What is the "stewardship of God's grace" mentioned in Ephesians 3:2? Ephesians 3:2 in Its Flow - “Surely you have heard about the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for you” (Ephesians 3:2). - Written from prison, Paul explains why he is suffering: God entrusted him with a specific administration of grace for Gentile believers. Defining “Stewardship” (oikonomía) - The Greek term pictures a house-manager who oversees resources on behalf of the owner. - Paul is not the owner of grace; he is the manager charged with distributing it faithfully. - 1 Corinthians 4:1-2: “So then, men ought to regard us as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Now it is required of stewards that they be found faithful.” Grace Entrusted to Paul - Acts 9:15 shows Christ’s commission: Paul would bear the Lord’s name “before the Gentiles.” - Colossians 1:25: “I became its servant by the commission God gave me to fully present to you the word of God.” - Romans 15:15-16: Paul’s grace-gift made him “a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles.” - The stewardship is therefore Paul’s apostolic calling, message, and labor empowered by God’s undeserved favor. The Revealed Mystery - Ephesians 3:6: “The Gentiles are fellow heirs, fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.” - Paul’s stewardship includes announcing that Jews and Gentiles stand on equal footing in Christ, a truth hidden in ages past but now unveiled. Scriptural Cross-References - Ephesians 3:7-9 underscores the same stewardship language. - 2 Corinthians 5:18-20 speaks of a similar entrustment: the “ministry of reconciliation.” - 1 Peter 4:10 applies the concept broadly: “As good stewards of the manifold grace of God, each of you should use whatever gift he has received to serve one another.” Implications for Believers Today - God still hands out specific spheres of service, expecting faithful management of the gospel and spiritual gifts. - The message Paul stewarded remains the foundation for church unity across ethnic and cultural lines. - Every believer, saved by the same grace, now shares in proclaiming and displaying that grace. Summary of Truths - “Stewardship of God’s grace” in Ephesians 3:2 refers to the divine commission given to Paul to manage, proclaim, and dispense God’s grace—especially the mystery that Gentiles are full participants in Christ. - This stewardship showcases God’s generosity, requires faithfulness, and invites all Christians to live as caretakers of the grace they have received. |
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