Author: Kenuel Chavis

Here is a chart that beautifully demonstrates Matthew’s Gospel portraying Jesus as Yahweh, the divine Son of God:

Aspects of Divinity	Jesus in Matthew	YHWH in the Old Testament
Jesus as Yahweh, the Lord Who Must Not Be Tested	Matthew 4:7 Jesus said to him, “Again, it is written, You shall not put the LORD your God to the test.”	Deuteronomy 6:16 “You shall not put Yahweh your God to the test, as you tested Him at Massah.”
Jesus as Yahweh, the Healer Who Bears Our Suffering	Matthew 8:16-17 “This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: “He tool our illnesses and bore our diseases.”	Isaiah 53:4 “Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows.”
Jesus as Yahweh, the One Who Must Be Received as God	Matthew 10:40 “Whoever receives me receives him who sent me.”	Isaiah 44:24-26 “I am the Lord, who confirms the word of His servant and fulfills the counsel of His messengers.”
Incomprehensible Knowledge of the Father	Matthew 11:27 “and no one knows the Son except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.	Job 11:7-9 “Can you discover the depths of God? Can you discover the limits of the Almighty? 8 They are as high as the heavens; what can you do? Deeper than Sheol; what can you know? 9 Its measurement is longer than the earth And broader than the sea. Isaiah 55:8-9 “For My thought are not your thoughts” declares Yahweh. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth. So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts.
Giver of Rest	Matthew 11:28-30 “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest…you will find rest for your souls.“	Jeremiah 6:16 “Thus says Yahweh,…And you will find rest for your souls.”
Forgiver of Sins	Matthew 9:2-6 Jesus forgives sins, and some of the scribes recognized this as something only God can do.	Isaiah 43:25 “I, even I, am the one who wipes out your transgressions for My own sake, And I will not remember your sins.
Judge of All Humanity	Matthew 16:27 “For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and will then repay each one according to his deeds.“	Joel 3:12 Let the nations be roused up,…For there I will sit to judge All the surrounding nations.
Worthy of Worship	Matthew 28:9; 17 Jesus receives worship from his disciples Matthew 14:33 “Then those in the boat worshiped him and said, “Truly you are the Son of God.”	Exodus 34:14 “for you shall not worship any other god, for Yahweh, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God—
“Lord” kyrios of the Sabbath	Matthew 12:8 “For the Son of Man is the Lord of the Sabbath	Exodus 20:10 “but the seventh day is a sabbath of Yahweh your God”
Name Above All Names	Matthew 28:19 “baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,	Isaiah 42:8 “I am Yahweh, that is My name; I will not give My glory to another”
Jesus as Yahweh’s Salvation	Matthew 1:21 “ And she will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”	Isaiah 43:11 “I, even I, am Yahweh, And there is no savior besides Me.”
Jesus as “God with us”	Matthew 1:23 ““Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which translated means, “God with us.”	Isaiah 7:14 ” Behold, the virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel.“
Jesus Walking on Water	Matthew 14:26 “Now when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified…”	Job 9:8 [God] alone stretches out the heavens, And treads on the waves of the sea.”
Jesus Rebuking the Sea	Matthew 8:26 “Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and it became perfectly calm.	Nahum 1:3-4 “His way is in the whirlwind and storm…He rebukes the sea and makes it dry.“
Jesus as the Lord the Pharisees Rejected	Matthew 15:7-8 “You hypocrites, rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you: “This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far away from Me.”	Isaiah 29:13 “Then the Lord said, Because this people draw near with their mouth And honor Me with their lips, But they remove their hearts far from Me, And their fear of Me is in the command of men learned by rote,
Jesus as the One Who Sent Prophets	Matthew 23:34 ” …behold, I am sending you prophets and wise men and scribes…	Jeremiah 7:25 “Since the day your ancestors came out of the land of Egypt until today, I have sent all my servants the prophets to you time and time again.
The Coming Judge of All Nations	Matthew 25:31-46 Jesus separates nations like a Shepherd, rewarding and punishing them	Ezekiel 34:17 “As for you, My flock, thus says Lord Yahweh, ‘Behold, I will judge between one sheep and another, between the rams and the male goats.
Jesus as The Shepard over God’s People	Matthew 2:6 “And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, Are by no means least among the leaders of Judah; For out of you shall come forth a Leader Who will shepherd My people Israel.”	Psalm 23:1 “Yahweh is my shepherd, I shall not want…”
Jesus as the Divine Shepherd Who Seeks the Lost	Matthew 18:12-14 “The Shepherd leaves the ninety-nine to find the one that wandered off”	Ezekiel 34:11-16 “I myself will search for my sheep and look after them... I will search for the lost and bring back strays.”
Jesus as the Bridegroom	Matthew 25:1-13 The Parable of the Ten Virgins speaks of Jesus as the Bridegroom. “Then the kingdom of heaven may be compared to ten virgins, who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.“	Isaiah 62:5 “As the Bridegroom rejoices over the bridge, so shall your God rejoice over you.”
Jesus as the Light of the World	Matthew 4:16 “The people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light.”	Isaiah 60:1-2 “Arise, shine, for your light has come…the Lord will arise upon you.”
Jesus as the God of Israel who Heals	Matthew 15:29-31 Jesus heals the blind, mute, and lame, and the crowd glorifies “the God of Israel.”	Isaiah 35:4-6 “Behold, your God will come…Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy.“
Jesus as the Divine Lord Enthroned at Yahweh’s Right Hand	Matthew 22:44 Jesus identifies himself as the Divine Lord Psalm 110:1, proving he’s not just David’s descendent, he’s David’s divine Lord. “He said to them, Then how does David in the Spirit call Him ‘Lord,’ saying,‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, Until I put Your enemies beneath Your feet”’?	Psalm 110:1 “Yahweh says to my Lord: “Sit at My right hand Until I put Your enemies as a footstool for Your feet.”
Jesus as God the Son and Judge Who Inherits the Nations	Matthew 21:37-38 But afterward he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’…“This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and have his inheritance.”	Psalm 82:8 “Arise, O God, judge the earth; for you shall inherit all the nations.”
Jesus as Yahweh Revealing His Divine Glory in the Transfiguration	Matthew 17:1-5 “His face shone like the sun, and a voice from the cloud said, ‘This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.”	Psalm 104:2 – “Covering yourself with light as with a garment.” Exodus 34:29 – “Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone.” Daniel 7:9-10 – “His clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool.” Exodus 24:16 – “The glory of the Lord dwelt on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days.” Deut 5:22 – “The Lord spoke to all your assembly at the mountain out of the midst of the fire, the cloud, and the thick darkness.”
Jesus as Yahweh, Greater than the Temple	Matthew 12:6 “I tell you, something greater than the temple is here.”	2 Chronicles 6:18 – “Heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you, how much less this house that I have built!” Malachi 3:1 – “The Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to His temple.” Haggai 2:9 – “The latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former, says the Lord of Hosts.”
Jesus as Yahweh, the Lord Who Commands Angels and Judges the Wicked	Matthew 13:41 “The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend.”	Psalm 103:20 “Bless Yahweh, you His angels, Mighty in strength, who perform His word, Obeying the voice of His word!“ Daniel 7:10 “Thousands upon thousands were attending Him, And myriads upon myriads were standing before Him; The court sat, And the books were opened.”

Based on the evidence provided above, we can clearly see that Jesus is more than just a prophet. He’s God’s Son, Yahweh our God who revealed himself to us in the New Testament for the purpose of revealing to us the perfect representation of who God the Father is and to accomplish His plan of salvation. I pray this chart will be a blessing for you and draw you closer to Christ. Share this with friends and family!

This is the being of a two part article is in refutation to a group of Unitarian TikTok guys who debate with @IglesiaNiChristos

This past Monday, two of my brothers in Christ @TheWordandI and @OneWayApologetics did a two vs two debate with two others from @IglesiaNiChristos TikTok group.

In the debate, they quotes some interesting passages attempting to prove that Jesus Christ is not eternal, and that he was created and came into existence.

