Eph 3:8 - Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;

Paul tells us he is “a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God,” and later as “the [one] Apostle to the Gentiles” (Rom. 11:13). Paul became the channel through which the Lord could bring “the gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:24) and ultimately, Post-Acts, the “dispensation [age] of the grace of God.” (Eph. 3:2). He never hesitated to honor his office, or his special ministry because he understood that God had given this unique ministry and special dispensation of grace to him alone (Eph 3:2). Paul is the Moses of the pure grace message of salvation for today’s Gentile “body of Christ”

“And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace…” Romans 11:6 (KJV) “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: ⁹ Not of works, lest any man should boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9 (KJV)

Christ’s direct revelations to Paul (Ga1:12) were progressively given, whereby Paul then “laid the foundation” for the understanding of the full significance of His Cross-death and resurrection as necessary for the salvation of both Israel’s believing remnant and the faithful Gentile “body of Christ.” We find this foundational understanding most clearly stated in Paul’s Romans epistle written while in prison at Rome.

“According to the grace of God which is given unto me [Paul], as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. ¹¹ For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 3:10-11 (KJV)

Remember that “the dispensation of the grace of God” (Eph. 3:2) leading to Paul proclaiming the dispensational age of the mystery to all who will hear and believe. The “dispensation of the grace of God” was been given to no one since Paul as its chief steward.

Paul was “the Apostle to the Gentiles,” who exactly are these, Gentiles?

Paul merged the Jewish and Gentile believers together in Ephesians 2. Yes, he proclaimed the blessed fact that the two were made one, to create the “one new man” (Eph. 2:14) called “the body of Christ. As seen in the Post-Acts epistle of EPHESIANS, this is where today’s dispensational age that concerns “the mystery [secret]” concerning “the body of Christ” began and was declared by Paul.

This is when the invisible, spiritual, “body of Christ,” of which He is “the Head,” came into being. It was when “the middle wall of partition” between Jew and Gentile was abolished. “For he is our peace, who hath Made Both One, and hath Broken Down The Middle Wall Of Partition between us;” Eph. 2:14 (KJV)

Until then even Israel’s Gentile proselytes were only a sort of 2^nd class Israelites. They were not allowed to pass beyond “the court of the Gentiles” in the Temple. A literal wall was in place to limit their access. In Eph. 2 reminds that Israel was the ‘1’ and the Gentile nations were considered the 70 (cf. Gen. 10). These were separate, not counted as one. Today, they together are ‘71,’ as the “one new man.”

And from the time of Post-Acts Ephesians, they together as one, are all together called “Gentiles.” The Nation Israel no longer “set above” as had existed since Exo.19:5. Jews are merged in with the rest ‘as Gentiles’ during today’s Post-Acts “dispensation of the grace of God” (Eph. 3:2).

Note that in Eph. 3:1 Paul plainly speaks of himself as a prisoner “for ye Gentiles.” So in Eph. 3:8, with which we are dealing now, the Gentiles are of the 71 nations. Paul proclaims the “unsearchable riches of Christ” among all believers who had been Jews and Gentiles. These unsearchable riches could never be proclaimed until the ‘70’ and ‘1’ had become ‘71,’ the “one body” of which Christ is “the Head.”

The Messiah/King was spoken of before today’s age, this was searchable, being revealed in the OT prophesies; e.g., “And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed. Daniel 7:14 (KJV) These tracks can be found throughout the OT scriptures.

But at the end of and after the Acts period, Paul received added revelations. Paul was given new revelation, far beyond the Old Testament scriptures.

To Paul was revealed the fact that Christ had riches that are not traceable in the Old Testament. Unsearchable means untrackable, untraceable. These new unsearchable riches cannot be found anywhere before Ephesians.

