Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Ephesians 3:2
If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward:
2. If ye have heard of ] Lit. if so be that ye heard of. This phrase occasions the question, Could this Epistle have been addressed to a Church familiar with St Paul? And it has thus seemed, to some extreme critics, an argument against the genuineness of the Epistle, a lapsus plum on the part of a fabricator; and, in very different quarters, an argument against the special destination to Ephesus (see Introduction, ch. 3). Not here to notice the anti-Pauline inference it is enough to say of the anti-Ephesian that it proves too much. What was known of Paul in the Ephesian Church would practically be known of him throughout the missions of Asia (see Act 19:10; Act 19:26), so that the phrase remains as difficult as before. The true account of it, surely, is that it is a phrase of almost irony, an allusion to well-known fact under the disguise of hypothesis. His Gentile commission was no new thing, and was widely known, when this clause was written; but a natural and beautiful rhetoric prefers to treat it as if possibly obscure or forgotten. That St Paul had never been silent at Ephesus on the subject appears from Act 19:8-9, where we see him withdrawing the converts from the synagogue.
the dispensation ] The stewardship. For the figure, cp. 1Co 4:1-2 ; 1Co 9:17; Col 1:25; 1Pe 4:10.
the grace of God which is given me ] Such is the grammatical connexion; not the “stewardship” but the “grace” is the thing given. And the “grace” is explained by Rom 1:5 (“grace and apostleship”) and below, Eph 3:7-8. It was the loving gift of commission and inspiration to preach Christ among the Gentiles. For similar allusions to his life-work cp. Act 22:21; Act 26:17-18; Rom 1:5; Rom 11:13; Gal 2:2; Gal 2:9.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
If ye have heard – – Ei-ge If at least, if indeed, if so be, spoken of what is taken for granted. Robinson; compare 2Co 5:3; Gal 3:4; Eph 4:21; Col 1:23, for the use of the particle. The particle here is not designed to express a doubt whether they had heard of it or not, for he takes it for granted that they had. Doddridge renders it, since I well know you have heard, etc. He had informed them of his being called to be the minister to the Gentiles Eph 3:3, but still there was a possibility that they had not received the letter containing the information, and he goes, therefore, into another statement on the subject, that they might fully comprehend it. Hence, this long parenthetical sentence – one of the longest that occurs in the writings of Paul, and expressed under the impulse of a mind full of the subject; so full, as we would say, that he did not know what to say first.
Hence, it is exceedingly difficult to understand the exact state of mind in which he was. It seems to me that the whole of this long statement grew out of the incidental mention Eph 3:1 of the fact that he was a prisoner for the Gentiles. Instantly he seems to have reflected that they would be grieved at the intelligence that he was suffering on their account. He goes, therefore, into this long account, to show them how it happened; that it was by the appointment of God; that it was in the evolving of a great and glorious mystery; that it was in a cause adapted to promote, in an eminent degree, the glory of God; that it was according to an eternal purpose; and he, therefore Eph 3:13, says, that he desires that they would not faint or be unduly distressed on account of his sufferings for them, since his sufferings were designed to promote their glory. He was comforted in the belief that he was making known the glorious and eternal plan of God, and in the belief that it was for the welfare of mankind; and he, therefore, entreated them also not to be troubled inordinately at his sufferings.
The dispensation – Greek economy; rendered stewardship, Luk 16:2-4; and dispensation, Eph 1:10; Eph 3:2; Col 1:25; see the notes at Eph 1:10. It means here that this arrangement was made that he should be the apostle to the Gentiles. In the assignment of the different parts of the work of preaching the gospel, the office had been committed to him of making it known to the pagan.
Of the grace of God – In the arrangements of his grace.
Which is given me to you-ward – Toward you who are Gentiles. Not to the Ephesians particularly, but to the nations at large; see the notes at Gal 2:7.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Eph 3:2
If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward.
Gods dispensation of grace
The ministerial calling is termed grace, because the designing to it is of grace, and the faculty qualifying us for it is from the free favour of God.
