Ephesians 3:6-9

Rachel Workman: And this is God’s plan: Both Gentiles and Jews who believe the Good News share equally in the riches inherited by God’s children. Both are part of the same body, and both enjoy the promise of blessings because they belong to Christ Jesus.^{[b] 7} By God’s grace and mighty power, I have been given the privilege of serving him by spreading this Good News.
⁸ Though I am the least deserving of all God’s people, he graciously gave me the privilege of telling the Gentiles about the endless treasures available to them in Christ. ⁹ I was chosen to explain to everyone^[c] this mysterious plan that God, the Creator of all things, had kept secret from the beginning.

If Paul considered himself to be the least deserving where does that leave me? I lack in humility. Lord, show me how to be a better servant.

____________________________________________________________________________________

Mike Grimm:  ⁷I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power. When Paul became a servant of the gospel, God gave him the ability to share effectively the gospel of Christ. God will give all of us opportunities to tell others about Christ. And with the opportunities He will provide the ability, courage, and power. Whenever an opportunity presents itself, we must make ourselves available to God as His servant. As we focus on the other person and his or her needs, God will communicate our caring attitude. Our words will be natural, loving, compelling, and come from our heart.  ⁸Although I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ, When Paul describes himself as "less than the least of all God's people" he means that without God's help, he would never be able to do God's work. Yet God chose him to share the gospel with the Gentiles and gave him the power to do it. If we feel that our role is minor, we may be right -- except that we have forgotten what a difference God makes. How does God want to use us? Draw on His power, do our part, and faithfully perform the special role God has called us to play in His plan. ⁹and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. "The administration of this mystery" refers to the way God's great plan is carried out through the church and to Paul's work to demonstrate and teach God's great purpose in Christ.

____________________________________________________________________________________

John Burnett:  ⁶ This mystery is^[a] that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.  What a great promise this is for us, Gentiles.

⁷ 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. ⁸ To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, ⁹ and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in^[b] God, who created all things, 

No human being is more responsible for the spreading of the Gospel than Paul, yet he is so humble.  In verse 8, he claims to be the very least of all the saints.  God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble which is exactly what he adds in verse 8,”this grace was given.” 

____________________________________________________________________________________

Tomorrow’s reading for Ephesian 3:10-13.

¹⁰ God’s purpose in all this was to use the church to display his wisdom in its rich variety to all the unseen rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. ¹¹ This was his eternal plan, which he carried out through Christ Jesus our Lord.
¹² Because of Christ and our faith in him,^[d] we can now come boldly and confidently into God’s presence. ¹³ So please don’t lose heart because of my trials here. I am suffering for you, so you should feel honored.

Ephesians 3:1-5

Rachel Workman:

3 When I think of all this, I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus for the benefit of you Gentiles^[a] . . . ² assuming, by the way, that you know God gave me the special responsibility of extending his grace to you Gentiles. ³ As I briefly wrote earlier, God himself revealed his mysterious plan to me. ⁴ As you read what I have written, you will understand my insight into this plan regarding Christ. ⁵ God did not reveal it to previous generations, but now by his Spirit he has revealed it to his holy apostles and prophets. 

God didn't reveal it to previous generations because the time wasn't right. God knows how to wait. I think it's something we humans lack. I know I do. God has spent many years showing me how to wait. I may not have liked it at the time but I'm grateful for it now.

____________________________________________________________________________________

Mike Grimm: 1For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles— Even though Paul was under house arrest in Rome for preaching about Christ, he maintained his firm belief that God was in control of all that happened to him. Like Paul, it's important that we remember that no matter what happens, God directs the world's affairs.

I2 Surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given to me for you, 3 that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. "The administration of God's grace" means the special stewardship, trust, or commitment that Paul has been given. He has been assigned the special work of preaching the Good News to the Gentiles. 4 In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5 which was not made known to people in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets. 6 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. God's plan was hidden from previous generations, not because God wanted to keep something from His people, but because He would reveal it to everyone in His perfect timing. God planned to have Jews and Gentiles comprise one body, the church.

____________________________________________________________________________________

John Burnett: ¹⁹ So then you are no longer strangers and aliens,^[a] but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, ²⁰ built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, ²¹ in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. ²² In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by^[b] the Spirit.  We, as gentiles, should be ecstatic that we even have a way to become adopted members of the household of God.

3 For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles— ² assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God's grace that was given to me for you, ³ how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly. ⁴ When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, ⁵ 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.  The Gospel is a mystery and it is only revealed to those who God predestined by the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit opens our eyes, shows us the mystery of how wretched and evil our sins are, and then grants us repentance and mercy by His grace.  He accepts Christ’s work on the cross on your behalf and grants you Christ righteousness and perfect record of no sin.  It is by God’s grace you have been saved and not of your own doing, any decision or acceptance we make has nothing to do with it.

____________________________________________________________________________________

Reading for Ephesians 3:6-9

And this is God’s plan: Both Gentiles and Jews who believe the Good News share equally in the riches inherited by God’s children. Both are part of the same body, and both enjoy the promise of blessings because they belong to Christ Jesus.^{[b] 7} By God’s grace and mighty power, I have been given the privilege of serving him by spreading this Good News.
⁸ Though I am the least deserving of all God’s people, he graciously gave me the privilege of telling the Gentiles about the endless treasures available to them in Christ. ⁹ I was chosen to explain to everyone^[c] this mysterious plan that God, the Creator of all things, had kept secret from the beginning.

Ephesians 2:19-22

Rachel Workman: ¹⁹ So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family. ²⁰ Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself. ²¹ We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord. ²² Through him you Gentiles are also being made part of this dwelling where God lives by his Spirit.

It's pretty humbling to think about being carefully joined together in Christ. Becoming a holy temple of the Lord. We are after all God's masterpiece. Every day we are made holy so that the Lord is able to reside in us. So that he is able to accomplish His work through us.

____________________________________________________________________________________

Mike Grimm:  ¹⁴For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, Christ has destroyed the barriers people build between themselves. Because these walls have been removed, we can have real unity with people who are not like us. This is true reconciliation. Because of Christ's death, we are all one (2:14); our hostility against each other has been out to death (2:16); we can all have access to the Father by the Holy Spirit (2:18). ¹⁵by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, By his death, Christ ended the angry resentment between Jews and Gentiles, caused by the Jewish laws that favored the Jews and excluded the Gentiles. Christ died to abolish that whole system of Jewish laws. Then He took the two groups that has been opposed to each other and made them parts of Himself. "One New Humanity" means that Christ made a single entity or person out of the two. This He fused all believers together to become one in Himself. ¹⁶and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. ¹⁷He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. ¹⁸For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. Because neither group could be saved by good deeds, knowledge, or sincerity, both needed to hear about the salvation available through Jesus Christ. Both Jews and Gentiles are now free to come to God through Christ.

____________________________________________________________________________________

Tomorrow’s reading for Ephesians 3:1-5

3 When I think of all this, I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus for the benefit of you Gentiles^[a] . . . ² assuming, by the way, that you know God gave me the special responsibility of extending his grace to you Gentiles. ³ As I briefly wrote earlier, God himself revealed his mysterious plan to me. ⁴ As you read what I have written, you will understand my insight into this plan regarding Christ. ⁵ God did not reveal it to previous generations, but now by his Spirit he has revealed it to his holy apostles and prophets.