Ephesians 3:2
in Ephesians 3Surely you have heard about the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for you,
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
if so be that ye have heard of the dispensation of that grace of God which was given me to you-ward;
KJV
If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward:
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This verse in Ephesians 3
Commentary
11 notes on this verseHe alludes to the words of God to Ananias: "he is My chosen vessel, to proclaim My name before the nations" (Acts 9:15). And the revelation of the mystery, because he learned it not from man, he calls "the dispensation of grace." For, he says, …
This site's exposition
the stewardship of God’s grace
on Ephesians 3:2-3
The stewardship of God’s grace renders oikonomia, a trust committed to a household manager. Paul uses the word of his apostolic office elsewhere.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
He alludes to the prediction addressed to Ananias concerning him at Damascus, when the Lord said, "Go thy way, for he is a chosen vessel unto Me, to bear My name before the Gentiles and Kings." By "dispensation of grace," he means the revelation made to him. As much as to say, "I learned it not from man." He vouchsafed to reveal it even to me, though but an individual for your sakes. For Himself said unto me, saith he, "Depart, for I will send thee forth far hence unto the Gentiles." "If so be that ye have heard" for a dispensation it was, a mighty one; to call one, uninfluenced from any other quarter, immediately from above, and to say, "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me?" and to strike him blind with that ineffable light!
The Medieval Church1 voice
Then he makes known the gift of grace given him, as though he said: I assert that I am a prisoner for you Gentiles, if yet you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me towards you. This may …
The Reformation1 voice
He did not, of his own accord, raise unnecessary disputes. It was only when the wickedness of his adversaries made it necessary, that he reluctantly undertook the defense of his ministry. Dispensation (oikonomia) means here a divine order or command, or, as it is generally expressed, a commission
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
The dispensation of the grace of God given me in your behalf - That is, the commission to dispense the gracious gospel; to you gentiles in particular.
If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God,....
4 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
He styles the gospel the grace of God here (as in other places) because it is the gift of divine grace to sinful men; and all the gracious overtures that it makes, and the joyful tidings that it contains, proceed from the rich grace of God; and it is also the great instrument in the hands of the Spirit by which God works grace in the souls of men.
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
If ye have heard of the dispensation - The compound particle ειγε, which is commonly translated if indeed, in several places means since indeed, seeing that, and should be translated so in this verse, and in several other places of the New Testament. Seeing ye have heard of the dispensation of God, which is given me to you-ward: this they had amply learned from the apostle during his stay at Ephesus, for he had not shunned to declare unto them the whole counsel of God, Act 20:27, and kept nothing back that was profitable to them, Act 20:
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
If--The Greek does not imply doubt: "Assuming (what I know to be the fact, namely) that ye have heard," &c. "If, as I presume," The indicative in the Greek shows that no doubt is implied: "Seeing that doubtless," &c.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
If ye have heard - Εἴ-γε Ei-ge “If at least, if indeed, if so be, spoken of what is taken for granted.” “Robinson;” compare 2Co 5:3; Gal 3:4; Eph 4:21; Col 1:23, for the use of the particle. The particle here is not designed to express a doubt whether they had heard of it or not, for he takes it for granted that they had. Doddridge renders it, “since I well know you have heard,” etc. He had informed them of his being called to be the minister to the Gentiles Eph 3:3, but still there was a possibility that they had not received the letter containing the information, and he goes, therefore, into another statement on the subject, that they might fully comprehend it. Hence, this long parenthetical sentence - one of the longest that occurs in the writings of Paul, and expressed under the impulse of a mind full of the subject; so full, as we would say, that he did not know what to say first. Hence, it is exceedingly difficult to understand the exact state of mind in which he was. It seems to me that the whole of this long statement grew out of the incidental mention Eph 3:1 of the fact that he was a prisoner for the Gentiles. Instantly he seems to have reflected that they would be grieved at the intelligence that he was suffering on their account. […]
The words behind it
14 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| εἴ | ei | If | G1487 → | 508 times |
| γε | ge | indeed | G1065 → | |
| ἠκούσατε | ekousate | you have heard of | G191 → | 425 times |
| τὴν | ten | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| οἰκονομίαν | oikonomian | administration | G3622 → | 9 times |
| τῆς | tes | of the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| χάριτος | charitos | grace | G5485 → | 153 times |
| τοῦ | tou | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| θεοῦ | theou | of God | G2316 → | 1312 times |
| τῆς | tes | which | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| δοθείσης | dotheises | having been given | G1325 → | 412 times |
| μοι | moi | to me | G3165 → | 1936 times |
| εἰς | eis | toward | G1519 → | 1755 times |
| ὑμᾶς | humas | you | G4771 → | 2973 times |
εἴIf
eiG1487 →508 times
γεindeed
geG1065 →
ἠκούσατεyou have heard of
ekousateG191 →425 times
τὴνthe
tenG3588 →19766 times
οἰκονομίανadministration
oikonomianG3622 →9 times
τῆςof the
tesG3588 →19766 times
χάριτοςgrace
charitosG5485 →153 times
τοῦ<the>
touG3588 →19766 times
θεοῦof God
theouG2316 →1312 times
τῆςwhich
tesG3588 →19766 times
δοθείσηςhaving been given
dotheisesG1325 →412 times
μοιto me
moiG3165 →1936 times
εἰςtoward
eisG1519 →1755 times
ὑμᾶςyou
humasG4771 →2973 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Romans 1:5Through Him and on behalf of His name, we received grace and apostleship to call all those among the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith.
it leads to
- Acts 9:15
“Go!” said the Lord. “This man is My chosen instrument to carry My name before the Gentiles and their kings, and before the people of Israel.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Romans 16:26
but now revealed and made known through the writings of the prophets by the command of the eternal God, in order to lead all nations to the obedience that comes from faith—
- Acts 6:7
So the word of God continued to spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem grew rapidly, and a great number of priests became obedient to the faith.
- Malachi 1:11
For My name will be great among the nations, from where the sun rises to where it sets. In every place, incense and pure offerings will be presented in My name, because My name…
- 1 Corinthians 15:10
But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace to me was not in vain. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of…
- Acts 9:15
Through
2 Timothy 1:11to which I was appointed as a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher.
it leads to
- 1 Timothy 2:7
For this reason I was appointed as a preacher, an apostle, and a faithful and true teacher of the Gentiles. I am telling the truth; I am not lying about anything.
- 1 Timothy 2:7
Through
1 Timothy 1:11that agrees with the glorious gospel of the blessed God, with which I have been entrusted.
it leads to
- Titus 1:3
In His own time He has made His word evident in the proclamation entrusted to me by the command of God our Savior.
- Galatians 2:7
On the contrary, they saw that I had been entrusted to preach the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been to the circumcised.
- Titus 1:3
Where this verse is studied
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Studies2
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About Ephesians
This page draws on 11 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the New Testament; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Calvin, Commentaries; John Chrysostom, Homily on Ephesians 6; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Ephesians and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Ephesians.