1. This assures ministers that their sufferings are for the good of the people, if they know they have a calling from God.
2. God distributes callings for the good of His Church.
3. As God gives ministers their calling, so also their people toward whom He will bless their labours. Every minister must be
(1) Separated.
(2) Authorized.
(3) Have his pastoral charge assigned him.
When the Lord lights candles, He finds candlesticks on which to set them, and when He gives a calling, He gives a people amongst whom this function should be exercised.
4. People are specially to depend on their own pastor. (Paul Bayne.)
The dispensation of grace
If here might very well be read since, as in Col 1:23; Gal 3:4; 2Co 5:2, where the thing spoken of is not doubtful, but taken for granted. The connection is this: You know then, dear brethren, that I am the Lords prisoner for your sake, since, or forasmuch as, you know the cause of it in my miraculous conversion, and my being called to the apostolic office. For your sakes, too, I have received this grace of God, that I should be the econome or steward of the heavenly house. Here it is the grace; in Col 1:25 it is the dispensation which is given, and the meaning is nearly the same. The office and the qualification are both from God. What is this economy or dispensation? It is the law of the house, the principle and mode of housekeeping–the Haushaltung Gottes, according to the Germans. The idea is beautiful. The house, the household, the father, the family, are the holiest things on the earth. There all sorts of varieties and diversities meet in unity, rule, and obedience, rewards and punishments, hopes and fears. There are varieties of ages, sexes, characters, conditions, temperaments, etc., and the scheme of disciplining and ruling the whole is economy, the house law or dispensation, and the person to whom this is committed is the economist of the house, as Joseph was (Gen 39:4), or the heir, as Eliezer (Gen 15:2; Gen 24:2). (W. Graham, D. D.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 2. If ye have heard of the dispensation] The compound particle , which is commonly translated if indeed, in several places means since indeed, seeing that, and should be translated so in this verse, and in several other places of the New Testament. Seeing ye have heard of the dispensation of God, which is given me to you-ward: this they had amply learned from the apostle during his stay at Ephesus, for he had not shunned to declare unto them the whole counsel of God, Ac 20:27, and kept nothing back that was profitable to them, Ac 20:20. And this was certainly among those things that were most profitable, and most necessary to be known.
By the dispensation of the grace of God we may understand, either the apostolic office and gifts granted to St. Paul, for the purpose of preaching the Gospel among the Gentiles, see Ro 1:5; or the knowledge which God gave him of that gracious and Divine plan which he had formed for the conversion of the Gentiles. For the meaning of the word economy, See Clarke on Eph 1:10.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
If ye have heard; this doth not imply doubting, but rather the apostle takes the thing for granted; q.d. Seeing ye have heard; and so some render it. See the like, 1Pe 2:3.
Of the dispensation of the grace of God: either by grace he means his apostleship, as Rom 1:5; Gal 2:9; or the free grace of God for salvation revealed in the gospel which he was to preach; and then by dispensation we must understand his commission or ordination of God to that work, via. to publish that grace whereof the ministers of the gospel are the dispensers, 1Co 4:1.
Which is given me to you-ward; to you Ephesians and other Gentiles, for whom particularly I am appointed an apostle, Act 9:15; 26:17,18; Ga 2:7.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
2. IfThe Greek doesnot imply doubt: “Assuming (what I know to be the fact, namely)that ye have heard,” c. “If, as I presume,” Theindicative in the Greek shows that no doubt is implied:”Seeing that doubtless,” &c. He by this phrasedelicately reminds them of their having heard from himself, andprobably from others subsequently, the fact. See <i>Introduction,showing that these words do not disprove the address of this Epistleto the Ephesians. Compare Ac20:17-24.
