Calvary Road Baptist Church
“PASSING THE TORCH”
Ephesians 3.1-9
In Jude 3, we are exhorted to “contend for the faith once delivered to the saints.” And most of the sermons that are preached on that text, or that concept, zero in on the contending for the faith issue. There is, however, the issue of “the faith” being delivered to the saints. That body of truth related to our personal relationship with the Lord Jesus is referred to as “the faith.” And that faith really was delivered to us.
In our text, we are given some interesting insights into that part of delivering “the faith” to the saints that was played by the Apostle Paul. So, once you find Ephesians 3.1-9, please stand and read along with me:
1 For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles,
2 If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward:
3 How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words,
4 Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)
5 Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;
6 That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the Gospel:
7 Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power.
8 Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;
9 And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ.
It was for the cause of Christ and, specifically, his ministry in reaching the Gentiles with the Gospel that Paul was a prisoner in a Roman jail, verse 1. And even though he was incarcerated, we note that Paul made a point of indicating that he was Jesus Christ’s prisoner and not any prisoner of Rome.
Do you suppose the Church-going people who spend so much time fussing about their rights and their freedoms are missing the fact that no matter what a government or an individual does to the child of God, our liberty in Christ cannot be taken away? Something to think about. It indeed can be surrendered, but taken away? No.
Verse 2 frequently causes folks a little trouble because of the translation of two words; the word “if” and the word “dispensation.” The Greek word, eá¼´ ge, “if,” starts a condition of the first class. This means that Paul is assuming that the Ephesians know all about the dispensation of the grace of God given to him. A paraphrase would be, “Since ye have heard....”
The question, of course, is what had they heard about? A dispensation? What’s a dispensation? Oá¼°ikonomá½·an refers to a stewardship, the Greek word from which we get economy. It’s a responsibility. Paul’s remarks are related to the fact that he was confident that the Ephesians knew all about the responsibility he had been given, by the grace of God, since he didn’t deserve it and couldn’t discharge it without God’s help. And the responsibility was directed toward them, the Ephesians, Gentiles.
So, Paul had a responsibility toward the Gentiles. Verses 3-4:
3 How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words,
4 Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)
In these two verses, we see that Paul’s responsibility was related to a previously mentioned mystery that he terms “the mystery of Christ.” We who read Ephesians can learn of this mystery, but the same was not true of Paul. He did not learn of this mystery. Instead, it was communicated to him by revelation.
Consider that almost everything you and I know consists of that which we have learned. But in Paul’s case, there were facts, information, and understanding that he did not learn. Instead, it was given to him as a package of comprehension. So, rather than teach Paul of things related to “the mystery of Christ,” God instead chose to impart that knowledge to him by revelation. This resulted, we see, by examining several other passages in Paul having an infallible comprehension of this truth. So, Paul has a responsibility toward the Gentiles. And it is somehow related to a body of truth that he has been given a perfect understanding of by God.
Verse 5:
“Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit.”
There are two surprises in this verse. The first surprise was a wonder to Jewish believers who had thought that the Old Testament contained all truth concerning the mind of God. But here, Paul indicates that certain facts that he had been given by revelation are facts that were not previously handed out by God. Such men as Enoch and Noah and Abraham and Isaiah and Daniel did not have access to that which had been given to Paul. But notice that Paul indicated that he was not the only person to whom this information had been given. That is, he did not claim to be the unique recipient of this truth. He was not the only one who knew what was going on. Christ had imparted this truth to His holy apostles and prophets by the Holy Spirit.
This means, and other Scriptures bear this out, that Peter and James and John and Thomas and the rest of the twelve apostles were privy to what Paul knew. Therefore, they were quite capable of verifying the truthfulness of what he said and wrote. But beyond that, those New Testament prophets, who were from time to time given revelation from God to preach the truth, just as the apostles were continually given such truth, could also verify the truthfulness of Paul’s message.[1] And doesn’t this make sense?
