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Sermon preached on Ephesians 3:1-13 by Rev. W. Reid Hankins during the Morning Worship Service at Trinity Presbyterian Church (OPC) on 02/15/2026 in Petaluma, CA.
Sermon Manuscript
Rev. W. Reid Hankins, M.Div.
As we spend our third week in this passage, we’ll be focusing today on the aspect of Christian suffering. Humans, in general, will endure suffering in this life as we live in a fallen world. But that is not what today’s sermon is about. Rather, I have in mind the suffering that we experience as we follow and serve Christ. Such suffering, particularly in the form of Christian persecution, is what Paul describes in this passage. Even if we do not face the same form of suffering for Christ that Paul faced, surely all Christians face something of this. In our day, with our culture becoming increasingly polarized, we very well may experience an increased amount of Christian persecution.
We will look at this passage in three points. First, we will consider how this passage presents the sufferings of Paul. Second, we will consider how Paul’s suffering was specifically for the Ephesians Christians. Third, we’ll consider how Paul encourages them and us to not lose heart amidst such suffering.
Let us dig in first to observe the sufferings of Christ in this passage. This passage demonstrates classic structural bracketing where the same idea opens and closes a passage as a way to group the whole section together. We see this in verses 1 and 13 with Paul’s sufferings. In verse 1, Paul says that he is a “prisoner” of Christ Jesus. In verse 13, Paul speaks of “what I am suffering.” Let us backup. The letter to the Ephesians is considered one of Paul’s prison epistles. That means he wrote it from jail. Specifically, it is thought that this prison epistle was written when he was under house arrest as we read about at the end of the book of Acts. That was when the Romans had him imprisoned for two years after the Jews accused him in a Roman court and he appealed the matter to Caesar. The Jews had essentially accused Paul of treason against Rome because all preached Christ as Lord and King. Ultimately, the Jews were upset at Paul preaching Christ and were trying to persecute him through their charges before the Roman government.
So then, you could say that Paul was a prisoner of Caesar. Or, you could say he was a prisoner of Rome. And yet, that is not how Paul describes it. Paul says here that he is a prisoner of Christ Jesus! This is one of those times when all of those statements are actually true. But the fact that Paul describes this in terms of being a prisoner of Jesus, is for him to acknowledge who is ultimately in control and also whom he was serving that resulted in his imprisonment.
Indeed, this is somewhat like how the Roman Prefect Pilate thought he was in control during Jesus’ trial, but Jesus explained that Pilate wasn’t ultimately in control. While in regard to secondary causes, Paul was imprisoned due to the Jews accusing him and the Romans taking him under arrest, but the ultimate cause was God’s plan in Christ for Paul to suffer boldly in bearing witness to Jesus to the nations. You might even recall that the book of Acts describes Paul’s conversion experience on the road to Damascus as one where Jesus speaks of how much Paul will have to suffer for him and for his sake. Jesus was ultimately in charge of all of this not Caesar, not Rome, and not the Jews. The sovereignty of Christ here is even such that there is nothing man could ultimately do to Paul, if Christ would not permit it. But Christ’s plan and purpose is being worked out, even in Paul’s bondage, and so in that sense, Paul is indeed, a prisoner of Jesus.
Likewise, the reason Paul got in trouble with the Jews in the first place is because he was serving Christ Jesus. He had opportunity to turn away from preaching and save himself from being persecuted and arrested, but he chose the sufferings of Christ more than any fleeting pleasures. He wasn’t suffering because of some health issue or adverse life circumstances. No, he was suffering for his service to Jesus. So, in that sense, as well, Paul is indeed a prisoner of Christ Jesus, for his service directly resulted in this bondage.
Let us appreciate further that Paul’s suffering can be described as being a prisoner of Jesus. You know, I can think of a lot of people I would not want to be a prisoner of. I wouldn’t want to be a prisoner of Hitler, for example. But, if loving my Lord who gave himself for me, meant becoming a prisoner for a season, would I not do anything for him? That is at least what I preach to myself and that is what I pray should such a test come, that I would gladly become such a prisoner of Christ. For Christ, already became a prisoner for me. He became numbered with the transgressors and as a sheep led to the slaughter. For the joy that was set before him endured the cross and despised its shame that I would be saved. As Jesus taught, there is no greater love than one gives up his life for his friend. The deep, deep love of Jesus so loved my soul that he did this for me. I confess, there are not many people that I imagine I’d be willing to suffer imprisonment for. But, for Jesus, may I have the grace to gladly suffer for my Savior.
