Servings Per Verse: Unknown
For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles - assuming you have heard of the stewarship of God's grace that was given to me for you , how the mystery was made know to me by revelation, as I have written briefly.
*ETS:
What have I been writing about? The mystery of God which concerns you Gentiles, a mystery that was given to me as a sacred trust - the very mystery and revelation that has landed me in prison, (surely everyone has heard the talk about my refusal to stop telling Gentiles they can come to God by grace through faith in Christ). Yet in all of this, I consider myself a prisoner for Christ Jesus on your behalf.
*DTFTD:
Ephesians 3:1-3 reminds the Christian of the responsibility he or she has in furthering the Kingdom of Christ. First, Paul could not stop telling about the mystery of God 's reconciliation through faith in Christ. Paul considered the message a sacred trust for which he would give an account. When he mentioned the word "stewardship," he was stressing a commission responsibility. The word he chose for "stewardship" is a compound Greek word (i.e., it is comprised of two or more words). The first word is the Greek word for "house" (oikos) and the second is the word for "law" (nomos). Together the meaning is "the law of the house."(Wuest, vol. 1, 81). The image that would come to mind is one of a house administrator. The house administrator was responsible to take the rules outlined by the master of the house and see to it that everything was attended to according to prescription. The key words in Paul's administration were "God's grace." As an administrator, given charge by the Master, Paul was to publicly proclaim the grace of God, which was a mystery to the world, but a revelation to those who would come to faith in Christ. Christians are no less responsible to echo the message of God's grace to the current generations of the world. Remember, we also will give an account for the sacred trust of the Gospel of God's grace through Christ. Second, Paul's suffering, (his imprisonment), was accepted as an honor in service to others for the cause of Christ. Christians in the United States need such courage and commitment. We should speak the Gospel regardless of the consequence. There should not be any law in our world that would rank above the "law of the house" (our stewardship, our administrative responsibility to fill the every room with the fragrance of God's grace in the work of Christ on the cross). Third, Paul said the stewardship and suffering began at a special moment in his life - the moment of revelation when the mystery was made personal. God divinely communicated grace to Paul's own heart, and from that day he became a steward, a witness, a sufferer for the cause, a prisoner for Christ. Let me ask the following questions: 1. Do we understand our stewardship, our assigned duty of filling the world with the message of God's grace? 2. Are we willing to suffer anything to get the Word of the Gospel to those who have yet to hear? 3. Have you lost the thrill of the day you came to know the Lord? Paul's words in Ephesians 3:1-3 call us to examine ourselves in light of his example.
*EDS:
"Sing them over again to me, Wonderful words of life; Let me more of their beauty see, Wonderful words of life; Words of life and beauty, Teach me faith and duty: Beautiful words, wonderful words, wonderful words of life."
Hymn: "Wonderful Words of Life" - Philip P. Bliss, 1838-1876.
INGREDIENTS: Stewardship, suffering, and a special moment. Word Study: "Mystery" is "a secret purpose of God which when uncovered is understood by the Spirit -taught believer." (Wuest, vol. 1).
*ESV- English Standard Version; ETS- Essence of the Text in a Sentence; DTFTD- Devotional Thought For The Day; EDS- Essence of the Devotional in a Sentence.
