Excitement is palpable in Ephesians chapter 3 

The apostle goes off topic, caught up with the excitement of the unsearchable riches of Christ

"for this cause" (3:1) is not continued until verse 14 

For this cause:

On the basis of 2:11-22, the tremendous blessings and benefits of being a Christian 

1. Peace with God 
2. Privilege of prayer 
3. Place in His church 
4. Presence of God 

Almost like a trip to tower of London where there is many a jewel on display 

We noted previously the setting of Ephesians chapter 3 is that of the Tower of London! A place once a:

• Prison

And now a :

• Treasure House

At the centre, a display behind thick glass impenetrable, the regal crown of the United Kingdom, adorned atop by the Koh-I-Nor diamond

Here in Ephesians chapter 3 we find a very similar place! 

For Paul this place is both a:

• Prison (Ephesians 3:1)

And a:

• Treasure Store (Ephesians 3:8) of the unsearchable riches of Christ 

Ephesians chapter 3 does differ from the Tower of London:

• Ephesians 3 is both a prison cell and a treasure store similtaneously. We have the prison and the riches simultaneously! 
• Don't need easy jet to reach it! 

It is as Paul peers through the bars of the prison cell that in his suffering, in his pain and in his problems and in:

• Prison

He sees 

• Purpose

Through the prison bars he sees purpose! 

Men had their PLAN but God has His PURPOSE!

This section (Ephesians 3:1 – 11) 

• Begins with Prison (3:1)
• Ends with Purpose (3:11)  - God’s purpose in Christ of which Paul, his life and ministry are now an integral part! 

Suffering can be bearable if we perceive purpose:

• A man who has a reason why to live can deal with almost any how 
• Leonid Rogozov – self appendectomy 1961 – the suffering had purpose and was worth it! 
• When we see the purpose in the pain and problems perhaps we can be encouraged to percevere 

From this prison cell Paul will expound to us the unsearchable riches of Christ! 

He acknowledges that

• Christ is Sovereign over his imprisonment (3:1) – he could have complained about the Roman authorities, the Jewish accusers, Satanic forces (Ephesians 6) but above and beyond them all he recognises the sovereign hand of God. “the prisoner of Christ Jesus” (3:1) note the Greek word order, first “Christ” in His Messianic authority (Psalm 2), with kingly and sovereign power:

• Anointed Priest (Psalm 110)
• Anointed King (Psalm 110; Psalm 2) 
• Anointed Prophet 
• All together in Christ 

• Not simply a prisoner of Rome, nor even of the forces of Satan but of Christ, and then “Jesus”. God makes even the "wrath of man" to praise Him. Instead of the prison obstructing his ministry the prison has facilitated it! 
• The Saviour is present with Paul in his imprisonment, so this prison experience is full of an appreciation of Christ. As a "prisoner of Jesus Christ" almost as if Christ, jailor like, holds Paul in that place, solitary confinement was not possible for Paul, it was always with Christ! Like his experience in 2 Timothy “Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me; that by me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion.” 2 Timothy 4:17. This is an expeirence not unlike that of Mark 6:31 "come yourselfs apart and rest a while" Sometimes maybe for te busy servant, runing about, pouring Himself out, burning the candle at both ends, sometimes the only thing that will sort it out is "the jail". Here in the prison cell Paul is caught up with the person of Christ! 

Christ is:

• Sovereign over the imprisonment
• Saviour in the imprisonment - present and pervasive 

Paul is a “prisoner for you Gentiles” (3:1)

Is this an investment worth making? 

Investing in God’s work is worthwhile. 

In God’s purpose, God’s people are worthwhile. 

CT Studd – gave up a fortune and a career in cricket 

Jim Elliot:

• ‘He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose’
• ‘He is no fool who parts with that which he cannot keep, when he is sure to be recompensed with that which he cannot lose.’

Paul was investing his life in something worthwhile 

‘Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage and then is heard no more, it is a tale told by an idiot full of sound and fury signifying nothing’ 

Macbeth Act 5 Scene 5 

Maybe not too far from the truth, for many a:

• Wasted life 
• Frittered life 
• Futile life

Squandered on utter triviality 

It seems the more trivial the pursuit today, the greater the reward and accolade:

• People pretending to be someone else in a story of make believe 
• Story tellers 
• Fantasists 
• Glory of fleeting sporting achievements 
• Many sacrifice their time and talents in trivial pursuits

By contrast Paul has invested His life and not squandered it (3:1), invested for Glory and not squandered for time.

Paul has invested it in something of lasting value, the work of God. 

