8 To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, 9 and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ; 10 to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, 11 according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord, 12 in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him. 13 Therefore I ask that you do not lose heart at my tribulations for you, which is your glory.
Commentary
Vs. 8 "To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,"
Now the Apostle Paul as a servant of Christ and steward of the mysteries of God (see 1 Cor 4:1), having declared the mighty gifting and working of God's Power by His Spirit through him as Christ's bond servant minister (vs.7), now humbly acknowledges that this critical ministry service and responsibility that has been entrusted to him was not based upon whom he was, or what he had done, or even what he had accomplished. Rather Paul in describing himself here as the least of all the saints (because of what he had done in persecuting the church before he came to Christ, see 1 Cor 15:9), has absolutely no sense of entitlement about himself; which itself is often a prerequisite for being chosen by God for His leadership service, and even remaining in His leadership service (consider 1 Sam 9:21, 15:17-23). And so Paul fully understands that this grace that God gave him to preach the unsearchable riches of Christ among us Gentiles, but is for all the saints both Gentiles and Jews (see Col 1:26-27) was not given to him because he had "earned it" or "deserved it". Rather God who knows each individuals heart saw in him the potential for doing a whole lot of good in him and through him which others did not, or would not see (1 Tim 1:12; 1 Samuel 16:7). And so it is God choose the Apostle Paul, who again saw himself as the least of all the saints, to preach among us Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, which is Christ in you the hope of glory (see Colossians 1:27). For it is in Christ that we have wisdom and knowledge and righteousness and redemption and sanctification and even power from God (Acts 1:8; 1 Cor. 1:30; Col 2:3), as well as full and equal access to God through Christ (Eph. 2:18). And so it is that God first choose, then enabled by His Holy Spirit our brother and friend the Apostle Paul, to bring forth the unsearchable riches of Christ to every believing Gentile in every generation. Riches which we cannot fully comprehend down here, but we will all know and fully experience up there in heaven (1 Cor 2:9). And so for now we enjoy and celebrate the riches of Christ which God has given us in this new life and liberty and freedom that the Lord Jesus Christ purchased by His own blood for us all. For He has not only saved us from the wrath to come (Rom 5:9; 1 Thess. 1:10), but it is Jesus our Lord and Savior who now indwells everyone of us who believe in Him. For has made our persons His temple and home (1 Cor 3:16). And so it is that Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior has liberated us to be and enjoy all we can be in this new life that He has given us. For the riches of Christ means that we have not only been redeemed from all our sins and transgressions, but through Christ we have been qualified to be partakers of the inheritance with the saints in the light (Col 1:12). And so it is we have not only been delivered from the sin, Satan, and death and their having dominion over us (Rom 6:14; 1 Cor 15:55; Col 1:13), but we have been transferred into the Kingdom of the Son of God's love (Col 1:13-14). And so we shine forth light because just as Christ saved us from the same so He is changing us by the ongoing sanctification by His Holy Spirit by which we are being transformed from one glory to another (2 Cor 3:18). And so the Lord Jesus Christ Himself not only is transforming us but He also maintains our unbroken fellowship and relationship with God Himself through His ever watchful intercession for ourselves (2 John 2:1; Heb 4:14-16; Heb. 7:25). And so no matter what our circumstances or lot in this life, we all have, and we can all enjoy the unbroken fellowship of the Lord Jesus Christ in our persons, hearts, and lives; (who again first bought us back from sin and death by His own death on the Cross, then having cleansed us of all our sins and transgressions by His shed blood, Jesus having Risen from the dead, ascended back to God the Father in heaven who then sent His Holy Spirit to bring us to life, and unite us all with Christ, so that nothing would ever separate us from the love of God again, Rom 8:28-39). And so it is by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ we have not only remission of all our sins and everlasting life, but we have ongoing and unrestricted access into God's grace by which we now stand (Rom 5:1-2). Therefore the riches of Christ abound to us down here, through our restored fellowship with God, and thus we have His life, His grace, His peace, His love, His hope and His calling, all which He fills us all with and which He gives us all through Christ along with all of the fruits of His Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23) so that He not only enriches our lives down here (way beyond anything we could have ever done or imagined for ourselves), but He is also enabling us and upholding us by His Power while Christ is preparing for us an everlasting home with Himself up there in heaven. And so it is we have the unsearchable riches of Christ abounding to us through God's grace down here, (and that is absolutely self evident to anyone who believes and receives the Lord Jesus Christ for themselves), while yet we still have all the riches of Christ through His own inheritance with God awaiting for us all up there, which again we will all share in with the saints in the light, and which will be unbroken and uninterrupted by time or circumstance as we enjoy them all forever with Christ in heaven (1 Cor 2:9), and so the unsearchable riches of Christ that we now have and enjoy here are only a foretaste of the everlasting riches and joy that we will have there forever.
