Ephesians 3:3-4
God’s Revelation and Our Responsibility
Chapter 3 starts with 1:9-10. Paul said, “And God made known to us the mystery of His will according to his good pleasure which he purposed in Christ to be be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment – to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.” Paul mentions the mystery as early as chapter 1. He mentions that God’s purpose is to bring all things together under one Head, and that His purpose will be accomplished through His Son, Jesus Christ.
In chapter 2 we saw this theme picked up where Paul described that in Christ God is uniting together both Jew and Gentile into a new community called the Church. In verse 15 Paul says, “Christ’s purpose was to create in Himself one new man out of the two”.
Now in chapter 3 we are seeing this theme of the mystery of God’s will carried on as Paul describes further the brining together of Jew and Gentile through Jesus Christ. In verse 6 he says, “This mystery is that through the Gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.”
Paul is speaking to a mostly Gentile audience. But in chapter 3 we get a clue that helps us see another detail about this audience. You see, this letter may not have been written to the specific church in Ephesus alone – to people that he knew very well - but, Paul, rather, wrote to the churches in that area that included Ephesus but extended beyond her borders. Perhaps it was a host of growing churches under the influence and leadership of the church in Ephesus.
But notice what Paul says in verse 2, “Surely you have heard about…” In other words, “Surely you have heard about me and what God commissioned me to do!” Apparently Paul is writing to people who didn’t meet him but had heard of him. This means that he wrote “Ephesians” to an audience that was bigger than the Ephesian congregation he left behind 10 years earlier.
First of all, Paul spent almost 3 years in Ephesus and taught publicly every day and even went from house to house. Paul knew everyone in his Ephesian church, their birthdays, their children’s names and their grandchildren’s names.
Second of all, the implication here is that what he left behind had grown! The church had grown and the people he left behind led others to Christ and planted churches and disciple and worshipped God through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul had laid a foundation in Ephesus, and, after he left others were building on that foundation and the church in Ephesus grew. People in Ephesus and around Ephesus were coming to faith after Paul had left.
These people, these Christians whom Paul never met, but, his ministry had reached them. And as he sat in a prison they are on Paul’s heart. Since they did not get to be in on the public discussions in the house of Tyrannus, nor were they in the home Bible studies that Paul conducted every day for 3 years, he wanted to get them the best of his teachings all in one letter. It is almost like a “the Best of Paul in Ephesus” letter.
So in 3:1-2 Paul tells them he is the prisoner of the Lord Jesus Christ – for their sake. And he is a captive with a commission: he is to carry the Gospel to the Gentiles. We should take this letter very personally today. Paul was in prison for us as much as he was for them in Ephesus. He wrote for us as much as he did those in Ephesus. We really should find ourselves taking very personally the things Paul says here.
The title of the sermon today is God’s Revelation and our Responsibility. Let’s look at the next couple verses and draw out a few points.
Revelation brings Authority(v3)
Paul mentioned several times that his knowledge was revealed to him from the Lord. Turn over to Galatians 1:11-12 and look at what Paul says there with me. Then turn over to Acts 22:14 where we read the words of Ananias. Ananias was the Christian man who saw Paul in Damascus after Paul was saved. Ananias said this to Paul:………” Then in 1 Corinthians 11:23, Paul says, “What I received from the Lord I passed on to you” And again in 1 Cor. 15:3 he says, “For what I received I passed on to you of first importance..”
What Paul knew about God was what God directly revealed to him. Paul received the revelation of this mystery. He did not get it from any man. That is revelation: God directly disclosing to a man the secrets of God. Peter says in 2 Peter 1:21, For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” Paul says in 2 Timothy 3:16 “All Scripture is God-breathed…”
Let me make a couple applications for us here. First: If Paul wrote down for others the revelation he received from God how seriously do we believe this is God speaking? What Paul taught was true. The authority of Paul rests on the fact that God revealed these things to him. So when we turn our eyes to the words of Paul in the NT we can be sure that what he says is not from any man, but, from God. Paul is revealing to us what God revealed to him. Let us approach the Word of God for what it is: the words God has spoken.
