A mysterious unity

Who do you serve?

We all serve an authority. Of a parent, a school, a country, an employer.

Paul says that He is a prisoner of Christ. But this is a prisoner by choice.

But why has he chosen to be a prisoner? “On behalf of you gentiles.” Well, from a statement of fact, it was Paul’s preaching of the Gospel to the Gentiles that led to Jewish leaders in Caesarea to arrest him. He was preaching the Gospel but also that Gentiles could be included in the belief of the God of Israel.

Then Paul has a side-clause, where he discusses God’s grace that was “given to me.” And in this he discusses two points about God’s grace that was given to Him.

God’s grace was given to him so that he could reveal to the gentiles the truth of Jesus

God’s grace was given to him so that he could have the power to do the work God would assign him to do.

The Divine Revelation: The Mystery made known to him

Three times Paul discusses this “mystery” that has been revealed to him.

When you think of mystery, what comes to your mind?

-Sometimes dark, confusing, something that when you find out you are going to find something not good.

-This word for mystery here is more like a secret that has been hidden. Here what it is discussing is God’s plan for humanity. That there is something about God’s plan that God had not let everyone in on yet.

-Now, unlike a coach that might not tell people what their plays are so that they have a “tactical advantage” that isn’t the reason it has been a mystery. It’s been a mystery because we wouldn’t have understood it if it had been explained sooner. It’s more like a parent who doesn’t tell you everything at once, just what you are able to understand at the moment.

So what is this mystery?

It is the truth of Jesus and how Gentiles can now enjoy the salvation found in Jesus through the Gospel. That the promises made in the past to Israel are now given also to those who previously could not enjoy them because of the Gospel through Jesus.

“The mystery of Christ is the complete union of Jews and Gentiles with each other through the union of both with Christ.”

-It has been revealed to Paul, but also been made known to the “holy apostles and prophets by the spirit”. Like Peter, James, and others.

-As it says, this truth was “hidden for ages” it wasn’t always known. Now, this does not mean that God had not spoken about it, but God’s people weren’t always listening clearly.

The truth of Gentiles being integrated into the belief in the God of Israel was prophesied in the OT. But now it says that Gentiles are more than just able to enter it, but that they are “coheirs, members of the same body, and partners in the promise.”

-They have been included in the wonderful truth of God’s glorious inheritance to those who have been called by God.

The Divine Commission: The Ministry Entrusted to him

But Paul hasn’t just revealed this mystery, he has been called by the Father for greater work. This he would be able to do because of the “working of his power.”

-This Paul sees as a privilege, as a working of God’s grace towards him, especially because he saw himself as “the least of all the saints.”

-What does that mean? It means that Paul does not believe himself to be worthy of what God has called him to, but that isn’t a reason for doubt or self-pity, but rather it is a reason to be thankful to God that he has given Paul this opportunity.

-Paul is aware of both his unworthiness of his status because he had murdered innocent people, lied about people, and had them arrested for crimes they had not committed, and yet God has given him this opportunity.

-It would be like if you had stolen from a store, like Food Lion, and they knew you had done it. But instead of having you arrested, they offered you a job. Is that what you deserve? No, but now you have been given an opportunity, you have been entrusted with this job.

So what has God entrusted Paul with as an apostle?

To make known the riches of Christ

Paul says he was called to “preach to the Gentiles” the “riches of Christ.”

-We talked about these before, these riches include the penalty of sin being paid, the removal of deaths power from us, our eternal authority in Jesus, our restored relationship with God, the removal of hostility between Jews and Gentiles, access to the heavenly Father through Jesus and the Spirit, God’s dwelling with us, and our heavenly inheritance waiter for us. Just to name a few...

-So Paul’s job was to tell people about this truth. But in what way is it “unsearchable?” It means that we couldn’t even begin to understand all the riches given to us even if we tried.

-Did you know we have only explored 2% of all of the seas? You could spend a literal lifetime searching them and you wouldn’t even get close to exploring all of them. BUT what we have explored is a wonder that can hardly be described. Everything we learn about the ocean brings us to a greater wonder of what it has available.

-In the same way we will never understand everything about God BUT the more we learn the more wonderful the truth is as we search it.

-So Paul’s job is to give to others what he has learn, to be a theologian that leads others to want to be theologians. That if he teaches them about how great God is that they will want to learn even more about who God is.

Make known the mystery of the Gospel

We have already established that the “mystery” is the news of the Gospel that is both to Jews and Gentiles. It was a message of reconciliation for all people in this new society of God’s people called the church. That Jesus will be able to unify things that previously could not be unified. Those who were hostile to one another can now become neighbors.

Our world hears this news. Racial divide in our country, political divide, divide between countries…it all seems inevitable, like they can never get along, like they never WILL get along.

But the good news Paul is bringing is that it isn’t inevitable, that there in fact can be peace among people. That those who were once hostile can be reconciled to each other.

-We see this among believers who meet together around the world. Brothers and sisters in Jesus who can come from countries of hostility but of which only love and care are shown between them. We should see this more in our communities.

Make God’s wisdom known to spiritual powers

So what does this newfound salvation and Gospel unity do? It makes known God’s “manifold” or “multi-faceted” wisdom may be known “through the church.” That is God’s diverse wisdom, it isn’t wisdom in just one way but God’s wisdom about all things, it is known through God’s church that ranges culturally, in strengths, time periods. So the church as God’s actors, He writes the script of the world through His people as the heavenly realms looks on and sees it play out. That is, to angels, demons, satan, and God all watch this play out as God gains the victory.

Why does God use the church to reveal this?

Notice that the main way God reveals this is through His church.

It is according to God’s purpose throughout history

history is God’s story throughout time as He gains victory through Christ Jesus to save His people.

History often focuses on rulers, on celebrities, on military leaders. The Bible doesn’t care for much of that, but only those who God is using to show His glory. On the spiritual battle and how He wins time and time again.

The church now is God’s tool to reveal to the world who Jesus is so that they may join in the victory of the saints through adoption in Christ.

We live in a world of what C.S. Lewis calls “chronological snobbery” which is defined as “the uncritical acceptance of the intellectual climate of our own age and the assumption that whatever has gone out of date is on that count discredited.”

What the church shows is that God’s church has withstood the test of time, that no matter how the world around it has changed that the church hasn’t changed. That just because it is “old” doesn’t mean you can descredit it.

The church is God’s tool for encouragement

Paul discusses the suffering that he has dealt with as he has proclaimed the Gospel. But he doesn’t see this as a reason to complain or wine, but rather he knows it is for a greater purpose. Paul knows how important this is.

But it isn’t just because he knows how important it is, he also knows that God has given Him “boldness and confident access.”

This is done through God’s family that cares for one another, that shows compassion and prays for one another when they are struggling. If you feel broken, if you feel like you live in a world of pain, if you feel scared about something. If you are worried about the repercussions about what others might think if they knew what you believe as a Christian, or even concerned that they may be right and you are wrong, the church is the encouragement to tell you “God has already won and we have encouragement in Him.”