Paul has taken Christ at His word

• ‘purchase of me gold tried in the fire’
• ‘lay up for yourself treasure in heaven’ 

The Christian life is not a life wasted but a life invested!

This prison becomes a:

• Pulpit
• Printing Press 
• School
• Sanctuary 

This prison becomes a place where:

• Christ is experienced 
• Christ is expounded 

A place not only of:

• Incarceration 
• Consecration 

To expound Christ I must first needs experience Christ 

Not simply as CS Lewis put it: 

• Fall in love with God 
• Fall in love with telling about God 
• Fall in love with the telling 

From this imprisonment comes a presentation of the:

1. Innocense - creation to fall, no law for no need of law
2. Conscience - fall to the law. Some would also see: 

1. Age of government - "if man shall she blood by man shall his blood be shed". Unconvinced that this represents a significantly distinctive dispensation. Government certainly developes through Genesis and beyond: Babel and Pharoah etc but from the days of Cain, retribution was a reality with the mark of Cain.
2. Promise to Abraham - definitely not a distinct dispensation, it does not involve the means of Divine administration of this world, selective, although very important but particular to Abraham. If we recognise this as a dispensation I would think you would need another for Melchizedek as well. 

On the basis of Romans chapter 5 I would see warrant in a single dispensation from conscience to law. 

1. Law
2. Grace
3. Tribulation - withdrawal of the Holy Spirit and the church – the Divine response to the rejection of Christ
4. Millenial reign of Christ
5. Eternal state 

• Not only what God is doing but the why, dispensations have a purpose, for the Glory of His Son. Not only are they distinctive means of Divine Administration but administration with an end in view.
• The dispensation of law is our school master leading us to Christ. In the law we have wonderful pictures and patterns of Christ in the sacrifices, offerings and tabernacle. 
• The dispensation of Grace is all of Christ 
• The Glory of God revealed in the eternal state with all focused on Christ! The foundations are the apostles of the lamb, the throne is of the lamb and the lamb is the light thereof! 
• The broad panorama of the unsearchable riches of Christ.
• The 14 mysteries

1. Mysteries of the Kingdom
2. Mystery of Israel regrafted (Romans 11) 
3. Mystery of the Gospel to all nations (Romans 16) 
4. Mystery of the Cross (1 Corinthians 2) 
5. Mystery of the Rapture (1 Corinthians 15) 
6. Mystery of His Will (Ephesians 1) 
7. Mystery of Christ (Ephesians 3) 
8. Mystery of the Church as the Bride of Christ (Ephesians 6) 
9. Mystery of Christ in us (Colossians 1) 
10. Mystery of Iniquity (2 Thessalonians 2) 
11. Great Mystery of Godliness (1 Timothy 3:16) 
12. Mystery of 7 stars and churches (Revelation 2) 
13. Mystery of God (Revelation 7) 
14. Mystery of Babylon the Great (Revelation 17) 

• The 2 great mysteries: 1 Timothy 3:16; Ephesians 5
• The 1 mystery of a great thing: Revelation 17 - note the disctinction here, not a great mystery sa is Christ and His people but now in dealing with iniquity and evil - the mystery of great thing! A different category all together! 

What are these mysteries? 

A 'definition' is often given:

• Truth once concealed and now revealed.

This is more accurately a feature of some of the mysteries of Christ rather than a definition. 

It is a paraphrase of Ephesians 3:5 and is thus a feature of the mystery of Christ. 

3 reasons why 'truth once concealed and now revelead is not a definition of the mysteries. 

1. Non specific, too generic - if this is our definition 

it would include almost all OT prophecy, given to some degree in obscurity eg "a virgin shall conceive and bring forth a son"! What did that means.

It would include the types and prophecies of the OT eg Genesis 22.

1. Inaccurate - not all mysteries are now revealed - 2 Thessalonians chp2 - mystery of iniquity, 1 Timothy 3:16 and the mystery of Babylon the great!
2. Cryptic - it seems an odd way to define a mystery by describing them as not mysteries! Paul, John and the Lord describe them consistently as mysteries, and still in the present tense eg 1 Timothy 3:16. It is a bit of a mystery to me to define a mystery as not a mystery. That is a mystery! 

Does a definition of the mysteries really matter? 

You should have been a hair dresser, you're so good with split hairs. 

A definition / understanding is worth pondering, if we get that wrong we may miss what the mysteries are actually about.

What are the mysteries. 

