What is the meaning of Ephesians 3?

Introduction to Ephesians 3

Ephesians 3 stands as one of the most profound revelations of God’s eternal purpose in the Messiah and the mystery of His grace toward both Jews and Gentiles. In this pivotal chapter, Paul transitions from explaining the theological foundation of unity in the Body of believers to unveiling the divine mystery that had been hidden for ages but is now revealed through the Gospel. The chapter culminates in one of the most magnificent prayers in Scripture, where Paul petitions for believers to comprehend the vast dimensions of the Messiah’s love.

This chapter is particularly significant as it bridges the theological and practical sections of the letter, revealing how God’s cosmic plan of redemption transforms our understanding of community, purpose, and spiritual power. Through Paul’s personal testimony and pastoral prayer, we gain unprecedented insight into both the mystery of God’s plan and the unlimited resources available to those who trust in Him.

Context of Ephesians 3

This chapter falls within the broader context of Paul’s prison epistles, written while he was under house arrest in Rome around 60-62 CE. Within Ephesians itself, chapter 3 serves as a crucial pivot point between the doctrinal exposition of chapters 1-2 and the practical applications of chapters 4-6. The chapter begins with what appears to be a continuation of thought from chapter 2 regarding the unity of Jews and Gentiles, but then takes a dramatic turn as Paul expounds on his unique role in revealing God’s mystery.

The immediate context shows Paul expanding on themes introduced in chapter 2, particularly the breaking down of the “middle wall of partition” between Jews and Gentiles (Ephesians 2:14). This chapter deepens our understanding of how this new unity serves God’s eternal purpose and displays His wisdom to the spiritual realm. The emphasis on mystery (μυστήριον) connects to similar themes in Colossians and other Pauline letters, suggesting a coordinated divine revelation across his prison epistles.

In the broader biblical narrative, this chapter serves as a crucial link between God’s promises to Abraham about blessing all nations (Genesis 12:3) and their fulfillment in the Messiah. It also provides essential understanding about the role of the Church in God’s cosmic plan, explaining how the body of believers serves as a living display of divine wisdom to heavenly powers.

Ancient Key Word Study

• μυστήριον (mystērion) – “mystery” (v.3,4,9): Unlike pagan mystery religions’ secrets, this term in Paul’s usage refers to God’s previously hidden plan now revealed in the Messiah. The word appears 21 times in the New Testament, with Paul using it to describe divine truths now made known through revelation.
• οἰκονομία (oikonomia) – “administration/stewardship” (v.2,9): Originally referring to household management, this term describes Paul’s divine commission and God’s ordered administration of His redemptive plan. The word implies both privilege and responsibility in managing divine truth.
• συγκληρονόμα (synklēronoma) – “fellow heirs” (v.6): A compound word combining “with” and “inheritance,” this powerful term emphasizes the equal standing of Gentiles in God’s family. Its use here underscores the revolutionary nature of Paul’s message.
• παρρησία (parrēsia) – “boldness/confidence” (v.12): Originally denoting the Greek democratic right of free speech, this word describes the new spiritual reality of direct access to God through the Messiah. It implies both freedom and intimacy in approaching God.
• ἐγκακέω (enkakeō) – “lose heart” (v.13): This verb combines “in” with “evil/bad,” suggesting internal deterioration of courage. Paul uses it to address potential discouragement over his sufferings, emphasizing the positive purpose of trials.
• κατοικῆσαι (katoikēsai) – “to dwell” (v.17): This intensified form of “to dwell” implies permanent residence, used here for the Messiah’s settling down in believers’ hearts through faith. The word suggests establishing a permanent home rather than temporary lodging.
• καταλαβέσθαι (katalabesthai) – “comprehend” (v.18): A compound word meaning “to grasp down,” it implies seizing with the mind. The middle voice suggests personal appropriation of understanding, emphasizing active participation in gaining spiritual insight.
• ὑπερεκπερισσοῦ (hyperekperissou) – “exceeding abundantly” (v.20): This triple compound word combines “above,” “out,” and “abundant,” creating one of Paul’s characteristic superlatives to describe God’s unlimited ability. It’s one of the most emphatic terms in the New Testament for expressing superabundance.

