The Pulpit Commentary - Ephesians 3:1-13
DIGRESSION ON THE ADMISSION OF THE GENTILES TO THE KINGDOM OF GOD . read more
以弗所書 3:2-4 Rcuvts
Spence, H. D. M., etc.
Spence, H. D. M., etc.
The Pulpit Commentary - Ephesians 3:1-13
God's purpose as to the Gentiles. This passage a parenthesis after Ephesians 3:1 —a reference to Paul's personal history. It contains the explanation of his whole career, the secret of his wonderful zeal. Why was he a prisoner? Generally, for the Gentiles. Why for them? Because the Divine purpose regarding them had been revealed to him, and through him to the world, and the enmity of the Jews to that purpose had brought Paul into captivity. Looking at the passage as a whole, it may show... read more
Spence, H. D. M., etc.
The Pulpit Commentary - Ephesians 3:1-13
The death of the tribal spirit. The apostle, having stated the unity between Jews and Gentiles in the one spiritual temple, proceeds in this parenthesis to state the aspect of the gospel which is thus presented. It amounts, in fact, to the death of the tribal feeling, and to the encouragement of that broad cosmopolitanism which has been fostered by the Christian system. Paul, of course, rejoiced in his Jewish origin and in all the privileges which he had thus inherited. But since his... read more
Spence, H. D. M., etc.
The Pulpit Commentary - Ephesians 3:1-13
Paul's apostleship to the Gentiles: introduction. The apostle has it in his mind to pray for the Ephesian Christians. There is a twofold ground upon which he proceeds. 1. What has been said about them . "For this cause." He has described them in three ways as incorporated in the Church. His last statement pointed to their being built in . They were, therefore, objects for intercession, such as their heathen ancestors had not been. 2. His relation to them . He did not... read more
Spence, H. D. M., etc.
The Pulpit Commentary - Ephesians 3:1-13
Aspects of the true gospel ministry. "For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, if ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: how that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and. prophets by the Spirit; that the Gentiles should be fellow-heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by... read more
Spence, H. D. M., etc.
The Pulpit Commentary - Ephesians 3:2
If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God. Here begins the digression. The words, "if ye have heard," etc., do not denote an uncertainty, but are a delicate reminder. Doubtless they had heard of the matter when he was at Ephesus, and, as he remarks in Ephesians 3:3 , he had already written briefly on it. Grace is here used in a more restricted sense than in Ephesians 1:2 —in the sense of Divine favor, honor, privilege—the same as in Ephesians 1:8 , "To me... is this... read more
Spence, H. D. M., etc.
The Pulpit Commentary - Ephesians 3:2-5
Dispensational privileges of the Gentiles. The apostle recurs to a subject already treated in few words" in the first chapter—words which he requests them to read, that they may fully understand his meaning—respecting the new position of the Gentiles in the kingdom of God. Their position was determined by a dispensation, that is, by an arrangement organized in all its parts in relation to space and time; for God works by order in grace as well as in nature. Consider— I. THE ORIGIN ... read more
Spence, H. D. M., etc.
The Pulpit Commentary - Ephesians 3:3
How that, by revelation, was made known unto me the mystery. The mystery, as is explained afterwards ( Ephesians 3:6 ), was not the gospel itself, but its destination to the Gentiles as much as to the Jews; although, as appears afterwards, this fullness of blessing is really the great glory of the gospel. Mystery, that which is known only to the initiated, does not denote here a thing obscure in its own nature, but only something that had been concealed from view. It was only the initiated... read more
Spence, H. D. M., etc.
The Pulpit Commentary - Ephesians 3:4
In accordance with which, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ. προς ὂ , with reference to which, i.e. to what I wrote afore: to make that more intelligible I write on the subject more fully now, so that you shall see that your instructor is thoroughly informed in this matter of the mystery in Christ—this once concealed but now revealed purpose of his grace. read more
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John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Ephesians 3:4
Verse 4 4.By attending to which, ye may understand, πρὸς ὃ δύνασθε ἀναγινώσκοντες νοὢσαι. Erasmus renders it, “from which things, when ye read, ye may understand.” But to translate ἀναγινώσκειν τι as signifying to read is, I think, at variance with Greek syntax. I leave it as a subject of consideration, whether it does not rather signify to attend. The participle would then be connected with the preposition πρὸς, in the commencement of the verse, and the clause would run thus, to which when... read more