Secondly, God gave some men revelation in the early days of the Church so that they could pass it on. Translation: there is no new revelation. Paul received revelation because Paul was an apostle. God does not reveal any longer. The Holy Spirit is not continuing to give revelation. The ministry of the Holy Spirit today is to illuminate our minds to understand what has already been revealed. He doesn’t give new revelation.
Thirdly: Revelation precedes Role. Paul received revelation about Christ before Paul knew what his role was in life. This is why knowledge of Christ is so important. Knowledge of who we are and our role in life comes out of knowing who Christ is. The answer to the question: “Who am I and what am I here for?” is answered by first answering the question: “Who is Jesus Christ and why did He come?” You don’t know who you are until you know who He is. You don’t know what you are to do until you understand what He is doing. Knowing Him comes through Revelation. Revelation of Him comes first, then comes your Role.
Fourthly: Revelation brings Responsibility. When Paul was called he received revelation. And when he was called he was appointed to a new life-mission. He had a responsibility now as a Christian preacher that came with his salvation. Each of us has knowledge of God’s revelation regarding who Christ is. Just as Paul had a responsibility to do something with his knowledge we too have a responsibility to do something with what we know of Christ.
This links with the next point:
Revelation is meant to be Relayed (v4)
Notice that the insight that Paul had, he wrote it down. Why did he write it down? So that other people could benefit from what he knew. Revelation is meant to be relayed. His knowledge was benefiting others. And that is the purpose that God called him for. God gave much to Paul so that Paul could give much to the Church. Several points to consider from verse 4 are:
First: We can and should have insight like Paul
Can you understand like Paul? The point of the existence of Scriptures is that yes you can, and, yes you should. Paul was not into esotericism. He didn’t teach that some Christians were elite and had all the understanding of God while others were left in the dark and dependent. Paul suffered greatly for his faith and his sufferings were so that others, even us today, could benefit from what he knew. He was passing on what he received from the Lord and doing it at a great cost to himself.
The point is that since Paul’s writings are here in front of us today we can have insight and we should have insight into the things of God found here. Is it not shameful that there are more Bibles, studies, commentaries, colleges, schools, online resources and churches available today yet we see more and more ignorance of the Bible - not insight.
William Tyndale translated the Bible into English and said in the 16th century, when it was illegal to own a copy of the Scriptures according to the Roman Catholic Church: “If God spare my life, I will cause the ploughboy to know more of the Scriptures than the Pope”. Tyndale was executed because he made Scriptures available to others. Why did he do that? so that “in reading them Christians might understand Paul’s insight into the mystery of Christ.”
Secondly: Insight requires looking to Revelation, the writings of those who received revelation
Can we really place enough emphasis on the Word of God? Paul says in verse 4, “In reading this then you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ.” The things that Paul wrote were recognized as God’s Word even while he was alive still. Peter said in 2 Peter 3:16, “[Paul] writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures…”
God gave the Apostles revelation directly. The Apostles turned around and led others to believe in Jesus - other people who never heard or saw Jesus for themselves. These are 2nd generation Christians. They relied on what they heard from the Apostles. They relied on them as 1st generation Christians. In the same way as we read the authors of the Bible we are not 3, 4, or 5 degrees out from the original source. We are reading the very words of men who received God’s revelation directly from God. Now that is real close!
To have insight requires that we look to revelation as it is found on the pages of Scripture. Acts 20:27, “I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God”, and then in verse 32, “Now I commit you to God and to the word of His grace which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.” Then in 2 Tim. 3:16-17 Paul says again, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” Peter says “like newborn babes crave pure spiritual milk so that by it you may grow up in your salvation”. Crave the word. Desire the Word of God.
There is more and more within Christendom who believe it is not the Bible and not preaching and teaching that we learn, but, through rituals and spiritual practices and mystical experiences. Spiritual truth is learned as it is expressed through mystical experiences and the symbolism of rituals. That is garbage. Paul says “in reading my writings you will be able to understand”. It is through reading Scripture that we have the only way to be able to understand. Apart from the Word of God we cannot understand. Do not forsake or neglect God’s Word.
