Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Ephesians 3:7
Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power.
7. a minister ] Diconos, a worker, helper. Cp. Col 1:23. The word implies activity and subordination. “I” here is not emphatic.
according to the gift, &c.] See above on Eph 3:2. The “gift” includes the commission and the inspiration. His “ministry,” both in field and in effect, was “according to” this great gift.
given ] I.e. (by the best attested reading) the grace which was given. So R.V. “the gift of that grace which was given.”
by the effectual working &c.] Read certainly, according to the working, &c. For similar phrases cp. Eph 1:19; Php 3:21; and esp. Col 1:29, where, as here, he speaks of working “according to” a power experienced by himself. A comma should be read before this second “according to.” The statement is that he “became a minister, according to,” in a way explained by, two things, a Divine Gift, and a Divine working Power. Observe the recognition, at once restful and energizing, that the actual movements of the power of God were the force behind all his apostolic activity. “By Him he moves, in Him he lives.” Cp. besides Col 1:29 just cited, 1Co 15:10; 2Co 3:5 ; 2Co 4:7; 2Co 12:9-10; Gal 2:20; Php 4:13; Col 1:11.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Whereof I was made a minister – see the notes at Eph 3:2.
According to the gift of the grace of God – It was not by my own seeking or merit; it was a free gift.
Of the grace of God – The sentiment is, that throughout it was a mere matter of grace that he was called into the ministry, and that so important an office was entrusted to him as that of bearing the gospel to the Gentiles.
By the effectual working of his power – Not by any native inclination which I had to the gospel, and not by any power which I have put forth. It is by the energy of his power; compare notes, Gal 2:8. Locke understands this of the energy or power which God put forth in converting the Gentiles under his ministry. But it seems to me that it refers rather to the power which God put forth in the conversion of Paul himself, and putting him into the ministry. This is clear from the following verse. The meaning is, that such was his opposition to the gospel by nature, that nothing but the energy of God could overcome it, and that his conversion was to be traced to that alone.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Eph 3:7
Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of His power.
The ministerial gift
1. The ministerial gift, which God of grace giveth, makes a minister.
2. Ministers differ in their gifts and qualifications.
3. Gods power accompanies the gift of the ministry. (Paul Bayne.)
A true minister
The Rev. S. Pearce, being one week day evening in London, asked a friend where he could hear a good sermon. Two places were mentioned. Well, said he, tell me the characters of the preachers, that I may choose. Mr. D–, said his friend, exhibits the orator, and is much admired for his pulpit eloquence. And what is the other? Why, I hardly know what to say of Mr. C–; he always throws himself in the background, and you see his Master only. Thats the man for me, then, said the amiable Pearce; let us go and hear him. (W. Baxendale.)
Gifts differ
A violet shed its modest beauties at the turfy foot of an old oak. It lived there many days during the kind summer in obscurity. The winds and the rains came and fell, but they did not hurt the violet. Storms often crashed among the boughs of the oak. And one day said the oak, Are you not ashamed of yourself when you look up at me, you little thing down there, when you see now large I am and how small you are; when you see how small a space you fill, and how widely my branches are spread? No, said the violet; we are both where God has placed us; and God has given us both something. He has given to you strength, to me sweetness; and I offer Him back my fragrance, and I am thankful! Sweetness is all nonsense, said the oak; a few days–a month at most–where and what will you be? You will die, and the place of your grave will not lift the ground higher by a blade of grass. I hope to stand some time–ages perhaps; and then, when I am cut down, I shall be a ship, to bear men over the sea, or a coffin to hold the dust of a prince. What is your lot to mine? But, cheerfully breathed the violet back, we are both what God made us, and we are both where He placed us. I suppose I shall die soon. I hope to die fragrantly, as I have lived fragrantly. You must be cut down at last; it does not matter, that I see, a few days or a few ages, my littleness or your largeness; it comes to the same thing at last. We are what God made us. We are where God placed us. God gave you strength; God gave me sweetness. (W. Baxendale.)
All gifts come from God
In the year 1808, a grand performance of the Creation took place at Vienna. Haydn was present, but he was so old and feeble that he had to be wheeled in a chair into the theatre, where a princess of the house of Esterhazy took her seat by his side. This was the last time that Haydn appeared in public, and a very impressive sight it must have been to see the aged father of music listening to the Creation of his younger days, but too old to take any active share in the performance. The presence of the old man roused intense enthusiasm among the audience, which could no longer be suppressed as the chorus and orchestra burst in fall power upon the superb passage, And there was light. Amid the tumult of the enraptured audience the old composer was seen striving to raise himself. Once on his feet, he mustered up all his strength, and in reply to the applause of the audience, he cried out as loud as he was able. No, no! not from me, but, pointing to heaven, from thence–from heaven above–comes all! saying which, he fell back in his chair, faint and exhausted, and had to be carried out of the room. (Frederick Crowest.)
The Christians personal duty towards the gospel
Every Christian hath his talent given him, his service enjoined him. The gospel is a depositum, a public treasure, committed to the keeping of every Christian; each man having, as it were, a several key of the Church, a several trust for the honour of this kingdom delivered unto him. As, in the solemn coronation of the prince, every peer of the realm hath his station about the throne, and with touch of his hand upon the royal crown, declareth the personal duty of that honour, which he is called unto, namely, to hold on the crown on the head of his sovereign; to make it the main end of his greatness, to study, and by all means endeavour, the establishment of his princes throne; so every Christian, as soon as he hath the honour to be called unto the kingdom and presence of Christ, hath immediately no meaner a depositum committed to his care than the very throne and crown of his Saviour, than the public honour, peace, victory, and stability of his Masters kingdom. (Bishop Reynolds.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 7. Whereof I was made a minister] . A deacon, a servant acting under and by the direction of the great Master, Jesus Christ; from whom, by an especial call and revelation, I received the apostolic gifts and office, and by , the energy, the in-working of his power, this Gospel which I preached was made effectual to the salvation of vast multitudes of Jews and Gentiles.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
According to the gift of the grace of God; either according to the free gift of God, and which was given merely of grace; or by
gift he understands all those several gifts (as of knowledge, utterance, &c.) which were the necessary qualifications and furniture of an apostle for the due discharge of his office, all which were freely given to him.
Given unto me by the effectual working of his power; whereby God made him a preacher of the gospel, who had been a persecutor of believers, and wrought effectually by the Spirit with his preaching for the conversion of thousands, and spreading the gospel in many countries; and likewise wrought miracles for the confirmation of the truth, and conviction of hearers, Act 19:12; 28:8.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
7. Whereof“of which”Gospel.
according toinconsequence of, and in accordance with, “the gift of the graceof God.”
given“which (giftof grace) was given to me by (Greek, ‘according to,’ as inEph 3:20; Eph 1:19:as the result of, and in proportion to) the effectual working (Greek,‘energy,’ or ‘in-working’) of His power.”