Vs. 9 "and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ;"
The Apostle Paul not only preached the unsearchable riches of Christ; but God also gave Paul grace so that Paul could make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery; that is all who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ not only become partakers of God's Promises given us In Christ, but we also become One Redeemed people In Christ. And so it is no matter what our cultures, no matter what our heritage, no matter what our backgrounds, and no matter what our present state, we who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ are now a people called out and separated for God's Name (Acts 15:14; 1 Peter 2:9-10). Which as the Apostle Paul says here, "from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ." And so it is from the beginning when God created all things through Jesus Christ, He had already determined to create for Himself His own special people who would belong to Himself through His Son the Lord Jesus Christ, yet this mystery was not revealed to us until the church age. And so what took place in the garden of Eden, and what took place at the tower of Babel, and what is taking place today in our world, does not, and will not change that. For God who created all things though Jesus Christ is working out His eternal plans and desires for us all who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Vs. 10 "to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places,"
The fellowship of the mystery, like the unsearchable wisdom of God has it's origins in the manifold (multifaceted) wisdom of God, which God Himself has chosen to be made known through the church to all angelic beings. For these observed creation, they observed Satan's rebellion, they observed humanities fall from life and peace with God and into death, degradation and separation from God beginning in the garden. And so it is through the church, of which the Lord Jesus Christ is the Head of the Body; God is making known His manifold wisdom to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places" in restoring all who believe in Jesus Christ to Himself, and then conforming us to Himself through His Scriptural Word given to us all there, by which He is also preparing us for an eternity with Himself as Christ's bride. And so it is that the church is the means by which God's manifold wisdom is being made known to them. For it is there in Christ's Body that God's redeemed people are united under Him, and ascribe to the Lord all praise, glory, power, and honor, through us who were once alienated and enemies of God yet we have now been reconciled to God through the Life, Death, Resurrection from the dead, and ascension back to heaven of God's only begotten Son the Lord Jesus Christ who having vanquished sin, Satan and death forever, now Reigns waiting till all His enemies are made His footstool (Psalm 110:1; Heb. 1:13; 10:12-13).
Vs. 11 "according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord,"
Satan's Rebellion, the fall of humanity, the ongoing degradation and fallout from sin and all of its destructive effects on us all, and all of creation, God knew that all things would take place long before they ever took place. For none of those things have anything to do with God, those things are all born out of Satan and humanities rebellion against God. Therefore God's eternal purpose to glorify and honor His Son, and give Him a Kingdom that would have no end, and redeem a people for Himself out of all that rebellion and degradation God determined to do in eternity, and has now accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior.
Vs. 12 "in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him."
Therefore because of what God has done for us all who believe in His Son the Lord Jesus In Christ we can now approach God with all boldness and access with confidence through faith in His Son (see Heb 4:14-16).
Vs. 13 "Therefore I ask that you do not lose heart at my tribulations for you, which is your glory."
In concluding his encouraging the saints, the Apostle Paul wants all the saints (that is every believer who knew of his affairs) not to be discouraged by what they saw the Apostle Paul enduring for them. Because Paul himself understood that God had appointed such things for him (Acts 9:15-16; 20:23-24), and that through his enduring such things, the Lord was going to build his church, and establish His people in the faith (Philippians 1:21-26). And so we have much of the N.T. given us through the patient endurance of the Apostle Paul who faithfully followed Christ and who is now reaping an eternity of joy and fellowship with Christ and God and all of God's redeemed people because when God called him he said, yes Lord here I am send me, how about you and me?
Scripture Quotations
The New King James Version. (1982). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
Additional Resources Consulted
MacDonald, W. (1995). Believer’s Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments. (A. Farstad, Ed.) (p. 1928). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
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