Thirdly: What we receive we should want to relay to others. It was not just “duty” that motivated Paul; Paul “desired” that they know the “unsearchable riches of Christ” (v8). He said in 1 Cor. 9:16, “I am compelled to preach” and in 2 Cor. 5:14 “For Christ’s love compels us”, and in Acts 20 he says to the Ephesian elders: “I am compelled by the Holy Spirit. I know I face persecution everywhere I go, but, I consider my life worth nothing to me if only I may finish the race and complete the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace.” Paul wanted to relay to others the wonders of God’s grace. He was compelled by Christ’s love and by the grace of God to go and to make Jesus Christ known.
Why did he desire that? Because that is God’s desire. What we are talking about here is evangelism and edification. Evangelism is believers making known to unbelievers the grace and love of God, and edification is believers making known the wonderful love and grace of God to other believers as we live together. We want people to know these great, rich truths of the Lord Jesus Christ.
This question came up in my mind while reading this: Do other people come to knowledge of who Christ is because of me? Paul received revelation but because of him others came to know it. Do I know things about Christ that I am not making known to others? The knowledge of Jesus Christ is not to stop with us.
Let’s start close to home: husbands are your wives learning more about the character and love of Christ by your example? Are your children learning about their heavenly Father as they watch you – and they are watching. Wives, are your husbands learning about Christ’s willing submission through your example? Does your respect of him and submission to him cause him to want to live up to the high regard you hold him in? Children: Do you pass on knowledge of Christ to your parents and other children by modeling loving obedience to your moms and dads? Christ obeyed His Father in everything – do you?
Conclusion:
What have we done with the revelation we have received? Have we taken up the responsibility that comes with revelation? Have we sought to understand God’s Word? Have we responded by living according to God’s Word so that what God has said can be seen in our lives?
This starts with responding to the Gospel. God has revealed that He is holy and we are sinners. And because of this He is going to bring judgment upon the world. But God has also revealed that He loves man and so He sent His Son into the world to die for our sins. And God has revealed that when His Son died the payment for our sins was made in full and that if anyone would desire to be saved and to go to heaven they must put their faith in the name of God’s one and only Son. His name is Jesus. This is God’s revelation of salvation. Believe in Jesus and y ou will be saved.
God’s Revelation and Our Responsibility
Chapter 3 starts with 1:9-10. Paul said, “And God made known to us the mystery of His will according to his good pleasure which he purposed in Christ to be be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment – to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.” Paul mentions the mystery as early as chapter 1. He mentions that God’s purpose is to bring all things together under one Head, and that His purpose will be accomplished through His Son, Jesus Christ.
In chapter 2 we saw this theme picked up where Paul described that in Christ God is uniting together both Jew and Gentile into a new community called the Church. In verse 15 Paul says, “Christ’s purpose was to create in Himself one new man out of the two”.
Now in chapter 3 we are seeing this theme of the mystery of God’s will carried on as Paul describes further the brining together of Jew and Gentile through Jesus Christ. In verse 6 he says, “This mystery is that through the Gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.”
Paul is speaking to a mostly Gentile audience. But in chapter 3 we get a clue that helps us see another detail about this audience. You see, this letter may not have been written to the specific church in Ephesus alone – to people that he knew very well - but, Paul, rather, wrote to the churches in that area that included Ephesus but extended beyond her borders. Perhaps it was a host of growing churches under the influence and leadership of the church in Ephesus.
But notice what Paul says in verse 2, “Surely you have heard about…” In other words, “Surely you have heard about me and what God commissioned me to do!” Apparently Paul is writing to people who didn’t meet him but had heard of him. This means that he wrote “Ephesians” to an audience that was bigger than the Ephesian congregation he left behind 10 years earlier.
First of all, Paul spent almost 3 years in Ephesus and taught publicly every day and even went from house to house. Paul knew everyone in his Ephesian church, their birthdays, their children’s names and their grandchildren’s names.
Second of all, the implication here is that what he left behind had grown! The church had grown and the people he left behind led others to Christ and planted churches and disciple and worshipped God through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul had laid a foundation in Ephesus, and, after he left others were building on that foundation and the church in Ephesus grew. People in Ephesus and around Ephesus were coming to faith after Paul had left.