Has not God always insisted that truth be supported by two or three witnesses?[2] Of course. So when someone comes and tells you that only he knows something from the Bible, he’s a liar. God’s Word demands that truth be verified by at least two or three witnesses. Paul, then, had verifying witnesses to the truth he was a custodian of communicating to Christians and Churches.
Verse 6:
“That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the Gospel.”
This is “the mystery of Christ,” or at least that aspect of it Paul deals with in Ephesians, in three parts:
When you hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ as a believer, the mystery now revealed for all to see is that #1, Gentiles are fellow heirs with Jews in Christ, #2, Gentiles are brought into the same body as believing Jews when they are saved, and, #3, Gentiles are partakers of His promise with believing Jews when they are saved.
Does this seem too easy to comprehend for you? It may be because of our tendency to misunderstand what is meant in the Bible by the word “mystery.” In context, “mystery” refers to something that was concealed but which has been revealed. This is the truth Paul received by revelation that God made of two peoples, one people in Christ.
Here is where Paul brings together the responsibility that he has toward the Gentiles and the truth of “the mystery of Christ,” he has received by revelation, verses 7-8:
7 Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power.
8 Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ.
God gave Paul a special gift of grace, given to him in an incredibly powerful way. And the result was that this man, who thought himself to be less than the least of all the saints of God, should be given the responsibility of preaching to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ.
Think about this. Paul was not the only one who was given this truth of “the mystery of Christ” by revelation. The other apostles and some prophets had also been given this truth. But only Paul, of all these men, had been specifically charged by God with the task of carrying to people such as we this message of the unsearchable riches of Christ. What an honor!
Verse 9:
“And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ.”
Paul’s mission in life was to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ and see men and women, boys and girls, converted through faith to Jesus Christ. They are then to be brought together, both Jews and Gentiles, into the Church, the body of Christ. Thus, that which was hidden from the beginning, but which was the purpose of God from the beginning, would be openly brought to pass in Jesus Christ, by Whom God created all things.
To recap, Paul was not the only one to receive this great truth of the mystery of the Jews and Gentiles being one in Christ and being together in the Church. But it was to him and not the other apostles that the responsibility was given to do what the twelve apostles and the Jewish Christians were not doing effectively; get the Gospel message out to the Gentiles.
It has always been the case that not everyone who knew what to do did what was needed. Let me illustrate. How many of you have watched football games back in the day and have seen someone holding a banner in the end zone during an extra point attempt or during a field goal attempt that simply reads “John 3:16”?
For a few months some years ago, one could drive eastbound on the 210 freeway, and, just before the Irwindale off-ramp, you would see a huge billboard saying, “Jesus is coming soon” or, “Jesus is coming.” How many of you remember seeing that?
One more illustration. Some of you know that I appeared as a guest on a popular talk show in Toronto, Canada, back in 1994, during what was in our country Thanksgiving weekend. The show aired throughout most of the United States on December 5th of that year but was not carried by any of the Los Angeles television stations. Surprise, surprise. My purpose for being on that program was to advocate for prayer in schools. It was a hot topic in Canada at that time. After the taping, one of the other guests, a Canadian preacher who supported my position, approached me and said, “John, in one hour, you have impacted more people for the cause of Christ than you ever could have by preaching to them.” He was full of baloney. Did I prod people? Perhaps. Did I provoke people? I hope so. But did I reach people? No way.
Understand that a sign held at the end of a football stadium that reads “John 3:16” reaches no one. There is no magic in a word followed by two numbers with a colon separating them. And there is no effect produced by a billboard that says, “Jesus is coming soon.” Why not? Because the Bible teaches us that God’s plan is to use people to reach people with the Gospel, the Gospel containing a message with saving truth.
“But pastor, you said that God uses people to reach people. If that is so, why wasn’t your appearance on television effective in reaching people?” Simple. God’s plan is to use people to reach people with the Gospel. There was no Gospel message broadcast on that Canadian television program. And in the end zone and on the billboard, not only was there no person, but there was also no Gospel.