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Whereof I was made a minister,…. That is, of the Gospel, not by men, but by God: and he is a true minister of the Gospel who is called of God to the work of the ministry, and is qualified by him with grace and gifts for it; and who faithfully discharges it according to the ability God has given; and such an one was the apostle:
according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me; not according to his natural capacity, his liberal education, or acquired learning; but according to a gift, a ministerial gift bestowed upon him, for such service: for this gift of grace does not design the grace of God wrought in his soul; nor the doctrines of grace, the subject of the Gospel ministry; nor the efficacious grace of God, which makes that successful and useful to the souls of men; but a gift of interpreting the Scriptures, and of explaining the truths of the Gospel to the edification of men; and which is a distinct thing from natural abilities, human learning, or internal grace; for there may be all these, and yet a man not fit to be a minister of the Gospel; what qualifies men for that is the above gift, which God, of his sovereign good will and pleasure, gives to some of the sons of men:
by the effectual working of his power; the power of God is seen in working grace in the hearts of men, thereby making them believers in Christ; and it is also displayed in the gifts of the Spirit bestowed on men, which is called a being endued with a power from on high; thereby making men, and not angels, and these oftentimes the meanest and weakest, ministers of Christ; and likewise in assisting them in their work, and in carrying them through it, and in making them successful in it, to the conversion of sinners, and the edification of saints.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
For this verse see Col 1:25; Eph 1:19; Eph 3:2.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
Gift of the grace. The gift in which the grace of God consisted, the apostleship to the Gentiles.
By the effectual working of His power [ ] . Rev., better, according to the working, etc. The gift was bestowed in accordance with that efficiency which could transform Saul the persecutor into Paul the apostle to the Gentiles.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “Whereof I was made a minister” (ou egenethen diakonos) “Of which I became a common-cause (deacon-like) minister,” as a servant in physical things, a waiter or attendant Paul also described himself as such a minister, 2Co 3:6; Col 1:23; 2Th 3:8-12.
2) “According to the gift of the grace of God” (kata ten dorean tes charitos tou theou) “According to the (purpose of) the gift of God.” Paul considered that his apostolic office was a gift of God’s purpose in grace, Eph 3:2; Eph 3:8; Rom 11:13.
3) “Given unto me by the effectual working” (tes dotheises moi kata ten energeian) “Doled out or freely given to me according to the inner (power) working.” God’s work of grace within Paul’s soul and God’s inner call to him for the apostleship to the Gentiles are here acknowledged as the initial cause and motivating force of his ministry, Rom 1:13-16; 1Ti 1:11-16; 2Ti 1:9-11.
4) “Of his power” (tes dunameos autou) “Of the dynamic power of Him.” Paul here referred to that source of God’s omnipotence that had worked in him to transform and empower him in his Gentile ministry.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
7. Of which I was made a minister. Having declared the gospel to be the instrument employed in communicating grace to the Gentiles, he now adds, that he was made a minister of the Gospel; and thus applies to himself the general statements which had been made. But, to avoid claiming for himself more than is proper, he affirms that it is the gift of the grace of God, and that this gift was an exhibition of divine power. As if he had said, “Inquire not what I have deserved; for in the free exercise of kindness, the Lord made me an apostle of the Gentiles, not for any excellence of mine, but by his own grace. Inquire not what I formerly was; for it is the Lord’s prerogative to ‘exalt them of low degree.’” (Luk 1:52.) To produce something great out of nothing, shews the effectual working of his power.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
CRITICAL AND EXPLANATORY NOTES
Eph. 3:7. Whereof I was made a minister.A deacon, a runner of errands. A lowly word, which reminds us of his own self-estimatenot worthy to be called an apostleand prepares us for the strange expression in Eph. 3:8.
Eph. 3:8. Less than the least of all saints.As though we said, Leaster than all Christians (Bishop Alexander). The greatest sinner, the greatest saint, are equidistant from the goal where the mind rests in satisfaction with itself. With the growth in goodness grows the sense of sin. One law fulfilled shows a thousand neglected (Mozley, quoted by Farrar). The unsearchable riches.The untrackable wealth (Farrar), inexplicable by creaturely intelligences, unspeakable therefore by human tongues.
Eph. 3:9. And to make all men see.He says to the Galatians (Eph. 3:1), Christ was placarded before youso here he wants men to see for themselves.
MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.Eph. 3:7-9
An Exalted Ministerial Commission
I. To distribute the unbounded wealth of the gospelUnto me is this grace given, that I should preach the unsearchable riches of Christ (Eph. 3:8). In calling the gospel the unsearchable riches of Christ the apostle signifies that Christ, the whole truth about Him and centred in Him, is the theme of his preaching, and that in Christ he finds a mine of inexhaustible wealth, a treasure of truth which cannot be told. He speaks as one who has searchedsearched so long, so far, as to have had produced on his mind the impression of unsearchableness. His whole style of writing in this chapter is that of a man overwhelmed with a sense of the infinite grace of God revealed in Christ. The expression unsearchable riches, while conveying the same impression of infinitude as the words breadth, length, height, depth, suggests a different ideathat of a mine of precious metal, rather than that of a vast continent of great length and breadth with high mountains and deep valleys spread over its surface. Paul speaks as a man digging in a recently discovered gold-field, who finds particles of the precious metal in such abundance that he cannot refrain from exclaiming ever and anon, What an inexhaustible supply of gold is here! He speaks further as one who feels it his special business to let all the world know of this goldfield, and invite all to come and get a share of its wealth (A. B. Bruce).
II. To reveal to men the secret mind of God.
1. The gospel was for long hidden alone in God. Which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God (Eph. 3:9). It was a mystery hid in God, not from God. The idea of the universality of the gospel, though veiled for ages by the limitations of the divine dealings with the Jewish people, was never absent from the mind of God. Down through the rolling years one eternal purpose runs, and now and then the most gifted of the Hebrew seers caught a glimpse of its ever-widening range. This great secret of the ages was revealed to Paul in such clearness and fulness that he regarded it as the one purpose of his lifehis heaven-sent commissionto make it known to his fellow-men, of whatever nationality.
2. The purpose of the creation of all things by Christ was also a part of the divine mystery.Who created all things by Jesus Christ (Eph. 3:9). The statement of this factthrown in by way of parenthesislinks the whole created things with the development of the divine purpose, and asserts the absolute sovereignty of Jesus over all worlds. In some way yet to be more fully explained as the divine purpose ripens all created beings are to be advantaged by the sublime redemptive work unfolded in the gospel. For He hath created all things, and by Him all things consist.
