The Pulpit Commentary — Ephesians — Section 139

himself. It is the glory of man that he can receive ideas from the great God himself. He has what no other creature under heaven has-the capacity to take in the thought, of the Infinite. It is essential to a true minister that he does this. He cannot offer any spiritual help t-0 humanity unless he does so. His own ideas have no power to help his race. The ideas to enlighten, ele,ate, and bless souls must come from God. B~~c:-e what Paul gave to the Gentile..~ he tells us, came by revelation. Two remarks a:-e suggested by the p&SS8.,"'6 in relation to the idea. 1. It had been long hidden. He c,'iils it the mystery: "The mystery which in other ages was not made known." It was a mystery not in the sense of incomprehensibility, but in the sense of undiscovered- ness. It had been unre,ealed, and therefore unknown to past generations. The whole gospel was once a mystery ; it was in the mind of God as an idea unrevealed to the universe. 2. It was very grand. The particular idea to which the apostle here refers is this, that the Gentiles were to partake of the salvation of the gospel, and to be united in one body with the Jews. "That the Gentiles should be fellow-heirs, and of the same b()dy, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel." Grand idea this I· That the poor Gentiles should become" heirs" of the same inheritance as the Jews-mem hers of the same great spiritual "body" as the Jews-partakers of the same great" promise" as the Jews. The idea that Paul had from God was the uniting of all the races in the world in one great spiritual confederation. 3. It was ea:ceedi71gly ancient. "From the beginning of the world it barb been hidden in God." Such was the idea that Paul tells us had been re,ealed. to him and to the holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. Every true gospel minister is the recipient of Divine ideas. III. THE ld:E&,"E:S"GEB OF REDEMPTIVE KERCY. Panl speaks of himself here as the "mi.n.ister" of the things that have been revealed. to him. "Whereof I was made a minister,"' etc. What he received he had to communicate. The passage indicates se,eral things concerning a trne messenger of redemptive mercy. 1. The Divine desig- flaticm to the office. " I was made a minist.er, &CC-Ording to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power." The office of a true minister is a gift of grace-a gift of grace which comes to the sonl by the effectual working of God's power. Paul felt that he became a messenger of these trnths, not by his own seeking or merit, but by the grace of God. Nor by his own native inclination, but by the Effectual working of God's power, referring, undoubtedly, to the Divine energy in his conversion. Every man mnst experience this Divine energy before he can become a true me,senger of redemptive mercy. God must work in him before he can work by him. 2. The humble spirit ef the office. "Unto me, who am less than the least ofall saints, is this grace given." The expression means, who am incomparably the least of all the saillts, who am not worthy to be reckoned amongst them. The memory of his past conduct and the solemn grandeur of the work to which he was called deeply impressed him with tbe sense of his own unworthiness. Humility is essential to this great work; it is when a man feels his weakness that he is truly strong in the ministry of truth. A deep sense of our own insnfliciency is essential to make us sufficient for this of all offices the most grand and momentons. He who feels himself the "least of all saints " "'lnli become the greatest of all preachers. 3. The grand subject of the office. What is fae great theme of the gospel preacher? Scientific facts, philosophic speculations, theological theories? Ko; " the nnsearchable riches of Christ.n The word "unsearch- able" OCC'.IrS in only one other place in the New Testament (Rom. xi 33), where it is rendered "past jindir.g out." Past finding out, not so much in the sense of mystery, as i.!! the sense of inexhaustibleness. It is an ocean whose depths are unfathomable, ana. v.bose breadth and length stretch into the infinite, These "unsearchable riches" of Christ, unlike material riches, are soul-satisfying, man-ennobling, ~ver-enduring, 4. The e1digl,frning character of the office. "'l'o make all men see what is the fellow- ship of the mystery." The idea is to enli;,;bten all in respect to God's. r~dem:ptive mercy, the Gtntiles as well as the J ewe. The work of a true gospel nnmster 1s to make men s~e Divine thincrs, to bring them before their eyes, and to induce them to look earnestly and steadily upon them. 5. The angelic bearing of the office. " To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the Church the manifold wisdom of God." Several thoughts are implied in this passage. (l) That there are in the univerae a gradation of angelic intelligences. "'Principalities and powers in heavenly places." (2) '!'hat it is of great importance OH, Ill, 1-21.] THE EPISTLE TO THE EPHESIA~. 137