Building The Body Study 10 - Servant of the Body

Ephesians 3:1-13 NIV 

[1] For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles— [2] Surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given to me for you, [3] that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. [4] In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, [5] which was not made known to people in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets. [6] This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus. [7] I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power. [8] Although I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ, [9] and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. [10] His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, [11] according to his eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. [12] In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. [13] I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory. 

(Read the full passage at: https://bible.com/bible/111/eph.3.1-13.NIV)

Someone at work recently asked me to provide her with my profile. I didn’t mind giving it to her. It’s for a page for Christians on our company intranet. I don’t mind those people knowing who I am. 

There are many times in life when we have to present some form of credentials to prove who we are, or to pass information so people understand who we are and what we can do. When I was last unemployed seven years ago, I remember having to draw up a CV and send it to companies to see if they would hire me. 

We have to show who we are when we’re travelling, when we’re going to work on an office or any other secure facility, when we need to talk to a government official. We are well used to it. We think nothing of it. 

But there are some situations where talking about ourselves can inappropriate or just plain wrong. Of course, we’ve all had to spend time with crushing bores who just talk about themselves all of the time. 

There are others who are massive self-publicists, and who use things like social media to promote themselves way beyond what they deserve. 

On the surface, that might seem to be what Paul is doing here. He is, after all, talking about himself and his role in the church. 

But not as many do nowadays. He is not talking about himself to attract attention to himself. Or to gain glory for himself. Far from it. 

What he shared here is all about God: what God has done in him, as an undeserving recipient of grace and a servant – not a master – of the early, and particularly the Gentile, church. 

We would call this his testimony. The dust jacket of his autobiography. The profile of his social media.  

And how very different it is to what we do nowadays! 

Let’s explore these verses about Paul and how God worked in him. 

The first aspect we will look at is that of Revelation. 

Revelation 

Ephesians 3:2-6 NIV 

[2] Surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given to me for you, [3] that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. [4] In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, [5] which was not made known to people in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets. [6] This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus. 

(Read the full passage at: https://bible.com/bible/111/eph.3.2-6.NIV)

Every generation uncovers something that the previous generation did not know. My generation was excited by the discovery of lasers, even though, in the beginning, we didn’t quite know what to do with them. Nowadays, it’s cloud computing and AI that are kicking off a second industrial revolution around the world, which is causing similar social and environmental issues as the first one. These are accelerating scientific discoveries until they are coming faster than we ever thought possible. 

But what Paul uncovered was the most earth-shaking of them all.  

The thing is, though: it wasn’t done great discovery that he made by his own genius or effort.  

No, it arrived like this: 

Firstly, it was always God’s plan. Look at these prophecies from centuries before: 

Isaiah 49:5-6 NIV 

[5] And now the Lord says— he who formed me in the womb to be his servant to bring Jacob back to him and gather Israel to himself, for I am honored in the eyes of the Lord and my God has been my strength— [6] he says: “It is too small a thing for you to be my servant to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept. I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.” 

(Read the full passage at: https://bible.com/bible/111/isa.49.5-6.NIV)

Isaiah 55:4-5 NIV 

[4] See, I have made him a witness to the peoples, a ruler and commander of the peoples. [5] Surely you will summon nations you know not, and nations you do not know will come running to you, because of the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, for he has endowed you with splendor.” 

(Read the full passage at: https://bible.com/bible/111/isa.55.4-5.NIV)

Isaiah 56:3-8 NIV 

[3] Let no foreigner who is bound to the Lord say, “The Lord will surely exclude me from his people.” And let no eunuch complain, “I am only a dry tree.” [4] For this is what the Lord says: “To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths, who choose what pleases me and hold fast to my covenant— [5] to them I will give within my temple and its walls a memorial and a name better than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that will endure forever. [6] And foreigners who bind themselves to the Lord to minister to him, to love the name of the Lord, and to be his servants, all who keep the Sabbath without desecrating it and who hold fast to my covenant— [7] these I will bring to my holy mountain and give them joy in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations.” [8] The Sovereign Lord declares— he who gathers the exiles of Israel: “I will gather still others to them besides those already gathered.” 

