like manner Paul claimed the distinctive honour of preaching `the unsearchable

riches of Christ' (Eph. 3:8).  Of this gospel, the apostle says he became a

There are three words that are translated `minister' in the New Testament

diakonos, leitourgos and huperetes, and some eight or nine words for the verb

`to minister'.  Huperetes, means an `under rower', one who had a most dangerous

and degrading position, often chained to the oar and to the bench of a Greek

galley.  It came into more general use as descriptive of a subordinate, either

of a law court officer, of a rich man's servant, or an official of

the Sanhedrin or of the synagogue.  The word is used of Paul in Acts 26:16 and 1

Corinthians 4:1, and both in connection with some phase of special service.

Leitourgos is employed in the Old Testament of the priests and the Levites, but

in the New Testament the term is used of magistrates, of angels, and of Christ

Himself, as well as of Paul in Romans 15:16.

Diakonos, the word used in Ephesians 3:7 becomes in English the word

`deacon' and the verb is found in Acts 6:2 where we read of serving tables, and

of Paul when he took the contributions made by the Gentile churches `to

minister' unto the saints at Jerusalem (Rom. 15:25), and most graciously by the

Saviour of Himself in Matthew 20:28, where His ministry involved giving His life

a ransom for many.  The noun diakonia is used of Martha (Luke 10:40), and when

Paul in Romans 11:13 said `I magnify mine office', this is the word used.  What

a range of service is covered by this word!  Martha's service at the one end and

the Saviour's at the other.  Diakonos is found seven times in the Prison

Epistles (Eph. 3:7; 6:21; Phil. 1:1; Col. 1:7,23,25 and 4:7), once translated

`deacon'.  Three of these occurrences refer to Paul's exclusive ministry of the

`Whereof I was made a minister' (Eph. 3:7).

`I Paul am made a minister' (Col. 1:23).

`Whereof I am made a minister' (Col. 1:25).

When we were considering Ephesians 3:3 we found that the apostle used the

word kata `according to revelation', and now he declares that he was made a

minister of this special truth `according to the gift of the grace of God given

unto me by (literally according to) the effectual working of His power' (Eph.

3:7).  How are we to understand `The gift of grace'?  Some, with Ellicott, see

in this the apostolic office, others with Alford see that it is grace that was

the gift of God, as the next verse declares `is this grace given'.  Something of

the steps of the apostle's argument and the correspondence of the two references

to the gift of grace can be seen if set out thus:

A

The gospel (euangelion) whereof I was made a minister.

B

According to the gift of the grace of God.

C

Given unto me by the effectual working of His power.

C

Unto me, who am less than the least.

B

Is this grace given.

A

That I should preach (euangelizo) the unsearchable riches.

There can be no doubt but that the preaching of the unsearchable riches of

Christ has to do with the Mystery, and the correspondence of the passage helps

to confirm the feeling that the earlier reference to the gospel also, is closely

related to making it known.  The Greek reader would be conscious of a connection