3. The mystery was revealed to one for the benefit of all.And to make all men see what is the fellowship [the stewardship] of the mystery (Eph. 3:9). It was well for us and the race that the revelation and commission were committed to one who by training and gifts was so well qualified to explain and propagate the grand divine idea. The barriers of Jewish prejudice in Paul were swept away by the vastness and universality of the message. He saw it included his Hebrew brethrenand to them the gospel was first preachedbut he saw also it included all in its comprehensive sweep. Paul was not alone among the apostles in comprehending the breadth of the gospel; but he was foremost and most resolute and unbending in battling for the right of the Gentiles to be admitted to all its blessed privileges. He thought out the gospel for himself, and he became the fearless and astute champion of the sinning race. What is accepted as a commonplace to-day was not won without argument, suffering, and struggle.
III. Bestowed as an act of divine grace.
1. As an act of divine grace it was confirmed by the conscious possession of divine power. Given unto me by the effectual working of His power (Eph. 3:7). Paul himself experienced the transforming power of the gospel. He was deeply convinced of its truth, he believed and embraced its provisions, he accepted Christ as the living core of the gospel, and he was thrilled with the divine power that wrought in him a great moral change. He spoke not only with the force and authority of clearly apprehended truth, but with the unfaltering certitude of personal experience. He was henceforth the willing agent of the divine power working within him.
2. As an act of divine grace his commission overwhelmed him with a sense of personal unworthiness.Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given (Eph. 3:8). The immense favour humbles him to the dust. That Saul, the Pharisee and the persecutor, the most unworthy and unlikely of men, should be the chosen vessel to bear Christs riches to the Gentile world, how shall he sufficiently give thanks for this! how express his wonder at the unfathomable wisdom and goodness that the choice displays in the mind of God! But we can see that this choice was precisely the fittest. A Hebrew of the Hebrews, steeped in Jewish traditions and glorying in his sacred ancestry, none knew better than the apostle Paul how rich were the treasures stored in the house of Abraham that he had to make over to the Gentiles. A true son of that house, he was the fittest to lead in the aliens, to show them its precious things, and make them at home within its walls (Findlay).
Lessons.
1. The minister of the gospel has a solemn responsibility.
2. Should be faithful and earnest in his work.
3. Should guard against temptations to pride.
GERM NOTES ON THE VERSES
Eph. 3:7. A God-made Minister.
1. It is not sufficient warrant for any to meddle with the ministerial office that he hath competent gifts, except he have also ministerial power and authority conveyed to him, either immediately by God, as it was in the calling of the apostles, or mediately according to that order which God has established in His Church, as in the calling of ordinary ministers.
2. As it is required to make a man a minister that he be endued with competent abilities and gifts for that employment, so it is no less requisite that God concur with him. God giveth not to all one and the same gift, or in the same measure, but to some a greater, to others a less, as He hath more or less to do with them.
3. So great and many are the difficulties of ministers before they attain to freedom and boldness in exercising their ministerial gift that no less is required than the power of God, working effectually with a kind of pith and energy. A minister will be always ready to acknowledge his gifts as from God and His powerful working in him, and not to his own dignity, diligence, or parts.Fergusson.
Eph. 3:8-9. The Apostles View of his Ministry.
I. Consider what a humble opinion the apostle had of himself.Who am less than the least of all saints. In his abilities and gifts he was not a whit behind the chiefest apostles, and in sufferings he was more frequent and in labours more abundant than they all. But in respect of worthiness he esteemed them his superiors; for they had not, like him, persecuted the Church, and they were in Christ and became apostles before him. Good Christians in honour prefer one another. True religion will produce self-abasing thoughts. The true convert forgets not his former character. He reflects often on his past guilty life, that he may be more humble in himself, more thankful, more watchful, more diligent.
II. The apostle expresses his admiring apprehensions of Gods grace in calling him to the ministry.To the same grace which had called him he ascribes all his furniture for the ministry and all his success. However contemptible some render themselves in the gospel ministry, the office itself is honourable.
III. The apostles elevated sentiments concerning the gospelHe calls it the unsearchable riches of Christ. The blessings of the gospel, being purchased by the blood of Christ, are called His riches. They are called riches on account of their excellency, fulness, and variety. They are undiscoverable by human reason, and made known only by revelation. They were but imperfectly made known in the prophetic revelation. They are of inestimable value.
IV. Consider the grand and enlarged conceptions the apostle entertained of the design and importance of his ministry (Eph. 3:9).It was to open to mankind that mighty scheme which the wisdom of God had formed, and which His goodness had for ages been carrying into execution, for the redemption of our fallen race. His ministry was designed for the benefit, not of men only, but of angels too (Eph. 3:10).Lathrop.
Eph. 3:8. Christian Humility illustrated in the Character of Paul.
I. The apostle remembered his past sins.Wherever there is a quickened conscience, it will prompt the possessor to think of his past sins, and this even when he has reason to believe that they have been forgiven. The apostle continued to remember the natural and deeply seated pride and self-righteousness which he had so long cherished. Allusion is made in every one of his public apologies and in a number of his epistles to the circumstance of his once having been an enemy of the cross of Christ and a persecutor. It is for the benefit of the believer to remember his past sinfulness. The recollection of his infirmities may enable him to guard against their recurrence. Our sins, even when past and forgiven, are apt to leave a prejudicial influence behind. Our sins are like wounds, which even when cured and closed are apt to leave a scar behind. It is most meet and becoming, and in every respect for his own profit and the advantage of the Church and world, that the sinner, and more particularly the man whose former life has been known, should walk humbly before God and his fellow-men all the days of his life. Nor let it be forgotten that the remembrance of past sin is one of the motives impelling the Christian to be zealously affected in every good thing. The remembrance of the injury he had done to the Church stimulated him to make greater endeavours to benefit it. The persecution which he had inflicted on others made him more steadfast in bearing the sufferings to which he was now exposed. According to the account handed down from the early Church, the apostle had to suffer a violent death in the reign of Nero, when Christians were covered with pitch and burned as torches, or clothed with the skins of wild beasts and dogs let loose upon them. We can conceive that as he saw the terrible preparations for putting him to death, his memory would go back thirty years, and he would remember how he himself had stood by and consented to the death of the holy martyr Stephen, and he would feel himself thereby the more strengthened to endure what the Lord was now pleased to lay upon him.
II. The apostle mourned over the sin yet cleaving to him.He had not only a recollection of past sin, he had a sense of present sin. This sense of indwelling sin is one of the elements that conduce to the onward progress of the believer. Why is it that so many professing Christians, ay, and too many true Christians, are not advancing in the spiritual life; are the same this week as they were the previous week; the same this year as they were the last year; and to all appearance, and unless God arouse them, will be the same the next week or next year as they are this? It is because they are contented with themselves and with their condition, they have reached a state of self-complacency, they have settled upon their lees, and they do not wish to be disturbed by so much as an allusion to their sin. Very different was the temper of the apostle. Conscious of the sin that still adhered to him, he longed to have it completely exterminated, and sought the heavenly aid which might enable him to reach that after which he was always strivingunto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.
