Ephesians 3:10-12

10 to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places,

11 according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord,

12 in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him.

to the intent (v.10) — pointing back to verses 8 and 9 — Paul is explaining why grace was given him to preach the mystery

manifold (v.10) = much, variegated, marked with a great variety of colors

by (v.10) = through the intermediate agency of

principalities and powers (v.10) — angels

Only in the Church can the angels come to an adequate comprehension of the grace of God. They look at the Church to investigate the mysteries of redemption. 1 Peter 1:12 speaks of the things which the angels have a passionate desire to stoop down and look into, like the golden cherubim that overshadow the Mercy Seat, ever gazing upon the sprinkled blood that is upon it. The preposition para, “beside,” is prefixed to the verb “stoop down,” which speaks of the angels as spectators viewing the great plan of redemption from the side lines, not being participants in it. — Wuest, page 85

boldness (v.12) = freedom and unreservedness of speech

access (v.12) = entree

confidence (v.12) — “Confidence” is pepoithesis, from peitho, “to persuade.” It comes from the perfect participial form which refers to a past process of being completely persuaded, with the present result that we are in a confirmed and settled state of utter confidence. — Wuest, page 86.

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