Paul saw this vision on behalf of the saints, for as he says in 3:1, he was a prisoner on behalf of the Gentiles. If we enjoy Christ as our prison, we also shall see a vision not for ourselves, but for the church.
Many Christians read Ephesians again and again without seeing the revelation contained in it because they are not imprisoned in Christ. They are too free, and their freedom makes them blind. But if you are willing to lose your freedom, the vision will come to you. Which do you prefer to have—the freedom or the vision? We all need to pray, “Lord, for the sake of the heavenly vision, I am willing to lose my freedom. Lord, I want to be imprisoned in You. Others may think that I am suffering, but when I am imprisoned in You, I enjoy You to the uttermost.” The enjoyment of being imprisoned in Christ enables us to receive the heavenly revelation.
No doubt, there are precious truths in all the books of the Bible. But the sweetest and deepest truths are in Ephesians. These truths are conveyed in heavenly utterances such as, “Be strengthened into the inner man,” “Are renewed in the spirit of the mind,” and “Be filled unto all the fullness of God.” These heavenly expressions were uttered by one who saw a vision as a prisoner in Christ. While he was imprisoned in Christ, Paul saw what it was to be strengthened into the inner man, to be renewed in the spirit of the mind, and to be filled unto all the fullness of God. In principle, it is the same with us today. Whenever we enjoy freedom outside of Christ, we lose our spiritual sight. But if we are willing to abide in Christ as our prison, the vision will come, and our sight will be restored. The heavens will be open to us, and everything will become crystal clear.
In Ephesians 3 the Apostle Paul had a very high vision. It was in this chapter that he used the term “the unsearchable riches of Christ” (v. 8). What Paul saw regarding this is far beyond our understanding. Not even Paul himself had words adequate to express it. Eventually, he could speak only of the breadth and length and depth and height (v. 18). These dimensions, which are the dimensions of Christ, are actually the dimensions of the universe. As he was confined and restricted in a prison, Paul had a vision of the universal dimensions of Christ. Although you may consider yourself a little brother or sister, you also will see something on behalf of the church if you are willing to be a prisoner in Christ.
The stewardship of the grace is the dispensing of the riches of Christ. According to the context of chapter three, grace refers to the riches of Christ. When the riches of Christ are enjoyed by you, they become grace. Paul’s ministry was to dispense the riches of Christ as grace to the believers. A stewardess on an airplane dispenses food to the passengers; she does not dispense information on how to cook. Likewise, the Apostle Paul dispensed the riches of Christ to the saints. This is what we are doing in the ministry today.
This stewardship is according to God’s economy. With God it is a matter of economy; with us it is a matter of stewardship. All the saints, no matter how insignificant they may seem to be, have a stewardship according to God’s economy. This means that every saint can infuse Christ into others. Even a young sister in high school can dispense Christ into her classmates. This dispensing of Christ into others is the stewardship according to God’s economy.
In the past we have pointed out that the heavens are for the earth, that the earth is for man, and that man is for God. The desire of God’s heart is to dispense Himself into man. The heavens and the earth are for this dispensing. This is the central point of the whole Bible. God does not want to remain in Himself; He wants to get into us. Therefore, in eternity past He purposed to dispense Himself into us. For the fulfillment of this purpose, God created the heavens for the earth, the earth for man, and man for Himself. God’s economy is to carry out the dispensing of Himself into man. We share in this economy through our stewardship, our ministry of dispensing the riches of Christ. Therefore, the stewardship of the grace is according to God’s economy.
The Apostle Paul was not the only one with a stewardship. In 3:8 he refers to himself as “less than the least of all saints.” This indicates that Paul was even smaller than we are. Our concept needs to be radically changed. If Paul could be a steward, then we also can be stewards and dispense the riches of Christ into others.