Ephesians 3:1-6 For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles— Surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given to me for you, that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to people in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets. This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.
In the above verses we are given insight into Paul’s ministry to the people of Ephesus. He tells them that he is a prisoner of Christ Jesus, not for his sake but for the benefit of the Gentiles. His mission given to him from Jesus Christ is that all people everywhere are to hear the Good News, including the Ephesians. Paul was a fervent follower of the law. To him the law represented the light of God. But Jesus interjected himself into Paul’s life by being a great light, so much so that he was blinded by that light. Rather than the law, Jesus became the light in Paul’s life. Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12) As a prisoner of Christ, Paul no longer walked in darkness, a prisoner of sin. Paul’s desire was to set all people free from the darkness of sin, to present to them the light of the world, Jesus Christ. Paul did a one hundred and eighty degree turn in his life when he met Jesus on the road to Damascus. HIs mission to Damascus was to bring back the apostate Jews to Jerusalem. These Christians that he would capture would be tortured and maybe killed. But Jesus stopped him short of fulfilling that mission. Paul was struck with blindness. Then he was sent to a man in Damascus, Ananias. Ananias told Paul that his life was now in the hands of the Lord and that he was called to announce the Good News that Jesus saves everywhere. Ananias also told him that he would suffer many hardships in carrying out this task of spreading the news that Jesus saves people from sin. Paul heard Ananias' words as a faithful Jew, zealous for the law. He probably did not envision himself going into Gentile land and preaching that a Jew named Jesus would save them from their sins. But God called him to a deeper walk. In Arabia, God unwrapped the mystery of salvation of all people before Paul’s spiritual eyes. But when God, who set me apart from my mother’s womb and called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles, my immediate response was not to consult any human being. I did not go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was, but I went into Arabia. Later I returned to Damascus. (Galatians 1:15-17) Paul in Arabia learned the Good News from the mouth of Jesus. I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel I preached is not of human origin. I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ. (Galatians 1:11-12) He was given this supernatural encounter in his life because he would suffer much for this message of the Good News. He would not have an enclave of Jewish people surrounding him with support, yes some, but only a few. He would be in foreign lands, preaching a message that would confront the pagan practices of the Gentiles and their society. For three years in Arabia, he sat at the feet of Jesus and learned of the mysterious plan of God conceived before anything was made that all people would be saved through Jesus Christ and the cross. All people through Christ will be brought into oneness with God, members of his family. A glorious message for mankind, but the followers of Satan would reject this message vehemently and savagely. Paul would be the target of many attempts upon his life. He definitely was a sheep among wolves.
Before Paul’s three years in Arabia, Peter had been exposed to this mystery of all people being cleansed by God through Jesus Christ and the cross. Cornelius, a Roman officer, was a man of prayer and the giving of alms to the poor, but he was not a Jew. Jews were not even to associate with the Gentiles and especially not to enter the houses of Gentiles. However, Cornelius was given a vision. The angel in the vision tells him to have some of his men go to Joppa and to bring back a man named Simon who is called Peter. He is staying with Simon the tanner, whose house is by the sea.” (Acts 10:5-6) Cornelius sends three men to fetch Peter, one soldier and two of his servants. As the three were journeying to Peter’s house, the Lord gives Peter a vision of a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles and birds. (Acts 10:11) As a faithful Jew of the law, Peter would never consider eating something that the law prohibited to eat. But in the vision he is commanded to eat anything on that sheet for what God makes clean is clean indeed. So with the help of the vision and the voice of the Lord, Peter is persuaded to go with the three men who sought him out from the house of Cornelius. He meets Cornelius outside of the house and then enters into the house where many other people had gathered. Peter addresses the crowd by saying, “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right. You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, announcing the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. (Acts 10:34-36) As Peter was speaking about Jesus Christ’s works, his death and subsequent resurrection, the Holy Spirit fell upon all the people in the house. God verified to Peter and the circumcised believers that came with him that God is no respecter of people. Who God makes clean is clean. While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on Gentiles. For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God. Then Peter said, “Surely no one can stand in the way of their being baptized with water. They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.” (Acts 10:44-47) Because of Peter’s experience, the church leaders in Jerusalem were open to the Gospel going to the Gentiles, but Paul was not just open to that truth: he was a missionary to the Gentile world. By spreading the Good News to the Gentile world, he became an enemy to both Orthodox Jews and heathen Gentiles. He suffered persecution from both groups. But because of his time in Arabia, he would not bow down, even to the Jews that wanted the converts to Jesus to be circumcised. For Paul, it was grace alone that saved people, not human efforts. But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. (Romans 3:21-23) Anything other than the grace and works of God is foolishness to Paul. To the Galatians, Paul confronts a divergent belief about salvation: the need to be circumcised. This is a deadly teaching, for it invades the purity of grace and will finally lead to death for those who put their trust in grace plus law, for God will not share his glory with any man. You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh? Have you experienced so much in vain—if it really was in vain? (Galatians 3:1-4) Paul had learned the purity of the message of salvation from Jesus. He would not let anything contaminate the cause of Jesus Christ, his death and resurrection. Salvation rested exclusively in and through Jesus Christ.