III. The apostle acknowledged God to be the Author of all the gifts and graces possessed by him.Paul on more than one occasion found it necessary to speak of his gifts. And when he follows this train of reflection, he arrests himself to explain that his faults are his own, and to ascribe the glory of his gifts to God. There may be circumstances requiring us to speak of our attainments in the spiritual life; but there can be no excuse for our thinking of them or alluding to them in a spirit of complacency. Of all pride, spiritual pride is the most hateful, and the most lamentably inconsistent. How often does it happen that, when persons are suddenly elevated to places of honour, they see nothing but their own merits, their own talent, their own skill or good management. Elevation of rank thus leads in too many cases to an increase of pride and vanity. This is painfully illustrated in the history of Saul, the son of Kish. Setting out in search of his fathers asses, he received before he returned a kingdom for the discharge of the offices of which he had many qualifications. But his rise seems to have fostered the morbid vanity of his mind; and when this was not fed by constant incense, when the Israelites cried; Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands, it led to envy and revenge, which goaded him on to deeds of utter infatuation. How different with Saul of Tarsus! At every step of his elevation in the Church he saw the finger of God, and was the more impressed with his own unworthiness.
IV. The apostle took a high standard of excellence: he took as his model the law of God and the character of Jesus.All actual excellence, whether earthly or spiritual, has been attained by the mind keeping before it and dwelling upon the ideas of the great, the good, the beautiful, the grand, the perfect. The tradesman and mechanic reach the highest eminence by never allowing themselves to rest till they can produce the most finished specimens of their particular craft. The painter and sculptor travel to distant lands that they may see and as it were fill their eye and mind with the sight of the most beautiful models of their arts. Poets have had their yet undiscovered genius awakened into life as they contemplated some of the grandest of natures scenes; or as they listened to the strains of other poets the spirit of inspiration has descended upon them, as the spirit of inspiration descended on Elisha while the minstrel played before him. The soldiers spirit has been aroused even more by the stirring sound of the war-trumpet than by the record of the courage and heroism of other warriors. The fervour of one patriot has been created as he listened to the burning words of another patriot; and many a martyrs zeal has been kindled at the funeral pile of other martyrs. In this way fathers have handed down their virtues to their children, and those who could leave their offspring no other have in their example left them the very richest legacy; and the deeds of those who perform great achievements have lived far longer than those who do them, and have gone down from one generation to another. Now the believer has such a model set before him in the character of Jesus, which as it were embodies the law and exhibits it in the most attractive and encouraging light. We may copy others in some things; we should copy Christ in all.Dr. J. McCosh.
Eph. 3:8. Pauls Humility.
I. In what it consisted.
1. In the unreserved submission of his reason to the authority of revelation. He was a great thinker, and he was a great scholar.
2. In the unwavering reliance of his heart on Christ for the salvation of his soul. Self-righteous by constitution and education.
3. In ascribing to God alone the glory of all that he was and of all that he did. He could not but be conscious how far he stood above the ordinary in point of Christian excellence and supernatural gifts and ministerial usefulness. He never took any part of the praise to himself: Yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.
4. In cherishing a sense of his unworthiness and guilt: Sinners, of whom I am chief.
5. In forming a lowly estimate of his own comparative standing: Less than the least of all saints.
II. How it was cultivated.
1. By frequent meditation on the holiness of God.
2. By looking away from self to Christ.
3. By gratitude to God and to Christ for an interest in the blessings of redemption.
4. By a due appreciation of the importance of humility. It is ornamental, but it is also useful. It lies at the very root of all the graces of the Christian character.G. Brooks.
Humility a Growth.The progress which St. Paul made in humility has often been given by comparing three expressions in his epistles with the supposed dates when they were written: Not meet to be called an apostle (1Co. 15:9); A.D. 59); Less than the least of all saints (Eph. 3:8; A.D. 64); Sinners, of whom I am chief (1Ti. 1:15; A.D. 65).
The Unsearchable Riches of Christ.The riches of Christs divinity are unsearchable, the riches of His condescension are unsearchable, the riches of His tenderness are unsearchable, the riches of His redeeming love are unsearchable, the riches of His intercession are unsearchable, the riches of His faithfulness are unsearchable, and the riches of His supporting grace are unsearchable. These riches will never be expressed, even to all eternity. No! not by the noble army of martyrs, nor the glorious company of the apostles, nor the goodly fellowship of the prophets, nor the general assembly and Church of the first-born, nor the innumerable company of angels, nor the spirits of just men made perfect, nor by all the ransomed throng of heaven. It will form their most ecstatic employment in heaven. Join, all ye happy throngjoin, holy Abel and Enoch, upright Job, perfect Noah, souls of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, grand souls of Moses, Samuel, and Elijah, pardoned David and Manasseh, soul of Isaiah the prophet. Join, all ye whose souls under the altar cry, How long, O Lord, wilt Thou not avenge our blood upon the earth? Join, holy Stephen and Polycarp, holy Latimer, Ridley, Hooper, Rowland Taylor, and Anne Askew. Join, brave Wicklif, gallant Luther, stern John Knox, sweet John Bunyan, and praying George Fox. Join, pious Doddridge and tuneful Watts, noble George Whitefield, holy Fletcher, exhaustless John Wesley, dauntless Rowland Hill, and grand though lowly Robert Hall. Ye sweetest trebles of the eternal choir, ye million million babes who died without actual sin, join all your notes of praise! Pull out every stop of the grand organ of heaven, from the deep swell diapason to the lofty flute and cornet! Gabriel, strike the loftiest note of thy harp of gold. And let all the host of heaven, angels and men, begin the grand anthem, Worthy is the Lamb. And let the eternal Amen peal and roll and reverberate through all the arches of heaven! But never through all eternity shall the gathered host be able fully to express the unsearchable riches of Christ.Thomas Cooper.
Eph. 3:9. The Fellowship of the Mystery.
I. It is a mystery it should be so long hid; a mystery, because when it was plainly revealed it was not understood by those to whom it was manifested; a mystery, for God was pleased to raise up a special apostle to explain and reveal, to make an epiphany of this great truththe will of God that all men should be saved, that His gospel should be universally known, should be open to all for acceptance.
II. Our share and fellowship in the work of the gospel is to make all men see their interest in it, to make them understand its true catholicity, to make all men see that it is from the first the will of God that the Gentiles should be fellow-heirs. By the Church is to be made known the manifold wisdom of God. Every member of the Church is to have his or her part in doing this work. We are all to take part in it by our lives, our conversation, our example, our good works and words. By availing ourselves of opportunities we are to help to make known this manifold wisdom of God.
III. Think for a moment what is the state of those men who do not know what is their fellowship with this mystery.I am not speaking of the entirely ignorant. Even religious people do not half understand or appreciate the deep meaning of such words as these. Christianity means expansion, comprehension; it embraces all, and all men must see in it what is the fellowship of the mystery that we have received and that has been made known to us. We must be a light that cannot be hidBishop Claughton.
