Vs. 1 "For This Cause I Paul, the Prisoner of Jesus Christ for You Gentiles."

This Chapter Consists Mainly Of Two Parts.
1. Of The Account Which Paul Gives The Ephesians, Concerning His Call To The Ministry Of The Gospel And His Appointment By God To Be The Apostle To The Gentiles 1 - 13.
 
2. of His Fervent, And Loving Prayer to God in Behalf Of The Ephesians, 14 - 21. "For This Cause..." These Words Refer Back To Verses 19 - 22 of Chapter Two. In These Verses Paul Tells The Ephesians They Are A Building "Fitly Framed Together." This Is a Reference to the Local Visible Church at Ephesus, For There Can Be No Such Thing as A Universal Building, and Much Less one "Fitly Framed Together."

Satan Is Hard At Work Trying To Put Together A Universal Church But His Components Are To Diverse To Ever Become "Fitly Framed Together." Yet, He Will Pass His Ecclesiastical Architectural Nightmare    Off On The World As The Genuine Article. The Religious Imagination Of The Lost World Will Accommodate This Satanic Absurdity, And Allow Themselves To Be Spiritually Embezzled By The Ecumenical Monstrosity. But To Their Dismay, And Bitter Woe, They Will Discover To Late, That This Thing Connotated "The One World Church Had Satan As Its "Chief Corner Stone."

Vs. 1, "For This Cause I Paul, The Prisoner of Jesus Christ for You Gentiles." .For having Preached the Doctrine Referred To In The Preceding Chapters, For This Cause, Paul Says, "I Am A Prisoner." But It Is Worthy Of Note He Adds, "Of Jesus Christ." Prison 'Walls, Bars, Or Exile, Can Not Shut Out Providential Care Of His Faithful Servants. Paul’s Sufferings Were Manifold, Aim Excruciating Yet He Knew His Sufferings Temporary, And Infinitely Short Of What His Lord Had Suffered in His Room and Stead. Thus It Is, Paul Says, "...I Have Learned, In Whatsoever State I Am., Therewith To Be Content" (Phil. 4:11). In Another Place He Says "For Our Light Affliction, Which Is But For A Moment, Worketh For Us A Far More Exceeding And Eternal Weight Of Glory" (2^nd  Cor, 4:17).

Paul suffered for the Cause of Christ, And His Imprisonment Was the Result of His Ministry to the Gentiles, i.e. "For You Gentiles." Paul’s Ministry Had called down the Wrath and woe of Satan upon His Head, But He Would Not Be Deterred From Executing His Office, As Apostle To The Gentiles, God Had Made Him Willing To Spend And Be Spent For His Beloved Charge.

Paul’s Calling Was to Proclaim That God is Favor Was Equally Dispensed to Jews and Gentiles Alike. That in Christ the Law Was Fulfilled, And Taken Out Of The way. That The Privileges Purchased For The Gentiles By Christ Afforded Them The Same Access To God As Elect Jews. In Defense of These Truths Paul Suffered, and Often Found Himself A Prisoner.

Vs. 2 "If ye have heard Of the Dispensation Of the grace Of God Which Is Given Me to You-Ward.”

“If”, Is Not A Question, It Is More Than A Supposition, It Is A Delicate Reminder Of' what He Had Previously Proclaimed In person To Them. It Could Be Rendered, "Since You Have Heard.”

Paul Informs The Ephesians That His Ministry Was Appointed Him Of God, And Thus, He Is God is Official Emissary, Set Over The, Management Of Message Of The Grace Of God Toward The Gentiles.

Vs. 3 "How That By Revelation He Made Known Unto Me The Mystery; as IWrote Afore In A Few Words.”

Paul's Knowledge of the Grace of God Was Given To Him by Special Revelation, (Gal. 1:11-12). God Had Called Paul, and Made Him the Apostle to the Gentles. Any Work God Calls A Man Too He Qualifies the Man for the Work. In The Case Of Paul, He was Imminently Qualified By Special uncovering Of God’s will For The Gentiles And His Part In That Sovereign Will.

He Made Known Unto Me The Mystery..." The Mystery Which Has Been For Ages Unresolvable, Is No Longer a Mystery, It Has Been Revealed To Paul, And Through Him To The Whole World.

Gentiles are In the Divine Economy Made Fellow heirs With the Jews. Their Union with Christ Grants them Every Privilege Contained in the Gospel of Grace, .And None Are Withheld From Them Due To National Distinction.

