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Daily Devotions

Ephesians

Ephesians 
Day 
Day 148

"That the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel."

Text: Ephesians 3:6

THREE IDEAS TO BE TAKEN TOGETHER

There are three powerful ideas in the above text. These ideas are:-

1. Fellow heirs (“sugkleronomia”)

2. Same body (“sussoma”)

3. Partakers (“summetocha”)

How should we read these three thoughts? Is there a common thread that links them together? These three ideas were meant to be taken together (rather than separated). Each of them makes use of the preposition “with” (“sun”), so they are all compound words. The overall impact is staggering, exactly as Paul meant it to be.

DISTINCT YET WELL-COMBINED IDEAS

Each idea is of course distinct, and yet they were meant to be “well-combined ideas”. They are wonderfully integrated. The first idea of being “fellow heirs” is made that much stronger with the concept of “same body”. No one could possibly attempt to split hairs and attempt to make distinctions between Jews and Gentiles when both concepts are combined together. (Much time has already been devoted to explain the first two concepts.)

THE IDEA OF BEING “PARTAKERS”

We now need to look at the third idea, “partakers”. The word “partaker” speaks of “sharing in something”. This idea is close to the first concept of being “fellow heirs”. If we are heirs together, then we share a common inheritance. The use of the compound word “summetocha” informs us that we actually share alike. Gentile believers, despite their idolatrous past, are seen as fellow-sharers with their Jewish counterparts of the inheritance that God has promised.

REASONS FOR USING THESE POWERFUL IDEAS

What are some of the reasons why Paul employed these powerful ideas? Let us take time to ponder over the following suggestions:-

1. To prevent anyone from making wrong distinctions between Jews and Gentiles.

2. To bring out the fullness of the idea of belonging to the Lord Jesus Christ.

3. To exult in the salvation that we have in Christ Jesus.

4. To expound a concept that has never been fully dealt with previously by anyone else.

5. To cause all believers to stand in awe, and never to take for granted their salvation in Christ.