The Mystery and the Church

Introduction

Good evening students! This week, we continue in our study through the book of Ephesians. Last week, we took a look at how Jesus died for the sins of all people in order that all people can place their faith in Him. Christ died once and for all. That means He died for the Jew and the Gentile. However, only those who call upon His name will be saved from sin.

Now, we continue to look at Paul’s letter to these believers in Ephesus. Paul writes to them building upon what he wrote about last week. Remember, Paul is in prison as he writes this letter to these Ephesian believers. As he writes to them, he continually explains that greatness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

With that being said, let’s turn out attention to the Word:

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.

Pray.

Here we see that Paul is referring back to chapter 2. The dividing wall of hostility between Jews and Gentiles has been torn down by Jesus Christ. Now, both Jew and Gentile are saved through faith in Jesus. No longer is their Jew and Gentile, there is only Christian for those who are in Christ. Paul was a former Jew that was saved by the grace of God and is now known as the apostle to the Gentiles. That is why Paul writes, “For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles.” Paul is the messenger of the Gospel to the Gentiles. Likewise, this is the cause for which Paul is imprisoned. Paul writes to these Gentile believers, and he actually started with paragraph with the intentions to pray for these believers; however, his prayer for them does not come until verse 14. Paul takes a moment an kind of hopes off on this trail chasing a rabbit. Paul goes on to explain the mystery and the church. This leads us to point number 1.

The Church is the mystery and must understand the Gospel.

As Paul writes to these Ephesian believers, he reminds them of his conversion and points them to what he calls the mystery. Let’s take a look back at verses 2-6.

Ephesians 3:2–6 ESV

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.

Paul mentions that these believers should have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to Paul for the Gentiles. You see, Paul was once a Jewish religious leader who had went from town to town killing and persecuting Christians. He would find them and kill them out of religious zeal. He would kill Christian after Christian because he did not want the church to succeed and he view Christians as blasphemers. However, Jesus ends up making Himself know to Paul in Acts 9.

In Acts 9, we see that as Paul is on his way to Damascus to continue persecuting Christians he is met by Jesus. Paul was then called Saul. Jesus speaks to Saul and calls him to stop persecuting His church. Likewise, Paul is then sent to Ananias’s house where he is saved. Upon Saul’s salvation, he is called to take the Gospel to the Gentiles, non-Jews, and eventually his name is changed to Paul. Now, Paul is God’s chosen instrument to take the Gospel to the Gentiles whom Paul hated as a Jew.

This is great news, especially for us. This is how the Gospel eventually fell upon your ears. Paul was the instrument used by God to take the Gospel to the none Jews. Now, you and I have the ability to hear the Gospel and repent of sin placing our faith in Jesus and being saved.

When Paul encountered Jesus on the road to Damascus that is when the mystery was revealed to Paul according to

Ephesians 3:3 ESV

3 how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly.

This is where we first understand that the mystery is the Church and Christ is the focus of the mystery. Notice in verse 4, it is referenced to as the mystery of Christ. The mystery is Christ’s Church.

We understand that this mystery is Christ’s Church from verse 5.

Ephesians 3:5 ESV

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.

Likewise, the Church called to share the Gospel must understand the Gospel. In the Old Testament, the mystery was not made known. The mystery was hidden. The Good News in the Old Testament was only for the Jews from the Abrahamic covenant. However, the Good News, the Gospel, would eventually come to the Gentile people, to us. The Gospel is revealed in the New Testament whenever Jesus came down from heaven lived a perfect life in human flesh, died on the cross for the sins of humanity, and rose from the tomb on the third day. They did not know that message, nor did they know it was for both the Jew and the Gentile, because it had not taken place yet. Likewise, the plan of God was known in the Old Testament, the plan was still a mystery as parts were still hidden until the appearing of Jesus Christ. The mystery was made known to the apostles and now to us. Now, we can see clearly that Jesus is the Savior who came and died on the cross for the sins of humanity. We can see clearly the plan of God for the salvation of humanity. Salvation is through Jesus Christ alone by the grace of God alone through faith alone and is found in God’s Word alone. We understand that salvation is extended to all through faith in Jesus Christ. It is not just for the Jews not is it just for the Gentiles. Scripture says:

Romans 10:13 ESV

13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Therefore, all who call upon the name of Jesus will be saved from sin and the fire of hell. The mystery is the unifying Gospel of Christ that brings both Jew and Gentile into fellowship with one another. The mystery is that the Gospel brings people from all walks of life into fellowship with one another with a singleminded goal of glorifying Christ.

We now understand that the Church the mystery called to understand the Gospel of Jesus Christ that saves us from our sin. The mystery, the Church, also understands the message of Christ that is for all nations. No longer are Jew and Gentile divided. Jew and Gentile are one body through faith in Christ, the Church.

As Paul points out,

Ephesians 3:6 ESV

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.

The Gentiles are no longer separated as we saw last week.

R. Kent Hughes writes, “The open secret, which was not understood in times past, is that Jews and Gentiles are 1) “fellow heirs,” 2) “members,” and 3) “partakers”.”

