Ephesians 3:2

“If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God, &c.] Not the free love and favour of God in his heart towards his people; nor internal grace wrought in the heart of the apostle; but either the gift of grace, as in (<490307>Ephesians 3:7) qualifying him for the work of the ministry; and so the Ethiopic version renders it, “if ye have heard the gift of the grace of God”; or rather the doctrine of grace, the Gospel, the subject matter of which is the grace of God; it is a declaration of the free grace of God in the salvation of men; and it is the means of conveying the grace of God into their hearts. Now the apostle had a dispensation to preach this Gospel committed to him; he acted…”

“If--The Greek does not imply doubt: "Assuming (what I know to be the fact, namely) that ye have heard," &c. "If, as I presume," The indicative in the Greek shows that no doubt is implied: "Seeing that doubtless," &c. He by this phrase delicately reminds them of their having heard from himself, and probably from others subsequently, the fact. See Introduction, showing that these words do not disprove the address of this Epistle to the Ephesians. Compare Act 20:17-24. the dispensation--"The office of dispensing, as a steward, the grace of God which was (not 'is') given me to you-ward," namely, to dispense to you.”

“If ye have heard - Εἴ-γε Ei-ge “If at least, if indeed, if so be, spoken of what is taken for granted.” “Robinson;” compare 2 Corinthians 5:3; Galatians 3:4; Ephesians 4:21; Colossians 1:23, for the use of the particle. The particle here is not designed to express a doubt whether they had heard of it or not, for he takes it for granted that they had. Doddridge renders it, “since I well know you have heard,” etc. He had informed them of his being called to be the minister to the Gentiles Ephesians 3:3, but still there was a possibility that they had not received the letter containing the information, and he goes, therefore, into another statement on the subject, that they might fully…”

“The dispensation of the grace of God given me in your behalf - That is, the commission to dispense the gracious gospel; to you gentiles in particular. This they had heard from his own mouth. Ephesians 3:3”

“3:2-13 Paul interrupts his thought in 3:1 to discuss his own role in God’s plan. When Paul was first converted, he was given the special responsibility of extending God’s grace to the Gentiles (see Acts 9:15-16; 22:14-15, 21; 26:17-18; Rom 1:5; 11:13-14; 15:15-18; Gal 1:15-16; 2:7-9; Col 1:25-27; 1 Tim 2:7; 2 Tim 4:17).”

“ye: Eph 4:21; Gal 1:13; Col 1:4, Col 1:6; Ti2 1:11 the dispensation: Eph 3:8, Eph 4:7; Act 9:15, Act 13:2, Act 13:46, Act 22:21, Act 26:17, Act 26:18; Rom 1:5, Rom 11:13, Rom 12:3; Rom 15:15, Rom 15:16; Co1 4:1, Co1 9:17-22; Gal 1:15, Gal 1:16, Gal 2:8, Gal 2:9; Col 1:25-27; Ti1 1:11, Ti1 2:7; Ti2 1:11 Ephesians 3:3”