Compare & Contrast

• Paul’s use of “prisoner of the Messiah” (δέσμιος τοῦ Χριστοῦ) rather than “prisoner of Rome” in verse 1 deliberately reframes his circumstances, emphasizing divine purpose over human authority. This choice reflects theological interpretation of his situation rather than mere physical description.
• The phrase “less than the least” (ἐλαχιστοτέρῳ) in verse 8 creates a unique comparative form of “least,” effectively making a superlative even more extreme. This unprecedented grammatical construction emphasizes Paul’s deep sense of humility and grace.
• In verse 10, “manifold wisdom” (πολυποίκιλος σοφία) uses a term typically found in describing intricate embroidery or varied colors, chosen over simpler terms for wisdom to emphasize the rich complexity of God’s plan.
• The architectural terms “rooted and grounded” (ἐρριζωμένοι καὶ τεθεμελιωμένοι) in verse 17 combine agricultural and construction metaphors, chosen over single-domain imagery to emphasize both organic growth and structural stability.
• Paul’s description of love’s dimensions in verses 18-19 uses terms from Greek geometry (breadth, length, height, depth) rather than Hebrew poetic parallelism, possibly to engage his Gentile audience’s philosophical framework.
• The phrase “every family” (πᾶσα πατριά) in verse 15 plays on the connection between “father” (πατήρ) and “family” (πατριά), chosen to emphasize God’s role as source of all familial relationships.

Ephesians 3 Unique Insights

The structure of this chapter reveals a remarkable literary pattern where Paul’s discussion of the mystery is interrupted by a parenthetical explanation (verses 2-13), only to resume and culminate in his magnificent prayer. This interruption itself serves a theological purpose, demonstrating how understanding God’s mystery naturally leads to worship and intercession.

Early church fathers like Origen saw in Paul’s revelation of the mystery a key to understanding the relationship between God’s eternal purposes and temporal actions. Chrysostom particularly noted how the revelation to “rulers and authorities in heavenly places” (verse 10) suggests that the church’s existence serves as a cosmic object lesson, teaching even angelic beings about God’s wisdom.

The Dead Sea Scrolls provide interesting parallels to Paul’s concept of mystery, though with significant differences. While the Qumran community saw themselves as guardians of divine mysteries revealed through complex biblical interpretation, Paul presents the mystery as something now openly proclaimed through the Gospel. This contrast highlights the revolutionary nature of Paul’s message.

The chapter’s emphasis on comprehending love’s dimensions finds fascinating parallels in both Jewish mystical literature and Greek philosophical traditions. The rabbis spoke of Torah’s measurements being beyond human grasp, while Greek philosophers discussed the dimensions of truth. Paul transforms these concepts by grounding them in the personal knowledge of the Messiah’s love.

The reference to “powers and authorities” reflects ancient Jewish angelology, where various ranks of spiritual beings were understood to have roles in cosmic administration. Paul’s assertion that the church reveals God’s wisdom to these beings suggests a dramatic reversal of typical Second Temple period angelology, where angels were often seen as mediators of divine wisdom to humans.

Ephesians 3 Connections to Yeshua

The Messiah stands at the center of this chapter as both the revealer and content of God’s mystery. Paul presents Yeshua as the one in whom all God’s eternal purposes find their fulfillment, particularly in creating one new humanity from Jews and Gentiles. This unity in the Messiah fulfills and transcends the prophetic hopes of Israel, demonstrating how Yeshua’s work accomplishes what the Torah alone could not.

