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claimed to be a steward of the mysteries of God (I Cor. 4: 1, 2), and the fact that the
word is used of a `chamberlain' of a city (Rom. 16: 23), or of `governors' who were
responsible for an heir during his minority (Gal. 4: 2) further illustrates the meaning of
the term. The LXX uses the word oikonomos of one "that was over the household"
(Isa. 37: 2), which if read in connection with Eph. 2: 19 will show the nature and
extent of the Apostle's claim. Eph. 3: 9 reads in the A.V. `fellowship of the mystery'
which is corrected in the R.V. to `dispensation of the mystery'. It is a slip of the pen that
any scribe might make, and write koi instead of oik, koinoia being `fellowship' and
oikonomia `dispensation'.
Let us examine this structure before attempting the analysis of details, for if we
comprehend the structure we shall perceive the scope of the Apostle's argument, and if
we perceive the scope we shall avoid that ever present danger of failing `to see the wood
for the trees'. It will be observed that he returns in the thirteenth verse to his
imprisonment, saying this time `My afflictions for you' and in Acts 20: 23 when he first
visualized this new ministry `bonds and afflictions' were linked together.
Eph. 3: 1-13.
The prisoner of Christ Jesus.
A | 1. Prisoner for you (huper humon).
B | Dispensation of the grace of God. Revelation of mystery. |
a | 2. Dispensation given.
b | 2. To me.
b | 2. To you-ward.
a | 3. Mystery revealed.
C | Two mysteries and two ministries. |
d | 4. Mystery of CHRIST.
e | 5. Apostles and Prophets (plural).
f | 5, 6. The Mystery. |
g | In Spirit.
h1 | Joint-heirs.
h2 | Joint-body.
h3 | Joint-partakers.
e | 7. Paul alone (singular).
d | 8. Unsearchable riches of Christ.
B | Dispensation of Mystery. Making known the wisdom of God. |
a | 9. Dispensation hidden since the ages.
b | 9. By God Who created through Christ.
c | 10. Knowledge through the church.
a | 11. Purpose of the ages.
b | 11. Which He made in Christ.
c | 12. Access through faith of Christ.
A | 13. Afflictions for you (huper humon).
The next pair of correspondencies relate to the Dispensations. In the first passage it is
called `The dispensation of the grace of God' with which we can compare Acts 20: 24,
where Paul speaks of this future ministry as testifying the gospel of the grace of God.