the dispensation“Theoffice of dispensing, as a steward, the grace of God which was (not’is’) given me to you-ward,” namely, to dispense to you.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God,…. Not the free love and favour of God in his heart towards his people; nor internal grace wrought in the heart of the apostle; but either the gift of grace, as in Eph 3:7 qualifying him for the work of the ministry; and so the Ethiopic version renders it, “if ye have heard the gift of the grace of God”; or rather the doctrine of grace, the Gospel, the subject matter of which is the grace of God; it is a declaration of the free grace of God in the salvation of men; and it is the means of conveying the grace of God into their hearts. Now the apostle had a dispensation to preach this Gospel committed to him; he acted by authority, and as a steward of the mysteries of God; and which he faithfully dispensed to the family of Christ, who appointed him to this service: this the Ephesians had heard of, from the relations of the apostle, and others, and knew it themselves, having often heard him preach, for he was with them for the space of three years; wherefore this is not said as if he questioned, whether they had heard or not, but as taking it for granted that they had: “if”, or “seeing ye have heard”, c.
which is given me to you-ward it was not for his own private use, that the Gospel was committed to him, or gifts were given him to qualify him for the dispensation of it, but for the sake of others, especially the Gentiles, and particularly the Ephesians.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
If so be that ye have heard ( ). Condition of first class with and first aorist active indicative and with the intensive particle that gives a delicate touch to it all. On (stewardship, dispensation) see Eph 1:9; Eph 3:9; Col 1:25.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
If ye have heard [ ] . Here begins a long digression extending to ver. 14. If, Rev., if so be, means upon the supposition that; not implying the certainty of the assumption, though this shade of meaning is given by the context. The words are a reminder of his preaching among them.
Dispensation [] . See on ch. Eph 1:10; Col 1:25. The divine arrangement or disposition.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “If ye have heard” (ei ge ekousate) “If indeed ye heard,” a supposition taken for granted that they had heard. This appears to be a gentle appeal expressing hope that this preaching to them had not been forgotten.
2) “Of the dispensation of the grace of God” (ten oikonomian tes charitos toutheou) “The stewardship or house-rule of the grace of God.” This refers to the divine arrangement for the dispensing of the gospel through the church, referred to as a stewardship, house-rule or order of work and worship, which Paul was -called to communicate to the Gentiles, 1Co 9:16-17; 1Co 11:1-2.
3) “Which is given me to you-ward” (tes dotheises; moi eis humas) “Given to me for you all.” Paul’s call to the ministry as an apostle, to make known the grace of God through the church, was not for his own sake, but for the sake of the Gentiles, Rom 11:13; Gal 2:7-8.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
2. If ye have heard. There is reason to believe, that, while Paul was at Ephesus, he had said nothing on these subjects, no necessity for doing so having arisen; for no controversy had taken place among them about the calling of the Gentiles. If he had made any mention of them in his discourses, he would have reminded the Ephesians of his former statements, instead of referring generally, as he now does, to common report and to his own Epistle. He did not, of his own accord, raise unnecessary disputes. It was only when the wickedness of his adversaries made it necessary, that he reluctantly undertook the defense of his ministry. Dispensation ( οικονομια) means here a divine order or command, or, as it is generally expressed, a commission
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(2) If ye have heard.The original word rendered if (the same used below, Eph. 4:21, and in 2Co. 5:3; Gal. 3:4; Col. 1:23) conveys, in such collocation as this, a supposition which is only a supposition in forma half-ironical reference to a thing not doubtful. The sense is if (that is), or if, as I suppose, ye heard the dispensation, &c. The passage bears on the question whether the Epistle was an encyclical letter, or one addressed to the Ephesian Church. The argument which has been drawn from it in the former direction is not so strong as appears in the English; for the original implies no doubt that the readers of the Epistle had heard, and the hearing might have been not about St. Paul, but from St. Paul himself. Still, there is a vague generality about the expression, which suits well an address to the Asiatic churches generally, but could hardly have been used to a church so well known and beloved as Ephesus, where the signs of an Apostle had been wrought abundantly.
The dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward.The descriptive clause, which is given me to you-ward, is seen in the original to belong to the word grace, not (as our version might suggest) to dispensation. The grace of God is spoken of as given to St. Paul, not so much for his own sake, as for ministration to them of the dispensation described in the next verse. We find there that the revelation of salvation to the Gentiles was the dispensation, that is (much as in Eph. 1:10), the peculiar office in the ministration of the grace of God to the world, assigned to St. Paul by His wisdom. (Comp. 1Co. 1:17-24, God sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel . . . We preach Christ crucified . . . unto them that are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.)
