let you feel how much He loves you. That is a much bigger prayer than you might think. Paul was in chains and still prayed that prayer. Apparently it works everywhere.

Talk About It

Paul calls himself "less than the least of all the saints," while he had accomplished so much. Do you think he really believed that, or was he just being modest? Why?

Paul says the love of Christ is so great that you can never fully understand it. Do you find that a nice thought, or actually a difficult one?

Praying Together

Father, thank You that Your love is bigger than we can understand. Make us strong on the inside. Let us know that we belong with You, through Jesus. Amen.