These people, these Christians whom Paul never met, but, his ministry had reached them. And as he sat in a prison they are on Paul’s heart. Since they did not get to be in on the public discussions in the house of Tyrannus, nor were they in the home Bible studies that Paul conducted every day for 3 years, he wanted to get them the best of his teachings all in one letter. It is almost like a “the Best of Paul in Ephesus” letter.
So in 3:1-2 Paul tells them he is the prisoner of the Lord Jesus Christ – for their sake. And he is a captive with a commission: he is to carry the Gospel to the Gentiles. We should take this letter very personally today. Paul was in prison for us as much as he was for them in Ephesus. He wrote for us as much as he did those in Ephesus. We really should find ourselves taking very personally the things Paul says here.
The title of the sermon today is God’s Revelation and our Responsibility. Let’s look at the next couple verses and draw out a few points.
Revelation brings Authority(v3)
Paul mentioned several times that his knowledge was revealed to him from the Lord. Turn over to Galatians 1:11-12 and look at what Paul says there with me. Then turn over to Acts 22:14 where we read the words of Ananias. Ananias was the Christian man who saw Paul in Damascus after Paul was saved. Ananias said this to Paul:………” Then in 1 Corinthians 11:23, Paul says, “What I received from the Lord I passed on to you” And again in 1 Cor. 15:3 he says, “For what I received I passed on to you of first importance..”
What Paul knew about God was what God directly revealed to him. Paul received the revelation of this mystery. He did not get it from any man. That is revelation: God directly disclosing to a man the secrets of God. Peter says in 2 Peter 1:21, For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” Paul says in 2 Timothy 3:16 “All Scripture is God-breathed…”
Let me make a couple applications for us here. First: If Paul wrote down for others the revelation he received from God how seriously do we believe this is God speaking? What Paul taught was true. The authority of Paul rests on the fact that God revealed these things to him. So when we turn our eyes to the words of Paul in the NT we can be sure that what he says is not from any man, but, from God. Paul is revealing to us what God revealed to him. Let us approach the Word of God for what it is: the words God has spoken.
Secondly, God gave some men revelation in the early days of the Church so that they could pass it on. Translation: there is no new revelation. Paul received revelation because Paul was an apostle. God does not reveal any longer. The Holy Spirit is not continuing to give revelation. The ministry of the Holy Spirit today is to illuminate our minds to understand what has already been revealed. He doesn’t give new revelation.
Thirdly: Revelation precedes Role. Paul received revelation about Christ before Paul knew what his role was in life. This is why knowledge of Christ is so important. Knowledge of who we are and our role in life comes out of knowing who Christ is. The answer to the question: “Who am I and what am I here for?” is answered by first answering the question: “Who is Jesus Christ and why did He come?” You don’t know who you are until you know who He is. You don’t know what you are to do until you understand what He is doing. Knowing Him comes through Revelation. Revelation of Him comes first, then comes your Role.
Fourthly: Revelation brings Responsibility. When Paul was called he received revelation. And when he was called he was appointed to a new life-mission. He had a responsibility now as a Christian preacher that came with his salvation. Each of us has knowledge of God’s revelation regarding who Christ is. Just as Paul had a responsibility to do something with his knowledge we too have a responsibility to do something with what we know of Christ.
This links with the next point:
Revelation is meant to be Relayed (v4)
Notice that the insight that Paul had, he wrote it down. Why did he write it down? So that other people could benefit from what he knew. Revelation is meant to be relayed. His knowledge was benefiting others. And that is the purpose that God called him for. God gave much to Paul so that Paul could give much to the Church. Several points to consider from verse 4 are:
First: We can and should have insight like Paul
Can you understand like Paul? The point of the existence of Scriptures is that yes you can, and, yes you should. Paul was not into esotericism. He didn’t teach that some Christians were elite and had all the understanding of God while others were left in the dark and dependent. Paul suffered greatly for his faith and his sufferings were so that others, even us today, could benefit from what he knew. He was passing on what he received from the Lord and doing it at a great cost to himself.
The point is that since Paul’s writings are here in front of us today we can have insight and we should have insight into the things of God found here. Is it not shameful that there are more Bibles, studies, commentaries, colleges, schools, online resources and churches available today yet we see more and more ignorance of the Bible - not insight.