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
(2) Eph. 3:14-19 contain a prayer, addressed with special emphasis to the Father of all, that by the strengthening grace of the Spirit and the indwelling of Christ, accepted in faith and deepened by love, they may, first, know the mystery already described in all its greatness; and, next, learn by experience the unsearchable love of Christ, as dwelling in them, and so filling them up to the fulness of God.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
2. If ye have heard The best commentators, as Meyer, Alford, Ellicott, Eadie, etc., agree that the Greek for this if implies no doubt of their having heard, but rather assumption that they had, namely, from Paul himself during his two years’ ministry at Ephesus.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Eph 3:2. If ye have heard Since, or forasmuch as ye have heard.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Eph 3:2 . Confirmation of that which has just been said, , by the recalling of what the readers have heard concerning his vocation. “ For you, the Gentiles ,” I say, upon the presupposition that , etc. This presupposition he expresses by , i.e. turn certe si (Klotz, ad Devar. p. 308), it being implied in the connection (for of his church he could not presuppose anything else), not in the word itself, that he assumes this rightly . He might have written , if at all, provided that , or , provided namely (Xen. Mem. i. 4. 4, Anab. i. 7. 9; often in the tragedians), but he has conceived the presupposition under the form at least if, if namely , and so denotes it. Comp. on Gal 3:4 and 2Co 5:3 ; wherever is used and the assumption is a certain one (as also at Eph 4:21 ), the latter is to be gathered from the connection. From whom the readers had heard the matter in question, their own consciousness told them, namely, from Paul himself and other Pauline teachers, so that . . . is a reminder of his preaching among them . Hence our passage is wrongly regarded as at variance with the superscription , and as pointing to readers to whom Paul was not personally known; whilst others , as Grotius (so also Rinck, Sendschr. der Korinth . p. 56, who, however, takes the correct view in the Stud. u. Krit. 1849, p. 954), have, without any ground in the context, assigned to the simple the signification bene intelligere ; Calvin, on the other hand, had recourse to the altogether unnatural hypothesis: “Credibile est, quum ageret Ephesi, eum tacuisse de his rebus ;” and Bttger ( Beitr. iii. p. 46 ff.) refers it to the hearing of this Epistle read , against which the very that follows in Eph 3:3 is decisive. Estius very correctly states that is not “ dubitantis, sed potius affirmantis ; neque enim ignorare quod hic dicitur poterant Ephesii, quibus P. ipse evang. plusquam biennio praedicaverat. ” [166] Paul might have expressed himself in the form of an assertion ( , or ), but the hypothetic form of expression constitutes a more delicate and suggestive way of recalling his preaching among them (as also the Attic writers, in place of , delicately use the hypothetic ; see Khner, ad Xen. Mem. i. 5. 1), without, however, containing an obliquam reprehensionem (Vitringa, comp. Holzhausen), of which the context affords no trace.
. . .] the arrangement (see on Eph 1:10 ) which has been made regarding the grace of God given to me with reference to you ( is the genitive objecti ). The more precise explanation is then given by . . . The is here, in accordance with the context ( . ), the divine bestowal of grace that took place in the entrusting him with the apostolic office . Comp. on Rom 12:3 ; Rom 15:15 . Others , like Pelagius, Anselm, Erasmus, Grotius, Michaelis, Rosenmller, et al. , have explained . . . as the office of administering evangelic grace ; but against this it may be urged that not , but , must have been afterwards used. This mistake is avoided by Wieseler, p. 446 f., where he takes it as: the office for which I have been qualified by the grace conferred upon me on your behalf. This office the readers had heard , inasmuch as they had heard the preaching of the apostle. But how are we to justify the expression “to hear the office ,” instead of “to hear the official preaching ”? The words would merely say: if ye have heard of the office, etc., Gal 1:13 ; Col 1:4 ; Phm 1:5 .