Where is the Gospel in a sign that reads “John 3:16”? And where is the Gospel on a billboard that tells us that Jesus is coming soon? He is coming soon. But how does that save a sinner? No, folks. God uses people to reach people with the Gospel. You are indispensable. Romans 10.14-15 illustrates:
14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!
I have titled my message, “Passing The Torch.” And in this message, using Ephesians 3.1-9 as my text, I want to show you three disclosures of how the Apostle Paul was an example of this truth that God uses individuals to reach individuals with the Gospel:
First, THERE IS THE DISCLOSURE OF THE REVELATION TO PAUL
From our text, notice what we learn of the truth that Paul had custody of. Two things:
First, we learn that Paul’s was a definite revelation. When Simon Peter realized and testified that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the living God, the Lord Jesus Christ explained to Simon Peter, in Matthew 16.17, that
“flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.”
Several years earlier, while they were yet disciples of John the Baptist, Peter’s brother Andrew had run to him and said, in John 1.41, “We have found the Messiah.” But, folks, such is not truth that can be conveyed from one human being to another. Facts stated? Yes. And it is important that such facts be stated. But is truth always successfully conveyed? Not always. In like manner, Paul had been given truth that someone could only possess as it is given by God. Such truths as come only by revelation from God are truths that cannot be learned. Learning is related to the acquisition of knowledge and understanding that proceeds from that which is known to that which is unknown.[3]
But such is not the case with revelation. Revelation, what occurs when someone is born again, or such as when Paul was given to understand the mystery of Jews and Gentiles being one in Christ, is the supernatural impartation of a truth that is not learned. And it cannot be learned. Because you cannot proceed from flesh and blood perceptions to spiritual comprehension of truth via an ordinary learning process. No. What Paul knew about this mystery, he did not learn. What he knew of this mystery was the result of the entire package of truth (to put it one way), being given to him by God in a supernatural way.
Paul’s, however, was not a unique revelation. The reality of this revelation concerning the mystery not being unique to Paul is born out in Ephesians 3.5. In addition to the Apostle Paul, both Christ’s apostles and the New Testament prophets had been given this same truth by revelation from God. The question to be asked is “Why?”
First, why was this revelation given by God when something in excess of twelve other men had already been given the same truth? I’m not sure the Bible specifically declares why. But I suspect it’s related to the Great Commission. With the Great Commission, the Lord Jesus Christ charged those twelve and those who followed them to preach the Gospel to every creature.[4] However, they weren’t doing a good job of obeying Christ, restricting most of their efforts to a Jewish audience. Paul was the man raised by the Lord Jesus Christ to make sure that what He wanted He got because Paul had no prejudices toward Gentiles to hold him back.
Second, why were others given the revelation in addition to Paul? In Deuteronomy 17.6, we see that God requires verification of the truth in the affairs of men. In John chapter 5, the Lord Jesus Christ makes a great issue of second and third testimony verification of His ministry. And in First John 5.7-8, we see that the Father and the Holy Spirit hold to verification of the truth in this way. So, God always verifies the truth by the mouths of other witnesses, for Himself and His men.2
Paul disclosed to his readers that he had a revelation from God concerning the relationship that both Jews and Gentiles have in Christ and the Church, and he disclosed that his revelation was independently verifiable by other apostles and by prophets. By the way. Is the Gospel which you preach truth that is verifiable? Does the Word of God verify and substantiate the claims you make concerning Christ? Yes, on both counts.
