Ephesians 3:2Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Here the Apostle alludes to the prophecy announced about him to Ananias in Damascus, when the Lord said: "Go, for he is My chosen vessel to bear My name before nations and kings" (Acts 9:15).

He calls this revelation the dispensation of grace. The meaning is this: I did not learn it from man. He counted me worthy, when I was alone, of a revelation concerning you.

For He Himself said to me: "Go; I will send you far away to the Gentiles" (Acts 22:21).

The Apostle rightly calls this a dispensation. Truly, it was a great dispensation when the one who could not be persuaded in any way was called from above by the words: "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?" (Acts 9:4), and at the same time lost his sight from the ineffable light.

He alludes to God's words to Ananias: "He is My chosen vessel, to bear My name before the nations" (Acts 9:15). He calls the revelation of the mystery the divine economy of grace, because he did not learn it from man.

For, he says, the grace of God so ordered matters that I was called from above and was struck with blindness for disobedience, so that in this way I might come to obedience. But for you, he says, this grace was given to me. For He Himself said to me, "I will send you far away to the Gentiles" (Acts 22:21). Therefore you are the work of grace, and I have contributed nothing of myself.

If indeed you have heard the mystery of grace and are firm in an economy that is not under the law, but spiritual: the divine economy of the grace of God given to me in you, that is, for your sake.

As for the sequence of the speech and the construction of the phrase, we examined carefully and found nothing by which to restore it in relation to the opening words of the chapter: "For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles."

Indeed, he did not say, "For this reason I, Paul, did this or that, taught this or that." Instead, leaving the thought unfinished, he passes to another subject.

Probably, remembering what he himself confesses when he says, "though I am unskilled in speech, yet not in knowledge" (2 Cor 11:6), we should seek the order more in his thoughts than in his words.

The Apostle means to say: "Having learned of this calling of yours, and having come to know exactly who you are, and how and to what you have been called, I ask and implore the God of all to establish you in the faith and grant you the salvation that flows from faith."

But he inserts very much into this thought, again indicating the greatness of the benefaction.

He recounts how he himself was called, how he was counted worthy of divine grace, and how he was appointed preacher of the Gentiles. By this he makes known that it is most fitting for him to preach.

He is not appropriating another's work, but fulfilling what was commanded.

The hiddenness of the mystery of the calling of the Gentiles (Eph 3:1-13).

Eph 3:1-7. The apostolic instruction to the Ephesians concerning this hiddenness may be set forth briefly in the Apostle's own words.

The mystery of the "divine economy of the grace of God" concerning the Gentiles, "given to me for you" (Eph 3:2), and "made known to me by revelation" (Eph 3:3), about which "I wrote before briefly. " that is, in chapters 1 and 2, and for which "I, Paul, became a prisoner of Jesus Christ" (Eph 3:1), you "can perceive by reading" my epistle and now understand from my words (Eph 3:4).

But this mystery "was not made known to the sons of men in other generations, as it has now been revealed to His holy Apostles and Prophets by the Holy Spirit," and so on (Eph 3:4-7).

Stirring the Ephesians to a firm remembrance of the work of salvation accomplished by God for them, the Apostle also points to his own participation in this work according to God's special dispensation.

He first mentions his chains, so that they would see nothing humiliating in them. On the contrary, they should see something glorious, especially for themselves, since this proves the greatness of the care shown for them.

Directing attention to Paul's election to preach to the Gentiles, Saint John Chrysostom says: "The Apostle rightly called this a dispensation. Truly, it was a great dispensation when the one who could not be persuaded by any means was called from above by the words: Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me? (Acts 9:4)."

Keeping in mind that his epistle would be read not only among the Ephesians, who knew him well, but also in the neighboring churches, the Apostle considers it necessary to give some principal information about the task he is to fulfill toward the Gentiles.

Since he intends to offer them moral instruction, the Apostle seeks to raise his authority in the eyes of Christians who had not heard him. He reminds them of the extraordinary manifestation of grace that took place at his conversion to Christ, of which they had certainly heard.

But what they know by report about the special revelation given to Paul, they can confirm for themselves by carefully reading what the Apostle briefly set forth at the beginning of the epistle.

"If indeed you have heard," but you have heard. This turn of speech is equivalent to saying: since you have heard. The particle "if" does not signify doubt or ignorance, but complete assurance.

You have heard that the preaching of the Gospel among you has been entrusted to me. Therefore, without special explanations, it should be clear to you why I am a prisoner for you Gentiles.

They had heard this not from someone else, but from the Apostle himself. It cannot be supposed that he kept silent about it, especially after he had written to the Galatians.

For the disturbances in the Galatian churches arose partly because it was not fully known there who Saint Paul was and why he preached, though he was not one of the Twelve.