Let’s hammer way one by one each passage they quoted to try proving that Jesus came into existence:

Galatians 4:4-6 (LSB)

4 But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, 5 so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.6 And because you are sons, God sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!”

Most of this excerpt is taken from the monumental work titled The Incarnate Christ and His Critics: A Biblical Defense, authored by Robert M. Bowman Jr. & J. Ed Komoszewski, published by Kregel Academic, Grand Rapids, MI, 2024, Part 2: Like Father, Like Son: Jesus’ Divine Attributes, Chapter 11: The Paradoxical Person, pp. 207-10.

The two words highlighted in the passage above are key words we need to focus on to understand what Paul is saying and what he’s not saying.

v.4) “God sent forth His Son”.

Word that Paul uses here for “sent forth” is the word exapesteilen which comes from the word exapostelló which commonly means “sent, “sent forth,” or “sent out”. The prefix ex– means “out of”, “away from,” “from,” or in the like. In this case, the word exapostelló means “to send someone off to a locality or on a mission, send off, send out.”⁷ In short, the verb exapostelló expresses the idea of sending someone from one place to another. John 1:6 uses the simpler word apestalmenos (a form of apostelló), which depending on the context can mean commission without implying movement from one place to another.

6 There was a man having been sent (apestalmenos) from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness, to bear witness about the Light, so that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the Light, but he came to bear witness about the Light. John 1:6-8 (LSB)

It is true, as James Dunn emphasizes, that the Septuagint uses the word exapostelló several times for God “sending” prophets or judges (e.g., Judg 6:8; 2 Chron 36:15; Ps 105:26 [104:26 LXX]; etc.).⁸

that Yahweh sent a prophet to the sons of Israel, and he said to them, “Thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel, ‘It was I who brought you up from Egypt and brought you out from the house of slavery. Judges 6:8 (LSB)

And Yahweh, the God of their fathers, sent word to them again and again by the hand of His messengers, because He had compassion on His people and on His habitation; 2 Chronicles 36:15 (LSB)

He sent Moses His servant,
And Aaron, whom He had chosen. Psalms 105:26 (LSB)

In some of these texts, we may note, there is an emphasis on the prophet going away from where he was to carry out his mission (e.g., Exod 3:12; Judg 6:14; cf. Micah 6:4). In the New Testament, however, when used with persons, the verb always expresses movement away from one place to another. In the one New Testament text that James Dunn cites, “of Paul’s own commissioning in Acts 22:21,”⁹ this meaning is unmistakable: “Go, for I will send you far away to the Gentiles.”

Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance

send away, send forth.

From ek and apostello; to send away forth, i.e. (on a mission) to despatch, or (peremptorily) to dismiss — send (away, forth, out).

see GREEK ek

see GREEK apostello

Link to this: BibleHub

(2) In the context of Galatians 4, Paul clearly does not mean that God waited until the right time to send Jesus out of Nazareth on his itinerant ministry. Paul elaborates on his point by the two participial phrases that follow:

“born of a woman” (genomenon)

“born under the law” (genomenon)

These phrases describe Jesus’ entire mortal life on earth beginning with his birth. The natural meaning of the statement, when these two phrases are read with the use of exapostelló (“sent forth”), is that God sent his Son out from heaven to live as a mortal, specifically as a Jew under the Mosaic law.

There will be a part two to this!

7. BDAG, “exapostelló,” 345-46 (bold in original has been removed).

8. James D. G. Dunn, Christology in the Making: An Inquiry into the Origins of the Doctrine of the Incarnation, 2nd ed. (London: SCM Press, 1989), 39.

9. Dunn, Christology in the Making, 39.

Here in John 10:34-36, our Lord Jesus Christ quotes Psalm 82:6 in refutation to the Jews who where judging him unrighteously by accusing him for blasphemy by claiming to be one with God the Father. He claimed to be one with the Father in such a way that frustrated the Jews and here’s how:

Here’s what Jesus says in John 10:27-30 

My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish—ever; and no one will snatch them out of My hand.  My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.”

Notice the language,

27)  My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me;   

28) and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish—ever; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. 

29) My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. 

30) I and the Father are one.” (esmen – lit. “we are”)

– The verb esmen is a third person plural verb used by Jesus, which comes from the first person singular verb eimi meaning “I am”, or I exist”. This clearly demonstrates that the Father and the Son are not the same person, but one in essence and power since Jesus used it in the plural. The literal translation of John 10:30 would be “I and the Father, We are one”. https://biblehub.com/greek/esmen_1510.htm

Christ’s sheep hear his voice, and they follow him because they know him, and he knows them. When Jesus uttered these words, the Jews had in mind what Yahweh claims about himself in the Old Testament, which is why they accused him of blasphemy.

Here’s the evidence:

See now that I, I am He,
And there is no god besides Me;
It is I who put to death and give life.
I have wounded, and it is I who heal,
And there is no one who can deliver from My hand. Deuteronomy 32:39 (LSB)

1 Then Hannah prayed and said,

“My heart exults in Yahweh;
My horn is exalted in Yahweh;
My mouth speaks boldly against my enemies,
Because I am glad in Your salvation.
2 There is no one holy like Yahweh;
Indeed, there is no one besides You,
Nor is there any rock like our God. 6 Yahweh puts to death and makes alive; He brings down to Sheol and raises up. 1 Samuel 2:1-2; 6 (LSB)

6 Come, let us worship and bow down,
Let us kneel before Yahweh our Maker.
7 “For He is our God,
And we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand.Today, if you hear His voice” Psalm 95:6-7 (LSB)

11 I, even I, am Yahweh,
And there is no savior besides Me.
12 It is I who have declared and saved and caused it to be heard,
And there was no strange god among you;
So you are My witnesses,” declares Yahweh,
“And I am God.
13 Even from eternity I am He,
And there is none who can deliver out of My hand;
I act and who can reverse it?” Isaiah 43:11-13 (LSB)

Wow! No wonder the Jews reacted the way they did. Jesus, like Yahweh in the Old Testament, says that he has the power to preserve his sheep (believers) give eternal life to his sheep, and they hear his voice, and no one can snatch them away from his hand neither his Father’s hand. Why? Because in context, Jesus’ point is that he and the Father are one in power.

The Jews understood very well who Jesus was claiming to be based on the passages upon, which is why they reacted the way they did.

31 The Jews picked up stones again to stone Him. 32 Jesus answered them, “I showed you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you stoning Me?” 33 The Jews answered Him, “For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy; and because You, being a man, make Yourself God.” John 10:31-33 (LSB)

Now that we understand the context of why the Jews accused Jesus of blasphemy, lets go in-depth on why Jesus refuted the Jews by quoting Psalm 82:6,

34 Jesus answered them, “Has it not been written in your Law, ‘I said, you are gods’? 35 If he called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken), 36 do you say of Him, whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’?

Here’s Psalm 82 in it’s entirety:

1 God (Elohim) takes His stand in the congregation of God (el);
He judges in the midst of gods (elohim).
2 How long will you judge unrighteously
And show partiality to the wicked? Selah.
3 Give justice to the poor and the orphan;
Justify the afflicted and destitute.
4 Protect the poor and needy;
Deliver them out of the hand of the wicked.5 They do not know and do not understand;
They walk about in darkness;
All the foundations of the earth are shaken.
6 I said, “You are gods,
And all of you are sons of the Most High.
7 Nevertheless you willdie like men (kə·’ā·ḏām)
And you will fall like any one of the princes.”
8 Arise, O God (Elohim), judge the earth!
For it is You who will inherit (kleronomeseis) all the nations.

kə·’ā·ḏām– This Hebrew word is in reference to how Adam died in the Garden of Eden after rebelling against God.