Consider the 3 core mysteries:

2 Great Mysteries 

1 Mystery of a Great thing 

1. Great is the mystery of Godliness 

1. Great mystery of Christ and His Church 

• Redemption of a people
• Reconciliation
• Relationship with God forever 

1. Mystery of Babylon the Great 

• Removal of all that opposes Christ, rejects Christ and Rebels against Christ.

If I were to ask you to summarise the message of the bible for me? God's plan as revealed within the pages of this book. How would you do?

• An hours ministry 
• A systematic theology 

How about in 3 points? 

I don't think you could do much worse that those 3 points! Even if it is my message and I'm quite pleased with it!

God's purpose for this universe from creation to redemption and beyond.

From eternity to eternity! 

These mysteries are not simply truths once concealed and now revealed, these mysteries are the answer of God to the question why? how? who?

The mysteries are God's plan for the universe.

This is the 'hidden' knowledge of the Christian faith, the true mysteries!

Maye God had purpose in the prison cell?

It was in the prison that:

• Joseph became a prophet 
• Daniel a type of Christ 
• Silas established the church at Philippi
• Paul unfolded the unsearchable riches of Christ 
• Onesimus was transformed from sinner and slave to saint. 

Makes you think that maybe God has a purpose in the prison cell at times?

Maybe in my:

• Loneliness
• Isolation
• Separation
• Despair
• Illness
• Restriction 

In my ‘prison’ type experience, maybe God will have purpose here too! 

Like Joseph in Genesis, there was purpose in his problems. 

Like Moses in Deuteronomy 8:2ff 

“for this cause” (Ephesians 3:1) 

1. Peace with God 
2. Privilege of Prayer 
3. Place in the Church 
4. Presence of God 

Paul doesn’t finish this sentence until 3:14 “for this cause I bow my knees” 

Paul sees the Power of God – the sovereign hand of Christ in his experience “of Christ Jesus”. Paul lives in the reality of a teaching he will give us later on in Ephesians 6:12; “we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities, against powers against the rulers of the darkness of this world...” Rome was but a pawn in a far bigger game. Neither Rome, Jewish 

1. more clearly that the “excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us” (2 Co 4:7). Here is the church growing and blossoming despite the fact that Paul has been taken out of the equation!

1. “So that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the palace, and in all other places; And many of the brethren in the Lord, waxing confident by my bonds, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.” (Phil 1:13-14). There were those who sat on the fence! How do we get them off the fence? Set the fence on fire! No longer able to sit upon the fence.  

1. “All the saints salute you, -- chiefly they that are of Caesar’s household” (Phil 4:22) Even with Paul’s imprisonment, the gospel goes out and souls are being saved! 

1. Is it not interesting that today we read Pauls prison epistles! Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Philemon and 2 Timothy! World population in AD 70 – about 250 million. Up until today about 7 billion bibles printed. The YOU bible version claims to have been installed on approximately 725 million devices! If Paul had never been in prison the maximum reach of his preaching ministry from Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Philemon and 2 Timothy would have been a few thousand! 

1. Perceives the Purpose of his prison cell and problems! We don’t always have that luxury of course, being able to see what our trial is all about! Acknowledging the sovereignty of God of course over our trials gives us the assurance that “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28). In faith we have the assurance of purpose! 

1. Paul shows us a fresh PERSPECTIVE on the service of God (v8). Paul develops and grows in the PEACE and PATIENCE of God! Perhaps if we were an apostle like Paul, with such gift, knowledge, opportunity we would expect unlimited success and blessing, yet we notice Paul’s approach to his ministry (3:8) – God owes him nothing! All that he has he has been given, this ministry is all of God’s grace, with humility he has the perspective that God owes him nothing! 

Verse 2:

“Dispensation” : “οἰκονομία” : administration

Paul recognises in this verse ‘dispensations’

The ‘dispensation of the Grace of God’ stands in contrast to something else mentioned earlier; a distinctive way in which God revealed Himself and His plans and purposes in days gone by; “the law” (Ephesians 2:15) which excluded Jew and Gentile from fellowship with Him. 

Dispensations are ways by which God operates or administers this world. God remains the same and unchanged but the means by which He operates, or what He does does not remain the same! 

• God does not perpetually flood the world 
• God does not continually demand animal sacrifices
• God does not constantly plague Egypt
• God does not continue to send His Son into the world 

At different times God operates by distinctive means.

The word dispensation does not appear that often in the NT, although significantly it does appear 7 X in the NT; Luke 16:2; Luke 16:3; Luke 16:4; 1 Corinthians 9:17; Ephesians 1:10; Ephesians 3:2; Colossians 1:25.

There are different ways of seeing these dispensations in scripture. 

