The Manifold Wisdom of God

It is fascinating that Paul teaches us about the church in the middle of the
two major themes of Ephesians (the power of the gospel and holy living).

The Manifold Wisdom of God

This week's devotions are written by my son-in-law, Jeffrey Samplaski, Student & College Pastor at Great Hills Baptist Church.

- Pastor Danny

I love the book of Ephesians! In fact, I often tell the students whom I lead that if I had to pick my favorite book of the Bible, I would pretty quickly pick Ephesians. On a personal level, I would pick this book because God has used it to minister to my heart and stretch my faith over and over again throughout the years. But, to go along with that, I would pick this book because it is often recognized as Paul's theological masterpiece. Why? Because Paul packs everything essential for us to know about the Christian life into six short chapters. Plainly, if you understand the book of Ephesians, then you will likely have a pretty firm grasp on Scripture as a whole.

That said, the Apostle Paul wrote this letter to the church in Ephesus in order to instruct them on godly living in a very ungodly world. Sound familiar? As we study the book of Ephesians, we'll see that the first half of the book really emphasizes the power of the gospel, while the second half of the book teaches us about living a holy lifestyle.

Now, I find it interesting that right in the middle of these two major themes in Ephesians Paul tells us about the purpose of the church. In fact, the church is the hinge that holds this whole book together. Ephesians 3:8-10 says, "To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things, so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places."

I love the terminology that Paul uses in this text! He says, "Through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known…" By using the term "manifold wisdom," Paul is communicating that the Christian church radiates the glorious, multi-faceted wisdom of God to the universe!

As mentioned earlier, it is incredibly interesting that Paul teaches us about the church right in the middle of the two major themes of Ephesians (the power of the gospel and holy living). This is no coincidence! As we will see through the remainder of the week, it is through the power of the gospel that sinful people are redeemed (the church), and it is through the church (the redeemed) that God enables Christians to live holy lives in a very unholy world.

Now picture this: a group of people who have all been changed by the gospel and are now pursuing a lifestyle of holiness together. That does not sound like most of the world around us, does it? "Through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 3:10).