Fuente: The Preacher’s Complete Homiletical Commentary Edited by Joseph S. Exell
(7) According to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power.The words given by should be rendered given according to. The working of Gods power is described, not as the means, but as the measure of the gift of His grace. In fact, what is a gift in its source, is effectual working in its actual nature. On the phrase effectual working of powera divine force in the soul, not latent but energeticsee Eph. 1:19. In the whole of this passage, however, the chief emphasis is laid, not on the spiritual power, but on the freedom of Gods gift to the Apostle of this high privilege of preaching the mystery of the gospel.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
7. This stupendous mystery brings us again to the apostle’s Ego.
Minister Not an originator or composer, but a mere servitor, an agent in distributing.
The gift Consisting of the grace, or endowment.
According to power As in the similar phrase in Eph 1:19, the reference is to the divine power exerted in accomplishing the redemptive scheme.
Paul’s apostolic endowment was bestowed in accordance with that powerful display of God’s omnipotence.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God which was given me according to the working of His power.’
In mentioning the Gospel given to the Gentiles he cannot but remember how God graciously took him and made him a minister of that Gospel to the Gentiles (Gal 2:7-8).
‘According to that gift of the grace of God which was given me.’ This means that the gift sprang from the grace of God and that he recognised the wonder of that gift. It was given to him solely as the act of God’s grace even while he was in the womb (Gal 1:15), and it was revealed in the Damascus Road experience (Act 9:15-16).
‘According to the working of His power.’ As ever when the gift was given the power resulted. He experienced the mighty power of God at work through him (compare Eph 1:19). That is the test of the true gift of God, that He works through it with power.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Eph 3:7. Whereof I was made a minister, &c. Though St. Paul does not, in express words, deny others to be made ministers of this doctrine, (for it neither suited his modesty, nor the respect he had for the other apostles, to do so;) yet his expression here will be found strongly to imply it, especially if we read attentively the two following verses: for this was a necessary instruction to one who was sent to convert the Gentiles, though such as were sent to their brethren the Jews were not appointed to promulgate it. This one Apostle of the Gentiles, by the success of his preaching to the Gentiles the attestation of miracles and the gift of the Holy Ghost, joined to what St. Peter had done by special direction in the case of Cornelius, would be enough, in due season, to convince the other apostles of this truth, as we may see it did, Acts 15 and Gal 2:6-9. And of what consequence, and how much St. Paul thought the preaching of this doctrine his peculiar business, may be seen by what he says, ch. Eph 6:19-20. It is upon the account of his preaching this doctrine, and displaying to the world this concealed truth, which he calls every where a hidden mystery, that he gives to what he had preached the distinguishing title of my gospel; (Rom 16:25.) in which he is concerned that God should establish them. The insisting so much on this,that it was the special favour and commission of God, to him in particular, to preach this doctrine of God’s purpose of calling the Gentiles to the word,was not out of vanity or boasting, but was of great use to his present purpose; as carrying with it a strong reason why the Ephesians should rather believe him to whom, as their apostle, it was made manifest, and committed to be preached, than the Jews, from whom it had been concealed, and kept as a mystery; and was in itself inscrutible by men, though of the best natural parts and endowments. See Gal 2:8. 1Co 15:9-10.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Eph 3:7 . ] Comp. Col 1:23 ; 2Co 3:6 ; also Luk 1:2 . Paul became a servant of the gospel when he was enjoined by God through Christ (Gal 1:1 ; Gal 1:15 ff.; Act 9:22 ; Act 9:26 ) to devote his activity to the proclamation of the gospel. The distinction from (used by Paul only at 1Co 4:1 ) is not, as Harless supposes, that denotes the servant in his activity for the service , while denotes him in his activity for the Master (see, in opposition to this, 1Co 12:3 ; Rom 13:4 ; 2Co 6:3 ; Col 1:7 ; Col 4:6 ); but both words indicate without distinction of reference the relation of service, and the difference lies only in this, that the two designations, in accordance with their etymology, are originally borrowed from different concrete relations of service ( ., runner ; ., rower ; see the Lexicons, and on , Buttm. Lexil . I. p. 218 ff.); in the usage, however, of the N.T., both words have retained merely the general notion of servant , as very frequently also with Greek writers. In opposition to Harless it may be also urged that not only is the expression used, but also in like manner (Xen. Anal , vii. 7. 46, Cyr. i. 6. 39; Soph. Phil . 1012). The gift , which was conferred upon Paul by the divine grace , and in consequence of which he became a servant of the gospel, is, agreeably to the context, the apostolic office (comp. Eph 3:2 ; Eph 3:8 ), not the donum linguarum (Grotius), nor yet the gift of the Holy Spirit (Flatt, after older expositors).
. . . ] belongs to . To the efficacious action of the power of God (comp. Eph 3:20 , and on Eph 1:19 ) the bestowal of the gift of grace leads back the mind of the apostle, in the consciousness of what he had been before, Gal 1:13 ff. “Haec est potentiae ejus efficacia, ex nihilo grands aliquid efficere,” Calvin. By the bestowal, in fact, of that gift of the divine grace Saul had become changed into Paul; hence . . . .
Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary
(7) Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power. (8) Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; (9) And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: (10) To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, (11) According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord: (12) In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.
Reader! You and I may pause a moment to admire the grace given to this great Apostle, who, while we behold him as an eminent servant, of the Lord, he considered himself as less than the least of all saints; yea, the chief of sinners! 1Ti 1:15 . Grace always humbles. The higher a child of God is advanced in divine know ledge, the lower he lays before God in humility. The more he limits of Christ, the more contemptible he thinks of himself But profitable as such views are of God’s best servants, the subject Paul is here upon, is too sublime, to lose a moment in looking at the servant, while we hear of the Person, and unsearchable riches of the Master. Paul calls it a mystery, and the fellowship of the mystery. And what a mystery, indeed, the whole forms? Great is the mystery of godliness. God, manifest in the flesh, is the first chapter. And what an endless subject, of the unsearchable riches of Christ, doth this one open ? It contains depths of wisdom, and depths of love, which, like an ocean without bottom or shore, affords infinite scope for all God’s intelligent creatures, to exercise their faculties, in sailing over, but never fully to explore, for it passeth all knowledge. Nevertheless, the Lord encourageth his people to enter upon the discovery, in that we are told, that though from the beginning of the world it was hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ; yet, is it now made known to the Church. And, however, still hid from the wise and prudent, it is revealed onto the saints. The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him, and he will show them his Covenant. Psa 25:14 . A few of the more prominent parts of this mystery, as here opened by the Apostle, we shall do well to regard, the Lord being our Teacher.