Next, THERE IS THE DISCLOSURE OF THE ROLE OF PAUL
One of the glorious aspects of Paul’s ministry was his awareness, through thick and thin, of the precise role he played in God’s great plan of redemption. Three comments need to be made about the disclosure of Paul’s role in God’s plan of reaching a lost world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ:
First, Paul’s was a particular role. Please note that in this respect, Paul’s role was no different than anyone else’s role who knows Christ. And by particular, I mean that Christ did not leave it up to Paul to figure out what to do. His life’s work was charted out for him, as your life’s work is charted out for you. And what was his life’s work? His life’s work was to preach the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. We see that in the book of Acts, in Romans, and here in Ephesians. But Paul’s role was more specific than that, as is yours. Paul’s role was to see folks saved and to incorporate them into a body of Christ, a congregation of believers, a Church. Different than the other apostles did initially, Paul accomplished the outworking of “the mystery of Christ” in getting into the same congregations both Jews and Gentiles who had trusted Christ.
May I suggest to you that, more than any other Christian, more than any other apostle, Paul embodied the spirit of the Great Commission? It is his example we are to emulate. It is his pattern we are to follow. And it happens to be his words which are preserved in several Scriptures,
“Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.”[5]
In this respect, I am persuaded that it was Paul’s influence that eventually resulted in the original twelve apostles developing in a way that Simon Peter initially resisted,[6] resulting in them going forth to engage in far-reaching ministries.[7]
Next, Paul’s was a powerful role. Ephesians 3.7 shows us that Paul was very cognizant of the fact that God was working in his life in a compelling way, though Paul himself was personally a frail man physically. And is not this what he acknowledged was God’s plan for his life in Second Corinthians 12.9? Notice what God said to Paul in answer to a prayer that, if answered in the affirmative, would have made Paul physically stronger:
“My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”
I quite understand that Paul was given a measure of God’s grace not given to you and me. But that doesn’t directly address everything about Paul’s impact on the cause of Christ. Part of his impact was the result of glorying in his weakness, not sulking over it, rejoicing over his impotence, not pouting about it. Why? Because in his weakness, the only explanation for his magnificent ministry was the grace and power of Almighty God. When are you going to quit complaining and sulking over being a weak sister? When are you going to face up to the fact that you are a wimp and a weakling? And when are you going to commit yourself to the proposition that “God, I’m going to do something for you. But you’re going to have to do it through me because I can’t do anything by myself”? That’s what Paul did. And that’s one of the reasons he had such an impact on the cause of Christ in this world.
Third, Paul’s was a passing role. Paul is gone. We don’t need anyone like him anymore. Why not? The faith has, once and for all time, been delivered to the saints. We have what we need to have. The body of truth necessary to get the job done has been given to us. It grieves me that Pentecostalism and the Charismatic movement has spread so far and wide in the world, with their unscriptural claims of receiving mystical communication from God, and the arrogance of so many to assign to themselves the position of an apostle, as if they were like Peter, or John, or Paul. The truth has been realized by enough of us that Jesus Christ died to save sinners, that He provided for the salvation of those sinners who would trust Him, and that once saved, those who have trusted Him can be brought into one body called the Church of Jesus Christ, for growth and instruction, for fellowship and discipline, for nurturing and for direction.
Paul’s role was unique in some ways and common in other ways. He had a passing role in delivering the faith to the saints. He had a passing role in demonstrating the unity in the body of Christ that both Jewish and Gentile believers can enjoy. But his role in winning people to Christ and then getting them into a Church, whether they be Jew or Gentile? That’s a role anyone one of us here can fulfill in our lives, without supposing ourselves to be apostles, or needing any revelation from God that is not already contained in Scripture.
WE’VE SEEN THE DISCLOSURE OF THE REVELATION TO PAUL, THE DISCLOSURE OF THE ROLE OF PAUL, AND NOW WE SEE THE DISCLOSURE OF THE RESULT OF PAUL
In Second Timothy 2.2, Paul, writing from the same location where his letter to the Ephesians was written, directed Timothy with these words:
“And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.”
