The Church of Christ

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Ephesians 3:1-7

THE STEWARDSHIP OF GOD’S GRACE:

    Paul was preaching and teaching that Gentiles could become Christians and Jews could become Christians and they all became Christians based on the exact same requirements! The church of Christ, Paul writes there in 2:20, is built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets. Christ Jesus Himself is the chief cornerstone!

    Preaching and teaching that message is the “stewardship of God’s grace” Paul is talking about here in chapter 3. But it’s not hard to learn God’s word. It’s not hard to learn the unfathomable riches of Christ and the administration of God’s plans to bring the church of Christ into existence. All we have to do is study. There is nothing especially complex or complicated about learning God’s word. If you have a 6th grade education, you can understand - you have the ability - to understand everything in the Bible that you need to understand. God saw to it that His administration of His plans was fairly simple to understand.

HOW DO WE LEARN ABOUT THE STEWARDSHIP OF GOD’S GRACE:

    “by revelation there was made known to me the mystery, as I wrote before in brief” (3:3).

    “Revelation” means a “revealing,” an “uncovering,” an “explanation.” So Paul says that God’s plan to save man through a body of believers was a mystery in the OT times, but now, God has explained that mystery! He has “uncovered” the mystery.” He has “revealed” that mystery.

    But, let’s keep reading… “By referring to this, when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ” (3:4). The Holy Spirit does not give us insight into the mysteries of Christ in a direct way. The Holy Spirit revealed that mystery to the apostles and then, when I read his writings, then I can have his insight into that mystery.

    “in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit” (3:5).

    In other generations, from the time of Adam and Eve until the time of John the baptizer, people did not know and understand how God was working to save man in this body of believers through Jesus Christ. But, Paul says, it has now been revealed to His holy - specially set apart - apostles and prophets by the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit.

    Let’s finish this paragraph before we make a few other observations: “to be specific, that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel, of which I was made a minister, according to the gift of God’s grace which was given to me according to the working of His power” (3:6-7).

    Paul says again that God graciously called him to preach the gospel and God gave Paul miraculous power to use along with that preaching.

    You and I can and should study the Bible to have the same insight into the mystery-revealed wisdom of God which is consummated in the church of Christ. When we do that, we can know what are the qualities of the Lord’s church. 

    As we begin this series on qualities of the NT church that distinguish it from the yellow-pages churches, we begin with the need for each of us to be students of the word of God. Be diligent. Accurately handle the word of truth (2 Tim. 2:15). 

Your fellow-servant in Christ,