Ephesians 3:1-3:2—Paul’s Identity Defined by God

Ephesians Study

Chapter 3

Ephesians 3:1-3:2—Paul’s Identity Defined by God

Amplified Bible:

Ephesians 3:1—For this reason [because I preached that you are thus built up together], I, Paul, [am] the prisoner of Jesus the Christ for the sake and on behalf of you Gentiles–

Ehesians 3:2—Assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God's grace (His unmerited favor) that was entrusted to me [to dispense to you] for your benefit,

Has it been mentioned that Paul was in prison?  He does not let that define him.  He does not say that he was a prisoner of Rome or anyone else save Jesus Christ.  Prison was probably a hard thing…maybe even embarrassing.  In all of this, he saw his calling as holy…from the Lord.  He saw a bigger picture. Let us understand that whatever happens to Paul he credits it to God.  Is that not truth?  If you are Christ’s, whatever happens is through His will.  This is a hard concept to grasp.  We do not want prison, hardness, sickness, and embarrassment.  We will find something to blame or something that excuses it.  

Paul says that he preached the Gentile oneness with the Jew.  He was a prisoner on behalf of the Gentiles.  He preached OUR oneness with the Jew.  In Romans 1:1 he calls himself a slave of Christ.  It says much about how he sees his role.  Imagine, Paul had a face to face encounter with Christ.  At some point, he was in the third heaven.  He was taught by Heaven.  He did not know Christ when Christ was on earth.  He truly had the correct picture and teachings.  I used to ask myself when reading Paul, “What is he trying to say?”  It seemed to me that he used a lot of words and repeated ideas over and over.  Now, I somewhat get it.  If you had experienced what he did, might you have a story to tell and repeat those glorious ideas?  I think so.  There is something to be said for repetition, too, in the teaching process.  He was taught by Heaven.  He was inspired and his words are inspired.

When I think of Paul’s influence on the Gentiles and Jews, I see that it was wrapped up in his prison experience.  His influence could not have been greater in any other way or his experience would have been different.  That puts a different slant on what we consider an inconvenience.  The prison experience said one thing to the Gentile.  It probably spoke volumes to the Jews.  They started their experience with him not trusting him.  Here he is in prison because of his beliefs and ministry.  They could not argue that.  They could not dismiss him, either.  His influence was huge.  

In verse 2, Paul speaks of grace in a slightly different way than the “unmerited favor” definition that we know so well.  He is using grace to mean the gift of ministry.  He was given a task as the minister to the Gentiles.  He was given grace to preach to them.    Often, we think of the task as the privilege of doing, but Paul shows us that no matter how the task plays out (prison), it is the management of that power, the allowing of the expression of Heaven that is important.  All God’s children are the managers of the Heavenly power within.  You could use the word stewards, also.  Grace connects, enlists, and empowers.  Even in prison.  It is God’s power being lived out.

Paul’s grace must have exemplified much to the Gentiles.  What would you think if your pastor was in prison because he preached salvation to you?  When Divinity embraces our humanity, you have an incarnation…spirit and flesh becoming one.  Oneness means no separation.  Paul preached that.  He lived that.  This Divine communion is the ultimate of I must decrease and He must increase.  This is rightly discerning the body and blood of Christ.  This is living it.  This communion that Paul had with Heaven was constant and consistent.  It was a communion that replaces man’s spirit with that of Heaven.  In all that Paul did and endured, it can be said that he lived a life of “not my will, but thine be done.”  

As we continue with the Ephesians study, we will find that Paul stays with the topics of the majesty of God, the mystery of the plan, and the magnificence of the life of Christ and what He has done for us.  There is none of the hellfire and brimstone theology that has entrenched itself in the Western mind and world for hundreds of years.  There is a moving them (us) from where we were…to not knowing the truth about God and ourselves to hearing the unfolding of this mystery of oneness.  It is all so beautiful.  In the context of this truth about the Godhead and the plan, then, what seems to be harsh words later on can be seen from a different perspective.  Paul does not want us to be defined by that which is anything by Godly.  

Sometimes, I do a private communion service with God and myself.  This morning was one of those times.  We are told to rightly discern the body and blood of the Messiah.  During these times of communion my prayer is always to help me glorify God.  We live in a world of flesh, and we want to walk by His Spirit.  Is this not what the incarnation meant to the Lord?  Before He gave us an example of the communion table, He was living a constant communion.  That is how He was able to be flesh and walk in Spirit.  Paul’s flesh was imprisoned.  His Spirit was not.  This is an important lesson for you and me.  In the flesh, we may be in prison in some way.  In Spirit we are not…we are One with Him.  This Spirit makes living in the flesh a victory…no matter how it looks to those who see our prison.  Paul gives me such courage as he lives and serves even though he is in  prison.  His real identity shines through.  This, is that to which he continues to call us.