I can identify at least 7 (maybe 8) distinct dispensations, administered by God in distinctive ways:

1. Age of Innocence (Creation to the fall)
2. Age of Conscience / government from fall to the law, some see government as a distinct dispensation from Noah to the Law with the command to punish murder by death, although I do note that some form of government was already in force pre fall as indicated by the mark on Cain. 
3. Age of Law from Exodus 20 to Christ 
4. Age of Grace from the advent of Christ 
5. Day of Tribulation 
6. Millenial Reign 
7. Eternal state 

Verse 3 – The Mystery

Paul references here the Mystery of Christ (3:4) which is a reference to Jews and Gentiles together in one body (3:6)

Why Christ? 

Christ or Messiah is the anointed one:

• Psalm 2:2 – The anointed King 
• Psalm 110 – parallels Psalm 2 – the word Christ not mentioned but refers to the Priest and King 
• Daniel 9:24 – 26 

As Messiah Christ incorporates the roles of all of those previously anointed:

• Prophet
• Priest
• King 

The believer is being brought into the blessings and benefit of this anointed one, prophet, priest, King and sacrifice for our sins (Daniel 9) we have not been excluded! 

A mystery:

• Truth once concealed and now revealed? 

This is certainly true of the church and this mystery of Christ (3:4-5) but:

• Not necessarily a great ‘definition’ of mystery per se!

Perhaps better to understand the idea of mystery within the setting of the time of the NT writings when many of the religions of that day had a core set of ideas or revelations kept for the initiated. These were ideas that were at the core or heart of the religious system but unknown to the uninitiated. 

These mysteries then form the back bone, the structure to God’s plan for the universe in Christ. They are in effect the answer as to the reason why / how / what God is doing with this universe. 

We could identify perhaps 14 distinct mysteries. 

1. Mystery of the Kingdom (Mark 4) 
2. Mystery of Israel (Romans 11)
3. Mystery of the Gospel to all nations (Romans 16:25) 
4. Mystery of the Cross (1 Corinthians 1 + 2) 
5. Mystery of the Rapture (1 Corinthians 15) 
6. Mystery of Christ in you (Colossians 1:27)
7. Mystery of His will (Ephesians chp 1) 
8. Mystery of Christ (Ephesians chp 3) 
9. Mystery of the Bride (Ephesians chp 5) 
10. Mystery of Iniquity (2 Thessalonians 2:7) 
11. Mystery of Godliness (1 Timothy 3:16)
12. Mystery of the 7 Churches (Revelation chp 1)
13. Mystery of God in judgment (Revelation 10:7) 
14. Mystery of Babylon the Great (Revelation 17:5)

The 3 greats form the backbone of theses mysteries:

1. Great mystery of Godliness (1 Timothy 3:16) 

The Revelation, Resurrection, Ascension, Exaltation and Glorification of Christ 

1. Great mystery of Christ and His people (Ephesians 5)

The Redemption and reconciliation and relationship of Christ with His people 

1. The mystery of Babylon the Great (Revelation 17)

The Removal, Rejection and Retribution of all that rebels against Christ. 

If I were to ask you to give me a summary of the bible, could you do much better? 

Not a bad summary of the bible!

A summary of the bible in 3 points!

I doubt you could do any better! 

Here is Gods plan for the universe.

Here is the message of the bible 

What is God doing?

Why is God doing it? 

How is God doing it? 

V8  “the unsearchable riches of Christ” 

Paul is tasked with this great challenge of preaching the unsearchable riches of Christ to the Gentiles. 

Notice his perspective on himself as he unfolds these riches! 

“unto me who am less than the least of all saints” (3:8) 

God owes Paul nothing! 

God does not owe him:

• An easy life
• A smooth passage
• Blessings
• Prosperity
• Popularity 

All Paul has, he has by the grace of God!

He is indebted to God, and not God to him! 

Prison is acceptable when grace is undeserved (v8) 

Perhaps there is a link between Paul’s appreciation of who he is (3:8) and Paul’s appreciation of who Christ is? 

• A small view of self
• A big view of Christ

Do we not need to be empty to then be filled? 

• Paul – when I am weak then I am strong 
• Elijah knew God’s power and presence in the famine, drought and persecution by Jezebel
• Moses encountered God as a fugitive in the backside of the desert 
• Let him that lacks wisdom ask of God who gives liberally and upbraideth not (James 1:5) 

Was it not:

• The blind man who saw the light of the world (John 9)
• The dead man who knew the resurrection power of Jesus (John 11)
• The hungry crowd who could testify to Christ as the living bread (John 6)
• A thirsty woman who drank of the living water (John 4) 
• Empty water pots that were filled to the brim by Christ with wine. (John 2) 
• An anxious and fearful upper room of disciples who enjoyed that peace of Christ which goes beyond all understanding! 