William Tyndale translated the Bible into English and said in the 16th century, when it was illegal to own a copy of the Scriptures according to the Roman Catholic Church: “If God spare my life, I will cause the ploughboy to know more of the Scriptures than the Pope”. Tyndale was executed because he made Scriptures available to others. Why did he do that? so that “in reading them Christians might understand Paul’s insight into the mystery of Christ.”
Secondly: Insight requires looking to Revelation, the writings of those who received revelation
Can we really place enough emphasis on the Word of God? Paul says in verse 4, “In reading this then you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ.” The things that Paul wrote were recognized as God’s Word even while he was alive still. Peter said in 2 Peter 3:16, “[Paul] writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures…”
God gave the Apostles revelation directly. The Apostles turned around and led others to believe in Jesus - other people who never heard or saw Jesus for themselves. These are 2nd generation Christians. They relied on what they heard from the Apostles. They relied on them as 1st generation Christians. In the same way as we read the authors of the Bible we are not 3, 4, or 5 degrees out from the original source. We are reading the very words of men who received God’s revelation directly from God. Now that is real close!
To have insight requires that we look to revelation as it is found on the pages of Scripture. Acts 20:27, “I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God”, and then in verse 32, “Now I commit you to God and to the word of His grace which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.” Then in 2 Tim. 3:16-17 Paul says again, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” Peter says “like newborn babes crave pure spiritual milk so that by it you may grow up in your salvation”. Crave the word. Desire the Word of God.
There is more and more within Christendom who believe it is not the Bible and not preaching and teaching that we learn, but, through rituals and spiritual practices and mystical experiences. Spiritual truth is learned as it is expressed through mystical experiences and the symbolism of rituals. That is garbage. Paul says “in reading my writings you will be able to understand”. It is through reading Scripture that we have the only way to be able to understand. Apart from the Word of God we cannot understand. Do not forsake or neglect God’s Word.
Thirdly: What we receive we should want to relay to others. It was not just “duty” that motivated Paul; Paul “desired” that they know the “unsearchable riches of Christ” (v8). He said in 1 Cor. 9:16, “I am compelled to preach” and in 2 Cor. 5:14 “For Christ’s love compels us”, and in Acts 20 he says to the Ephesian elders: “I am compelled by the Holy Spirit. I know I face persecution everywhere I go, but, I consider my life worth nothing to me if only I may finish the race and complete the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace.” Paul wanted to relay to others the wonders of God’s grace. He was compelled by Christ’s love and by the grace of God to go and to make Jesus Christ known.
Why did he desire that? Because that is God’s desire. What we are talking about here is evangelism and edification. Evangelism is believers making known to unbelievers the grace and love of God, and edification is believers making known the wonderful love and grace of God to other believers as we live together. We want people to know these great, rich truths of the Lord Jesus Christ.
This question came up in my mind while reading this: Do other people come to knowledge of who Christ is because of me? Paul received revelation but because of him others came to know it. Do I know things about Christ that I am not making known to others? The knowledge of Jesus Christ is not to stop with us.
Let’s start close to home: husbands are your wives learning more about the character and love of Christ by your example? Are your children learning about their heavenly Father as they watch you – and they are watching. Wives, are your husbands learning about Christ’s willing submission through your example? Does your respect of him and submission to him cause him to want to live up to the high regard you hold him in? Children: Do you pass on knowledge of Christ to your parents and other children by modeling loving obedience to your moms and dads? Christ obeyed His Father in everything – do you?
Conclusion:
What have we done with the revelation we have received? Have we taken up the responsibility that comes with revelation? Have we sought to understand God’s Word? Have we responded by living according to God’s Word so that what God has said can be seen in our lives?
This starts with responding to the Gospel. God has revealed that He is holy and we are sinners. And because of this He is going to bring judgment upon the world. But God has also revealed that He loves man and so He sent His Son into the world to die for our sins. And God has revealed that when His Son died the payment for our sins was made in full and that if anyone would desire to be saved and to go to heaven they must put their faith in the name of God’s one and only Son. His name is Jesus. This is God’s revelation of salvation. Believe in Jesus and y ou will be saved.
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