Turn with me now to our second point as we consider how Paul’s suffering was specifically for the Ephesians Christians. What I have in mind is how Paul says in verse 13 that his suffering is “for you”. Paul planted the church in Ephesus and had several personal ministry opportunities with them. That included a sustained period of about three years during which the church was firmly established. In service to Christ, he poured his heart out to these saints to preach Christ to them. Furthermore, we can appreciate that in the context of this passage, Paul especially has in mind that they were largely Gentiles. Paul emphasizes here that he had been given this ministry of revealing this mystery of the Gentile inclusion into the church of Christ. The Ephesians were direct recipients of this apostleship to the Gentiles that Paul was entrusted with.
Understand that Paul’s ministry to the Gentiles was a particularly motivating fact to the Jews who then accused him and got him arrested by the Romans. Of course, the Jews also bear false witness against Paul in the process, but what we see in Acts 21 is that the Jews were particularly upset about his ministry to Gentiles. If Paul had only ministered Christ to the Jews, maybe they would not have raged so much against him. But Paul’s ministry of Christ to the Gentiles and his related preaching of God destroying the dividing wall of hostility that was found in various ceremonial laws of the old covenant, particularly infuriated them. While it would be true to say that Paul’s apostolic ministry, in general, resulted in his persecution, it is all the more true to say that his ministry to Gentiles especially resulted in his persecution. Thus, verse 13 is very accurate for Paul to say that his suffering was for these Ephesians. And if that is true for the church of Ephesus which was surely predominately Gentile, then it is also true even for us. What I mean is, by way of application, let us appreciate that Paul’s ministry to the Gentiles has benefited us too. We are benefiting from it literally right now as we study this letter. In that sense, Paul’s suffering was also for us, too.
But Paul doesn’t stop there. Verse 13 goes on with Paul telling the Ephesians that this is their glory. His suffering for them, is their glory. His preaching Christ to them that resulted in his imprisonment is their glory. His shame is their glory. They can glory is his troubles. Such a message should not surprise us, because it is but Paul living Christ to them. Jesus suffered for our glory. Jesus preached good news that resulted in his imprisonment and death and that is for our glory. Jesus took on the shame of our sin on the cross, for our glory. Paul is a representative of Christ to them. Paul is revealing the message of Christ to them. So, we are not surprised at this similarity. Paul’s suffering is but a sharing in Christ’s suffering as his apostle. We are thankful that Paul was willing to suffer a little so that the life saving message of Christ could reach the nations. Even more so, we are infinitely grateful that Jesus suffered so much so that eternal life could come to the nations. Praise God for how suffering for one could be glory for so many.
Let us make sure we understand the application at this second point. We need to value the suffering of the saints who have made our salvation possible. Foundationally, that is Jesus’s suffering, but as the church is advanced in history, it comes through people like Paul who answered Christ’s call to evangelize the lost. Will you glory in the sufferings that made it possible for you to know Christ and be saved? That is the application at this second point. See the glory of all who contributed to you becoming saved. Whatever sacrifice they made, whatever investment they put into you, whatever heart they had for you, the prayers they said for you, and tears they shed for you, see it for the glory that it is. And will you then be willing to suffer in one form or another, for others? So that other lost people could know the glory of salvation in the name of Christ?
Turn with me now to our third point to consider how Paul encourages them and us to not to lose heart amidst such suffering. You can imagine the circumstances. Paul had been such a founding father to the church and then they get word that he’s been arrested. They continue to learn more. They hear word of the different trials that have taken place. They learn about him being transferred to Rome. They find out he is under house arrest. You could imagine why that might be disheartening to them. They might be discouraged. But Paul tells them not to lose heart because of that.
I really find that encouraging. Think about it. If anyone should lose heart, it should be Paul. I mean you put all this time and energy into your missionary work, you just love serving Christ like that, and then you get arrested and have to spend years in jail. You have to spend years not doing missionary work, at least not the in-person kind. While not the same, the not-discouraged Paul gets to writing epistles like this one. This was not just some quick letter thrown together. It would have take considerable amount of time to create. If anyone should be discouraged, Paul should be, but instead he wrote them a letter urging them not to be discouraged. Paul turned his suffering into a new ministry opportunity. He wants them to recognize the bigger purposes of God and his plan of redemption being worked out even through his suffering. Indeed, we might even wonder if we maybe would have less Pauline epistles if he wasn’t imprisoned for as long as he was.
Recognize then what Paul is subtly communicating here when he urges them to not lose heart. He is reminding us that God has a plan and a purpose in all things. As Paul wrote in Romans 8:28, “all things” are working together for our good. Of course, you don’t have to go to Romans. It was right there in chapter 1, verse 11, that God has predestined our salvation, “according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will.” Paul’s not alone in this thought. James says in James 1 that we can count it all joy when we face trials of many kinds because it tests our faith and develops perseverance. Likewise, Peter says in 1 Peter 1 that trials serve to refine our faith, purifying it from any impurities. Acts, written by Luke, is a historical record full of many examples of how suffering and Christian persecution grew Christ’s church. So, let us then also hear this call. Let us not lose heart when suffering comes. If we see other Christians suffer for Christ as they bless us, then let us praise God instead of losing heart. Likewise, if God should call us into a season of Christian suffering, may we not lose heart but have the grace to see God’s good plan and purpose in it.
