NEW TESTAMENT READING PLAN: Luke 14-16
SCRIPTURE READING
Eph 3:1-7 For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles—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. 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. 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. Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God’s grace, which was given me by the working of his power.
In the previous chapter, Paul had just taught that the gospel was for both Jew and Gentile
and God was creating a new people united together in Christ Jesus. This is the reason that
Paul has been called as an apostle to the Gentiles. Paul assumes that they have heard
about his conversion and his calling to the Gentile people (see Acts 9:15). Paul tells them
that his knowledge does not come from human origin but from divine revelation, assuming
that they will understand what he is writing about in regards to the unification of Jews and
Gentiles in the new body, the Church. The mystery of Christ wasn’t revealed in the OT but
at that time was being revealed by the Holy Spirit to the apostles and prophets. (This would
mean that there were both apostles AND prophets alive at that time). The mystery that is
being revealed to the apostles and prophets is that Gentiles are part of the family of God,
that Jews and Gentile would make up one body, the Church. Paul’s office of apostle was a
gift of God’s grace. He became a Christian like everyone else and became an apostle and
minister of the gospel by the power of God. God was working through Paul therefore Paul
deserved none of the credit.
PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. Spend some time thanking God for the gift of the Holy Spirit, through whom you can
receive insight into the mystery of Christ.
2. God’s grace empowers us to minister, ask the Lord if you are living by His grace or if you
are ministering on your own strength? Commit to relying on God to empower you instead of
serving in the flesh.
