September 3 / Ephesians 3:8-13

Ephesians 3:8-13

…so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. (v. 10) I think I can understand this verse if I come at it from Paul’s perspective. Paul was a Jew, a very learned Jew, well versed in the Scriptures and firm in his knowledge that the Jewish people were chosen by God as His people. To Paul it’s a really big deal that Gentiles are to come into full and equal fellowship with Jews, not in their Jewish faith, but in this new Christian faith. God was working His plan, from Abraham forward, for the Jews to be the people to whom He would reveal Himself – bit by bit, prophet by prophet, all in the course of world history around them. In the “fullness of time” He sent Jesus, a Jew, sent with a message to His own people, some of whom recognized and received Him, but most of whom did not. Gentile faith had long been predicted in the Old Testament, primarily in Isaiah, but the expectation of most Jews was probably (in my mind) that the Gentiles would somehow be welcomed into the Jewish faith, but only as second-class citizens. Paul saw this full and equal fellowship of Jews and Gentiles in this new Christian church as a surprising, but blessed revelation from God – so shocking to Paul that he expected that even the angels in heaven were surprised to see this outcome. Today we see this “people of God” turned upside down. The Jews are still waiting for their Messiah, while Christians are doing their part to welcome, to encourage Jews to believe in Jesus as that Messiah, already come! GLORY!

Slava Bohu!