Albert Barnes Commentary on Psalms 82:1-2:

1. God standeth in the congregation of the mighty. In the assembly of the rulers and judges; among those of most exalted rank and station. He is there to observe them; to give them law; to direct their decisions; to judge them. He is supreme over them; and He holds them responsible to himself. The word rendered congregation is that which is commonly applied to the assembly of the people of Israel, considered as an organized body, or as a body politic. It here, however, refers to magistrates considered as a body or class of men; as those who have assemblages or meetings, with special reference to their duties as magistrates. The word rendered mighty—אֵל, ēl—is in the singular number, and is one of the names which are given to God; hence the literal rendering is, “God standeth in the assembly of God.” The Septuagint renders it, In the synagogue of the gods. So also the Latin Vulgate. The reference, however, is undoubtedly to magistrates, and the idea is, that they were to be regarded as representatives of God; as acting in his name; and as those, therefore, to whom, in a subordinate sense, the name gods might be given. Comp. ver. 6. In Ex. 21:6; 22:8, 9, 28, also, the same word in the plural is applied to magistrates, and is properly translated. Judges in our common version. Comp. Notes on John 10:34, 35. The idea is, that they were the representatives of the Divine sovereignty in the administration of justice. Comp. Rom. 13:1, 2, 6. They were, in a sense, gods to other men; but they were not to forget that God stood among them as their God; that if they were exalted to a high rank in respect to their fellowmen, they were, nevertheless, subject to One to whom the name of God belonged in the highest sense.

He judgeth among the gods. As they to whom the name gods is thus given as the representatives of the Divine sovereignty judged among men, so God would judge among them. If they were, in some sense (in consequence of their representing the Divine majesty, and deriving their power and appointment from God), independent of men, they were in no sense independent of God himself.¹

Now notice verse eight again:

Arise, O God (Elohim), judge the earth!
For it is You who will inherit (kleronomeseis) all the nations. Psalm 82:8

What’s very interesting about this is that the New Testament testifies that this Psalm is about Jesus. He will be the judge of all the earth and inherit the nations:

22 For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son,  25 Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. 27 and He gave Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man. 28 Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice, 29 and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment. John 5:22; 25; 27 (LSB)

42 And He commanded us to preach to the people, and solemnly to bear witness that this is the One who has been designated by God as Judge of the living and the dead. 43 Of Him all the prophets bear witness that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins.” Acts 10:36; 42-43 (LSB)

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. 2 Corinthians 5:10 (LSB)

I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: 2 Timothy 4:1 (LSB)

Here are the passages saying our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is the heir who inherits (kleronomeseis) the nations with an everlasting kingdom:

37 But afterward he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 38 But when the vine-growers saw the son, they said among themselves, ‘This is the heir(ho kleronomos); come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance (ten kleronomian autou).’ 39 And they took him, and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. Matthew 21:37-39 (LSB)

18 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to keep all that I commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20 (LSB)

1 God, having spoken long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, 2 in these last days spoke to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things (kleronomon panton), through whom also He made the worlds, 3 who is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power; who, having accomplished cleansing for sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, Hebrews 1:1-3 (LSB)

Based on the scriptural evidence provided above, we see that Jesus Christ is the judge of all the earth, and he is the heir who inherits all the nations!

Something else that often gets overlooked in John 10 is Jesus words after is quotation of Psalm 82:6. What’s interesting is Jesus identifies himself as the Word of God who came to judge and condemn the “gods” in Psalm 82 for judging unrighteously. Watch what our Lord says:

34 Jesus answered them, “Has it not been written in your Law, ‘I said, you are gods’? 35 If he called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken), 36 do you say of Him, whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’? John 10:34-36

The New Testament identifies Jesus as the Word of God who came to condemn those so-called “gods” in Psalm 82 and who will one day destroy his enemies:

1 In the beginning was the Word (ho Logos), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. 14 And the Word became flesh (kai ho Logos sarx egeneto), and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.  John 1:1-3; 14

 What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we beheld and touched with our hands, concerning the Word (ho logos) of Life— ² and the life was manifested, and we have seen and bear witness and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us— ³ what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you may also have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ. 1 John 1:1-3 (LSB)

11 Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sits on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. 12 His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; having a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself, 13 and being clothed with a garment dipped in blood, His name is also called The Word of God (Ho Logos tou Theou). 14 And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. 15 And from His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the wrath of the rage of God, the Almighty. ¹⁶ And He has on His garment and on His thigh a name written, “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.” Revelation 19:11-16 (LSB)

Notice the Greek in John 10:35, and Revelation 19:13. The same author of the gospel of John also wrote Revelation:

Wow! The Biblical evidence provided above shows that Jesus Christ, the Savior and Lord of all creation, is the God who gives eternal life to all those who believe in Him, and they will never perish and be taken from Him, neither by the Father. He is the judge of all creation who will reign and rule as King of Kings and Lord of Lords forever. Amen!

1. Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament: Psalms, vol. 2 (London: Blackie & Son, 1870–1872), 328–329. ↩︎

The following is an exegetical work researched and written by me in the year of 2023 during my time at North Greenville University.

1. INTRODUCTION
2. Historical-Cultural Context
3. Literary Context
4. EXEGESIS 
5. Application
6. APPENDIX I
7. APPENDIX II
8. BIBLIOGRAPHY
9. Footnotes and Endnotes

INTRODUCTION

In chapter three of Paul’s letter to the church at Ephesus, Paul talks about the mystery (mustērion) of God’s grace that was revealed to him by revelation. Throughout this letter, but primarily in chapter 3 verses one through seven, we will see how Paul’s tone in writing to the church at Ephesus is not as urgent to warn them; rather, he’s writing to the church at Ephesus with encouragement in regard to the Christian life. The purpose of this paper is to provide a verse-by-verse exposition of Ephesians 3:1-7 in order for the readers to gain a better understanding of Paul’s revelation of God’s grace. 

The exposition of this passage will consist of several steps. First, an examination of the historical-cultural context of Ephesians will help the reader to learn about Pauline authorship and why he felt the need to write this letter to the church at Ephesus. Second, a literary context review that will establish the book’s overall structure and show how chapters one and two fit into the immediate context of chapter three. Third, a verse-by-verse exegesis will interpret Paul’s main idea to the Gentile Christians about how the mystery of God’s grace was revealed to him by revelation. In conclusion, an application will be provided to pinpoint the overall theological message to contemporary believers so they can apply it to the modern-day church.

Historical-Cultural Context

The Letter of Ephesians clearly claims Pauline authorship. However, there are objections by many biblical scholars as to the authorship of Ephesians^[1], for some scholars believe some features in this letter proves Paul was not the author. But for the purposes of this paper, we will accept Pauline authorship as valid. There is no doubt that Paul wanted to clarify to his readers and the church at Ephesus that he is the one writing. The Letter of Ephesians begins by Paul introducing himself by saying “Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ” (Paulos Apostolos Christos Iēsous) (1:1). Paul introduces himself in this letter the same way he did when he wrote to the Romans and Galatians. By Paul introducing his self this way to the church at Ephesus and to the Gentile Christians, he is claiming to be the true author of this letter. Paul wrote this letter to a broad audience of Gentile Christians in Ephesus (2:11, 3:1).^[2] Something unique to note as it relates to Pauline authorship is Paul calling himself  “an apostle” Apostolos meaning a sent one of the Lord Jesus Christ. Before Paul became “Paul the apostle”, he was one who sought out to kill the disciples of Jesus Christ before his conversion on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:1-9). After Paul’s conversion on the road to Damascus, Paul began preaching about Christ in the synagogues (Acts 9:19-31). After spending eighteen months in Corinth, Paul began his three-year ministry in the city of Ephesus. It is uncertain by some scholars who established the church during that time even though it seems that Paul spoke briefly to the Jews at Ephesus in Acts 18:18-22.^[3] Paul went to Ephesus with Priscilla and Aquila by his side who both started the outreach in Ephesus while Paul visited Jerusalem for the pilgrim festivals.^[4] Paul pursued to reaching out to the city of Ephesus and sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ before the fall of the city in AD 55.^[5] In mid AD 52-55, Paul concluded his three-year ministry in Ephesus shorty after an unexpected event during his ministry. Some scholars believe that Paul wrote Ephesians after this event and his imprisonment, which also took place in AD 55.^[6] Despite debate on Pauline authorship, the letter of Ephesians is unique among the letters written by Paul. Some ways in which this letter is unique are the language of worship and prayer and how deep it is in theology.^[7] Something else unique about this letter is that Ephesians is the least situational out of all of Paul’s letters.^[8] Meaning when Paul wrote this letter to the church at Ephesus, it did not seem as urgent when writing like his other letters. For example, Paul had to warn the church at Galatia due to their distortion of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Paul told the church at Galatia that he was “amazed” that they were quickly distorting the one who called them by grace because they were running to a false gospel (Gal 1:6-9). Even though the letter of Ephesians was least situational, that does not mean Ephesus was a church without fault. Paul just didn’t need to have the urgency to write to warn the church at Ephesus like he did with Galatia. However, Paul did give a minor warning to the church at Ephesus about not being “tossed” around or driven away by false doctrine (4:14). Besides Paul’s warning about false doctrine, it does not seem that Paul’s purpose in writing to the church at Ephesus was urgent in a way to warn them of a coming judgment upon them for their disobedience. Paul called those whom he was writing to “faithful saints” (1:1). Throughout the letter of Ephesians, it seems to be that Paul’s purpose in writing to the church at Ephesus was to encourage them on how to live out the Christian Life based on the work of Christ on the cross and the God’s grace which has been revealed. For example, Paul talked about God’s rich blessings of redemption through his Son Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins and that they were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise when they heard the gospel and believed (1:3-14). 