What is Paul sharing of Christ? 

What are these riches?

Are they things which Christ possesses?

• Cattle on the 1000 hills (Psalm 50:10)
• All that the Father hath are mine (John 16:25) 
• The whole world belongs to Him (John 1) 
• All things made by Him (Col 1:16)

I have never heard Paul ‘preach’ but we do have his epistles to read. They do not seem to be filled with the riches Christ possesses or creates but rather the riches of His:

• Character 
• Attributes 
• Person 
• Work 

ie riches of:

• Who Christ is 
• What Christ has done 

Riches are commodities we would attach value to either because of their:

1. Uniqueness

• Outstanding beauty 
• Scarcity 
• Complexity 

1. Relative worth - money 

1. Absolute worth 

• Heb 11:26 – Moses found greater riches in the reproach of Christ than the treasures in Egypt 

There is absolute worth in Christ! 

Illust: Jews heading to Auschwitz willing to give away all of their material possessions for a drink of water! 

“all that a man hath will he give for his life” (Job 2:4) 

Jesus is:

• In our hunger He is the Bread of life
• In my thirst He is the Living water 
• In my death He is the resurrection and the life 
• In my wandering He is the good Shepherd 
• In my sin He is the Saviour 
• In my weakness He is my helper 
• In my sorrow He is the comforter 
• In my emptiness He is the fullness that filleth all in all 
• In my path He is the Way 
• In my despair He is our Hope 
• In my fear He is our peace 
• The true vine sustaining His people 
• Possesses the words of Eternal Life
• Resurrection and the life
• Creator
• Judge 
• Upholds all things by His power 
• Holds the keys of hell and of death (Rev 1:18) 
• He is our peace 
• He is our redeemer 
• Our substitute 
• He is our hope 
• The door into heaven 
• Our Great High Priest 
• Our Good Shepherd 
• Our Great Shepherd 
• He is our comforter 
• King of Kings
• Lord of Lords 
• Bright and morning star 
• In my need of a lamb He is Jehovah Jireh (Genesis 22)
• For those who need healing heading out of Egypt He is Jehovah Rapha 
• For Gideon who saw the angel of the Lord and was afraid to die He is Jehovah Shalom 
• For David facing Goliath He is the Lord of Hosts (1 Samuel 17:45) Jehovah Sabaoth
• For those who need salvation He is Jehovah Tsidkenu 
• Hebrews 1 – titles of Jehovah 
• Revelation 17 – title of Jehovah 

Everything I need for time and for eternity is found in Him!

Fascinatingly it is Moses who teaches me the true value of these unsearchable riches in Christ! 

“By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter;
²⁵ Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;
²⁶ Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward.” (Hebrews 11:24-26)

Moses had in Egypt:

• Place
• Position
• Privilege
• Power
• Pleasure
• Possessions 

Here is an encouraging thought; if all I feel that I have of Christ is His reproach: 

• His tears and sorrow
• His rejection and alienation
• His pain and suffering 
• The hatred of men
• The contradiction of sinners
• The mocking and jeering
• Betrayal and unfaithfulness
• If the only grasp I feel of His things is His Cross
• If the only taste of Christ is the taste of His tears 
• When you feel you follow with a cross rather than for a crown
• The only fragrance of Christ you perceive is the anointing for His burial
• The only emotion the tears of His suffering 
• Heaven and it’s precious jewels seem a long way away
• The wiping away of all tears beyond your reach 
• The streets of gold are somewhere else 
• River of living water refresh another people in another city in another place 

If out of all of His riches I lay hold only of His reproach then compared to all that I could ever have in this world, this far out weighs in value and worth the world in its:

• Place
• Position
• Privilege
• Power 
• Pleasure 
• Possessions 

From the prison cell Paul presents the unserachable riches of Christ, the dispensations of God's grave and the great mysteries of God's plan and purpose for this fallen world. The Divine plan for this universe centres on the revelation of Jesus Christ, the Great Mystery of Godliness, the redemption of a people for Himself and the removal of all that rebels against Him. In Christ we find a Saviour unlike any other, full of unsearchable riches! He is the bread of life, the light of the world, the way the truth and the life, the door into heaven, the Shepherd of the sheep, our great High Priest, a Saviour of Sinners and our comforter. 

What a great Saviour! 

Dr J Stewart Gillespie