And, first. Th e Apostle tells us, that before God went forth in acts of creation, when he created all things by Jesus Christ, the fellowship of this mystery had been hid in his bosom, and, of con sequence, it was unknown to angels. It was an eternal purpose, which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord. So that there was none privy to it but God himself, in his threefold character of Persons, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. And herein became the greatest, if not the first discovery, of the Personalities in the Godhead. For, although at Creation we find the Sacred Three in One, speaking on the subject of creation to one another, at the forming man, saying, Let us make man in our Image, after our Likeness; Gen 1:26 . yet, it was at the revelation concerning the Lord JESUS, as the manifold wisdom of God, that we find the blessed discovery of the Holy Three in One becoming witnesses in heaven to these great truths. 1Jn 5:7 . And I would ask the Reader, (but not speak decidedly,) do we not discover those heavenly witnesses, when, as in this very Epistle to the Church, we read of God the Father’s choosing the Church, God the Son’s redeeming the Church, and God the Spirit’s regenerating the Church, as so many distinct and personal acts in this mystery ? Yea, are not these as so many blessed discoveries afforded us, that we might have somewhat to form to ourselves, suited apprehensions, both of the Personality, and of the love and favor of God, in this threefold character of Being. Eph 1:4-9 .
No doubt, when God went, forth in acts of creation, be made a vast display of his divine perfections. In all those works we behold a proof of them. And, although, in respect to his own eternal glory, there needed no such manifestations, resting in his own unchangeable complacency, and being infinitely blessed, had men or angels never been called into being; yet, when the Lord was pleased to raise up such magnificent works of his hands, the contemplation of them called forth his praise, when, as we are told, the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy. Job 38:7 . But when Christ, as God-man, came to be revealed to the Church, and all the great events included in that high administration of his Person, offices, and character, were unfolded to view; here was discovered such unsearchable riches proclaimed the manifold wisdom of God. The very Person of Christ alone, in the union of his double nature, God and Man in One, opened such an object of glory to feast our ravished souls upon, as in himself, and independent of any one act of love and grace towards his Church and people, as her Savior and Redeemer, was enough to produce the highest sensations Of joy to all eternity. And when to the view of his Person, as God-man, we add the gracious offices of the Mediator, when we not only consider Him as He is in himself; but as He is to his people; what he hath done for us, and what he is to us; what he was in his relation to his Church, as her Head and Husband, before all worlds; what he is, as her Surety, Redeemer, High Priest, and Advocate, during the whole of her time-state while on earth; and what he will be, when he will bring home his Church, as her Lord, to be one with him to all eternity: these views leave at an infinite distance every other, and open, even now, though in the present unripe state of our being, we can only behold objects, as through mediums darkly; a joy unspeakable, and full of glory.
But, Reader! let You and I seek for grace rightly, to value our mercies. Angels, we are told, when this eternal purpose, which God purposed in Christ, came to be opened were amazed at the vast discovery, and unable to comprehend such depths of the manifold wisdom of God, desired to look into. Holy men, and Prophets, though taught by the Spirit of Christ, which was in them, to enquire and search diligently concerning this salvation, were unconscious of what was meant by the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow; but it was revealed unto them, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto us by them. 1Pe 1:11-12 . And while we daily behold the truths of God confirmed, that the world by wisdom knew not God; the Lord’s people are blessed in the saving knowledge of them by the Spirit. According to this sweet scripture, it is said, that God’s intent now is, that it might be known by the Church, the manifold wisdom of God. So, that the mystery which hath been hid from ages, and from generations, is now made manifest to the saints. Col 1:26 . Well may every child of God cry out with the Apostle, Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift. 2Co 9:15 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
7 Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power.
Ver. 7. By the effectual working, &c. ] Enabling me to accept and improve that gift of God’s grace; whereunto I should otherwise turn not the palm, but the backside of the hand.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Eph 3:7 . : of which I became a minister according to the gift of the grace of God . The TR reads (with [239] [240] [241] [242] , etc.). The less usual form , however, is given by [243] [244] [245] [246] , 17, etc., and is to be preferred. There is no difference, however, in the sense; being simply the Doric equivalent to , which reappeared in the LXX and in later Greek generally. is a servant, attendant of any kind; also a deacon in particular (Phi 1:1 ; 1Ti 3:8 ; 1Ti 3:12 ), or a deaconess (Rom 16:1 ), and perhaps a waiter , one who serves at table (Joh 2:5 ; Joh 2:9 ). Here it has the general sense of minister , as Paul designates himself again in 2Co 3:6 ; Col 1:23 . Once he calls himself (1Co 4:1 ); but with no tangible difference in idea, except that may suggest a still greater degree of subordination than . The distinction drawn by some (Harless) between the two terms, as if expressed activity in relation to the service and activity in relation to the master , cannot be made good. is probably the ger. of apposition or identity (as the in Eph 3:8 indicates), = the gift consisting in the grace; and the particular “grace” in view is the office of the apostleship or the ministry to the Gentiles (as Eph 3:2 ; Eph 3:8 suggest), not the gift of tongues (Grot.) or the gift of the Holy Ghost (Flatt, etc.). That “grace,” too, was God’s gift ( ). : which was given to me according to the working of His power . F r the , qualifying the , of the TR (with [247] [248] [249] [250] , etc.) the better reading is , qualifying the (with [251] [252] [253] [254] [255] , 17, etc.; so LTTrWHRV). As the former sentence affirmed the gift of the grace, this one states the manner of the bestowal. The standard or proportion of the giving was the efficiency , the efficacious working ( ) of God’s own power. The change in Paul when God made him an Apostle of Christ to the Gentiles was so great that he saw in it nothing less than the result of the Divine omnipotence.
[239] Codex Ephraemi (sc. v.), the Paris palimpsest, edited by Tischendorf in 1843.
[240] Codex Claromontanus (sc. vi.), a Grco-Latin MS. at Paris, edited by Tischendorf in 1852.
[241] Codex Mosquensis (sc. ix.), edited by Matthi in 1782.
[242] Codex Angelicus (sc. ix.), at Rome, collated by Tischendorf and others.
[243] Codex Vaticanus (sc. iv.), published in photographic facsimile in 1889 under the care of the Abbate Cozza-Luzi.
[244] Codex Sinaiticus (sc. iv.), now at St. Petersburg, published in facsimile type by its discoverer, Tischendorf, in 1862.
[245] Codex Claromontanus (sc. vi.), a Grco-Latin MS. at Paris, edited by Tischendorf in 1852.
[246] Codex Augiensis (sc. ix.), a Grco-Latin MS., at Trinity College, Cambridge, edited by Scrivener in 1859. Its Greek text is almost identical with that of G, and it is therefore not cited save where it differs from that MS. Its Latin version, f, presents the Vulgate text with some modifications.
[247] Codex Ephraemi (sc. v.), the Paris palimpsest, edited by Tischendorf in 1843.
[248] Codex Claromontanus (sc. vi.), a Grco-Latin MS. at Paris, edited by Tischendorf in 1852.
[249] Codex Mosquensis (sc. ix.), edited by Matthi in 1782.