It is easy to say this in passing. But let us really emotionally and spiritually connect with this fact. If you suffer like this or see another Christian suffer like this, for being a Christian, you might be tempted to lose heart. You might think, do I really want to go through all this, just to be a Christian? We know the right answer is, “Yes”, it’s all worth it, because of the surpassing goodness of the glory that awaits us. But it will be tempting to lose heart in the moment. When that moment comes, pray to the Lord for the grace to have this perspective. Gather your fellow Christians, and especially your spiritual leaders in the faith, and have them come along side you. Find the grace in Christ to stand fast in the faith and not lose heart. The prayer is that you would see the suffering ultimately as a thing of glory and part of God’s unsearchable wisdom in a plan that he has made from before time began.
In a related application, let us recognize that losing heart is just one of many bad responses we might be tempted to fall into if we encounter suffering for our Christian faith. Let us be on guard against complaining, when suffering comes. God’s people have struggled with such murmuring and we should see that God would have us to trust him not complain. We might not think it is fair that God would let us so suffer, but that is simplistic thinking when he already has commended to us that goodness of sharing in the sufferings of Christ. Let us also be on guard against doubt when suffering comes. We could be tempted to start to wonder if God’s plan is as good as we thought if we have to suffer so much. We could begin to doubt the wisdom of it. We could begin to doubt if we’ve understood things correctly since your life has become so difficult. But God says to trust him when suffering comes instead of trying to second guess him. Indeed, he told us to expect tribulation.
Let us also be on guard against the temptation to slow down in serving Jesus. If every time you touch a button it zaps you, you might be conditioned to not touch that button anymore. That’s a rather natural reaction. You might start to think, “Serving Jesus overtly and passionately has just caused me troubles in society. I am not strong enough for this. If I keep my faith to myself, I can still be a Christian, but fly under the radar enough to not cause myself any negative repercussions.” True, that is tempting. But our Lord would not have us to lose the ministry mindset that he has called each of us to. In the Apostles’ Creed we confess that we believe in an apostolic church. That means we have to be apostolic, i.e. a church that bear witness to Christ to the world. The world is yet full of so many that haven’t come to know the grace of God in Jesus. Why do you think the world is having so much trouble right now? The world needs Jesus. Would we try to so hide our faith to make our life a little easier when the world is aflame without Christ?
Let us also be on guard against the temptation to turn away from the faith when suffering comes. We might foolishly start to judge the cost too high for following Jesus. But will you believe verse 13, that the way of Christ is truly glory? If the world hates us, that is only further confirmation of the glory that awaits us. For Jesus said that if they hate you, know that they hated him first, and that they hate you because he has chosen you out of this world (John 15:18-19). The answer to the temptation to turn away from Jesus is to remember that the way of Christ is glory of glory, while the way of the world is death and destruction.
So then, may we all each keep the faith and keep serving Christ with boldness and good encouragement. Last week we talked about spiritual gifts. He has given grace to you to be a part of this ministry. Your gifts may look different than mine or someone else’s, but each has a role to play in church. Any of our roles might face persecution for our service to Jesus. But may we each keep on doing what ever Christ has called us each to be doing for him. May we each keep on loving Christ, living Christ, and serving Christ. It will be for your glory and it will also be to bring this glory to others that God has you minister.
Trinity Presbyterian Church, I hope you’ve found the glory today in being a prisoner of Christ Jesus. And while we’ve focused today on the suffering we endure as Christians, we know that, beyond that, this life is full of all kinds of suffering. That is why we need this glory that is in Christ Jesus. Life in this world can be so very, very hard. Yet, whatever momentary sufferings of this life you may endure, if you are in Christ, then your future will enjoy an eternal weight of glory that will make you forget all your sorrows. For to be a prisoner of Christ is also to be one who is the redeemed of Christ. Jesus redeems us from all our sorrows and brings us to glory.
Saints, if you have heard this message and consider that you fall short in how you suffer for Christ, let me remind you that you are not saved by how much you suffer for Christ. You are saved by how much Christ has suffered for you. We will fall short of Christ’s suffering, but that is why he suffered and died for you. May the grace of Jesus
spur you on to suffer for him, so that your service is out of gratitude and not fear. Thank you Lord Jesus!
Amen.
Copyright © 2025 Rev. W. Reid Hankins, M.Div.
All Rights Reserved.