[166] De Wette dogmatically lays it down that the readers had no need, if the apostle had already exercised his apostolic calling among them, now first to learn from himself that he had received it. But in so speaking he has not attended to the fact that the object of the is not the reception of the apostolic vocation in general, but the mode of this reception (namely, , ver. 3). This account of the manner in which he had become their apostle he communicated to them when he was with them, and of this he reminds them now.
Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary
2 If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward:
Ver. 2. Of the dispensation ] Gr. economy. The Church is God’s house, 1Ti 3:15 . Paul was faithful therein as a steward, Mat 24:45 .
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Eph 3:2 . : if so be that ye did hear of the dispensation of the grace of God that was given me to you-ward . The comp. particle , or (according to LTrWH), makes a supposition which is taken for granted, = “if, indeed, as I may assume”. Whether the certainty of the assumption is in the particle itself or is derived from the context is still debated among grammarians. Some hold that in this case as in others the simply strengthens the force of the simple particle, while others think that this is its significance, if not in every instance, at least in a considerable number of occurrences; cf. Mey. and Ell., in loc. ; Win.-Moult., p. 561; Bumlein, Partikeln , p. 64. Here it introduces a polite reminder of what these Ephesians certainly had heard “a gentle appeal, expressed in a hypothetical form, and conveying the hope that his words had not been quite forgotten” (Ell.). On , which means the dispensation , the arrangement made in the matter of something, not “the apostolic office” (Wiesel.), see under Eph 1:10 . The is the gen. objecti or that of “the point of view” (Ell.) = the arrangement or disposition in respect of the grace of God. The itself is not the apostolic office (Est.), but the gift of grace that selected Paul and qualified him for that office; and so it (not the , but the ) is described as , given . The , admirably rendered by the AV “to you-ward,” denotes the “ethical direction” (Ell.) of the gift of grace the fact that it was bestowed on Paul not for his own sake, but with a view to their position.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
If = If indeed. Greek. eige. See App-118.
have. Omit.
dispensation = stewardship. Greek. oikonomia. See Eph 1:10.
the = that.
grace. App-184.
God. App-98.
is = was.
to . . . -ward. Greek. eis. App-104. The grace of God which concerned them and us. Not the grace of God as to “the kingdom”, or “the heavenly calling” (see App-193), but the gospel of God’s grace as to the church which is the body of Christ.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Eph 3:2. , since[39] indeed ye have heard) The things which they had heard concerning Paul (comp. note on Eph 1:1[40]) were a testimony that he, Eph 3:1, spoke the truth concerning himself.
[39] Or if: but the Indic. favours since.-ED.
[40] Viz. They bad heard of his bonds, and of his being persecuted by the Jews for his preaching to the Gentiles. This hearing was not restricted to the Ephesians; but applies to all, to whom, in the different churches, this encyclical letter was to be carried by Tychicus.-ED.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
Eph 3:2
Eph 3:2
if so be that ye have heard-This does not express a doubt whether they heard it or not, for he takes it for granted that they had. He had informed them and it would not be inconsistent with usage to say, if so be that ye have heard, as alluding to a well- known fact, and as referring to it in the way of calling them to self-scrutiny as to the time when they heard it and the person from whom they heard it.
of the dispensation of that grace of God which was given me to you-ward;-The Lord had called Paul to preach the gospel to the Gentiles. (Act 9:15). This he called the dispensation to youward. God had committed the work of preaching to the Gentiles to Paul as the chief worker and teacher, as he had that of preaching to the Jews to Peter. (Gal 2:9). [By grace is meant the favor whereby Paul was constituted the apostle of the Gentiles. Deeply though he felt his being sent away from preaching to his countrymen (Act 22:18), he took kindly to the new sphere allotted to him, and magnified his ministry (Rom 11:13).]
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
grace
Grace (imparted). Eph 3:2-8; Eph 4:7; Eph 4:29; Rom 6:1; 2Pe 3:18.
Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes
ye: Eph 4:21, Gal 1:13, Col 1:4, Col 1:6, 2Ti 1:11
the dispensation: Eph 3:8, Eph 4:7, Act 9:15, Act 13:2, Act 13:46, Act 22:21, Act 26:17, Act 26:18, Rom 1:5, Rom 11:13, Rom 12:3, Rom 15:15, Rom 15:16, 1Co 4:1, 1Co 9:17-22, Gal 1:15, Gal 1:16, Gal 2:8, Gal 2:9, Col 1:25-27, 1Ti 1:11, 1Ti 2:7, 2Ti 1:11
Reciprocal: Joh 17:8 – I have 1Co 3:10 – to the Eph 3:7 – I
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
(Eph 3:2.) -If indeed ye have heard of the dispensation. As the translation-if ye have heard-seems to imply that Paul was a stranger to the Ephesian church, various attempts have been made to give the words another rendering. (See Introduction.) That may bear the meaning since, is undeniable (Eph 4:21; Col 1:23); or, if indeed, as I take for granted, ye have heard; or, as Estius and Wiggers translate-if, as is indeed the case, ye have heard. Hermann, ad Viger. p. 834. The particle is used in suppletive sentences (Hartung, Partik. 1.391), and may be rendered und zwar-and indeed. Harless is inclined to take the words as hypothetical, as indicating want of personal acquaintance with his readers; but Hartung (2.212) lays it down, that in cases where the contents of the sentence are adduced as proof of a preceding statement, the meaning of approaches that of and . Hoogeveen also states the same canon. The apostle says-I am a prisoner for you Gentiles; and he now gives the reason of his assertion-Ye must surely have heard of the dispensation committed to me-a dispensation whose prominent and distinctive element it is to preach among the Gentiles.
Reckless efforts have been made upon the verb -as when Pelagius renders it firmiter tenetis. So Anselm, Grotius, and Rinck, Sendschreib. des Korinth. p. 56. See under Eph 1:15. The apostle has been supposed by Musculus, Crocius, Flatt, and de Wette, to mean hearing by report of others. There is no proof of this in the language, nor of the other version-hearing, and also attending and understanding. The writer may refer to his own sermons, for we cannot say with Calvin-credibile est, quum ageret Ephesi, eum tacuisse de his rebus. The apostle may, in this quiet form, stir up their memory of the truth, that mission to the heathen was his special work-not his work by accident, but by fixed Divine arrangement. He preached in Ephesus to both Jew and Gentile; and his precise vocation, as the apostle of the Gentiles, might not have been very fully or formally discussed. Still it was a theme which could not have been kept in abeyance. They surely had heard it from his lips; and this , rather than , is the expression of a gentle hope that they had not forgotten the lesson. Yet there is no reprehension in the phrase, as is supposed by Vitringa and Holzhausen.
The term does not signify the apostolical office, as is the opinion of Luther, Musculus, Rollock, Aretius, Crocius, Wieseler, and others, for it is explained by the apostle himself in the following verse; and it cannot denote dispensatio doctrinae, as Pelagius translates it; not officium dispensandae gratiae Dei, as Anselm explains it. See under Eph 1:10. Its meaning is arrangement or plan; and the apostle employs it to describe the mode in which he had been selected and qualified to preach faith and privilege to the Gentiles. Chrysostom identifies the with the of the following verse-As much as to say, I learned it not from man. How came it that a person like Paul-a staunch Pharisee, a scholar of Gamaliel, attached to rabbinical studies, and a zealot in defence of the law-how came it that he, with antecedents so notorious in their contrast, should be the man to preach, as his special mission, the entrance of Gentiles into Christian privilege? The method of his initiation was of God; and that economy is described as being-
-of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward. This is not, as Grotius and Rckert imagine, the apostolical office, but the source or contents of it. We see no ground to identify with the following , though it includes it. The idea is either that the had its origin in that , or rather that the was its characteristic element. Winer, 30, 2. That grace was given him, not that he might enjoy it as a private luxury, but that he by its assistance might impart it to others- -to you, not inter vos, as Storr makes it. Gal 1:15; Gal 2:9; Act 22:21. There may, as Stier suggests, be an allusion in the to the of Eph 3:21 in the previous chapter. In the house-arrangement and distribution of offices, the building of the Gentile portion of the structure was Paul’s special function. The apostle now becomes more special in his description-
Fuente: Commentary on the Greek Text of Galatians, Ephesians, Colossians and Phillipians
Eph 3:2. If ye have heard has the sense of saying, “I take it for granted ye have heard,” etc., yet Paul considers it well to give them further information on the important subject. Dispensation is defined in Thayer’s lexicon, “the management, oversight, administration, of others’ property; the office of a manager or overseer, stewardship.” The phrase means that the apostle had been given charge of administrating the grace or favor of God unto the Gentiles.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Eph 3:2. If indeed. The same phrase occurs in chap. Eph 4:21; it does not imply doubt, but rather assumes something to be true, challenging the reader to verify the assumption in his own case.
