Ephesians 3:8 To me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given… I. Let us cursorily glance at THE CHARACTER OF ST. PAUL AS HERE DESCRIBED. "Me, who am less than the least of all saints." 1. The description which the apostle here gives us of his character must not, on any account, encourage the idea that personal piety can be dispensed with in a Christian minister. 2. The description which St. Paul here gives us of his character may teach us that, even where an individual is a decided and distinguished saint, the level which he occupies as a religious man may be, in some sense, comparatively low. The circumstance which may be regarded as having mainly contributed to lower the apostle's place in the catalogue of the saints was this, that he spent so large and important a portion of his life in pursuits that were not only alien from the gospel of Christ, but fiercely opposed to His kingdom and His cause. But there is also another principle which determines the comparative place which a particular believer occupies in the scale of Christian saintship, namely, the amount of his actual attainments. And oh, to whatever extent St. Paul may have able to abide this searching test, what a humiliating view might it give, if fairly applied, of a multitude of saints! How many of those who obtain the character, and with sufficient reason, of enlightened and devoted Christians, are, if contemplated in the light of their religious advantages, but faint and feeble after all! 3. The description which St. Paul here gives of himself, as "less than the least of all saints," may serve as a model of humility. II. Let us glance at THE FUNCTIONS WHICH ST. PAUL WAS CALLED TO EXECUTE. "That I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God." 1. St. Paul was called to "preach." The original word here rendered "preach," means to be the messenger of good tidings. It is a verb corresponding to the substantive translated "gospel." The apostle, then, was to announce the gospel — a message to which the name of good tidings may be attached, both because of its essential character as a record of God's pardoning and saving mercy, and because of its relative character as "the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth." O blessed and delightful view of the apostle's ministry! He had a gospel to declare. 2. St. Paul was called to "preach the unsearchable riches of Christ." The expression, "riches of Christ," comprehensively denotes the personal excellence and mediatorial sufficiency of Jesus. There are seven constituent elements more especially in "the unsearchable riches of Christ," which, in the name and by the authority of God, the apostle preached. (1) He preached the Divine supremacy of Christ. (2) St. Paul preached the prophetic excellence of Christ — disclosing the depths of celestial wisdom which, in person, and by his commissioned messengers, that infallible instructor taught, and making manifest that, in teaching thus, the Redeemer spake the words of God. (3) He preached the perfection of the Lord's humanity, announcing him for the vindication of the Father's righteousness, and the satisfaction of the sinner's soul, as the spotless Lamb of sacrifice. (4) He preached Christ's atoning sacrifice. But(5) it the apostle preached Christ as the Saviour on the cross, he also preached Him as the Saviour on the throne. (6) From heaven he descended, as it were, along with Him, to earth amidst the thunders of the day of doom. But(7) the Apostle Paul set forth not only the personal qualifications which Christ possesses, but also the benefits which He has purchased and procured for men. 3. St. Paul was called to preach these riches "among the Gentiles." 4. The apostle was commissioned "to make all men see what was the fellowship of the mystery which from the beginning of the world had been hid in God." III. Let us very briefly notice THE SOURCE TO WHICH ST. PAUL ATTRIBUTES HIS POSSESSION OF THE MINISTERIAL OFFICE. "Unto me is this grace given." 1. To his God and Saviour the apostle attributes his possession of the ministerial office; and well might he do so. From them he received his commission to preach the gospel (Acts 9:15; Acts 13:2). 2. The apostle's words suggest that to hold the office of the ministry is a privilege. (A. S. Patterson.) Parallel Verses KJV: 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; |
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