Literary Context

The Structure of Ephesians 

Since Ephesians was a letter written to the church at Ephesus to encourage them about who they are in Christ. Paul provides a layout of things believers to consider regarding his responsibility to the Gentiles. A brief outline reveals the primary concerns of the Letter. 

1. Paul’s Greeting Introduction to the Letter (1:1-2)
2. God’s Rich Blessings and His Remarkable Plan of Redemption (1:3-14)
3. A Prayer of Thanksgiving and Intercession (1:15-23)
4. From Bondage of Sin to The New Life in Christ (2:1-10)
5. Nearness to God in a New Community (2:11-22)
6. Paul’s Stewardship of the Mystery and Ministry to the Gentiles (3:1-13)
7. A Second Prayer of Intercession (3:14-21)
8. Exhortation to Maintain Unity in the Church (4:1-16)
9. Living Out the New Identity in Christ (4:17-24)
10. Living Out the New Identity in the Community of Believers (4:25-5:2)
11. Living as People of the Light (5:3-14)
12. Living in Wisdom and in the Spirit (5:15-21)
13. Instructions for Husbands and Wives (5:22-33)
14. Instructions to Other Members of the Household (6:1-9)
15. Putting on the Full Armor of God (6:10-20)
16. Paul’s Concluding Remarks (6:21-24)

Paul lays out a variety of things believers should consider in this letter, but first he establishes the recipients of the letter. Paul starts the letter introduces himself as “an apostle” meaning one sent from the Lord Jesus Christ. Then he indicates the recipients of the letter and greets them in peace (1:1-2).  Paul tells the church at Ephesus about God’s rich blessings in Christ Jesus and how God chose us in Christ to live a holy life before Him because we have redemption in Him through His blood for forgiveness of sins. (v3-14). Paul finishes out chapter one by giving thanks and praise to God because of Ephesus’s faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and mentions how God’s power was exercised in Christ through his resurrection from the dead (v15-23). Paul goes on to talk about how believers in Christ were once dead in their sins but are now alive in Christ Jesus because He is rich in mercy and His love (2:1-10). Then, Paul goes on to explain how he felt near to God in a new community of believers in Christ and reminds the church at Ephesus about how they were once “Gentiles in the flesh” but now united in Christ (v11-22). In chapter three, Paul tells the church at Ephesus about his ministry to the Gentiles and his stewardship of the mystery of godliness that was revealed to him by revelation (3:1-13). Paul prays for spiritual power to come upon believers in Christ at Ephesus according to the riches of God’s glory. Paul also prays for them to be firmly established in love (v14-21). Paul, in the following chapter, urges believers to live a life worthy of the calling that God has placed on their lives and discusses unity and diversity in the body of Christ as a church is important (4:1-16). Paul begins a new section in this chapter encouraging Gentile believers on how to live out the new identity in Christ (v17-24). To finish out this chapter leading up to chapter five, Paul encourages believers in Christ with instructions on how to live out their new identity among a community of believers (v25-5:2). Gentile believers in Christ are also encouraged to live as people who are walking in light and not in darkness just as Christ is the light (5:3-14). Then Paul goes on to warn and encourage believers to be consistent in the Christian life watching carefully how we live (v15-21). Paul gives instructions to husbands and describes the husband as the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church (v22-33). Paul also gives instructions to children living in their parent’s household to obey them because it is the first commandment with a promise and mentions that believers should work for Christ to please Him and not others (6:1-9). Paul continues to encourage Gentile believers to be strengthened by the Lord Jesus Christ and to equip themselves with the full armor of God to stand against the schemes of the devil (v10-20). Paul concludes the letter with farewell remarks to those in Ephesus and sends Tychicus to them to tell them about his imprisonment and to encourage them (v21-24).

The Immediate Context of Ephesians 3:1-7

In Ephesians 2:11-22, Paul continues to encourage believers about the new identity they have in Christ. He reminds them of who they were in the past by calling them “Gentiles in the flesh,” similar to the way he described their old way of life back in Ephesians 2:1-10 when he said they were once “dead in their sins,” but due to God’s grace and mercy, they were made alive in Christ. Jews and Gentiles are now united with Christ because of the gospel. Paul will continue in chapter three to tell them about his ministry to the Gentiles and the mystery of God’s grace that was revealed to him by revelation. 

EXEGESIS 

1) First, when Paul uses the phrase “For this reason”, this connects back to his prayer in (2:11-22).^[9] Paul using this phrase in his previous prayer for Gentiles and now here in verse one of this chapter both serve purpose. The reason why Paul’s usage of the phrase “For this reason” both in 2:11-22 and here in verse one is because of Paul’s reasoning for praying. Paul using this phrase here in verse one also raises a question, why did he begin by saying “For this reason”? Back in (2:11-22) Paul reminded Gentile believers of who they once were to who they are now in Christ. “For this reason”, Paul wanted to Gentile believers to understand his mission and his purpose as an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ.  When Paul uses this phrase, he is also expressing how close in relationship to God he felt even when he was imprisoned. Paul was imprisonment was based on his ministry to the Gentiles and because he believed that Gentiles had the same access to God like the Jews did. Snodgrass summarized this though adequately: 

“The only reason why Paul was in prison was because he thought Gentiles had the same access to God that Jews did. If he had been content to be a Jewish Christian with a mission to Jews or if he had been willing to keep Gentiles on a lower plan, he would not have been in jail. But the purpose of Paul’s calling was to bring about the obedience of faith among the Gentiles (Rom 1:5; Gal 1-2) and if faith was the key to salvation, both Jews and Gentiles were on the same plane”.^[10]

Also, Paul uses the assertive phrase “I Paul”(egō Paulos) instead of starting off by using a regular first person singular verb.^[11] “I Paul” is being used here in this verse to emphasize his personal concern and care for Gentile believers and for those he hasn’t seen before during his time at Ephesus.^[12] Paul wanted Gentile believers to know that he was writing to them on their behalf, “on behalf of you Gentiles,” from a Roman prison. Paul writing to Gentile believers on their behalf despite being in prison clearly shows the kind of heart he has for them and how much he cares about who they are in Christ.

