The Word Made Fresh
1This is the reason I, Paul, am a prisoner for Christ Jesus – it is for your sake. 2I’m sure you have heard of the gift of God’s grace given to me for you, 3and how the secret was revealed to me, as I have written of it a few times. 4You can read it and that will help you see my understanding of the mystery of Christ. 5This mystery wasn’t revealed to earlier generations, but has now been made known through the Spirit to his prophets and apostles. 5Gentiles have become heirs with us. We are members of the same body. We share the promise that is in Christ Jesus through the good news.
7I have become a servant of this good news. The gift of God’s grace was given me by his power, 8and although I am the least important of all the saints, God’s grace was given to me so that I could share the good news of the riches we have through Christ, 9and bring to light for everyone the plan of the mystery that was hidden for generations in God who created everything. 10Now, through the church, God’s wisdom in rich variety can be revealed to rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms. 11This goes along with the eternal purpose carried out by God in our Lord Jesus Christ 12in whom we can approach God in boldness and in confidence through faith. 13I beg you, then, not to be disheartened that I have suffered for you; my suffering is your glory.
14This why I bend my knees before the Father, 15from whom every family in heaven and on earth receives its name. 16And I pray that through the riches of his glory he may strengthen you with power through the Spirit, 17and that Christ may live within your hearts through faith; for you are being rooted and grounded in love. 18I pray that you are able to understand with the saints the wideness of God’s grace, 19and to know the love of Christ which is beyond knowing so that the fullness of God will be with you.
20To that One whose power is at work within us to accomplish much more than we can ask or imagine, 21to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout every generation forever. Amen.
Commentary
1-6: Paul recalls his commission to be “the apostle to the Gentiles.” Verse 3 seems to refer to his Damascus Road experience, but his call to preach to Gentiles came some years after that. Moreover, his earlier accounts of the Damascus Road experience do not indicate that he received anything that could be called an “understanding of the mystery of Christ.” It would seem there was another experience of revelation, the account of which has been lost.
7-13: He asserts that the aim of the gospel is to reveal God’s purpose that was hidden until the coming of Christ, which is to draw all the world to God through Christ so that Gentiles as well as Jews are included in God’s promise of salvation and eternal life.
14-19: The theme of universal access to God’s grace continues with the reference to “every family in heaven and on earth.” Paul’s hope, his prayer, is that all of them will grow in the knowledge and in the spirit of God through the love of Christ.
20-21: This reads like the end of a letter, or of a sermon, but does not necessarily have to be interpreted as such. The ascription of glory does, however, represent at the least a conclusion of the present line of reasoning and gives the reader a clue that the letter is about to take a different direction.
Takeaway
All are invited to share God’s grace through faith in Christ Jesus. All. No one is automatically left out. We share God’s grace whenever we invite someone to worship with us.