EPHESIANS 3:1-13

PAUL REVEALS THE MYSTERY OF THE GOSPEL

INTRODUCTION

As we went through the second chapter of Ephesians

We saw where God called out both Jews and Gentiles as being dead in their trespasses and sins.

But God being rich in mercy and grace and love reconciled Jews and Gentiles to Himself and to each other creating if you would the new man in Christ.

The Christian.

reconciled Jews and Gentiles to Himself and to each other

Christ’s death abolished the ceremonial Law but upheld the moral law.

We also saw where Christ is the cornerstone on which the new man is follow after.

As Christians, we are the “new” temple, housing the glory of God.

That brings us to our passage today.

In this passage we will see where Paul reveals the great mystery of the Gospel.

Please turn in your Bibles to:

Ephesians 3:1–13 ESV

1 For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles— 2 assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for you, 3 how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly. 4 When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5 which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. 6 This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. 7 Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God’s grace, which was given me by the working of his power. 8 To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, 9 and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things, 10 so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. 11 This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, 12 in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him. 13 So I ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory.

In this passage we again see Paul referring to himself as a prisoner.

He calls himself a prisoner of Christ Jesus.

We know he was a prisoner of the Roman Empire, but his imprisonment was because of his stand for the Gentiles.

Basically, had Paul in Acts told the crowd he was going to the Jews, chances are he would not be where it was at the time.

He said he was called to the Gentiles.

So he tells the Ephesians he is a:

“… a prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles...”

Paul is stating here that God is Sovereign and his imprisonment was known to God and was God’s plan.

We see in verses 2 & 7 Paul mentioning God’s grace was given to me.

What is he referring too?

In verse 2, he is referring to:

A CERTAIN REVELATION (vv. 2-6):

“… the mystery … made know to me by revelation ...”

and in verse 7:

A CERTAIN COMMISSION (vv. 7-13):

“Of this gospel I was made a minister…”

For Paul these two were closely related to each other.

Once he had received this revelation— he was obligated to share it with the Gentiles.

First this morning we will look at:

A CERTAIN REVELATION (vv. 2-6):

Three times in our passage today Paul mentions “mystery”

v. 3 “… how the mystery was made known...”

v. 4 “… the mystery of Christ...”

v. 9 “… the mystery hidden...”

What is Paul talking about here?

The word Mystery had different meanings for English speaking people today compared to Greek speaking people of the 1st Century.

“In English a ‘mystery’ is something dark, obscure, secret, puzzling.” John Stott

It could even be inexplicable, even incomprehensible.

In Greek, ‘mystery’ carries the idea of a secret, but an open secret.

It also referees to a truth that someone has been exposed to.

It may also refer to a secret teaching of the heathen mystery religions that are restricted to those involved.

John Stott says:

The Message of Ephesians 1. The Divine Revelation to Paul, or the Mystery Made Known to Him (Verses 1–6)

the Christian ‘mysteries’ are truths which, although beyond human discovery, have been revealed by God and so now belong openly to the whole church. More simply, mystērion is a truth hitherto hidden from human knowledge or understanding but now disclosed by the revelation of God.

What is this mystery Paul is talking about?

In verse 4 it is called “… the mystery of Christ...” also in .

that

Christ is the source and substance of this revealed truth.

Paul spells it out in verse 6:

“… that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.”

The Jews and Gentiles are not only members of the family of God, but they are “heirs together.”

The Jews and Gentiles are “members together of the same body” meaning they are on the same footing with each other.

F. F. Bruce says:

The Epistles to the Colossians, to Philemon and to the Ephesians (1) Paul’s Stewardship (3:2–7)

Even proselytes from paganism to the Jewish faith were debarred from a few minor privileges which were reserved for Israelites by birth.

No longer… The Gentiles now have no restrictions.

The Jews and Gentiles are “partakers of the promise.”

The promise made to Abraham, is now given to all who express faith in Christ.

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

It is a double union, with Christ and with each other, which was the substance of the ‘mystery’ God revealed to Paul and the the apostles and prophets by the Spirit.

This mystery has now come to the saints and is the common possession of the church.

Next we look at:

A CERTAIN COMMISSION (vv. 7-13):

Paul says this ‘mystery of Christ’ was the ‘gospel’ and of this ‘gospel’ Paul had a commission to share it.

I want to share what ‘commission’ means:

Concise Oxford English Dictionary Commission

commission

■ noun

1 an instruction or command.

▶ a formal request to design or create a building or work of art.

▶ archaic the authority to perform a task.

2 a group given official authority to control or investigate something.

3 a sum paid to an agent in a commercial transaction.

4 a warrant conferring the rank of military officer.

5 the action of committing a crime or offence.

■ verb

1 order or authorize the production of.

▶ order or authorize (someone) to do or produce something.

2 bring into working order.

3 appoint to the rank of military officer.

—PHRASES

in (or out of) commission in (or not in) use or working order.

—ORIGIN Middle English: via Old French from Latin commissio(n-), from committere (see COMMIT).

Paul felt this commission was of the highest calling of his life.

He saw it as a “… gift of God’s grace, which was given me by the working of his power.”

Paul felt this was a gift because of his past life of persecuting the church.

He mades the statement that he was the “… very least of all the saints...”

He did not feel he deserved this opportunity.

But he had a commission—a calling to do the work of Christ.

To share the “… unsearchable riches of Christ...”

Notice in verse 10, this commission is also given to the church:

“… so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.”

While this last phrase most likely means to the angels in the heavenly realm, it is also thought by some to mean leaders of governments and others in high positions.

Either way, we as the church have a commission to share this message just as Paul had a commission.

And we don’t do this alone — by our selves — or even in our own strength.

“… in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him.”

When an ambassador or some other high government official goes over seas to a foreign government, they don’t go alone.

They go in the authority of the United States.

Recently our Secretary of State went to North Korea, he went in the authority of the United States.

He carried out his commission.

Brothers and Sisters, we have a commission, are we taking the ‘mystery of Christ’ to a lost world?

Will we suffer?

We might.

But Paul says not to lose heart. His sufferings were the Gentiles glory.

Let’s pray.