UNTHINKABLE

UNTHINKABLE

Eph. 3:8 To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ,

Paul thought it was an unthinkable privilege given to him to preach Christ. Of all the people in the world, Paul would seem to be the least likely to be chosen for this task. After all, he had led the persecution against the church. He had been responsible for the death of Steven and other believers. Not only was he chosen to preach, He was given the revelation of Christ in us as the only hope of the world. Christ died to save sinners. Christ died to save me and to save you. Here is how Hodge described this powerful verse.

“To one thus guilty it was a great favor to be allowed to preach Christ. The expression “unsearchable riches of Christ”; riches which cannot be traced; past finding out, may mean either the riches or blessings which Christ bestows, or the riches which he possesses. Both ideas may be included, though the latter is doubtless the more prominent. The unsearchable riches of Christ, are the fullness of the Godhead, the plenitude of all divine glories and perfections which dwell in him; the fullness of grace to pardon, to sanctify and save; everything in short, which renders him the satisfying portion of the soul.”

Adam Clarke also spoke about the power of that verse of scripture, here are some of his thoughts.

“The unsearchable riches of Christ. The words are exceedingly well chosen here: it refers to the footsteps of God, the plans he had formed, the dispensations which he had published, and the innumerable providences which he had combined, to prepare, mature, and bring to full effect and view his gracious designs in the salvation of a ruined world, by the incarnation, passion, death, and resurrection of his Son. There were in these schemes and providences such riches — such an abundance, such a variety, as could not be comprehended even by the naturally vast, and, through the Divine inspiration, unparalleledly capacious mind of the apostle.”

Paul had been part of the ruined world system, maybe the worst part. He had been a Pharisee. Religious bondage can be harder to break than the carnal, pleasure seeking kind of bondage. Religious sins are more subtle, they are more damning. These sins require everyone to become like you and you are the judge and jury to pass sentence on their spirituality. That’s where Paul lived until that day on the road to Damascus. In a moment he saw his sinfulness and God’s mercy. He tasted for himself the unsearchable riches of Christ. The “chief of sinners” had been saved. The “least of these” had been converted. For the rest of Paul’s life he searched for the untraceable, he looked for the footsteps of God. Now Paul had a new commission, to describe with words this infinite omnipotent God.