The Mystery Disclosed Places Jews And Gentiles In the Body (Church Of Christ With Equal Rank, There Is No Spiritual Inferiority In Christ Which Results From Race. Paul's Responsibility Was Clearly Defined In The Revelation Given Him By Christ, God’s Church Was To Be Built From Both Jews And Gentiles, But His Mission Was To Proclaim To The Gentiles That They Were On Common Ground With The Jews As To Divine Grace, And Were Designed By God To Become The Major  Part Of God's Building, i.e., The Church.

Vs.4 "Whereby, When Ye Read, Ye May Understand My Knowledge In The Mystery Of Christ.”

"...The Mystery of Christ," It Is Called the Mystery of Christ for Two Main Reasons,
1. It Was Revealed By Christ (Gal. 1:12),
2. And Because It Has To Do Primarily With Christ.

“My Knowledge," Paul Says, "When You Read" Concerning The Mystery Of Christ’s, I Want You To Understand That My Knowledge Was not Attained By Mental Comprehension Alone, But That It Was Given Me By Supernatural Revelation.

Vs. 5 "Which In Other Ages Was Not Made Known Unto The Sons Of Men, As It Is Now Revealed Unto His Holy Apostles And Prophets By The Spirit."

In Past Ages, Or Generations of Men the Grand and Adorable Mystery Was Not Revealed As It Is Now Made Known This Does Not Mean O.T. Prophets Were Less Favored of God, But the Times And Seasons Appointed Of God For The O.T. Prophets Did not Include The Full  And Complete Discovery Of This Mystery. We, As Gentiles Should Be Overjoyed That God Was-Pleased At All To Include Us In The Redemptive Work Of Christ. We Cannot Blame God Because He Concealed This Truth for Over 1500 Years, for Where Is the Saved Gentile Who Will Deny That He Is the Lowest Of the Low The Worst among the Worst, The Most, Sinful Of the Sinful, And Most ILL Deserving Of Gentiles. How Do You Esteem Yourself?

We Were In the Dark and Loved It So. We were Afar Off and Did All in Our Power to Keep from Becoming Nigh. We were Strangers To Divine Truth, And Did That Which Was Right In our Eyes. We Hated God, His Son, His Spirit, His Church, And loved Ourselves More Than All Existence Apart From Self.
Yet, God in Mercy Elected and Infinite Number of Gentiles to Be Saved, And Further Determined That Numberless Host of Their Lot Would Be In His Church. "I Am Less Than The Least Of All Saints.”

And As We Survey Our Glorious Positions As Sons Of God, In His Considering Our Innate Corruption, The Enmity Our Old Nature Manifested Toward God, We Exclaim "Thank God, For His All Conquering, And Free Grace!'" My Salvation Attests To The Truth , That Nothing Is To Hard For The Grace Of God.

Vs. 6 "That the Gentiles Should Be Fellowheirs, And Of The Same Body, And Partakers Of His Promise In Christ By The Gospel.”

We Have Now In Our Study Arrived At the Place Where Paul Makes Known the Mystery Alluded To In the Foregoing Verses of This Chapter. The Mystery Involves More Than That the Gentiles are Fellowheirs with The Jews of the Salvation Purchased by Christ on the Cross. There Is More To Being A Disciple Of Christ Than Regeneration, Faithful Service Is Enjoined. And The More Faith Is Manifested In Discharging Our Obligation As Christians The Greater Are The Privileges Aim Opportunities For Service.

That The Gentiles Should Be Fellowheirs...” "Should Be", Does Not Indicate That the.”Fellowheir" State Of The Gentiles With The Jews is Yet Future. The Greek Verb from Which the "Should Be” Of Our Text Is Translated Is A Transitive Verb, Showing Present And Future Action. Gentiles at the Time of This Epistle Were Already "Felloweitizens" In the Kingdom of God, They Were at the Time fellowheirs" With the Jews of the Redemption Is in Christ. Access To God Was Equally Theirs With The Jews And Every Privilege Belonging To The Family God Was Freely Bestowed On Them As Well As Jews.

It Is My Firm Belief That The "Mystery" Which Paul Refers To Has Primarily To Do With The Church, Rather Than With The” Jew gentile Family Of God. Yet, It Is My Conviction That The Mystery Has To Do With The Church Exclusively. We Do Not Have Time To Dwell On This Thought This Evening, But I Urge You To Be With Us At Our Next Study Session In This Series.