Ephesians 3:8-12 notes that Paul is the least of God’s holy people, probably due to his past as a persecutor of believers. But Paul, least deserving, was given the task by God to preach to Gentiles about Jesus. There is spiritual wealth that can be found in Jesus that we cannot comprehend, and it is offered to the Gentiles as well as the Jews. That God would offer salvation to the whole world was not expected up until now; it is a mystery God has now revealed to the world. The believers in Jesus are showing God’s wisdom even to angels, who know God by sight and not faith, yet our faith instructs them on a deeper level about God and His character. Jesus Christ fulfilled God’s plans to redeem humankind, giving us free and welcomed access to God, to whom we have been reconciled.
In Ephesians 3:8-12, Paul adds another twist to the mystery of Gentiles becoming joint heirs in Christ’s kingdom, namely that this is part of a cosmic plan that demonstrates God’s wisdom even to the inhabitants of heaven. He begins by noting his own unworthiness to be a vessel of God’s mercy: To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ, and to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God who created all things (vv. 8-9).
Paul is continuing the thought from the prior section where he noted his appointment as an apostle to the Gentiles, and an instrument of God to make known the great mystery now revealed: that Gentiles have been granted to share in the inheritance and promises of Jesus, the Christ or anointed messiah of God. That Gentiles would be granted to be joint heirs with Christ is unthinkable; yet it is (Romans 8:17).
Paul calls himself the least of all saints because prior to believing in Jesus he persecuted the church of Jesus (1 Corinthians 15:9). The Greek word translated saints is often translated “holy” and simply means “set apart.” In this context, Paul uses saints to refer to all believers. He says even though he is the least of all believers, God chose him to be given God’s favor, or grace, to be appointed as an apostle.
His job as an apostle was to do two things: preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ, and to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery.
The riches of Christ are, indeed, unfathomable. That Jesus not only died in our place but also granted us to be children of God with an eternal inheritance is, indeed, unfathomable. As Jesus says in Revelation 3:18-21, we all have access to gain great riches through fellowship with Him.
The second major task assigned to Paul was to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery. Again, the mystery here is that Gentiles will gain a full share with Jews as fellow heirs and partakers of the promise in Christ. The Greek noun “oikonomia” is translated administration in verse 9. This word derives from “oikos” (house) and “nomos” (law/custom). “Oikonomia” is also translated as “management” and “stewardship” in scripture. Paul is proclaiming that the customary practice of God the Father is to offer the gift of grace to all humanity (Jew and Gentile alike).
This is the beauty of Yahweh, who is the One true God, that He holds no stipulation on His love for His creation. He administrated a plan for Jews and Gentiles to be able to abide with Him in relationship, temporal and eternal. Paul now introduces another major surprise in terms of what this plan will accomplish, even to the spiritual realm: so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places (v. 10).
It turns out that the primary audience being enlightened is the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places. This is doubly stunning. The rulers and the authorities spoken of in the Bible who are of the heavenly realm would include the angels. And Paul asserts here that the angels are learning the manifold wisdom of God through watching the church which is made up of believers in Christ. Perhaps this is why 1 Peter 1:12 speaks of “things into which angels long to look.”
We can note that these angels are in God’s presence and can see and observe Him (Matthew 18:10). They speak with God, even engaging in counsel with Him (1 Kings 22:19-20). Why then would those who see and speak with God learn of His manifold wisdom through watching humans whom He has redeemed through faith? The answer likely lies in what places people into the church in the first place: faith.
Faith is believing what is unseen as though it is seen (Hebrews 11:1). Those who see cannot believe, because they see. That the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places are watching humans to understand the manifold wisdom of God is further evidence how unfathomable are the riches of God in Christ!
This gives us great insight into many other scriptures that indicate God’s emphasis on faith. Hebrews 11:6 tells us that faith is a necessity to please God. Jesus told His disciple Thomas, "Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed" (John 20:29). This would indicate that the angels can be blessed because they see but are studying humans who live by faith in order to gain greater and fuller understanding that cannot come through seeing.
That Jesus tells Thomas those who know by faith will gain greater blessing than those who see tells us the immense opportunity we have in this life to come to know by faith. In John 17:3, Jesus defines “eternal life” for believers, meaning the greatest experience of life, as knowing God and Jesus Christ whom He sent. To know by faith is to gain the greatest experience of life.
