Peter Barnes | Ephesians 3:1-7
SERMON NOTES
The Mystery Revealed
(Ephesians 3:1-7)
– notice the ‘For this reason’ in verse 1 which looks back to chapter 2, but is then interrupted and only picked up again in verse 14.
1. Grace leads to costly evangelism.
– 3:1. Nero put Paul in prison (Acts 25:10-11) but really Paul is a prisoner of Christ for the Gentiles (cf. Eph.6:20).
– 2 Tim.1:8-12; Acts 9:15-16; grace enlivens; it does not deaden activity.
2. We can only know the gospel by God’s revelation.
– 3:2-5, 7; he had raised this in Eph.1:9-10; 2:15; note mystery in Col.1:26
– old (cf. Rom.1:2; 3:21; Gal.3:8; Gen.12:3; Isa.11:10; 60:1-3) yet new
– see for Peter in Matt.16:15-17; Acts 10:9-16, 28
3. Grace makes Jews and Gentiles one.
– 3:6; emphasis on ‘together’.