September 2026

Greetings, saints.

Our verse today is from Paul’s epistle to the saints at Ephesus, at chapter 3 and verse 8, which reads as follows (quoting): “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;”

Ephesians 3:8 is one of Paul’s most profound self‑descriptions and at the same time one of scripture’s clearest declarations of the unique revelation entrusted to him. It is a verse which blends humility, stewardship, and revelation into a single sentence and which has at its heart the phrase “the unsearchable riches of Christ.”

Let us carefully consider Paul’s humility, the grace extended to him, his commission, and, most importantly, the nature of these unsearchable riches. Half of our attention today will be devoted to that single word, because Paul intends it to shape how we understand the present dispensation and the believer’s place within it.

Paul’s Humility: “Less than the least of all saints”

Paul’s language is not poetic exaggeration. It is the sober self‑assessment of a man who remembers his past and recognises the magnitude of the grace given to him.

He had been a persecutor (Acts 9:1), “injurious” and “a blasphemer” (1 Timothy 1:13). He calls himself “the least of the apostles” at 1 Corinthians. 15:9, and here he goes further still – “less than the least of all saints,” he says. This phrase is deliberately stacked to emphasise his unworthiness.

Yet this humility is not self‑deprecation. It is the proper posture of a steward entrusted with a revelation that did not originate in him. Paul’s low view of himself magnifies the grace that raised him up and commissioned him. His humility is the doorway into understanding the dispensation he administers.

The grace given to him

The “grace” Paul speaks of as being given to him is not merely the grace of personal forgiveness. It is the apostolic commission entrusted to him, described earlier in the chapter at verse 2 as “the dispensation of the grace of God.”

This dispensation is not a single idea but a divine administration containing:

·         a new revelation – the mystery once hidden from ages and generations;

·         a new body, with Jew and Gentile now united in one spiritual organism;

·         a new message, this being the gospel of the grace of God;

·         and a new sphere of blessing, now heavenly rather than earthly.

And we may add this further point: this grace also includes a new authority. Paul is not simply a messenger repeating truths already known; he is the divinely appointed steward of truths never before revealed. His apostleship carries a unique doctrinal authority, for he is the vessel through whom Christ makes known the mystery. This means that rejecting Paul’s message is not merely rejecting a man, but resisting the very revelation Christ committed to him for the Gentiles.

Paul’s Commission

Paul’s task, therefore, is not simply to preach Christ in general terms, but to preach Christ according to the revelation of the mystery, as he affirms in Romans at chapter 16 and verse 25. This is the grace given to him “to you‑ward,” that is, toward the Gentiles.

When Paul says that he is to preach “among the Gentiles,” he is announcing a profound dispensational shift. In former administrations the Gentiles stood outside the covenants of promise; blessing flowed through Israel; and the earthly ministry of the Messiah was directed to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. But now, in the present dispensation, Gentiles receive blessing directly from God, not mediated through Israel. They are made fellowheirs and members of the same body. And the gospel is sent to them first through the ministry of Paul, the apostle of this new administration of grace.

The Unsearchable Riches of Christ

Now we come to the centre of the verse and the heart of this exposition. Paul’s message is the unsearchable riches of Christ. The word “unsearchable” deserves very careful attention, because it defines the nature of the revelation entrusted to him.  We can make five points here.

1. “Unsearchable” means untraceable

The word unsearchable means untraceable, uninvestigable, unable to be tracked out. Paul is saying that these riches cannot be discovered by searching the Old Testament. They are not there. They are not part of prophecy. They are not part of Israel’s promises. They are not part of the kingdom program.

This is a dispensational cornerstone. Prophecy foretold:

• Israel’s kingdom blessings;

• Gentile blessing through Israel;

• Messiah’s earthly reign;

• The restoration of David’s throne.

But prophecy did not foretell:

• The Body of Christ;

• Jew and Gentile in one new man;

• Heavenly blessings “in Christ”;

• The believer’s identification with Christ’s death and resurrection;

• The indwelling Spirit sealing believers;

• The postponement of Israel’s kingdom;

• This present parenthetical age of grace.

These riches are unsearchable because they were unrevealed until Christ disclosed them to Paul. As Paul writes in the next verse, Ephesians 3:9, the mystery up until that point had been (quoting): “hid in God.”

2. Unsearchable Riches Are Heavenly Riches

Israel’s promises were earthly, a land, a kingdom, prosperity, peace. The Body of Christ’s blessings are heavenly, “in heavenly places in Christ” it says at Ephesians. 1:3. These blessings include:

• Union with Christ;

• Access to the Father;

• The indwelling Spirit;

• Eternal security;

• Heavenly citizenship;

• Spiritual adoption;

• The hope of glory.

These blessings are not found in the prophets because they belong to a different people, a different calling, and a different dispensation.

3. Unsearchable Riches Are Christ’s Riches, Not Israel’s

Paul does not preach the riches of the kingdom. He preaches the riches of Christ Himself – riches that flow from His death, resurrection, exaltation, and heavenly ministry. These riches include:

• His righteousness imputed to believers;

• His life shared with believers;

• His inheritance extended to believers;

• His position at the Father’s right hand opened to believers.

These riches are not tied to Israel’s covenants. They are tied to Christ’s heavenly glory.

4. Unsearchable Riches Are Present Possessions

Paul does not speak of future riches only. He speaks of riches believers possess now:

• “Ye are complete in Him” (Colossians 2:10);

• “We have redemption” (Ephesians 1:7);

• “We have obtained an inheritance” (Ephesians 1:11);

• “We are seated with Him” (Ephesians 2:6).

These riches are not postponed until the kingdom. They are present realities for the Body of Christ.

5. Unsearchable Riches Are the Content of Paul’s Gospel

Paul’s gospel is not merely forgiveness. It is the proclamation of Christ’s heavenly riches made available to Jew and Gentile alike. It is the gospel of grace, not the gospel of the kingdom. It is the message of identification with Christ, not anticipation of his earthly reign.

This is why Paul says his message is “unsearchable.” It cannot be found in Moses, David, Isaiah, or Daniel. It is found only in the revelation given to him.

Brethren, the word “unsearchable” in Ephesians 3:8 is one of the clearest proofs of the distinction found is scripture between prophecy and mystery. It tells us:

• The present dispensation was not revealed before Paul;

• The Body of Christ was not foretold in the Old Testament;

• The believer’s heavenly position is not part of Israel’s promises;

• The gospel of grace is not the gospel of the kingdom;

• The riches of Christ are not the riches of the covenant nation.

And Paul’s humility and stewardship should model the believer’s posture today. We are recipients of riches we did not earn, stewards of a message we did not invent, and participants in a dispensation we did not initiate. The more we grasp the unsearchable riches, the more we echo Paul’s humility: “Unto me… is this grace given.”

And let us always remember this, that these riches are not distant, theoretical, or reserved for another age. They are ours now, bestowed freely upon us, held securely for us, and meant to be lived out with gratitude and confidence by us. We are living witnesses of a heavenly calling, a heavenly citizenship, and a heavenly Christ whose riches cannot be traced in prophecy because they were never promised to an earthly nation. They were prepared for a people united to him, seated with him, and destined to share his glory.

Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.

Grace to you all.

Amen.