(Read the full passage at: https://bible.com/bible/111/isa.56.3-8.NIV)

God’s deliberate purpose was always for all nations to be blessed, not just the Jews. Even the ancient promise Abraham received states this: 

Genesis 12:1-3 NIV 

[1] The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. [2] “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. [3] I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” 

(Read the full passage at: https://bible.com/bible/111/gen.12.1-3.NIV)

Its restriction to the Jews was man-mad, not God-made. It was never His will. 

The eventual open door for the Gentiles to be saved should have come as no surprise at all. 

In a sense, there should have been no mystery. 

But in another sense, the real mystery was not what God would do – that much was an open secret – but how He would do it.  

That explains why it was missed by most of theologically-educated Jewish leadership, as Jesus pointed out: 

Luke 10:21 NIV 

[21] At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do. 

(Read the full passage at: https://bible.com/bible/111/luk.10.21.NIV)

But then we see that it was revealed to Paul, as Paul told King Agrippa: 

Acts 26:16-18 NIV 

[16] ‘Now get up and stand on your feet. I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen and will see of me. [17] I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them [18] to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’ 

(Read the full passage at: https://bible.com/bible/111/act.26.16-18.NIV)

Paul was an Orthodox Jew. He was a Pharisee. He was a member of the Jewish religious ruling council, the Sanhedrin (Acts 26:9-10). He was an exceptionally wicked religious man. There was no way that such a man would ever entertain the idea that the Gentiles would be saved and have unfettered access to God. He would have utterly despised them. 

Regardless of what was written in his own law and by his own prophets. 

Yet this divine revelation of what was already there changed everything. 

That’s what was so different about this revelation. In Paul’s day, the Gnostics elevated themselves by claiming they had special knowledge. It made then better than others. 

But Paul’s revelation was of something that had always existed, and that he was utterly unwilling to see. This mystery was revealed by God, not by intellectual inquiry or clever investigation, because it was the only way a man like Paul would listen. 

So yes, this was a revelation, but it was a revelation of an ancient truth; yes, it was a mystery, but it was a mystery in plain sight. 

The fact that God revealed this mystery to a man like Paul magnifies God, but at the same time diminishes Paul, because a man like him should really have seen that this was always God’s plan. 

So we see this first aspect of revelation. The second aspect we see is Administration. 

Administration 

Ephesians 3:7-9 NIV 

[7] I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power. [8] Although I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ, [9] and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things.  

(Read the full passage at: https://bible.com/bible/111/eph.3.7-9.NIV)

I work in IT. In many companies, when people start their job and are given a computer or a mobile phone to do their work, they are asked to sign a form stating that they will take good care of their devices, they will not use them for illegitimate purposes and will hand then back when they are finished with their work. There is a very simple reason for that: the devices belong to the company they are not theirs. The people who use them are simply custodians or managers or administrators of these devices.  

That is similar to what Paul is saying here about the Gospel. 

It wasn’t his. 

That’s something we need to pay close attention to. The Gospel wasn’t his. Paul the Apostle didn’t invent it. Neither did any of the Gospel writers.  

As Peter wrote: 

2 Peter 1:16 NIV 

[16] For we did not follow cleverly devised stories when we told you about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.  

(Read the full passage at: https://bible.com/bible/111/2pe.1.16.NIV)

And John: 

1 John 1:1-4 NIV 

[1] That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. [2] The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. [3] We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. [4] We write this to make our joy complete. 

(Read the full passage at: https://bible.com/bible/111/1jn.1.1-4.NIV)

And Luke: 

Luke 1:1-4 NIV 

[1] Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, [2] just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. [3] With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, [4] so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught. 

