Paul here is beginning a prayer for his Gentile readers and a thought has interrupted it. He will pick back up with prayer in verse 14.
A prisoner of Christ Jesus. He has done this in the other “prison epistles”. In Philemon he calls himself this. Except this time, he says for the sake of the Gentiles.
Vs. 2 – assuming you have heard. In Greek this is a first-class conditional meaning I am sure you have heard. Paul’s imprisonment was big news in the Christian community throughout the Roman world where he had evangelized.
Also, he is assuming that the Christians that will read and hear this letter will know his story and how he was chosen by Christ to bring the gospel to the Gentiles.
Vs. 3 – He goes on here to say that the mystery was made known to him by revelation. The revelation was given to him by Christ first on the road to Damascus and then in the wilderness where he spent 3 years learning the truth of the Old Testament scriptures. He was a Pharisee and needed a paradigm shift in thinking. God did this in the wilderness.
Road to Damascus – Acts ch.9
Paul’s telling of his conversion – Acts 22:12-21
“…as I have written briefly”. Paul here is probably referencing what he said earlier in Ephesians chapter 2:11-22
Vs. 4 – When you read this you will see the mystery of Christ. What was the mystery of Christ?
The Gentiles were cut off from God. Only the Israelite people had the one true God of the universe. Now because of Christ they are being brought into the family of God. That is the mystery being revealed.
Vs. 5 – It is now being revealed to Gentiles through the apostles as they bring the message to all. The prophets Paul is referencing here are the people that are prophesying during Paul’s day, not the OT prophets. People like Luke, James, Jude, and others. Commentary on Ephesians by David Curtis
Vs. 6 – The verse is the mystery. God is no longer just the God of the Jews, but the God of the pagans, idol worshipers, people who had never heard of the God Yahweh.
Read Ephesians 3:7-9
Vs.7 – “Of this gospel…” Gospel in the Greek means Good News. Paul considers himself the minister of this good news and is doing this work because of the grace God showed him on that Damascus road. He was originally going to kill and in prison the Christians, so here Paul is calling what God did grace.
“by the work of His power”. God’s sovereignty called Paul to this mission and gave him the power to understand all the OT scripture taught about the Messiah and who Jesus was. Now the mystery is revealed, and Paul is the conduit with which God is revealing Himself to the pagan nations in the Roman Empire.
Vs.8 – I think here David Curtis in his commentary on Ephesians explains this verse well.
“Paul says that he is, “the very least of all saints”—the word “least” is a superlative. In the original language, it is a hybrid word. It’s an odd word, because he takes the Greek word “least” or “smaller,” and he adds an ending unto it that is impossible linguistically, so that he creates a word something like “leaster.” “I am the ‘leaster’ of all the saints”— that’s what he’s saying. This is the chief, perhaps the pre-eminent theologian of the Church of Christ of all time, and he says: “I’m ‘leaster’ of all Christians.” Paul goes out of his way to show that he considers himself to be unworthy of God’s grace in his ministry.” commentary on Ephesians by David Curtis
Vs. 9 – here Paul is again saying God is bringing to light for the Gentiles the mystery that God is not just for the Jewish nation.
Paul says “everyone”, but the gospel is not for everyone. That term is used so that the Gentile Christians reading this letter understand it is for them as well as the Jews.
Hidden for ages. God had a plan from the beginning. Starting in the Garden with the Protoevangelium to Abraham through his descendance to the birth and then death of The Christ. Now the mystery of why and what was the purpose is what Paul is revealing to the Gentile nations in the Roman Empire.
Read Ephesians 3:10
The mystery was revealed by God through the Church. Through Christians teaching and preaching and living the Gospel. Through these things God revealed His plan. The plan of salvation of His elect. The heavenly beings, these “rulers and principalities” were during Paul’s time understanding what God had planned since the beginning of creation. Same as what Paul talked about back in 2:2. The prince of the power of the air. The spirit that is at work in the sons of disobedience.
This is what Peter talks about in 1 Peter 1:12…” things into which angels long to look”.
Through the manifold wisdom of God. This only occurs here in the Bible.
“It is very unusual. Half of it (poikilos) is used to mean: “wrought in various colors,” diversified, intricate, complex, subtle. Its basic idea is of varied in color. Then Paul puts a prefix on the word that means: “many” (polupoikilos). So the emphasis is very many colors and variations and intricacies and subtleties. God’s wisdom is “manifold.” It is rich, colorful, and multifaceted, but this does not mean that it is pluralistic or inconsistent, that two contradictory religions can both be true, or that two contradictory doctrines can both be correct. In fact, it means that there are multiple angles from which to admire the superiority and exclusivity of the Christian faith” – David B. Curtis
“the cosmic forces are the rulers and authorities disarmed and put to shame by the cross (Col. 2:15).” The incident at Babel and God’s decision to disinherit the nations drew up the battle likes for a cosmic turf war for the planet.” pg.122 Dr. Michael Heiser The Unseen Relm
“had those rulers known that the death of the messiah was necessary for God’s plan to succeed, they would have NEVER crucified Jesus (1 Cor. 2:8) pg.330 Dr. Michael Heiser The Unseen Relm
Read Ephesians 3:11
This was the purpose of God all along. Even before he created man, this was how it was going to happen. The Christ was not only going to save us from the fall but put an end to the divine beings in the heavenly realm that broke God’s commandments.
Read Ephesians 3:12-13
Vs. 12 because of Christ’s death and resurrection we can approach God with confidence and boldness those that put their faith in Christ. We no longer need to be afraid of the rulers and authorities in heavenly places.
Vs. 13 Paul asks them to not lose heart in his suffering and imprisonment. It is for their glory Paul is suffering. Just as Jesus told Ananias, “he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles… for I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.” Acts 9:15-16
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