49-16 The Mystery of Christ, Part 2

Ephesians  •  Sermon  •  Submitted   •  Presented   •  55:30
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Ephesians 3:5-9

Last Wk—Began study of Eph 3—Where Paul is ready to pray for the Ephesian believers. He is about to begin his prayer in vs 1 “for this reason—that is based on the truths in chapter 2,”but before he takes another opportunity to reemphasize those same truths in vv2-13. Prayer resumes in vs 14.
Review:
This passage pertains to the revelation of the Mystery of Christ—the church. Paul uses “mystery” 21x in his letters and it is found 7 other times in Gospels and Revelation. In Paul’s day mystery did not have the same meaning that our Eng language “something unknown.” The term musterion relates to something that is known but only to those whom it is revealed. In Paul’s day there were “mystery cults” where devotees of gods could participate in the celebrations and rites once they were initiated. Then they would know the cults “mysteries.” Paul is using the term in a similar way to refer to truth that is unknown before the coming of Christ but has now been revealed to those in the family of God.
5 features of the mystery laid out by Apostle Paul:

1) Its Messenger

Paul described as “prisoner” of Christ in Rome
Purpose in Paul’s bondage—salvation of Gentiles
Discusses the stewardship that he was entrusted with—to deliver the message of God’s mystery to the Gentiles—we’ll see much more of the heart of the apostle to the Gentiles in our vv today.

2) Its Meaning

Eph 3:5-6
Paul sets out to define/describe this mystery. Vs 5 contains a basic, general meaning of the mystery—vs 6 more specific meaning.
Back up to end of vs 4 for moment: mystery (Gk musterion—21x in Paul) In OT (mystery—something that needed to be revealed by God)—Dan 2—King Nebu has dream—Daniel is given opportunity to reveal the dream and its interpretation so he and 3 friends begin to pray and ultimately praise God for revealing the mystery to Dan.
In NT—basically something that is hidden or secret “the unmanifested or private counsel of God”—“The secret thoughts, plans, and dispensations of God which are hidden from the human reason, as well as from all other comprehension below the divine level”—BDAG
A “biblical” mystery is any truth or fact that must be revealed from God b/c it cannot be discovered thru human investigation or reasoning.
Deuteronomy 29:29 NASB95
“The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever, that we may observe all the words of this law.
Now, some of things God has chosen to reveal to the minds of men—but otherwise, there are many things He never reveals.

A. General Meaning

As Paul begins to define the “mystery of Christ” as it was revealed to him (vs 3)—he gives here a basic definition of this mystery:
Notice the contrast in vs 5:
Not revealed in other generations to sons of men—Hebrew phrase referring to entire human race not just Israel.
Now, Christ was obviously revealed in the OT (Messiah—scores of messianic prophecies) but what about Christ that there was absolutely no revelation or knowledge of is “the church” in the OT. And the OT passages that do relate can only be understood in light of the full revelation of NT.
Before church age—no person or prophet had but a glimpse of what Paul is now disclosing to the Gentiles. As prophets were recording divine proclamation—they often did not understand what they were writing—but we do b/c we have a fuller revelation from God—“progressive”
OT Saints had no vision of the church, the assembling together of all of God’s people from every race, tongue & tribe, the unity, It was a complete mystery in OT.
Even in teaching of Christ there was a sense of mystery—designed to conceal truth from some:
Matthew 13:11 NASB95
Jesus answered them, “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted.
Matthew 13:17 NASB95
“For truly I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.
The unbelieving still today do not understand fullness of spiritual realities (1 Cor 2:14).
Notice the contrast:
Truth is now revealed to… “revealed” in aorist tense referring to a specific act or event (point in time when this is accomplished—divine revelation given to Paul). What can be known about the church (mystery) is what is here b/c “it has now been revealed”.
The Channel of revelation—given to holy apostles…
The body of truth that makes up the NT was revealed exclusively to these two groups of people and in this order of primacy (ch 4). A&P were men used by God as the human instruments of writing Scripture—this was their function
The Spirit is the divine agent who reveals truth thru apostles and prophets. This was a result of the ministry of the “Paraclete” who was sent by Jesus as He ascended into heaven (John 14:25-26; 15:26-27)