It is worth reflecting that believers will also know by sight in the age to come. Our opportunity to know by faith is limited to this life. Therefore, we should endeavor to view this life as a once-in-an-existence opportunity to know by faith. It also seems that the degree to which we know by faith in this life will determine our capacity to know by sight in the next.
In Matthew 8, Jesus tells His Jewish followers that Gentiles who exhibit faith (like the Roman centurion He interacted with in that passage) will be more greatly rewarded than many Jewish “sons of the kingdom” (Matthew 8:10-12). This perspective helps us understand why God would permit Satan to ravage Job, who was a man of whom God was very proud (Job 1:8, 2:3).
If we put this reality of the great rewards we gain through living by faith together with the John 17:3 idea that knowing God leads to our greatest fulfillment, we can infer that God allowed Job to endure great suffering because He wanted Job to gain the greatest fulfillment possible from living in this life through a knowledge of Him by faith. This seems to be confirmed by the fact that God gave him earthly rewards to make the point to onlookers (Job 42:10,James 5:11).
The next verse speaks of this reality that the faith of human believers shows God’s wisdom to the hosts of heaven, saying: This was in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and confident access through faith in Him (vv. 11-12).
The this in verse 11 refers to verse 10, which asserts that Christians are a witness to God’s wisdom and inform the hosts of heaven of Him. It was God’s eternal purpose to demonstrate Himself to all of creation through the plan He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord. This means that God turned evil to good. His eternal purpose cannot be thwarted by the opposition of Satan or the failure of humanity. Through Christ Jesus our Lord, those who are in Christ through faith are, by their witness, showing the manifold wisdom of God spoken of in verse 10.
It is in Christ Jesus our Lord through which we have boldness and confident access through faith in Him. The we could apply to all believers in Jesus. Our boldness in living as faithful witnesses is founded upon having confident access through faith. The Greek word translated access also appears in Ephesians 2:18, where it speaks of being made a part of the body of Christ through His Spirit.
The confident access Paul speaks of could apply to this and many other things spoken of in scripture, including that:
Believers have access to the very throne of God to find help in time of need (Hebrews 4:16).
We can approach the throne of God to gain access to the true Holy Place in heaven “in full assurance of faith” to have our “hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience” (Hebrews 10:22).
We have ongoing access by faith in the grace of God, since we are in Christ and He is our intercessor (Romans 5:2,2 Timothy 3:12).
But it seems the particular access Paul has in mind is access to God through prayer. In the next section, Paul lifts a prayer to God for the enlightenment and strengthening of the Ephesian believers. It is of note that Paul’s prayer focuses on spiritual growth and insight of God’s goodness and ignores circumstances.
Ephesians 3:8-12
8 To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ,
9 and to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God who created all things;
10 so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places.
11 This was in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord,
12 in whom we have boldness and confident access through faith in Him.
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Ephesians 3:8-12 meaning
In Ephesians 3:8-12, Paul adds another twist to the mystery of Gentiles becoming joint heirs in Christ’s kingdom, namely that this is part of a cosmic plan that demonstrates God’s wisdom even to the inhabitants of heaven. He begins by noting his own unworthiness to be a vessel of God’s mercy: To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ, and to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God who created all things (vv. 8-9).
Paul is continuing the thought from the prior section where he noted his appointment as an apostle to the Gentiles, and an instrument of God to make known the great mystery now revealed: that Gentiles have been granted to share in the inheritance and promises of Jesus, the Christ or anointed messiah of God. That Gentiles would be granted to be joint heirs with Christ is unthinkable; yet it is (Romans 8:17).
Paul calls himself the least of all saints because prior to believing in Jesus he persecuted the church of Jesus (1 Corinthians 15:9). The Greek word translated saints is often translated “holy” and simply means “set apart.” In this context, Paul uses saints to refer to all believers. He says even though he is the least of all believers, God chose him to be given God’s favor, or grace, to be appointed as an apostle.
His job as an apostle was to do two things: preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ, and to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery.
The riches of Christ are, indeed, unfathomable. That Jesus not only died in our place but also granted us to be children of God with an eternal inheritance is, indeed, unfathomable. As Jesus says in Revelation 3:18-21, we all have access to gain great riches through fellowship with Him.
