The Mystery Revealed

Ephesians 3

Paul gave no glory to the sinful men who imprisoned him.

Eph 3:1  For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles,

The apostle took pleasure in these afflictions for the sake of Christ. We are reminded of his thorn in the flesh where Paul gave no glory to “the messenger of Satan” whom God allowed to afflict him …

2Co 12:9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 2Co 12:10  Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

Ruth Paxson notes:

“There is no smell of prison in Ephesians, for Paul is not bound in spirit. He is there as the prisoner of Rome, but this he will not admit, and claims to be the prisoner of Jesus Christ. What is the secret of such victorious other-worldliness? Paul’s spirit is with Christ in the heavenlies, though his body languishes in prison.”

“His (Paul’s) imprisonment was definitely on behalf of the Gentiles. Throughout his ministry he ran into opposition for teaching that believing Gentiles now enjoyed equal rights and privileges with believing Jews in the Christian church…….  William MacDonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary, p. 1925

Paul proclaims that he was given a special mission to the Gentiles – to proclaim the mystery of Christ.

“3:3 He has not learned the mystery from anyone else, nor had he discovered it through his own intelligence. It was made known to him by direct revelation from God. We are not told where this happened, or how; all we know is that in some miraculous way God showed Paul His plan for a church composed of converted Jews and converted Gentiles. We have already mentioned that a mystery is a sacred secret hitherto unknown, humanly unknowable, and now divinely revealed.” William MacDonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary, p. 1925

Several times in his writings, Paul mentions that he did not contrive, had no input into his message: God put it into him! It had been a mystery to Paul, but God graciously gave Paul complete understanding by revelation.

“Mystery” appears 6 times in Ephesians which is more than any other book in the Bible.

Eph_1:9  Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:

Eph_3:3  How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words,

Eph_3:4  Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)

Eph_3:9  And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:

Eph_5:32  This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.

Eph_6:19  And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel,

3 Marvels of the Mystery

Eph 3:6  That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:

• First, looking to the future hope, Gentile believers are joint heirs with Jewish believers.
• Second looking to the present, Gentiles and Jews are united in one joint body, one “church”. Ephesians 2
• Third, Looking to the past, Gentiles share equally with Jews in the promise made to Abraham that “And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.” (Genesis 22:18 cf Galatians 3:16).

Ephesians 3:1-13

GENTILES SHARE THE “UNSEARCHABLE RICHES”

Dispensation means “stewardship.” We are God’s trustees for men. To each of us is given some special phase of truth which we must pass on to others by the force of our character or by the teaching of our lips. It was given to Paul to make known the great truth that Gentiles might enter the Church of God on equal terms with Jews. During the earlier stages of human education this secret had been withheld; but with the advent of the Son of man, the doors into the Church had been thrown open to all. Paul’s insistence on this truth was the main cause of the hatred and opposition which checkered his life. Fellow-heirs, fellow-members, and fellow-partakers! This truth was not the result of logical argument, but had been communicated by direct revelation, as was so much else in Paul’s teaching. See Gal_1:11, etc.

The history of the Church-its genesis, growth, and development-is the subject of angelic study, Eph_3:10. In the story of redemption there are presented and illustrated aspects of the divine nature which are to be learned nowhere else, and therefore heavenly intelligences bend with eager interest over human history from the viewpoint of the Church of Christ.

“the unsearchable riches of Christ” – “unsearchable” simply means there’s no way to exhaust all resources in studying the divine magnificence of Christ.

Eph 3:8  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;

Eph 3:9  And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:

Eph 3:10  To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,

Eph 3:11  According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:

Eph 3:12  In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.

Eph 3:13  Wherefore I desire that ye faint not at my tribulations for you, which is your glory.

The unsearchable riches of Christ reveals that this mystery is great riches for the Gentiles. They can now come before God in a standing they could only dream of before. From the outside looking in, Christ, in His perfect sacrifice, has now brought all men, namely Gentiles/non-Jews nigh to Himself.

Eph_2:13  But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh (close) by the blood of Christ.

The great apostle to the Gentiles claims that the Gospel he preaches makes known the mystery as never before. His gospel embraces the heathen nations and offers them full unity and fellowship with God’s holy people.

ALL “BY HIMSELF” – Jesus needed no help: He alone was sufficient to propitiate, expiate, atone for the sins of mankind.

“Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had BY HIMSELF purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;” Hebrews 1:3

Of “the unsearchable riches of Christ,” in Ephesians 3:8, Blaikie captures the essence when he wrote:

“Two attractive words, riches and unsearchable, conveying the idea of the things that are most precious being infinitely abundant. Usually precious things are rare; their very rarity increases their price; but here that which is most precious is also boundless – riches of compassion and love, and merit, of sanctifying, comforting and transforming power, all without limit, and capable of satisfying every want, craving and yearning of the heart, now and evermore.”

Ephesians 3:9-10

“The eternal glory of God and Father will be made visible throughout all ages in the Church and in Christ Jesus. Amazing statement! Christ and the Church as One Body will be the vehicle of that eternal demonstration.” Williams

The essence of Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 3, captured by Newton in this poem:

“Thou art coming to a King,

Large petitions with thee bring,

For His grace and power are such,

None can ever ask too much.”

~John Newton

Eph_1:7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the RICHES of his grace;

Eph_1:18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the RICHES of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,

Eph_2:7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding RICHES of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

Eph_3:8 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;

Eph_3:16 That he would grant you, according to the RICHES of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;

Ephesians

ALL cults, heretical systems, and false prophets have a common denominator: Jesus Christ is not elevated as God, Creator of all that is, the only Savior, the Almighty, the supreme HEAD of His one church. Colossians 1-2 is paramount to our walk with Heaven’s coming KING.

Colossians