The prayer’s emphasis on the Messiah dwelling in believers’ hearts through faith reveals a profound christological truth about His ongoing ministry. This indwelling presence fulfills Yeshua’s promise to be with His people (Matthew 28:20) and represents a new dimension of God’s presence that surpasses even the temple’s glory. The prayer’s climax, focusing on knowing the Messiah’s love, presents this relationship as the ultimate purpose of God’s redemptive plan.

Ephesians 3 Scriptural Echoes

This chapter resonates deeply with Old Testament themes and prophecies. The mystery of Gentile inclusion echoes יהוה’s promise to Abraham that all nations would be blessed through his seed (Genesis 22:18). Paul’s role as minister to the Gentiles fulfills prophetic visions of Israel being a light to the nations (Isaiah 49:6).

The language of being strengthened in the inner being recalls Davidic prayers (Psalm 138:3) and prophetic promises of inner transformation (Ezekiel 36:26-27). The imagery of being rooted draws on Old Testament metaphors of righteous people as flourishing trees (Psalm 1:3).

Paul’s emphasis on God’s family echoes the covenant promise “I will be their God, and they shall be My people” (Jeremiah 31:33), now expanded to include Gentiles. The prayer’s focus on comprehending divine love connects to the Old Testament’s rich tradition of meditation on God’s חֶסֶד (steadfast love).

Ephesians 3 Devotional

This chapter challenges us to expand our vision of God’s purposes and our place within them. Paul’s example of seeing his imprisonment through the lens of divine purpose encourages us to reframe our own difficulties as opportunities for God’s glory. Are we willing to view our circumstances, even challenging ones, as platforms for displaying God’s wisdom?

The revelation of the mystery reminds us that God’s plans often unfold in unexpected ways. Just as the inclusion of Gentiles surpassed Israel’s expectations, we should remain open to how God might work beyond our preconceptions. This calls for humility in our interpretations and openness to God’s surprising ways of fulfilling His promises.

Paul’s prayer provides a pattern for our own spiritual growth. Rather than focusing primarily on external circumstances, he prays for internal strengthening and deeper comprehension of the Messiah’s love. We might ask ourselves: Are our prayers similarly focused on spiritual growth and understanding? Do we regularly pray for others to be strengthened in their inner being?

Did You Know

• The term “mystery” (μυστήριον) used in this chapter was a familiar concept in the ancient world, particularly in mystery religions, but Paul radically redefines it from secret knowledge for the elite to God’s revealed plan for all believers.
• The description of Paul as “less than the least” in verse 8 uses a unique Greek construction (ἐλαχιστοτέρῳ) that appears nowhere else in ancient Greek literature, effectively creating a “leaster than the least” to express his humility.
• The “boldness and access” mentioned in verse 12 uses terminology (παρρησία) that originally referred to the democratic right of free speech in ancient Athens, indicating the revolutionary nature of our spiritual privileges in the Messiah.
• The phrase “every family in heaven and on earth” in verse 15 plays on the connection between the Greek words for “father” (πατήρ) and “family” (πατριά), creating a wordplay that’s lost in translation.
• Archaeological evidence from Ephesus shows that the concept of “power” (δύναμις) mentioned in verse 20 would have had special significance in a city known for its practice of magic and power religion.
• The dimensions mentioned in verses 18-19 (breadth, length, height, depth) parallel ancient architectural terminology used in describing the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus, one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world.
• The compound word for “exceeding abundantly” (ὑπερεκπερισσοῦ) in verse 20 is one of Paul’s unique word creations, piling up prefixes to emphasize God’s superabundant ability.
• The concept of “dwelling” (κατοικῆσαι) in verse 17 uses terminology that in the Greek world typically described the permanent residence of a deity in a temple, connecting to Paul’s theme of believers as God’s temple.
• The reference to “rulers and authorities in heavenly places” reflects complex Jewish angelology developed during the Second Temple period, which organized spiritual beings into various ranks and authorities.
• The imagery of being “rooted and grounded” combines metaphors from agriculture and architecture, a combination that would have resonated with the Ephesians given their city’s famous gardens and architectural achievements.