2) Paul continues in verse two by telling Gentile believers about his apostolic mission to administrate the mystery of God’s grace. Notice how Paul assumes the Gentile believers are aware of what he was commissioned by God to do.^[13] In the conditional clause of verse two, he says “if indeed” in a way of saying they aren’t aware of what’s going on. But really where Paul’s assumption comes in is in the independent clause “you have heard about my responsibility to serve as a steward”. By Paul saying this, he’s assuming the Gentiles who he’s writing to are fully aware of what his mission was and why he is writing to them from a Roman prison on their behalf. Paul makes it clear to the Gentile believers that his responsibility as an apostle of Jesus Christ was to serve as a “steward” of the grace of God. The Greek word Paul uses here in verse two (oikonomia) is the same word he used back in (1:10) in reference to God’s will and plan for him that was revealed to him by revelation.^[14] God has placed on Paul the apostolic responsibility of preaching this divine message given to him from God. Something else to note here in verse two is how Paul uses the term “grace” as he’s done throughout the entire letter. Up to this point in the letter, believers in Christ know whenever Paul uses the term “grace” it’s referring to God’s plan of salvation through Jesus Christ which is grounded in his love and mercy for sinners.^[15] Like in (2:5-8) when Paul talks about how God has made believers alive in Christ because he is rich in mercy, and that salvation is by the grace of God through faith not by works. Paul goes on to mention how his responsibility to serve as a steward was not just a decision he made on his own. Rather, Paul tells the Gentiles his responsibility “was given to me for you” indicating his task given to him from the Lord was for their sake.

3) In the independent clause of verse three, Paul uses past tense when he says “that the mystery was made know to me” indicating that the mystery of God’s grace had already been revealed to him. Paul modifies what he said in the first clause of verse three by saying the mystery of God’s grace was made know to him “by revelation^[16]”. He explains to the Gentile Christians how the responsibility of this stewardship that was placed on him by God had nothing to do with his own natural decision. Rather, Paul says that it was by “revelation” which came directly to him from God to proclaim this divine message about the grace of God.^[17] Looking back at (1:9), when Paul uses the word “mystery” both words “revealing” and “making known” connect together in reference to the gospel.^[18] The truth of God’s grace was not a mystery anymore to Paul or the Gentiles after it was revealed to him by revelation.^[19] Foulkes summaries this thought briefly by saying: 

“For this truth of God which is no longer hidden, but made plain to those who are willing to receive it”.^[20]

The tone in which Paul uses here in this verse when talking about a “revelation” being revealed to him from God is essentially the same tone he used in (Gal 1:12,16) when he gave the church at Galatia insight on what he experienced^[21] on the road to Damascus.^[22] So far, everything that Paul is writing in these first couple of verses, he reminds the Gentiles of when he already wrote to them about his responsibility and revelation from God earlier in this letter. Paul told them “as I briefly wrote to you about earlier (in this letter)”. Paul’s remind to the Gentiles is valid given the fact he did remind write to them about this mystery back in (1:9). 

4)  When Paul uses the phrase, “you will be able to understand my insight”, he’s expressing in future tense that his desire for the Gentile believers is for them to understand his insight on this mystery of God’s grace that was revealed to him by revelation from God. Paul already assumed back in verse two that the Gentiles understand his responsibility given to him by God. And now, he tells the Gentile believers imperatively that they will understand his insight. The insight in which Paul assumes the Gentiles will understand in future tense is the mystery in Christ. When Paul uses the phrase “into the mystery” he follows it with the preposition(en) to refer to who the mystery of God’s grace is found in “which is Christ”. ultimately what Paul is trying to get the Gentiles to understand is the mystery of grace of God was revealed to him by revelation from God, and that he discovered that mystery of God’s grace was found in Christ when he appeared to him on the road to Damascus in Acts 9:1-9. In 1 Cor 2:1, Paul talks about this “mystery” which is Christ could also be known as “the mystery of God”.^[23] This shows a glimpse of Paul’s view of the hypostatic union of Jesus Christ the Son and God the Father because here in verse four and back in verse five Paul says the mystery of Christ was revealed to him by revelation from God. Paul also wanted to clarify in regard to the “mystery” in Christ is he shares the same understanding of this with the other apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ.^[24] When Paul uses the phrase “as you read”, it is easy for modern-day Christians to assume that Paul is speaking on behalf of their own personal devotional time. But this is not the kind of reading Paul is referring to here in verse four. The reading that Paul refers to in this verse is reading of scripture done by the Gentile Christian community in a public setting on sabbath day.^[25] When the Gentile Christian community did this, it played a vital role in their lives. Arnold stated:

“The public reading of Scripture as well as apostolic documents undoubtedly played an important role in the lives of the early Christian Churches”.^[26]

Also, by the Gentile community reading scripture aloud allows opens the door those who haven’t heard Paul’s message about his ministry to then hear about the mystery of God’s grace revealed to him by revelation. Paul will continue this thought in verse five.

5) Paul uses the phrase “in previous generations” to pick up from where her left off in verse four discussing how Gentile believers will understand his insight on the mystery of God’s grace which is found in Christ. When Paul uses the phrase “in previous generations” he is most likely referring to the times back in Old Testament before the coming of Christ on earth. Paul wanted to make it clear to the Gentiles that this “mystery” of God’s grace revealed to him wasn’t revealed to the people in the generations before his. However, the mystery of God’s grace was revealed to him by revelation given the fact Jesus has now already come. Before then, not a single generation surrounded by the people of God was expecting what God was going to do through His Son Jesus Christ in order to be forgiven of sins and receive salvation. Arnold summarizes this thought best when he says:

“Paul clarifies here that there was no generation among God’s people who could have anticipated the full extent of what God would accomplish through his Messiah.”^[27]

This is why Paul goes on to say in this verse that the mystery of God’s grace which he is proclaiming to the Gentiles from a Roman prison “was not made know” to “the sons of men”. When Paul says “sons of men” in this verse, he is essentially referencing the generations of Jews and Gentiles before his current generation.^[28] Paul then switches from past tense when he said the mystery of God’s grace was not revealed or as Paul says “made known” to the Jews and Gentiles I previous generations, to now present tense. Paul uses the phrase “as it is now revealed” to say that the mystery of God’s grace is now unveiled in present tense. As mentioned before, Paul can firmly proclaim this truth because of what he experienced on the road to Damascus. Not only was Paul saying the revelation of God’s grace “is now revealed” to him, but he also says that the mystery of God’s grace is reveled to the Lord’s “holy apostles”. These “holy apostles” and “prophets by the Spirit” that Paul mentions here in verse five mainly surround the apostles and prophets of the New Testament, but can also refer to the ones in the Old Testament. Receiving divine revelation from God is the only possible way of understanding the kind of mystery Paul is referring to.^[29] It is nearly impossible for the prophets and apostles of the Lord to comprehend God’s message without a divine revelation from God. For example, in the Old Testament, king Nebuchadnezzar was unable to understand and interpret the dream he had. However, Daniel received revelation from God about Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, and he was able to interpret and understand his dream to him (Dan 4:4-27). Again, prophets and apostles of the Lord must have received a divine revelation from God in order to understand the message of God specifically this mystery that Paul is talking about. Notice how Paul uses the word “holy”^[30] to refer to both apostles and prophets. The word “holy” means “set apart”.^[31] There aren’t any clear reasons to why Paul would refer to them as “holy” because both connected with each other in (2:20)^[32]. 