Jew and Gentile were on equal footing before God. Christ is central to the mystery, the Church. It is through Him that Jew and Gentile are on equal footing. They were now unified and not divided. They make up the Church. The church is called to understand that the Gospel is for all and all who believe are saved and stand equal before God. The Church is a unified body that understands that the Gospel is for all people. The Gospel is for both the Jew and the Gentile. Likewise, upon salvation, the Christian becomes a fellow heir to the promises of God as Galatians points out.

Galatians 3:29 ESV

29 And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.

This points back to the Abrahamic covenant in which God was going to bless the Jews from the seed of Abraham. Now, each believer is a part of the body of Christ blessed with spiritual blessings to be used in the church. The believers that make up the body of Christ are fellow heirs, member of the same body, and partakers in the Gospel. Because of this, it is important that you and I understand the Gospel, and can share it with others.

Lastly, each believer is a partaker of the Gospel. What that means is each of us share the Gospel together. We are all partakers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

The task of the mystery, the Church, is to proclaim the Gospel.

After the Church understands the Gospel, the call is for the church to share the Gospel.

Let’s look back at verses 7-10

Ephesians 3:7–10 ESV

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.

Paul writes and details that it is the message of Jesus Christ that makes Jews and Gentiles one is the message that he was called to proclaim. It is interesting that the ESV uses the word minister in this verse. In the Greek, the word that is used is the work servant or deacon. Paul was made a servant of the Gospel. Just as Paul was made a servant of the Gospel, so are we.

The church is called to preserve the true Gospel; likewise, the church is called to serve the Gospel. We are people from all different backgrounds that have been saved by the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ. We are unified around the Gospel and the call now is for the church to serve Jesus. We servants of the Gospel called to share the Gospel. That is what Paul reveals here. God had granted Paul grace in saving him. God has granted us grace in saving us from sin.

Paul goes on to write that he is the least of all the saints. This was a common phrase used by Paul within Scripture. Paul was humbled by the grace of God that was extended to him. Remember that Paul was a persecutor of the church that sought to kill Christians and thwart the work of the church. However, Jesus has such grace on Paul that He revealed Himself to Paul. Grace is unmerited favor. Paul was not deserving of grace, yet God extended grace to him anyway. Grace humbles us.

Just as Paul was not worthy of grace, we are not worthy of grace either. You and I both are worthy of the fire of hell because of our sin. We do not deserve salvation because we have blatantly disobeyed God and turned to sin. But God who is rich in mercy and grace extends us grace as He sent Jesus to die on the cross for our sins. Jesus’s blood was poured our for my sin and you sin. That is grace. God gave us the gift that is Jesus Christ and then draws us to salvation in Jesus through the Holy Spirit. Grace humbles us as we reflect and remember Jesus’s sacrifice on the cross that was for us while we were enemies of God.

This grace was extended to Paul and he was called to proclaim to everyone the unsearchable riches of Christ and bring to light the mystery. Paul the former blasphemer was called to declare Christ and in declaring Christ, he declares the sovereign plan of God which is make one the Jews and Gentiles in Christ, the Church. Paul is now called to be a part in the fulfillment of God’s sovereign plan which is for the Gospel to be proclaimed to all nations that all may come to know Jesus.

This turns directly to us. We are the mystery, the Church. Our call is glorify God and seek the lost. We are commissioned by God to take the Gospel to our local community and to the nations. How good of a job are we doing? Are we taking the Gospel to work, school, the ball field, home, or everywhere we go? Or, are we hearing the Gospel each Sunday only to do nothing with it during the week? The call of the church is to 1) Guard the deposit (meaning rightly divide God’s Word and ensure a biblical view of the Gospel) and 2) share the Gospel (meaning from our mouth tell someone the good news that Jesus has paid the penalty for their sin.)

As we do this, we are being the church. Look with me at verse 10

Ephesians 3:10 ESV

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.

Paul is saying that when the Church is proclaiming the Gospel, the manifold or multifaceted or multicolored wisdom of God is made known. The manifold wisdom of God talked about here is the Church, made up of Jews and Gentiles, declaring the Gospel. No longer is their division. The Church is unified sharing the Gospel as ruler and authorities which would be heavenly beings look on. This is probably referring to both good and bad heavenly beings.

One commentator notes, “It seems to me that the angels look at grace and marvel while demonic forces look on in fear and tremble.”

The church is called to share the Gospel making the manifold witness of God known. Church, we must have a high view of Church. During these times, it seems as though the view of the church has decreased as people lay out and do not attend. However, the church is called to gather as one and called to served sharing the Gospel as one making known the wisdom of God. God is revealing His plan to heavenly powers through the church. The church is a witness to the glory of Christ. Do we do a good job of being a witness for the glory of Christ? Or, do we do a good job of holding the name church while neglecting our job to be a city on a hill?

We are normal people from all different walks of life; however, we are unified around the Gospel. May the Gospel fuel our church to make Christ known to all.

Charles Spurgeon once said, “Every Christian is either a missionary or an imposter… You either try to spread abroad the kingdom of Christ, or else you do not love him at all. It cannot be that there is a high appreciation of Jesus and a totally silent tongue about him.”

Church we are called to spread the Gospel. If you are in fear understand this

Ephesians 3:11–13 ESV

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.

We have access to God the Father through Christ to make our fears know to Him. And any suffering we do face is all for the glory of God. Just as Paul was chained to that Roman soldier, we can endure suffering in light of eternity.

Invitation

Christian: share the Gospel

Non-Christian: believe the Gospel.