Ye have heard; lit, did hear, but the proper force is expressed by have heard. Not to have recognized Paul, not to have received his teaching, would be equivalent to not having heard him. Hence it is not correct to conclude from these words, that the Epistle was not written to Ephesus (Braune).
Of the dispensation of the grace of God. On dispensation, comp. chap. Eph 1:10. This does not refer to his office, for how could they hear of that, but rather to a divine arrangement, which has reference, is concerned with, the grace of God, in virtue of which grace he had indeed received his office. Some explain: belonging to the grace of God, but the passive form of the next verse (which explains this phrase) favors the other view.
Which was given me. This qualifies grace, not dispensation, and includes all that grace which prepared and qualified him for his office. It must not there-fore be explained, that the administration of Divine grace was committed to him.
To you-ward. More than among you, or with respect to you; literally, unto you, i.e., this grace was given in order that my activity might produce certain results in you,
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
Observe here, 1. The title given to the gospel, it is styled the grace of God; partly because the glad tidings which the gospel brings are the effect and product of God’s grace and favour, and partly because the gospel is the instrument and means of working peace in the souls of persons.
Observe, 2. The title given to St. Paul’s apostleship; he styles it the dispensation of the grace of God, because God had commissioned him to declare and dispense the gospel of grace to them; Christ’s ministers are the dispensers of his mind to the children of men.
Observe, 3. The title here given to the calling of the Gentiles: he styles it a mystery. The calling of the Gentiles to salvation by faith in Christ, without the works of the law, was a mystery hid from ages.
Observe, 4. The way and manner how St. Paul came by the knowledge of this mystery: it was by divine revelation from heaven, Eph 3:3 How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery. The mystery of man’s redemption in general, and of the calling of the Gentiles in particular to the participation of that grace, was made known by divine revelation to the apostles by God himself. The truth is, the redempton of a lost world, by the incarnation, death, and passion, of the Son of God, is so stupendous and surprising, so wonderful and amazing, that the very thoughts of it had been the highest blasphemy, if God himself had not revealed it.
Fuente: Expository Notes with Practical Observations on the New Testament
Verse 2
The dispensation of the grace of God; the commission to make known the grace of God.–To you-ward; for your benefit.
Fuente: Abbott’s Illustrated New Testament
If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward:
“If” and assumed so is the construction here, thus Paul assumes that they have heard of the dispensation of the Grace of God and they know what he is talking about. It would be also assumed from our end that they understood more than just the words – they had probably been taught a certain amount about the dispensation and the meaning of it somewhere along the line in their spiritual walk.
Indeed, they may know more about it than we do since Paul does not give us the background that they seemingly had. That is of interest to me – just what did they know? How did it impact their lives? I would assume that anything we needed to know about it is included in the Scripture so that we can know as well.
The term “dispensation” is “oikonomia” which relates to a stewardship or the administration of the affairs of a household. The word appears seven times in the New Testament. Luk 16:2-4; 1Co 9:17; Eph 1:10; Eph 3:2; Col 1:25. In the Luke text we see it as the steward of a rich man. One that oversaw the affairs of the rich man’s household. This often took in the day to day management as well as seeing to financial matters relating to the house.
