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BY BOOK BIBLE STUDY
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BIBLE
STUDY LESSON
For
the week beginning Sunday April 19, 2020
GOD’S
SECRET PLAN REVEALED
Ephesians
3:1-13
When Paul wrote this letter to the Ephesians, he was under house
arrest by the order of the Emperor Nero in Rome. And whereas he was allowed to
have visits from his friends and collegues, he was still chained to the wrist
of a prison guard at all times.
It is with this scenario in mind that we
approach the opening line of this passage where Paul says, “I am a prisoner of
CHRIST JESUS because of my preaching to the Gentiles” (v.1) (NLT). What Paul is
really saying is that “he is a prisoner for the cause of CHRIST JESUS”.
JESUS had given Paul a special mission of
announcing HIS “favor of salvation” to the Gentiles, and had revealed to him,
“the secret plan” of GOD. The secret plan that provided us with JESUS CHRIST as
the SAVIOR for the whole world, not just the Jews, had now been set into motion.
The New Covenant, the Christian Church,
would include both Jews and Gentiles into its body, which would spiritually and
physically resemble the body of CHRIST, literally. It was a plan that had never
been revealed to the Old Testament prophets, and the saints of previous
generations. However, now, GOD was revealing it by the power and presence of
the HOLY SPIRIT, to all who choose to “receive it” and come to CHRIST in these
latter days (Vs.2-5).
Paul’s charge from CHRIST was to announce
that the Gentiles have an “equal share” with the Jews in all of the spiritual
riches inherited by “GOD’s chosen people”. Both groups can now, by believing
the Good News, become a part of the same body, and enjoy together, the promise
of blessing, through CHRIST JESUS our LORD (v.6).
In this passage, Paul re-visits the thought
which serves as the “motif”, or “theme” for this letter. In his original Greek
writing, the phase “energeian dynameos” used in verse 7 means “mighty power”.
Here Paul is sharing with us, how he is responding to the special favor and
power of GOD by counting it a “privilege” to serve CHRIST JESUS with his whole
life, to the death, spreading the Good News.
Paul had been given the privilege of being
the first man to know of GOD’s secret plan, and he had been given the privilege
to be the first to make that plan known to the newly found Christian Church. And
most importantly of all, Paul clearly understood that he had done nothing to
deserve it, in fact, he considered himself to be the least deserving of all
Christians (v.8).
Paul says that he was chosen to explain to
everyone, the secret plan, that GOD, the CREATOR of all things, had from the
beginning. In other words, GOD did not come up with this plan as a last result,
when everything else concerning man had gone wrong. GOD, WHO knows all things,
knew from the beginning what HE wanted to do, in this particular space in time.
GOD’s purpose was “to show HIS wisdom, in all of its rich variety” (sophia
polypoikilos), to all the rulers and authority on earth, and in the Heaven
realms (Vs.9-10).
GOD’s wisdom is manifested through the
Christian Church by the joining together of Jews and Gentiles in one body under
CHRIST JESUS. This represents GOD’s “eternal plan” being carried out through
JESUS CHRIST our LORD. Because of JESUS, and our faith in HIM, we can now
re-connect into a right relationship of family and friendship with GOD the
Father. We now have “direct access” to HIM, through JESUS CHRIST, our LORD, and
we need not despair anymore.
A Sunday school lesson
by,
Larry D. Alexander
LARRY D. ALEXANDER- Official Website
