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Daily Devotions

Ephesians

Ephesians 
Day 
Day 157

"And to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ."

Text: Ephesians 3:9

TRANSLATIONAL PREFERENCES

The NKJV translators exercised their literary rights to render the text as rendered above,

And to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery.
EPHESIANS 3:9A

While this translation is certainly permissible, a number of things were missed out. A more literal translation would actually help us comprehend how Paul would make all see the unsearchable riches of Christ.

“To make all see” (photisai)

The word “photisai” literally means, “to bring light” or ” to enlighten”. The literal idea seems stronger. Paul’s task was to bring the light. We are reminded of what Paul wrote in his epistle to the Philippians concerning a similar theme.

That you may become blameless and harmless,
children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked
and perverse generation, among whom you shine
as lights in the world.
PHILIPPIANS 2:15

Paul of course desired all to see and appreciate the salvation that we have in Christ. The means of helping people see Christ is through enlightening them. The challenge to be a “light bearer” was what was on Paul’s mind in the above text.

“The fellowship of the mystery”

We have another translational preference exercised by the NKJV translators again. This time the affected word is “fellowship”.

1. The usual word for “fellowship” is “koinonia” (Cf. 1 John 1:3, 7)

However this was not the word Paul utilized in this text.

2. The actual word is “oikonomia”

This word was used by the apostle Paul in the following text:

If indeed you have heard of the dispensation (“oikonomia”)
of the grace of God which was given to me…
EPHESIANS 3:2

This exact same word is used here:-

The fellowship (“oikonomia”) of the mystery…
EPHESIANS 3:9

The word “oikonimia” makes reference to the stewardship or the dispensation that God had graciously given to Paul. The mystery of the riches of Christ is indeed a special dispensation that God gives to all in and through Christ. The “fellowship” aspect is really no more than an application of the actual wording of the original word the apostle Paul employed.