(Read the full passage at: https://bible.com/bible/111/luk.1.1-4.NIV)

None of these major New Testament writers invented the story of Jesus. They leaned heavily into their credentials as either first-hand eyewitnesses or second-hand researchers who only recorded what they had experienced. 

Paul described his relationship to the Gospel in three powerful pictures. 

Firstly, he said he was a servant of the Gospel. In other words, he lived to obey the commands in the Gospel. He had surrendered his agency and will and instead became a servant under the command of another. 

Secondly, he was a preacher, or, more directly, an evangelist of the Gospel. He did not preach his own message for his own ends, he preached the Gospel, proclaiming the Kingdom of God and His glory. 

In fact, look at this verse: 

1 Corinthians 9:16 NIV 

[16] For when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, since I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!  

(Read the full passage at: https://bible.com/bible/111/1co.9.16.NIV)

Not only was the message not Paul’s own, the motivation wasn't either! He felt compelled to preach the Gospel because he was a servant to it. What’s more, he felt compelled to do so in the most appropriate way to reach his audience: 

1 Corinthians 9:19-23 NIV 

[19] Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. [20] To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. [21] To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. [22] To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. [23] I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings. 

(Read the full passage at: https://bible.com/bible/111/1co.9.19-23.NIV)

This really is quite a rebuke to us as modern Christians, who often feel compelled to keep quiet, or to preach the Gospel in impenetrable, unintelligible language for most people in our culture.  

Paul was a servant of the Gospel; the Gospel did not serve him. 

I wonder: is that how we see our ministry? 

Look also how Paul saw himself: 

Ephesians 3:8 NIV 

[8] Although I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ. 

(Read the full passage at: https://bible.com/bible/111/eph.3.8.NIV)

How many churches do you know would put on a poster outside, ‘Come and hear our pastor preach! He’s the least of all the Lord’s people!’? 

Somehow I can’t see that taking off as an evangelism strategy.  

Paul’s reasoning, though, was very simple. He had received the Gospel of grace; in no way had he done a single thing to achieve or deserve it: 

1 Corinthians 15:9 NIV 

[9] For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.  

(Read the full passage at: https://bible.com/bible/111/1co.15.9.NIV)

It was this grace that compelled him to become a servant of the Gospel. 

Thirdly, we see that Paul was an administrator of the Gospel. That doesn’t mean that he ensured all its accounts and paperwork were in order. What it means is that he was a manager of it, a custodians of it. He was the one who ensured that it was rightly divided (2 Timothy 2:15) and distributed to those who needed to hear it at the level of their understanding. 

He was not a curator of some ancient relic. Neither was he a security officer, keeping people out. 

His job instead was to do his utmost so that it was explained, understood and believed. 

So we see, then, three aspects of someone who is correctly preaching the Word of God: they are a servant of the Word, in that they are interpreted by it and not the other way around; they are a preacher of it, in that they seek to make it understandable to those who need to hear it; they are an administrator of it, in that they treat as something of immense importance and take great care to rightly divided it. 

So we have seen, then, how Paul received the Gospel by revelation, how he shared that vision by administration.  Lastly, we will explore why it is that God did this, by looking at His Intention. 

Intention 

Ephesians 3:10-13 NIV 

[10] His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, [11] according to his eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. [12] In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. [13] I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory. 

(Read the full passage at: https://bible.com/bible/111/eph.3.10-13.NIV)

And this is truly where our minds are blown. 

Let me explain. Several years ago, we went on holiday with my daughter's boyfriend to the Swiss Alps. This is one of the most beautiful regions on the planet. You will get no argument from me there. 

We were headed towards one of the most stunning places in those Alps: the Lauterbrunnen Valley. We were in a funicular train, winding its way down from the mountain resort of Wengen. While my wife was utterly enchanted by he incredible vista opening up before her eyes, there was something that massively frustrated her, and that she continued to moan about for years afterwards: 

My daughter’s boyfriend was not looking out the huge sightseeing windows. Instead, in the middle of such incredible views, he was playing on his phone. 

