Brief Exposition of Galatians and Ephesians, Exposition 2 · Chapter 3 · Verse and explication 2
Vers. 2. If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God, which is given me to you-ward.
HEre beginneth the first part of the Chapter, wherein the Apostle, by way of digression, setteth forth the dignity of his Apostolick Office towards the Gentiles; that thereby he may, not only guard them from stumbling at his sufferings, as is clear from ver. 13. but also give a reason of what he presently said, ver. 1. that he was a prisoner for them, to wit, because he had his Office from God towards them: for, lest they had doubted of the truth of that assertion, he presently breaketh off the former sentence in the very entry, without putting a close to it, untill ver. 14. as judging it more safe to keep them a little in suspense, and ignorant of that which he began to speak of, than to leave them with a doubt about the truth of any thing which he had already spoken; seing ignorance of things, not yet revealed, is not so hazardous as misbelief of those truths which was revealed and known.
And therefore, in the first branch of the first part of the Chapter, contained in this verse, the Apostle doth briefly declare, that the Apostolick Office of dispensing and ministerial distributing the doctrine of free grace and salvation contained in the Gospel, here (called the grace of God, as, Tit. 2. 11.) was committed unto him with relation chiefly to the Gentiles, and particularly, to those Ephesians. See upon Col. 1. ver. 25. doct. 3. And as to the truth of this assertion, he appealeth to their own knowledge and conscience, if they had not heard it, and were not sufficiently instructed in it: for, the conditionall particle if, implyeth not any doubt of the thing, but rather his great confidence, that they nei ther could nor would contradict it, seing it was a thing publickly known from the history of his conversion, Gal. 1. 22, 23. and doubtlesse also from his own preaching while he was among them, Act. 19. 10. Doct. 1. Where a Minister is called, and sent by God unto a People, not only his Sermons, but also his actions and carriage, yea, his very sufferings in the discharge of his Calling, are blessed of God to be powerfull preachings for the good and edification ofthose among them, whom God intendeth good for: for, Paul proveth he was a prisoner for the Gentiles, or that his imprisonment and sufferings did contribute for their good and edification, because he was called of God to dispense the Gospel unto them; If ye have heard of the dispensation—which is given me to you-ward. 2. The ministerial Office is not a lordly dominion, but a stewardship, whereby the Lord himself, who is great Master of that family, (ver. 15.) which is His House and Church, 1 Tim. 3. 15. doth intrust some to break and divide the bread of life unto the rest: which therefore they must do with that measure of faithfulnesse (1 Cor. 4. 2.) and wisdom (Mat. 24. 45.) as they may be answerable unto Him who hath intrusted them; for, he calleth the ministerial Office intrusted to him, the dispensation, which signifieth the ordering of things belonging to the family so as may be most for its behoof: and being applyed unto God, with relation to His Church, it signifieth a most absolute power to dispose of those things as He pleaseth, (so is it taken, Col. 1. 25.) but being applyed unto His Ministers, as it is here, it signifieth only a subordinate misterial power, for which the person intrusted must be countable, such as is the office of a steward in great families. See 1 Cor. 4. 1, 2. If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace, &c. 3. The great thing which Ministers are to dispense and distribute unto the Lords family, is the doctrine of Salvation through free grace. They are indeed to dispense threatnings also, and to inculcate the terror of Gods wrath, Mat. 3. 12. Only their great design in all should be, that people may be thereby fitted to imbrace the offer of grace and salvation in the Gospel: for, the Apostle calleth that which he was to dispense, the grace of God, to wit the doctrine of grace; The dispensation of the grace of God. 4. The Lords People ought carefully to lay up and remember what they hear of the Lords Word from, or of His dealing with, His Servants; that so they may make use of it afterwards, when God calleth them to it: and more especially they would not forget what may convincingly clear unto their consciences a Ministers calling, and his being sent from God unto them; whereby his doctrine, life, and sufferings may have the greater weight with them: for, Paul supposeth they did perfectly remember what they heard of his calling to the Gentiles, and therefore doth appeal to their testimony, while he saith, If ye have heard of the dispensation, &c. 5. As there is no lesse concredited unto called Ministers by God to hold forth unto the Lords People, than the doctrine of Salvation through free grace, the greatest of all trusts; So whatever is committed or given by God unto them, is not for themselves alone, but for the good of those also unto whom they are sent; and therefore God doth usually deal the better with Ministers for the Peoples sake: for, the relative, which, doth relate to the antecedent, grace, and Paul saith, This grace, or, the doctrine of the Gospel, is given me to you-ward.