6) Considering everything Paul proclaimed up to this point, how are the Gentiles described and identified? First, Paul describes the Gentiles as “fellow heirs” which in the accusative (synklēronomos) indicates they are joined together or as the CSB translates it “coheirs” essentially meaning the same thing. The Gentiles are no longer who they use to be once they heard Paul’s proclamation of the gospel through God’s grace. Paul said in 2:1 “And you were dead in your trespasses and sins”. Paul in this verse shifts from past to the present tense when describing the Gentiles relationship to Christ with the Jews. For Paul is most certainly saying that Jews and Gentiles share equality in God’s blessings of the new covenant.^[33] Adjectively, Paul describes the Gentiles as “partakers” συμμέτοχα of God’s promise. Paul also says that not only Gentiles share equality with the Jew’s in God’s blessings of the new covenant, but they are also “fellow members” of the “body”. Paul uses the noun (sussoma) instead of the noun (soma) which means “body” to say that the Jews and Gentiles are joined together in the body of Christ. This display of God’s grace to the Gentiles was shown through the gospel of Jesus Christ in light of what he did on the cross in order to accomplish God’s plan of the salvation. In light of what Paul is saying in this verse regarding the Jews and Gentile, Hoch says this:

“Gentiles by faith in Christ are given the status of co-participants in the messianic salvation and share with the remnant from Israel in Israel’s covenantal privileges. Gentiles do not become Israel but shares Israel”.^[34]

7) Here in verse seven, it seems as though Paul is wrapping up the content on the mystery of God’s grace. He begins verse seven similar to the way he did in verse two. Except in this verse, Paul isn’t making any assumptions about the Gentiles understanding his divine responsibility. Paul uses a passive verb(egenethen)“I became” to describe who he has become in light of the grace of God through the truth of the gospel. When Paul says “I became a servant” here in verse seven, this connects back to verse two when Paul mentioned his responsibility given to him by God to serve.^[35] In the accusative, Paul uses the prepositional phrase “according to” κατα to indicate how and why he became a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ which is by the grace of God. Comparable to verse two, Paul also uses the phrase “the grace of God” when describing his divine task given to him by God, which was to reveal to the Gentiles the revelation he received from God about his grace. Paul concludes this verse by saying “according to the mighty works of his power” which is referring to the mighty works of God displayed through the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul even said earlier in this letter “He exercised this power in Christ by raising him from the dead and seating him at his right hand in the heavens” (Eph 1:20). 

Application

In Ephesians 3:1-7, Paul tells the Gentiles of the church at Ephesus the reason for him writing to them. Paul writes to the Gentiles from a roman prison on their behalf in order for them to understand his primary task given to him by God. In the context of this passage, Paul assumed that the Gentiles understood his task and his purpose in him writing to them on their behalf from Prison. After Paul assumed the Gentiles knew his primary task in writing to them, he explained to them his responsibility given to him by God was to serve as a steward from them given to him by God’s grace. Paul’s proclamation about the mystery of God’s grace which was revealed to him by clear revelation from God was emphatic. What made Paul’s message to the Gentiles emphatic was his experience in Acts 9:1-9 on the road to Damascus when Paul received this revelation from God through the Lord Jesus Christ. Prior to Paul received revelation from the Lord, he persecuted the church of Christ. But the Lord Jesus Christ called him out of his persecuting of the church into becoming a servant by the grace of God. In light of the revelation Paul received from God, he imperatively states that the Gentiles will be able to understand his insight on the mystery of God’s grace which evolves around the gospel. Jews and Gentiles are no longer separated from each other, but now they are partakers of the blessings of the new covenant once the Gentiles heard the message of the gospel and believed.

The Gentiles were not seen by Jew as people who should have the privilege to share in God’s promise of the new covenant. The reason for that is because who they were prior to hearing the message of the gospel and believing in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Previously in this letter as I’ve mentioned in the exegesis, Paul described the Gentiles as “Gentiles in the flesh”. What Paul meant by that was the Gentiles where once those who walked according to the flesh and not according to the Spirit of God. Paul said in Ephesians 2:1 “And you were dead” talking about the Gentiles previous life before they were sealed by the Holy Spirit once they believed in the truth of the gospel. The same applies to us who are saved. We as Christians today were once dead in our trespasses and sins, but when we heard the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ and believed in it. We were no longer dead in our sins. Rather, by the grace of God were made alive in Christ through the power of his death and resurrection. 

A careful examination of Ephesians 3:1-7 within its immediate contexts yields the following theological principles: As followers of Christ, we must understand God’s grace which has been revealed to us by God’s revelation of Scripture, and once we have heard the message of the gospel, we must believe in it. 

Both theological principles are reflected by what Paul said throughout verses one through seven. Paul did not understand his divine task neither did he understand the message of God’s grace until he received revelation from God. The revelation that Paul received from God was during a time when he persecuted the church of Christ and the apostles for proclaiming a message they receive from the Lord Jesus Christ and were commanded to proclaim before he ascended into Heaven. After Paul met the Lord Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus and received revelation from him, he believed in Christ, and from there he was not who he used to be. The ministry of Paul at Ephesus to the Gentiles reflects what has been revealed to him by God in the flesh which is Jesus Christ the Lord and Savior. 

Considering both theological principles, how should individual Christians today apply it to their lives? Christians should not live their lives as if the Lord Jesus is dead. For there are many Christians who do so. Paul clearly stated in Eph 2:1 that before we encountered the message of the gospel we were “dead” in our trespasses and sins. That’s who we use to be, but not after we believed in the gospel. As a result of this biblical truth of scripture, Christians should live their lives for the very purpose they were saved which is to honor and glorify God by proclaiming the message of the gospel. Paul stated in Eph 2:10 “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do”. If Paul, who was once a persecutor of the church of Christ can live out and proclaim this message, Christians today ought to do the same. 

APPENDIX I

A Mechanical Layout on Ephesians 3:1-7

1) For this reason 

    I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles—

2)           if indeed 

    you have heard about my responsibility to serve as a steward

                                                                                of the grace of God,

                                                                         which was given to me for you—

3) that the mystery was made known to me

                                            by revelation as I briefly wrote about earlier

                                                                                       (in this letter),

4)               regarding which, as you read,

    you will be able to understand my insight 

                                                into the mystery,

                                                                  which is Christ, 

5)                                                               which, in previous generations,

   (it) was not made known

                            to the sons of men

                                                      as it is now revealed

                                                                             to his holy apostles 

                                                                                                  and 

                                                                             prophets by the Spirit

6) that the Gentiles are fellow heirs,

                                                 and 

                                        fellow members of the body,

                                                 and 

                                        fellow sharers of the promise 

                                                                                    in Christ Jesus through the gospel

7) of which I became a servant

                           according to the grace of God that was given to me 

                                                             according to the might works of his power.

APPENDIX II

Word Study on apokalypsis

In Ephesians 3:3 Paul tells the church at Ephesus that the mystery of God’s grace was revealed to him by “revelation”. The Greek term apokalypsis is a key noun in this passage, a more in-depth investigation of the way Paul used this term should shed light on the deeper meaning and usage of this term considering the context. 

The first thing we should do to understand Paul’s usage of the term apokalypsis in Ephesians 3:3, it is necessary to establish the semantic range of the term. In the Greek New Testament, the basic meaning of the term apokalypsis  are not varied as much. The term apokalypsis can be translated as a noun or a verb depending upon the context. As a translated verb it means “making fully known” or “what is revealed”. As a noun, the Greek word apokalypsis can be translated as “a disclosure” or revelation. From the basic meanings of the term apokalypsis, this term could mean “to make known”, “to reveal (something)”, or “a disclosure (of truth).

In the LXX, the term is only used one time. It could refer to when Samuel was angry with Johnathan when he decided to take opposition to the truth revealed by sinning against his father (1 Sam 20:30). 

In the New Testament apokalypsis shows the following semantic range of meaning.^[1]

1. A disclosure, revelation (e.g., Rom 2:5: “But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.”

2. Manifestation, appearance (e.g., Rom 8:19: “For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God.”

3. Spiritual enlightenment of someone or something (e.g., Lk 2:32: “a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.”

4. Being revealed, to reveal (e.g., Rom 1:18: “For God’s wrath is revealed from heaven all godlessness and unrighteousness of people who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.”

5. To make known, made know (e.g., Eph 3:3: “how the mystery was made known to me by revelation as I have written briefly. 

6. Disclosure of the revelation of truth (e.g., Rom 16:25b-26: “according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret for long ages past, but now has been disclosed, and through the Scriptures of the prophets”.

7. To make information known with an implication that the information can be understood (e.g., Eph 3:3-4: how the mystery was made known to me by revelation as I have written briefly. “You will be able to understand my insight into the mystery”.

In light of the semantic range of meanings for apokalypsis how does Paul use this term in Eph 3:3? An investigation upon the immediate context shows how Paul used this term and what he meant when he used the term apokalypsis

Of the possible meaning for the Greek word apokalypsis listed above (1) “A disclosure”, (2) “Manifestation, appearance”, (3) “Spiritual enlightenment of someone or something”, (4) “Being revealed, to reveal”, (5) “To make known, made know” (6) “Disclosure of the revelation of truth”, (7) “To make information known with an implication that the information can be understood”, both (5) “To make known, made know” and, (6) Disclosure of the revelation of truth fits within the immediate context. 