The second major task assigned to Paul was to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery. Again, the mystery here is that Gentiles will gain a full share with Jews as fellow heirs and partakers of the promise in Christ. The Greek noun “oikonomia” is translated administration in verse 9. This word derives from “oikos” (house) and “nomos” (law/custom). “Oikonomia” is also translated as “management” and “stewardship” in scripture. Paul is proclaiming that the customary practice of God the Father is to offer the gift of grace to all humanity (Jew and Gentile alike).
This is the beauty of Yahweh, who is the One true God, that He holds no stipulation on His love for His creation. He administrated a plan for Jews and Gentiles to be able to abide with Him in relationship, temporal and eternal. Paul now introduces another major surprise in terms of what this plan will accomplish, even to the spiritual realm: so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places (v. 10).
It turns out that the primary audience being enlightened is the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places. This is doubly stunning. The rulers and the authorities spoken of in the Bible who are of the heavenly realm would include the angels. And Paul asserts here that the angels are learning the manifold wisdom of God through watching the church which is made up of believers in Christ. Perhaps this is why 1 Peter 1:12 speaks of “things into which angels long to look.”
We can note that these angels are in God’s presence and can see and observe Him (Matthew 18:10). They speak with God, even engaging in counsel with Him (1 Kings 22:19-20). Why then would those who see and speak with God learn of His manifold wisdom through watching humans whom He has redeemed through faith? The answer likely lies in what places people into the church in the first place: faith.
Faith is believing what is unseen as though it is seen (Hebrews 11:1). Those who see cannot believe, because they see. That the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places are watching humans to understand the manifold wisdom of God is further evidence how unfathomable are the riches of God in Christ!
This gives us great insight into many other scriptures that indicate God’s emphasis on faith. Hebrews 11:6 tells us that faith is a necessity to please God. Jesus told His disciple Thomas, "Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed" (John 20:29). This would indicate that the angels can be blessed because they see but are studying humans who live by faith in order to gain greater and fuller understanding that cannot come through seeing.
That Jesus tells Thomas those who know by faith will gain greater blessing than those who see tells us the immense opportunity we have in this life to come to know by faith. In John 17:3, Jesus defines “eternal life” for believers, meaning the greatest experience of life, as knowing God and Jesus Christ whom He sent. To know by faith is to gain the greatest experience of life.
It is worth reflecting that believers will also know by sight in the age to come. Our opportunity to know by faith is limited to this life. Therefore, we should endeavor to view this life as a once-in-an-existence opportunity to know by faith. It also seems that the degree to which we know by faith in this life will determine our capacity to know by sight in the next.
In Matthew 8, Jesus tells His Jewish followers that Gentiles who exhibit faith (like the Roman centurion He interacted with in that passage) will be more greatly rewarded than many Jewish “sons of the kingdom” (Matthew 8:10-12). This perspective helps us understand why God would permit Satan to ravage Job, who was a man of whom God was very proud (Job 1:8, 2:3).
If we put this reality of the great rewards we gain through living by faith together with the John 17:3 idea that knowing God leads to our greatest fulfillment, we can infer that God allowed Job to endure great suffering because He wanted Job to gain the greatest fulfillment possible from living in this life through a knowledge of Him by faith. This seems to be confirmed by the fact that God gave him earthly rewards to make the point to onlookers (Job 42:10, James 5:11).
The next verse speaks of this reality that the faith of human believers shows God’s wisdom to the hosts of heaven, saying: This was in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and confident access through faith in Him (vv. 11-12).
The this in verse 11 refers to verse 10, which asserts that Christians are a witness to God’s wisdom and inform the hosts of heaven of Him. It was God’s eternal purpose to demonstrate Himself to all of creation through the plan He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord. This means that God turned evil to good. His eternal purpose cannot be thwarted by the opposition of Satan or the failure of humanity. Through Christ Jesus our Lord, those who are in Christ through faith are, by their witness, showing the manifold wisdom of God spoken of in verse 10.
It is in Christ Jesus our Lord through which we have boldness and confident access through faith in Him. The we could apply to all believers in Jesus. Our boldness in living as faithful witnesses is founded upon having confident access through faith. The Greek word translated access also appears in Ephesians 2:18, where it speaks of being made a part of the body of Christ through His Spirit.
The confident access Paul speaks of could apply to this and many other things spoken of in scripture, including that:
But it seems the particular access Paul has in mind is access to God through prayer. In the next section, Paul lifts a prayer to God for the enlightenment and strengthening of the Ephesian believers. It is of note that Paul’s prayer focuses on spiritual growth and insight of God’s goodness and ignores circumstances.