[250] Codex Angelicus (sc. ix.), at Rome, collated by Tischendorf and others.
[251] Codex Vaticanus (sc. iv.), published in photographic facsimile in 1889 under the care of the Abbate Cozza-Luzi.
[252] Codex Sinaiticus (sc. iv.), now at St. Petersburg, published in facsimile type by its discoverer, Tischendorf, in 1862.
[253] Codex Alexandrinus (sc. v.), at the British Museum, published in photographic facsimile by Sir E. M. Thompson (1879).
[254] Codex Claromontanus (sc. vi.), a Grco-Latin MS. at Paris, edited by Tischendorf in 1852.
[255] Codex Augiensis (sc. ix.), a Grco-Latin MS., at Trinity College, Cambridge, edited by Scrivener in 1859. Its Greek text is almost identical with that of G, and it is therefore not cited save where it differs from that MS. Its Latin version, f, presents the Vulgate text with some modifications.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
Whereof = of which.
a minister = minister (App-190.) i.e. of the good news concerning the “secret”.
according to. App-104.
gift. Greek. dorea.
unto = to.
by. Same as “according to”, above.
effectual working = working. App-172.
power. App-172.; Eph 176:1.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Eph 3:7. , of which) viz. the Gospel.- , according to the working) Eph 3:20; ch. Eph 1:19.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
Eph 3:7
Eph 3:7
whereof I was made a minister,-He did not gradually grow up to the office, but became, at a given time and place, a minister. This is his service; the work for which he is engaged and to which he is bound to devote himself.
according to the gift of that grace of God which was given me according to the working of his power.-[The working of Gods power is described as the measure of the gift of his grace. In fact, what is a gift in its source is the working of his power in its actual nature. In the whole of this passage, however, the chief emphasis is laid not on the spiritual power, but on the freedom of Gods gift to Paul of his high privilege of preaching the mystery of the gospel to the Gentiles.]
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
I: Eph 3:2, Rom 15:16, 2Co 3:6, 2Co 4:1, Col 1:23-25
according: Eph 3:8, Rom 1:5, 1Co 15:10, 1Ti 1:14, 1Ti 1:15
by: Eph 3:20, Eph 1:19, Eph 4:16, Isa 43:13, Rom 15:18, Rom 15:19, 2Co 10:4, 2Co 10:5, Gal 2:8, Col 1:29, 1Th 2:13, Heb 13:21
Reciprocal: Psa 145:12 – make known Luk 1:2 – and Luk 15:5 – he layeth Joh 3:27 – A man Joh 17:18 – General Act 9:15 – to bear Act 10:28 – but Act 13:2 – the work Act 26:16 – a minister Act 26:17 – the Gentiles Rom 12:3 – I say Rom 15:15 – because 1Co 15:9 – the least Col 2:12 – the faith 1Ti 2:7 – a preacher 2Ti 1:11 – General Heb 6:4 – and have
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
(Eph 3:7.) -of which I became a minister. Col 1:23; 2Co 3:6. This reading is supported by A, B, D1, F, G; while is used in C, D3, E, K, L. The use of the passive might show that he had no concurrence in the act. But Buttmann says that is used in Doric for , being in that dialect a deponent passive. Phryn. ed. Lobeck, pp. 108, 109. (not, as often said, from and -one covered with dust, but from an old root–signifying I hasten) is a servant in a general sense, and in relation to a master, as in 2Co 6:4; 2Co 11:23; 1Ti 4:6. Buttmann has shown that the preposition cannot enter into the composition of , as the a is long. The a in may, from the necessities of metre, be sometimes long in poetry, but never in prose; while the Ionic form of the word under review is . Lexilogus, sub voce . As an apostle he did not merely enjoy the dignity of office, or the admiration created by the display of miraculous gifts. He busied himself; he served with eager cordiality and unwearied zeal-
-according to the gift of the grace of God which was given to me. is the gift, and is that of which the gift is composed (Eph 2:8), the genitive being that of apposition Instead of in the next clause of the Received Text, some modern editors read- , which has the authority of the old MSS. A, B, C, D1, F, G, but which may be borrowed from Eph 3:2. The Syriac and the Greek fathers are in favour of the first reading, which is retained by Tischendorf, being found in D3, E, K, L. The sense is not affected-The gift made up of this grace is given, or the grace of which the gift consists is given. The is not the gift of tongues, as Grotius dreams; nor specially the Holy Ghost, as a-Lapide imagines. The term, resembling that of the Latin munus, refers not to the apostolical office conferred out of the pure and sovereign favour of God, as in Eph 3:2 of this chapter, but it refers here to that office in its characteristic function of preaching the gospel to the Gentiles. It was given-
-according to the working of His power. refers us to . The gift of grace is conferred in accordance with the working of His power. See Eph 1:19. and are explained under Eph 1:19. Whitby unnecessarily and falsely restricts this power to that of miraculous agency conferred upon the apostle. But he refers in this place to the grace which originated his apostleship, wrought mightily in him when the office of the apostle of heathendom, with all its varied qualifications, was conferred upon him. Unworthy of it he was; and had not the gift been accompanied by a striking manifestation of God’s power, he could not have enjoyed it. And he served in harmony with his office- ; and that office was conferred upon him in unison with- -such a spiritual change, induced by the Divine might, as changed a Jew into a Christian, a blasphemer into a saint, a Pharisee into an apostle, and a persecutor into a missionary. Calvin remarks-haec est potentiae ejus efficacia ex nihilo grande aliquid efficere. Chrysostom says truly-The gift would not have been enough, if it had not implanted within him the power. That grace was bestowed very freely- ; and that power wrought very effectually- . Gal 2:8. The apostle becomes more minute-
Fuente: Commentary on the Greek Text of Galatians, Ephesians, Colossians and Phillipians
Eph 3:7. Whereof refers to the Gospel of which Paul was made a minister. This word is from DIAKONOS, and it is elsewhere translated “deacon.” Thay-er’s general definition is, “one who executes the commands of another, especially of a master; a servant, attendant, minister.” The word does not necessarily denote an official, and when it is so used, the connection in which it is found will determine it so. In the present verse it has a special apppli-cation because it refers to Paul who was an inspired apostle, and possessed with that measure of the Holy Spirit that enabled him to execute his official position. Such is the meaning of effectual working of his [God’s] power.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Eph 3:7. Whereof, of this gospel, I became a minister. The word was applied to a servant, and is several times so translated in the E. V. The word usually rendered servant (comp. Rom 1:1, etc.) suggests the personal relation to the master; this one the obligation to service. (Our word deacon is a corruption of the Greek term, which was the title of this class; comp. Php 1:1; 1Ti 3:8-12, and also Rom 16:1.)
According to the gift of the grace of God. The gift consisted of the grace, and this was doubtless the apostolic office. Comp. Eph 3:8. His becoming a minister of the gospel was in accordance with this gift of Gods grace.