Paul charged Timothy with the responsibility of reproducing in the lives of others the results seen in his life. What results do we see in the life of the Apostle Paul? Two results I’d like us to pay particular attention to. Two results you ought to strive to see reproduced in your life:
First, Paul got sinners in Christ. Of course, “in Christ” is a particular phrase used frequently by Paul in Ephesians to portray the relationship a believer has who trusts Jesus as his personal Savior. This phrase or its equivalent, has been used 14 times to this point in Ephesians. When saved, you are “in Christ.” Until you are saved you are not. What did Paul see accomplished that you need to work to accomplishing in your life and ministry? He got sinners “in Christ.” He preached the Gospel to men and women, convincing them as best he could that they were dead in trespasses and sins, and that only Jesus Christ could save them and only Jesus Christ would save them if they trusted Him. Paul’s role was to get sinners saved. Your part is to get sinners saved. The bottom line is this: If you don’t get sinners saved, who will? Are you going to depend on others who are saved to reach the lost you come in contact with? If Paul had waited for the other apostles to reach the Gentiles with the Gospel, where would you and I be? Amen?
After getting sinners “in Christ,” Paul got those saints in the body. Remember, the Great Commission is not to go soul winning on Thursdays. And it isn’t to pass out tracts. And it isn’t even to get sinners saved, and that’s the end of it. No. The Great Commission is to make disciples. How do you make disciples? First, you get sinners saved. Second, you get those new saints into the body. You get them baptized, and you get them trained. Paul did that. It was the result of his life. His life had consequence, and his life had meaning because he ultimately did what God had created him to do and what Christ had saved him to do.
I am not the Apostle Paul, and I am not an Apostle Paul. There was gracious enablement for service given to that man that I don’t think has been given to you, or me, or anyone else since him.
Paul was, in many ways, a unique individual to the plan and purpose of God and the cause of Christ. But in more ways than not, Paul was no different than you and I are, Christian. He was weak as you and I are weak. He was subject to pride as are you and I. He had the same indwelling and empowering Spirit you and I do. He served the same God and had the same Lord Jesus you and I do. And he was, like you and I should be, an example of the truth that God uses believers to reach people with the Gospel.
Are you going to let God use you to reach other human beings with the Gospel? Remember, billboards won’t do. Neither will John 3.16 banners or even Gospel tracts. I am not saying those things are bad. But what’s required, what God has chosen to employ to reach people, is other people. But those people need to be individuals who preach the Gospel.
Will you be one of those people? Will you make yourself available to God to reach a man or woman for Christ, seeing that individual saved and then seeing him or her in this Church? How many of you will ask God, and will take the steps necessary to see that prayer answered, to use you to bring one person to Christ, and to see that one person baptized and trained in this Church?
__________
[1] Acts 11.27; 13.1; 15.32; 1 Corinthians 12.28-29; 14.29; Ephesians 4.11
[2] Numbers 35.30; Deuteronomy 17.6-7; Joshua 24.22; Ruth 4.9-11; Job 10.17; Isaiah 8.2; 43.9-12; 44.8-9; Jeremiah 32.10, 12, 25, 44; Matthew 18.15-20; Luke 24.46-48; Acts 1.8; 2.32; 3.15; 5.32; 10.39-40; 13.31; 2 Corinthians 13.1; 1 Thessalonians 2.10; 1 Timothy 5.19; 6.12; Hebrews 10.28; 1 John 4.1; 5.7-9; Revelation 1.1; 2.2
[3] John Milton Gregory, The 7 Laws Of Teaching, (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, Revised 1954), page 20.
[4] Mark 16.15
[5] 1 Corinthians 4.16; 11.1; Philippians 3.17
[6] Galatians 2.11-21
[7] William Steuart McBirnie, The Search For The Twelve Apostles, (Wheaton, IL: Living Books, 1973)
Would you like to contact Dr. Waldrip about this sermon? Please contact him by clicking on the link below. Please do not change the subject within your email message. Thank you.
Pastor@CalvaryRoadBaptist.Church