B. Specific Meaning (vs 6)

It is difficult to fully grasp how this mystery must have been earth shaking to the Jews during the 1st c. Even though OT taught that all Gentiles would be blessed (Gen 12), they will bless God (Ps 72), Messiah would come to Gentiles (Is 11, 49, 54, 60) and save them, they will receive H.S. (Joel 2:28-29), Jews were brought up in such a way that they needed to avoid contact with Gentiles—keeping themselves from being defiled.
The idea of including Gentiles in what most Jews thought of an exclusive relationship between God and Israel must have been repulsive. But here Paul discloses a more specific definition of what this mystery details by describing the position of Gentiles in 3 startling ways. Just a footnote: in gk each of the 3 descriptions have the prefix “sun” (together or with), emphasizing accompaniment, companionship, equality, union (jointedness). English examples (symbiotic, sympathy, symphony).
NASB (fellow), NIV (together) do the best job preserving this in their translations.

1) Fellow Heirs

Paul is fond of using this word “heirs” in his letters.
Romans 4:13 NASB95
For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would be heir of the world was not through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith.
Galatians 3:29 NASB95
And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise.
God’s promise is here extended to all believers.
Titus 3:7 NASB95
so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
Speaking of a future inheritance.
Gal 4:1-7 contrasting to heir’s position as a child (not much more than a slave) to full-grown son (having all rights).
Romans 8:17 NASB95
and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.
same word in Eph. The emphasis for Paul is on everything that a person receives or will receive b/c of salvation. It is the whole sphere of God’s blessing that was enjoyed jointly by both Jews and Gentiles with no distinction b/t the 2. There was no inner/outer circle. There were no 1st, 2nd class Xns. They are fellow heirs—joint heirs (1 Pt 3:7).
Christ prophesied of this truth
Matthew 8:11 NASB95
“I say to you that many will come from east and west, and recline at the table with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven;
If you belong to Christ then you too have become a fellow heir of the promises given to Abraham.

2) Fellow Members of the Body

(Lit “Belonging jointly to the body”)
This imagery of the body really becomes a favorite for Paul. Where he previously compares the church to kingdom, family, temple—he builds on the idea from Eph 1:22-23. He returns to the image in chs 4-5. Eph 4:11-16
What a fit description of the church! There is an essential unity shared, possessed by believers in Christ and into that which we continue to grow in and strive toward.
The significance of this is that both groups are fully, equally and totally necessary for the life of the church—for it to become what God intended—all must see themselves as essential parts of the body.
In God’s eyes, all members of this body have equal prominence and essential to the function of the body of Christ.

3) Fellow Partakers of the Promise

There are many promises found in the Bible…and many covenants that were given to Israel—and that will not be shared in by the church (b/c they were made to the nation not the church which didn’t exist). For example: the promise of land was given to Israel not the church. God will fulfill those promises according to Rom 10-11. Paul is here referring to a specific promise (singular with def article) that which is in Christ thru the gospel: the promise of redemption and that all Christians—no matter the race, gender, age (physical or spiritual) all share in the same promised blessing. and the means by which the Gentiles receive their place in this new entity—thru the gospel—the good news of J.C. Paul says
Romans 1:16 NASB95
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