Which was given to me. The better established reading joins this with grace, not with gift. The sense is not altered, but tautology is avoided.
According to the working of his power. By is incorrect. The clause belongs to which was given to me not to became. The giving was in accordance with Gods efficiency, not with Pauls desert. Thus Saul became Paul; the persecuting Pharisee was transformed into the minister to the Gentiles.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
As if the apostle had said, “Of this gospel it pleased God to make me a successful minister or dispenser, furnishing me with ordinary and extraordinary gifts and graces from his Holy Spirit, for that weighty work and sevice; unto me, even unto me, I say, was this special favour granted, though unworthy, (being less than the least of all saints, because once a great persecutor,) yet unto me was the apostolic office committed, to preach unto the Gentiles the incomparable and incomprehensible riches of God’s mercy towards them in Christ, in receiving them fully, freely and finally, in covenant with himself; and to make known unto all men what is the communion or fellowship of this mystery, namely, that the Gentiles with the Jews should have one faith, one Lord, one hope, one heavenly inheritance; which was a mystery hid in the secret intention and decree of God, until discovered by divine revelation.
Observe here, 1. How careful the apostle was to assert his authority and apostolical commission, I was made a minister; and how he refers his calling immediately to the grace of God, Unto me was this grace given. It was the grace of God converted him, it was the grace of God revealed the gospel to him, and that called him to reveal it unto others.
Observe, 2. How the apostle attributes the success of his ministry to the power of God, and not to his own endeavours; By the effectual working of his own power. The grace of God in him, and the power of God accompanying him, was effectual to the conversion of very many sinners, and to the producing of great signs and miracles which were wrought by him.
Observe, 3. The noble subject of St. Paul’s sermons, what it was he preached amongst the Gentiles; namely, the unsearchable riches of Christ. Riches imply abundance, and abundance of such things as are of worth and value: in Christ are riches, all riches, eminently and transcendently found; riches of grace, and riches of glory: and these are called unsearchable; not as if it were unlawful to search after them, but because after our utmost search after them we can never fully discover them.
Learn hence, that there are such mazes, such mysteries of love and goodness, in our Lord Jesus Christ, as, though it be our duty to be continually searching after them, yet we can never, by our utmost searching, fully discover them and find them out.
Observe,4. The humble and low opinion which the great apostle had of himself, not barely the least, but less than the least of all saints; he was, in his own esteem, as little as could be, less than the least; a double dimunitive; a comparative made of a superlative.
Thus he debases himself, upon consideration of his former enmity against Christ and his church: lower he could not lie than he lays himself, the greatest and chiefest of sinners; the least, yea, less than the least, of all saints; growth in grace, and increase in humility accompany one another.
Fuente: Expository Notes with Practical Observations on the New Testament
Paul’s Mission
Paul considered his mission to the Gentiles a special favor bestowed upon him by God. This came about by the working of God’s power both in saving Paul and in giving him the needed strength to carry out his work (3:7). The apostle felt unworthy of his great mission especially because he had persecuted the church ( 1Co 15:8-9 ; 1Ti 1:12-17 ). The riches of salvation in Christ are so vast they cannot be mapped out or fully explored (3:8).
Paul also wanted the Gentiles to see the gospel is truly for all men without respect to race, color or sex ( Mat 11:28-30 ; Mar 16:15 ; Act 10:34-35 ; Gal 3:28 ; Rom 1:14-16 ). Each man’s share, or fellowship, of the mystery may have to do with the salvation each is offered in Christ. Or, it may refer to the partnership we all, Jew and Gentile, have in the church. God’s greatness is certainly seen in his creation of all we see and know by Jesus. It was such a great God who lovingly planned for our redemption and kept that plan ready until the time was right to unveil it (3:9).
Fuente: Gary Hampton Commentary on Selected Books
Verse 7
Whereof I was made a minister; that is, I was made the instrument of making known to the Gentiles these designs of God in respect to their salvation.
Fuente: Abbott’s Illustrated New Testament
Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power.
The word translated “power” is that word from which we gain dynamite. The word “gift” is always used in relationship to a gift of some sort from God. It is used of all three members of the trinity. There are other words translated gift, but this one is exclusively a gift from God.
The gift wasn’t that he was a minister, but that he was given grace and his being a minister was part of that whole package. I would guess, having said that, that this might well have been a gift of the Spirit to empower him to minister. The term “minister” is the word from which we gain deacon. It is one that ministers, that fulfills the directions of another, in this case God.
This word seems to be, in this context at least, more than just the servant in the church idea, but in the next verse it is clear that the gift was related to preaching or evangelizing. This would be in keeping with Stephen one of the first deacons being a servant, but also a preacher. (Act 6:1-15; Act 7:1-60; Act 8:1-40)
I once met a pastor that was thinking of leaving his church to pioneer another work. I asked how his congregation would like that because he had been at his church for many years. His comments ran along the line of, if I dropped dead today they wouldn’t miss me as far as the ministry goes. I have trained all my deacons to preach. They fill pulpits in the area when pastors need to take a day off.
This pastor knew the importance of training leadership. I have not seen this sort of training very often and this is sad, for the church as well as the untapped reserve of lay preachers that are going untrained and unused.
One of the joys of hearing from the mission field is to hear that missionaries have trained a local person enough that they are teaching or preaching in the mission church. That is what the church is about – training the local sheep to take the church into the next generation.
There is also good application along the lines of responding to and using your gift from God. He has gifted all of us in one manner or another with a spiritual gift. It is up to us to see that we are exercising that gift. If you are in a church and unable to use your gift then I would consider finding a place where you can. I am not much for moving from church to church, but if you aren’t using your gift the church is hampered in what God wants to do.
Many pastors tend to do it all so they can be sure it is done, but they ought to learn to trust their people to use their gifts and to function within the church as they ought.
This thought of deacons preaching is of interest in the thought that pastors normally call in outsiders to fill the pulpit when they are on vacation or away from the church. Their deacons should be able to fill that role. If they can’t then there is need of training.
There is also the aspect that there are deacons that are capable but not allowed to preach in their own churches. This is wrong. I have run into some that say they love to preach but that the pastoring is not for them. This is the situation – they aren’t gifted as pastors, but are gifted to serve and preach. The “Pastor” concept is slightly incorrect in our day. The pastor is not the only one that can be in the pulpit, indeed some I have been under ought not to be in the pulpit. They are poor preachers at best and ought to concentrate on their pastoral aspects. There are also many pastors in the world today that are not teachers, and this is against the qualifications for elder – again, things are amiss.
Fuente: Mr. D’s Notes on Selected New Testament Books by Stanley Derickson
God graciously gave Paul the opportunity to serve Him by proclaiming the gospel aided by God’s supernatural enablement. "Minister" (Gr. diakonos, deacon) emphasizes service, not servitude (cf. Gr. doulos, slave).