Grace to the Least to be a Servant
I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power. 8 Although I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people, this grace was given me: Ephesians 3:7,8a (NIV)
At the end of 3:6 Paul has closely connected the ‘mystery’ with the gospel (‘This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus’). Through the gospel Jewish and Gentile believers are united to Christ, and this can only happen because the gospel announces the mystery so that people can hear it, to believe it, to experience it. The ‘mystery’ was truth revealed to Paul while the gospel was truth proclaimed by Paul. He made the connection because he was convinced the good news was only revealed to him so it could be shared by him, ‘I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me’ (3:7). Paul received it by God’s grace and ministered it ‘through the working of his power’ (3:7).
Paul saw his commission as an enormous privilege. What he calls ‘this grace’ (3:8), and we might call ‘this privileged ministry-gift’ from God, was given to him despite the fact he saw himself as ‘less than the least of all the Lord’s people’ (3:8). He takes a superlative (‘least’ or ‘smallest’) and turns it into a comparative (‘less than the least’). It is possible he was playing on the meaning of his name. The Roman surname ‘Paulus’ is Latin for ‘little’ or ‘small’ and tradition says he was a small man. He may be saying: ‘little by name, little in stature and spiritually littler than the littlest of all Christians.’ Paul was deeply conscious both of his own unworthiness because he ‘was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man’ (1 Timothy 1:13) and because of Christ’s overflowing mercy towards him. Paul’s awareness of his past never left him but nor did it stop him fulfilling his calling. Make sure it never stops you fulfilling yours.
I have been made a messenger of this wonderful news by the gift of grace that works through me. Even though I am the least significant of all his holy believers, this grace-gift was imparted when the manifestation of his power came upon me. Grace alone empowers me Ephesians 3:7,8a (The Passion Translation)