Eph 1:9 and10 reveals a secret that Jesus Christ Has Been Made Head of All things in Both Heaven and In Earth. This extends His riches and rule far beyond the earth and His millennial kingdom… reaching into the “far above” heavens. In Ephesians 1:22-23 we learn that He has been made “the Head” of “the church, which is His body.” This is a different body from what was ever known before. There was no trace in Paul’s earlier epistles that were written during the Acts period when he went to “the Jew first.”

These unsearchable riches are of a totally new revelation that Paul received.

“Unto me, who am less than the least of All Saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the Unsearchable Riches Of Christ.” Eph 3:8

“That the Gentiles should be fellow-heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:” Ephesians 3:6 (KJV)
“Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus,” 2 Timothy 1:1 (KJV) “In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, Promised BEFORE The World [Grk. aion, the ages] Began;” Titus 1:2

Here is another of our unsearchable riches that we can apply only while we remain on earth.

“Twice we are exhorted by our apostle to reclaim the era (Eph.5:16; Col.4:5). Let us remind ourselves that, in all the glory and perfection which we will enjoy above, we will lack one way of honoring our Lord and glorifying Him, that is, by a walk in faith and obedience. And just this brings Him an honor which we cannot accord Him when above. Therefore we should prize such occasions and use them to the full.” (Unsearchable Riches, vol. 46, page 253, by Al Knoch).

Paul deprecates himself saying he is “less than the least” (Eph 3:8) to draw attention to something very great and important. In Ephesians 2 Paul had told how both Jewish and Gentile believers of the former Law dispensation, now After the Acts 15 Jerusalem Counsel meeting, POST-ACTS, are now seen of God equally, made into “One New Man.” (Seehttps://artlicursi.com/articles/impact-jerusalem-council-meeting-acts-15-0) From Ephesians onward, he speaks of Jew and Gentile, altogether now as equals before God, as “Gentiles” (cf. Eph. 3:1; 4:1). It is to these Gentiles that Paul proclaims his new message of the Post-Acts “Mystery (secret)” (Eph. 3:1-10) of “the body of Christ.”

The theme of Paul’s new Post-Acts message among the Gentiles is the “unsearchable riches” of Christ balanced by “the mystery [secret]” of Christ (Eph. 3:4). Now, since “the mystery of Christ” has been steadily unfolding from Gen 1:1 onward until today’s “dispensation pf the grace of God” concerning “the mystery” completes the unveiling of His riches, their wealth and abundance for us.

In Gen 1:1 Christ is the Creator; “all things were made by Him” (Col. 1:16). Therefore He is owner of the entire universe by right of creation. Thus we have such expressions as “The earth is the Lords, and the fullness thereof.” We can conclude that His love appealed to His wisdom to create a plan in accord with His righteous and His justice for means to redeem mankind, which He implemented in the giving of His Son for the sins of the world. It would take years to search out all the ascriptions of honor, and glory, and power, and many other attributes, all of which are parts of His riches.

Then there are more riches seen in Paul’s Post-Acts prison epistles, such as His Headship, His expected ‘manifestation in glory’ (Col. 3:4), and the like. But at no time was anybody able to trace out or understand His riches fully. Look at the abounding wealth of His goodness (Rom 2:4) and the superabounding wealth of his grace (Eph 1:7, Rom. 5:20), and the riches or abundance of “the glory” of this “Mystery” (Col 1:27) or the riches of the abundant “knowledge of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ” (Col. 2:2).

“To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of [heaven’s] glory:” Colossians 1:27 (KJV)

Of course we can say that, in this culminating ‘dispensation of the mystery,’ God is making known His plan and purpose for the ages, all centered and His Son. It is His “eternal purpose in Christ.”

“According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:” Ephesians 3:11 (KJV)

“That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he [God] might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:” Ephesians 1:10 (KJV)

Now, since the mystery and riches of Christ have been being made known all throughout the ages, they have their completion and fullest exposition in Paul’s Post-Acts epistles having been “hid with Christ in God” from ages and generations. “Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil [Grk. pleroo, to Complete] The Word Of God; “Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:” Colossians 1:25-26 (KJV)