As Paul was a prisoner of Jesus Christ, we who are around this breakfast table are also prisoners to him and his message of salvation. Christ is our life, his duty is our duty, his likeness is our likeness. Jesus fulfills the law; his righteousness surpasses anything words can state. Jesus is the only one who is absolutely perfect, and we are to be like him in every respect if we are to be acceptable to a holy, eternal God. Of course, in our fleshly state, we cannot be like him through works, but by faith we can be exactly like him for we hide in the body of Jesus. By faith we are IN HIM. This of course gives us freedom to live joyously without fear from the consequences of sin, which is death away from God. When we live for Jesus, we will focus our lives on doing things that are helpful to all people. This servanthood should be a part of our daily lives. If we are but religious without the works of the Spirit, we can become hardened to needs of other people. Both Jews and Gentiles need to see the grace of God in Christians. Without revealing to the world through our actions God’s love, we are but sounding brass, a clanging noise, immersed within all other sounds in the world. God’s love in us must be expressed through our words and actions to a sinful world. We see Jesus' love for a lost world in his actions with a woman caught in adultery. The religious people brought this woman to Jesus. They put her IN FRONT of the crowd, exposing her to the ridicule and criticism of the people. The religious ones were proud to present her in that way. But Jesus knew that no man was good, not Jew or Gentile, not the law bound or the lawless. As he was speaking, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They put her in front of the crowd. “Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the act of adultery. The law of Moses says to stone her. (John 8:1-5) At first Jesus ignored them; then he responds to their comments. What should be done with this woman? They knew his teachings and Jesus' lifestyle, so they wanted him to backup the law of judgment on sin. However, Jesus knew the hearts of all men. Therefore, He says, Let the one without sin cast the first stone. We find that none of them, even the religious leaders, were willing to cast the first stone. All understood in reflecting on their own lives that they were sinful. Not one is righteous, not even one. Paul is a prisoner to this message that no one is righteous, not even one. Therefore he abandons teaching the law as the means of being right with God. As Jesus knew when dealing with the adulterous woman, all people whether circumcised or not are sinful. Paul who was taught by the Spirit of God knew circumcision or the law does not make a person a child of God; only faith in Jesus Christ makes an individual part of the family of God. As members of that family, breakfast companions, we are bound to Jesus, known even as his body. What should our daily lives consist of, Jew or Gentile alike? We are to love God with all our HEART, SOUL, MIND, and STRENGTH. And equally as important, as with the adulterous woman and the wayward Gentile, we are to love our neighbor, especially those who are without God in their lives. Paul’s neighbors were the people in Asia Minor, Greece and Rome. He loved them, gave his life for them. Dear friends, we too are God’s prisoners. We as Paul said are members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus. Let us in this world reflect who we are IN CHRIST as we share that promise. Amen!
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