We saw it related to a time when God will bring all things to conclusion in our study of chapter one verse ten and here we see it related to a period of “grace.” In Colossians it relates to a time when Paul is given stewardship over the Gospel for the benefit of his readers.
The idea of dispensations came about under the teaching of John Darby and later by C. I. Scofield. Some covenant people relate it back to a mystic nun and some of her visions, but this has been an “Urban Legend” of the internet. Darby made the teaching popular and others of his time saw the validity of looking at Scripture in this manner and adopted the system.
Over the years many have started drifting away from the system, indeed, some of the major seminaries that have been bastions of Dispensationalism have nearly eliminated the teaching from their course work.
It is a system that is much maligned and totally misunderstood by most that reject it. Many on the internet have assumed what the system teaches and have made straw men to shoot down, but few really take time to study the system and understand it. Most pick up the falsehoods and perpetuate them to all who will listen.
I feel for those that spend their lives building these straw men so that they can shoot them down. They are being dishonest with themselves as well as those that might listen to them. They cannot stand the study required to understand something so just take a guess, or take something they have heard and find a way to dispose with the position that they have created in their mind and feel good about what they have done, when indeed, they have duped themselves.
What is worse is that many of these, when confronted with truth ignore what they have been shown, ignore the fact that their thinking is incorrect and they go on perpetuating their error at every opportunity. Many are the times on the internet when I have confronted people with their straw men and their invalid arguments against Dispensationalism, but they simply ignore what is put before them in favor of their own “INTELECTUAL SIDESTEPPING.”
The system does not teach two ways of salvation, never has and I doubt that it ever will. All dispensationalists view the Old Testament saints coming to God through the cross and not by keeping the law.
Most dispensationalists see all of time divided into seven dispensations. They begin with innocence in the Garden, another dispensation that covers the time between the fall and human government with Noah which is the third, then Promise with Abraham, Law with Moses, grace with the coming of Christ, then they add the final of the kingdom.
There are variations on the seven and some add an eighth for the tribulation. The point is not how many, but that God operates over man in differing methods. He does not operate with those in the church age as He did with people under the law. If you think about the law and grace you will see many many distinctions. This is all that Dispensationalism says – God works with man in different ways in different ages. His governing is different and his requirements are different, but the way to salvation is always the cross no matter what dispensation you live in.
I might add that Dispensationalism is almost always linked with literal interpretation and that the other system, covenant theology, is always linked to allegorical interpretation. In fact most covenant theologians admit that if you interpret the Word literally you will become a dispensationalist. I see that as a very good thing myself.
If you do not hold to the teaching of dispensations, then you will mix all of Scripture into a big bundle of promises and requirements that relate to everyone, and have a result of confusion. This is why covenant theology sees circumcision and baptism as partners and this is why they baptize babies. The mixing of promises to Israel with the church leads to all sorts of confusion about the end times as well. If what they say is true, you can go to the Old Testament and pick out any promise you want and claim it as your own – just don’t hold your breath till God fulfills that promise.
Fuente: Mr. D’s Notes on Selected New Testament Books by Stanley Derickson
This verse begins another long sentence that runs through Eph 3:13 in the Greek text. "If indeed" (NASB) means "Surely" (NIV, cf. Eph 4:21). The Ephesians had indeed heard of Paul’s ministry.
"Stewardship" or "administration" (Gr. oikonomia, dispensation, Eph 3:9; Eph 1:10) here has the idea of the management of someone else’s business (cf. 1Co 9:17; Col 1:25). Paul viewed God as in the process of dispensing His grace throughout history through various administrators. Paul’s responsibility was to carry God’s grace to all people, but particularly to the Gentiles (cf. Eph 3:8; Eph 2:7).
"God’s principles do not change, but His methods of dealing with mankind do change over the course of history. ’Distinguish the ages,’ wrote St. Augustine, ’and the Scriptures harmonize.’" [Note: Wiersbe, 2:27.]