3) Its Ministry

How is this mystery known? By those God uses to spread the gospel by disseminating the truth around the world.
Rom 10:14-16
There are people then who did not heed the message. Just as today, there are many people who hear the gospel but fail to heed it & before it can be believed it must be heard!
Paul=minister This was Paul’s calling—”according to grace”… reiterates this truth. Sometimes grace speaks of the provision of salvation for sinners thru Christ’s sacrificial death. Grace also is the enabling power for the believer to carry out the task God has put before him.
1 Corinthians 15:10 NASB95
But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me.
Eph 4:7 Grace is God’s enabling power to minister. Paul sees this.
Gk diakonos “deacon, servant” It is a simple reference to one who serves in whatever capacity he does. “minister” is somewhat misleading—today it’s used in a technical way to refer to the pastor of a church. But that is not how Paul using it. He simply meant that he was one who ministered the gospel, that is served God in that capacity—by speaking of the mystery of Christ.
Paul recognized that he was just the servant. He had been called to faithfully carry out the responsibility of what God had entrusted to him (stewardship last wk).
Even though God had uniquely gifted him as an apostle—God bestows the trait of “minister” on all who belong to His family. We are not apostles and we are not channels of revelation from God but we’re still servants.
1 Pt 4:10-11—the word “serve, serving” is derived from the same word Paul uses to describe himself (diakonos)
We are all made ministers of the gospel. It is not a choice but the calling, work, the message, the empowering are God’s. But we all participate in it and can only do so according to the power of God—that same power in 1:19-20 raise J.C. from grave.
It is our privilege and responsibility to minister the gospel—it is our stewardship and we must be found trustworthy (1 Cor 4:2). I am bewildered by the fact that too many Xns fail to live out their calling. There are many who are content to live a nominal Xian life with little or no influence on those around them. It is crucial that each of us be servants of the gospel—that is what the world needs. And if there’s ever proof of this, look at our national leadership, listen to the conversations of those in the store, get to know your neighbor—b/c the message of the mystery of Christ is so desperately needed today.
Too many offer a watered-down gospel—Paul describes as no gospel at all—not good news (Gal 1:6-7). There are too many churches that neglect the proclamation of the important message of Christ. So they never talk about sin, judgment & hell, necessity of repentance, for fear that it will be offensive. Guess what? The cross is offensive, foolishness:
1 Corinthians 1:18 NASB95
For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
If all God’s people are called to be faithful servants of the gospel how much more so are those who are called as pastor-teachers. As such we will incur a stricter judgment (Jas 3:1). I see why Paul says “stewards must be found faithful). I must be about the proclamation of the gospel. That is what I must deliver b/c if I fail in my stewardship as a minister, then my judgment will be greater than others.
I could come here to the pulpit and tell funny stories that would invoke an emotional response—but then I would also neglect my calling to preach the gospel & the full counsel of God. We must proclaim God’s word—as your pastor, I have to set that example.
Paul says this calling (whatever capacity) is given by grace (like everything else). Have you noticed how many times Paul has exalted the grace of God thus far in Ephesians?
Even though he was the “great apostle Paul” he did not view himself as being great—look at vs 8.
The least of all saints—this is comparative (lit “more less that the very least of all the saints”). This is Paul’s way to even more exalt the grace of God which was given to him—who considered himself as completely unworthy of receiving this grace. “Who am I…to be given such privilege to speak the words of life.” That’s Paul. He has a realistic perspective of himself.
This is not the first time he describes himself as such:
1 Corinthians 15:9 NASB95
For I am the least of the apostles, and not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
Romans 7:18 NASB95
For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not.
1 Timothy 1:15 NASB95
It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all.
This is an illustration of Paul’s humility. He had a clear understanding of God’s grace & righteousness and how he fell far short of deserving that grace or of possessing righteousness.
God wants us to be humble. He hates pride (pro 6:16- abomination), opposed to proud (Jam 4:6; 1 Pt 5:5).
Micah 6:8 NASB95
He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you But to do justice, to love kindness, And to walk humbly with your God?
Humility does not limit our service (what the world thinks) but it is the key to being useful to God.
Gideon:Was told by angel of Lord that he would deliver Israel from Midianites—he said “how shall I deliver Israel? Behold, my family is the least in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my Father’s House.” (Jud 6:15)
Isaiah: Given a remarkable vision of the thrice holy God sitting on the throne and he said “Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.” (Is 6:5)
God uses those who are humble to accomplish His marvelous purpose of proclaiming unfathomable riches of Christ—riches that are so abundant, without measure, inexhaustible, unsearchable, that which cannot even be traced out b/c incomprehensible to our minds. We have riches beyond measure in J.C. the One “in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom & knowledge”(Col 2:3). That was the first part of Paul’s ministry.
The other part Paul says He was called to bring to light… (vs 9) administration=stewardship—oikonomia in vs 2. He was called to make it plain to everyone—relating to yours and my calling to likewise preach the good news.
We too have been given the call to proclaim the message that we have received—Its ministry belongs to each of us.
2 Timothy 2:2 NASB95
The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.
May this be our vision, mission & purpose—and the result? To God be the glory!
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