The mystery of the God’s grace which was not made know in previous generations prior to Paul’s, that mystery was revealed to him by a divine revelation form God. The mystery that was “made known” to Paul is now made known to the Gentiles due to the message being proclaimed to them.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Arnold, Clinton E. Zondervan Exegetical Commentary: Ephesians. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2010.

Beale, G. K., D. A. Carson, G. K. (Gregory K.) Beale, and D. A. (Donald Arthur) Carson. Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2007.

Bruce, F. F. The Epistles to the Colossians, to Philemon, and to the Ephesians. The New International Commentary on the New Testament. Grand Rapids: W.B. Eerdmans, 1984.

Evans, Craig A., Stanley E. Porter. Dictionary of New Testament Background. Edited by Craig A. (Craig Alan) Evans and Stanley E. Porter. Downers Grove, Ill: InterVarsity Press, 2000.

Foulkes, Francis. The Epistle of Paul to the Ephesians: An Introduction and Commentary. Tyndale New Testament Commentaries. Leicester, England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1983.

Fredrick, William Danker A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and other Early Christian Literature 3^rd. ed, Chicago Press, 2000, 112.

Gaebelein, Franklin E. The Expositors Bible Commentary, Vol 2. Grand Rapids: Zondervan 1978.

Guthrie, Donald. New Testament Introduction. 4th rev. ed. Downers Grove, Ill: Inter-Varsity Press, 1990.

Hawthorne, Gerald F., Ralph P. Martin, and Daniel G. Reid. Dictionary of Paul and His Letters. Edited by Gerald F. Hawthorne, Ralph P. Martin, and Daniel G. Reid. Downers Grove, Ill: InterVarsity Press, 1993.

Jr. Hoch Carl B. “The Significance of The Syn-Compounds for Jew-Gentile Relationships In The Body of Christ” JETS (June 1982): 175-183.

Snodgrass, Klyne. Ephesians. The NIV Application Commentary. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996.

Tenney, Merrill C. The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible. Vol.2. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1976. 

---

Footnotes and Endnotes

^[1] Some scholars say that Paul did not write the letter of Ephesians and here’s are some of the objections that biblical scholars made. A case that some scholars use against Pauline authorship is the linguistic and stylistic arguments. For example, when Paul refers to the devil using various titles in his other letters, he doesn’t use the Greek term (diabolos) “devil” like he does in his other letters. Donald Guthrie. New Testament Introduction. 4th rev. ed. (Downers Grove, Ill: Inter-Varsity Press, 1990), 500.

^[2] Gregory K. Beale and D. A.  Carson, Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament (Grand Rapids, Mich: Baker Academic, 2007), 813.

^[3] Craig A. Evans and Stanley E. Porter, Dictionary of the New Testament Background (InterVarsity Press. Ill, 2000), 319

^[4] Clinton E. Arnold, Zondervan Exegetical Commentary: Ephesians (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan. 2010), 29.

^[5] Ibid.

^[6] Ibid., 50 “Paul concluded his ministry in Ephesus after an event that took place in which just about turned into chaos started by the trade guild of silversmiths who made shrines and votive images of the Ephesians Artemis (Acts 19:23-41)”. 

^[7] Gerald F. Hawthorne, Ralph P. Martin, and Daniel G. Reid, Dictionary of Paul and His Letters: (Downers Grove, Ill: InterVarsity Press. 1993), 239.

^[8] Ibid., 245.

^[9] Arnold, 184-85

^[10] Klyne Snodgrass, The NIV Application Commentary: Ephesians. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996), 159.

^[11] Arnold, 185.

^[12] Ibid.

^[13] Franklin E. Gaebelein, The Expositors Bible Commentary, Vol 2. Grand Rapids: Zondervan 1978, 44

^[14] Clinton E. Arnold. Zondervan Exegetical Commentary: Ephesians, Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan. 2010, 185

^[15] Zondervan Exegetical Commentary, 186

^[16] For a more in-depth study on this word, see Appendix 1

^[17] Clinton E. Arnold, 187

^[18] Francis Foulkes, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries, Ephesians. (Grand Rapids: MI) 1989, 99

^[19] Ibid.

^[20] Foulkes, 99

^[21] This is when Paul met the Lord Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus during the stage of his life when he was persecuting the disciples of Christ. For more insight on this, read Acts 9:1-9.

^[22] Clinton E. Arnold, Zondervan Exegetical Commentary: Ephesians, (Grand Rapids, Zondervan): 2010, 187

^[23] F.F. Bruce, The New International Commentary on the New Testament: The Epistles to the Colossians to Philemon and to the Ephesians. (Grand Rapids, Zondervan):1984, 313

^[24] Merrill C. Tenney, The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible, Vol.2, (Zondervan. Grand Rapids):1976, 322

^[25] Clinton E. Arnold. Zondervan Exegetical Commentary: Ephesians, Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan. 2010, 188

^[26] Ibid.

^[27] Clinton E. Arnold, Zondervan Exegetical Commentary: Ephesians, (Grand Rapids, Zondervan):2010, 189

^[28] Ibid.

^[29] Arnold, 189

^[30] According to Arnold: “Holy” is one of Paul’s favorite words (occurring fifteen times in Ephesians) to describe Christians on the basis of what Christ has done for them in forgiving and sanctifying them as well as characterizing them as people set apart for God”.  Clinton E. Arnold, Zondervan Exegetical Commentary: Ephesians, (Grand Rapids, Zondervan): 2010, 191

^[31] Ibid., 190

^[32] Zondervan Exegetical Commentary, 190

^[33] Zondervan Exegetical Commentary, 191

^[34] Jr. Hoch Carl B. “The Significance of The Syn-Compounds for Jew-Gentile Relationships in The Body of Christ” JETS (June 1982): 177

^[35] The ESV uses the word “minister” instead of the word “servant”.

^[36] Fredrick, William Danker A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and other Early Christian Literature 3^rd. ed, Chicago Press, 2000, 112.

The following is a sermon manuscript written and preached by me in the year of 2023 during my time at North Greenville University.

Acts 4:23-31

Introduction: Good morning/evening church, First I would like to thank the praise team for such an amazing time of worship, and I would like to thank you Pastor______ for allowing me to preach here at your church, it is truly a blessing to be here in the presence of God with the saints. I would like to invite you to open your Bibles to Acts chapter four, verses twenty-three through thirty-one. [Read the passage…] 

Opening Illustration:   Today, I want to talk to you about remaining faithful to God in times of trouble. At the center of a hurricane, there is an eye. The eye of a storm is a circular area of calm surrounded by winds. Although it is still dangerous, it is the calmest area of the storm anyone could be in. In the same way…we can remain faithful to God in times of trouble because we know that he is with us in the eye of the storm we are in, and whatever we are facing we can have peace and faith because he is right there with us. 

Historical Context:   In order to understand what’s going here in this passage, let’s look at the context of Acts chapter four. Peter and John were taken and arrested by the chief priests for their preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ. They were tried and tested by the Sanhedrin, but they boldly proclaim to them what have done. They chief priests and the elders observed the boldness of Peter and John, so they released them and charged them to no longer preach the name of Jesus. 

Point of the Passage:  In this passage, we see that Peter and John remained faithful to God in times of trouble. They were just released from prison, put on trial, and commanded to stop preaching in Jesus’ name, but they remained faithful to God. 

Human Dilemma: Some of you here today are dealing with troubling times in your lives and you are searching for answers and wondering, how can I practically remain faithful to God in times of trouble?