He was distracted by something small when something enormous was happening around him. 

That is what has happened with these verses. People have looked at them, seen mention of ‘powers and authorities, thought of Paul’s trials and his then impending court date in Rome, and thought that this referred to human powers and authorities. 

It does not. 

That is a distraction. 

It refers to something way bigger than that. 

It refers to heavenly powers and authorities. 

What Paul said here is remarkable and deserves a deeper explanation. 

This famous verse from the Lord’s Prayer will help us understand it: 

Matthew 6:10 NIV 

[10]  your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 

(Read the full passage at: https://bible.com/bible/111/mat.6.10.NIV)

What Paul said is that the existence and growth of the church on earth declares the greatness of God and the wisdom of His plan in heaven. The very fact that we exist and that every day people are coming to Christ has an eternal, spiritual effect, as Jesus Himself wrote: 

Luke 15:7 NIV 

[7] I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent. 

(Read the full passage at: https://bible.com/bible/111/luk.15.7.NIV)

When a sinner repents and follows Jesus, there is joy in Heaven. When the church exists and grows, there is an impact in Heaven. We don’t necessarily understand that full impact. Why would we? We are physical, temporal beings. But there is an impact. And that impact glorifies God by proving the wisdom of His plan. 

And where did that plan reach its zenith?  

At the cross. 

Paul here realises that what He was doing was way bigger than Himself. He was not just changing lives here on earth. His ministry was having a deep impact in heaven in ways even he could not properly understand. 

And all that because He, as an undeserving soul, had been saved by Jesus. 

That is truly what it means to minister for God. 

Conclusion  

Ephesians 3:13 NIV 

[13] I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory. 

(Read the full passage at: https://bible.com/bible/111/eph.3.13.NIV)

We’re on social media. Sometimes it can be fun. At other times it can be tiresome. There are so many people out there who boast of being someone, when actually it’s all hollow. One influencer, for example, was arrested in the USA because her social media claimed she was rich with exclusive access to fine dining restaurants in New York, but it was all a sham. She did her best to avoid paying in any of the restaurants: dinning and dashing or offering to pay in kind for media coverage. 

At first glance, this passage could be misunderstood as Paul boasting about his credentials. However, that is not at all accurate. As he said in a other book: 

Galatians 6:14 NIV 

[14] May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.  

(Read the full passage at: https://bible.com/bible/111/gal.6.14.NIV)

This passage is not really about Paul. Instead, it’s about the outrageous grace of God, who took a Jewish arch-persecutor of the church and turned him into a minister of the Gospel to the Gentiles. 

We saw how this happened by revelation: Paul was not responsible for it and neither did he seek it out – God revealed Himself and His Gospel to Paul. We saw how Paul was tasked with administration – rightly dividing the Word of Truth to those who needed to hear it. We also saw God’s intention in doing so – not just that earthly powers might hear of His grace, but also heavenly; not just that He might be glorified on earth, but in heaven. 

There was not a chance that a man like Paul would ever have thought he would be involved in something like this. But God broke into his life and transformed everything. 

So today, if you look at your life and you think it’s over because you have gone too far wrong, look at Paul and see that this is far from the truth. The God who transformed Saul of Tarsus into Paul the Apostle is still able to do precisely the same thing today. 

It’s not over for you. It’s not over for any of us. 

And that is the beauty of the Gospel. 

Prayer  

Lord Jesus, I thank You for the incredible truth that You can transform anyone and that no-one is too far gone for You. I need Your help. I am an unworthy soul, but I want to be a servant of the Word like Paul. Change me and show me how, I pray. Amen. 

Questions for Contemplation  

• What was it that changed Paul? Why is this important? 

• What does it mean to be a ‘servant of the Word’ and an ‘administrator of the Gospel’? 

• Where does God receive the glory for the growth of the church? What difference does this make for you?