Point of the Sermon: Today, we as believers can remain faithful to God in times of trouble     

Interrogative:  How can we as followers of Christ remain faithful in times of trouble? Our text gives us three ways we can remain faithful in times of trouble…    

Transition: First, we can remain faithful in times of trouble by…

Body Division  I. Crying out to God in Prayer! (v.24a)

Explanation Word Study: Look at the first part of verse twenty-four, the text says, “they raised their voices together to God with one mind”. Look at the word “raised” in the first part of verse twenty-four. What did Luke mean when he uses the word “raised? The Greek word “raised” means to lift up, take up, or draw up. Here in the context of this passage Luke is saying that they lifted their voices to God in unity. They raised their voices to God with praise. Luke is not implying that Peter and John openly offered this unifying prayer. Rather, Luke was expressing that the whole community of believers joined Peter and John in praising God. That’s what Luke means when he says, “with one mind”. Some translations say they raised their voices together “with one mind” or “with one accord”, what does Luke the author mean by this? Well, the Greek word that is used here in terms of them raising their voices to God with one mind, it is used to describe Peter and John’s togetherness in crying out to God in prayer. He uses this word to highlight Peter and John’s togetherness in praising God. Here in this verse, we see both Peter and John crying out to God in prayer in response to the trouble they were facing. Notice how Peter and John did not seek charge at the Sanhedrin or the chief priests. Instead, they turned to God and cried out to him in prayer in the midst of a critical situation where the preaching of God’s Word must be done in open violation of the highest legal authority of their nation during that time. They did not flinch, they remained faithful to God by lifting their voices to God in prayer in unity. 

Biblical Illustration:    Even Jesus our Lord and Savior dealt with some times of trouble when he was on earth. Remember in Matthew chapter twenty-six when Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane, he fell on his face crying out to God the Father in prayer knowing that he was about to face the most troubling time in his life. His soul was troubled because he was about to go to the cross and bare the sins of the who world, yet he cried out to God in prayer.

Scriptural Cross Reference: When you cry out to God in prayer, you are telling the Lord that no matter what I’m going through in my life right now, I give it all to you! James chapter five verse thirteen says “Is anyone among you in trouble? He should pray”. 

Application Descriptive: When was the last time you cried out to God in prayer when you faced  difficult times in your life? Maybe you’re dealing with some challenging times right now in your life as a follower of Christ, and you don’t know how to respond. Brothers and sisters when we don’t know what to do in times of trouble we can look at what Peter and John did as an example of what we should do in times of trouble by crying out to God in prayer. What does that look like in the lives of the believers? Maybe you’re a parent of two or more children and they are going through some challenges in school. Get with your children every night before they go to bed and before they go to school and pray that God will strengthen them to finish out the semester strong. Ask your friends to pray with you in unity like Peter and John did about something you’re going through in your life currently. Actively get on your knees and talk to the Lord about your current situations, whether it involves friend group drama or relationship problems etc. Fight your battles on your knees, and pray for courage to push 

Transition Statement:  Not only can we remain faithful in times of trouble by crying out to God in prayer, but also…

Body Division  II. By knowing who God Is! (v.24b-26)

Explanation Word Study: Look at the second part of verse twenty-four. When they cried out to God

they raised their voices saying, “Sovereign Lord, you are the one who made heaven and earth, and the sea, and everything in them.” Notice how they address God; they addressed him as the “Sovereign Lord”. Some translations say “Master” or “Lord”. The Greek word translated “Sovereign Lord” here in this verse means “an absolute ruler” or “sustainer”. Even while Peter and John were facing trouble from the elders and the chief priests, they remembered who God was. They knew that God is the Sovereign Lord who reigns and rules over all things. They knew in Genesis chapter one he is the one who in the beginning created heaven and earth as they said here in this verse. He’s the Lord and master. He is the God who cannot be defeated, notice verses twenty-five through twenty-six. They quoted from Psalm 2:1-2 which talks about how the kings of the earth and the rulers attempt to come against the Lord and His anointed. Here in verses twenty-five and twenty-six Peter and John saw this time of trouble they faced from the chief priests and the elders as a fulfillment of  David’s prophecy in Psalm chapter two. Herod represented the “kings of the earth” Pilate represented “the rulers” and Jesus Christ the “anointed of God”. He is the God who laughs at the threats of those who try to come against you for your faith in Christ. God is the one who created all things. He is the eternal God, who had not and has no end. He is the Sovereign Lord, who rains and rules over all things.

Personal Illustration:  This would be like when I’m home in Charleston, I know that I am not under my own roof, but my Dad’s roof. Therefore, my Dad is the ruler over the house. In the same way we should remember who God is in times of trouble in our lives, he’s the Sovereign Lord. 

Scriptural Cross Reference:  Psalms chapter forty-six verse one says, “God is our refuge and strength, a very ready help in trouble.”  

Application Descriptive:   When was the last time you reminded yourself of who God is? Whenever we face different trials and troubles as believers, it’s very easy to get discouraged and question God “Why am I dealing with this kind of trouble in my life?” Often our faith gets tested when we go through times of trouble. My friends, we can remain faithful and not get discouraged  because we know that as his children he is our refuge and strength in times of trouble. How do we know who God is? The scriptures, God’s word tells us about his character and his nature. Peter and John knew who God was despite their circumstances, they called him the “Sovereign Lord”. How can we as believers can practically remember who God is in times of trouble? By knowing the Word, read God’s Word, let it marinate in your heart. Practice memorizing scriptures that can be encouraging to you when you deal with certain situations. Prioritize the Word of God, know what the Bible says about God and how he is takes care of his children in times of trouble. God is so much bigger and better than you’re circumstances and situations. 

Transition Statement:  Finally, we can remain faithful in times of trouble by…

Body Division  III.  Knowing the power is in God’s Hands! (v.29-31)

Explanation Word Study: Here in these verses we see Peter and John requesting God to empower them to perform signs and miracles and to speak His Word with boldness. Notice how God’s powerful hand showed up after they prayed. Look at verse thirty-one, the text says when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered was “shaken”. The action of the place being “shaken” that took place did not happen due to natural causes of the earth, it had to do with the showing of the omnipotent power in the divine presence of God. The shaking of the earth gave them a sense of God’s presence and His response to their prayer. Notice how they did not ask God to remove their enemies. Rather, they asked God for boldness to speak His Word while facing trouble from the chief priests and the elders. After they prayed, God immediately answered their prayer by filling them with the power of the Holy Spirit to preach the Word of God with boldness. They knew that they could not go back out and preach the Word of God confidently without trusting God’s power. They were put on trial, they were charged to no longer preach in Christ’s name anymore, yet they remained faithful because they knew the power was in God’s hands. They asked God in verse thirty, and they received. God responded by empowering them with the Holy Spirit to speak the Word with boldness. The power of God did not come to them automatically, but in answer to their expectant, believing prayer. The empowering of the Holy Spirit that happened here in verse thirty-one was not a part two of Pentecost, they had already received the Holy Spirit. Rather, it was a fresh refilling of the Holy Spirit so that Peter and John could stand before the Sanhedrin with boldness proclaiming the gospel.

Quotation Illustration:    One of my favorite preachers of all time Dr. Charles Stanley said this: “When trouble comes, focus on God’s ability to care for you”.

Scriptural Cross Reference:  Since the power is in God’s hands, we can keep on pressing on. Endure until the end as the author of Hebrews constantly emphasizes. Hebrews chapter six verse eleven says “endure until the end”.  

Application  Descriptive:   Some of you might be asking, what does it practically look like to rely on God’s powerful hand in my life when I am facing times of trouble? As followers of Jesus Christ, because we know that the power is in God’s hands we can continue to press on no matter what comes our way. Maybe some of you here today are dealing with health problems, or marriage problems, endure until the end, press on! There is hope in Jesus because he has all power, and he is with you at all times as his children. There is no issue that is too big for him to handle, he is the all-powerful God! Jesus defeated sin, death, hell, and the grave, there is nothing too difficult for him to handle! 

Conclusion:   So today, how will you respond to whatever you’re dealing with right now in your life? Whatever circumstance or situation you are facing as of now. I want to encourage you, to remain faithful to God in times of trouble. How can we as believers do that? By crying out to him in prayer, knowing who He is through his Word, and finally by knowing that the power is in His hands. Whatever you are dealing with or going through, take it to Jesus. He bore it all on the cross.

Let us pray…