The Purpose of the Mystery
EPHESIANS 3:8-13
DOES ANYONE REMEMBER WHAT “THE MYSTERY” WAS? First of all, what is a mystery?…
A BIBLICAL MYSTERY IS SOMETHING THAT HAS NOT BEEN PREVIOUSLY revealed… “The secret things of God are the mysteries that God knows about life and about the future which humanity desperately needs to know.” – Steadman… Scripturally speaking, the mystery would have remained a mystery had not it been supernaturally revealed…
“OBVIOUSLY THE MYSTERY TO WHICH PAUL REFERS HERE IS THAT OF JEW and Gentile being one in Christ, about which he wrote before in brief in chapter 1:9-12 and chapter 2:11-12. It was unknowable, incomprehensible truth hidden from all men until revealed by God.” – MacArthur…
THE MYSTERY OF CHAPTER 3 OF EPHESIANS WAS THAT in Christ Jew and Gentile believers became one in God’s sight and members of His kingdom and family. From last week’s blog here’s what Paul said in v. 6…
NAS Ephesians 3:6 to be specific, that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel,
NOW LOOK AT V. 4…
NAS Ephesians 3:4 And by referring to this, when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ,
“IT WAS PAUL’S INTENTION NOT SIMPLY TO DECLARE THE MYSTERY BUT TO explain and clarify it. When Ephesian believers and every subsequent believer including us would read his explanations, Paul’s hope was that they would come to understand his God-given insight into the mystery of Christ.” – MacArthur/TAR…
NOW LET’S LOOK AT OUR PASSAGE FOR THIS WEEK: Ephesians 3, vv. 8-13…
NAS Ephesians 3:8-13 To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ, 9 and to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God, who created all things; 10 in order that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places. 11 This was in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, 12 in whom we have boldness and confident access through faith in Him. 13 Therefore I ask you not to lose heart at my tribulations on your behalf, for they are your glory.
“THIS TEXT IS HIGHLY PERSONAL AND FOCUSED ON Paul’s first-century responsibility. At first glance some may conclude this text is not too relevant for us and consequently we should hurry on to the next passage. This is unfortunate, for while Paul’s call and the revelation to the apostles and prophets cannot be duplicated, the theologies embedded in these verses are important for our lives.” – Snodgrass…
WE ALL SHOULD APPROACH EVERY PASSAGE IN GOD’S WORD WITH a real sense of expectancy. Whatever the sermon title or subject matter, we all should expect to receive something of value to our lives. The reason I can say this is that God’s Word is a living Word; it is spiritually alive and valuable to our lives today. That is such an important fact for us to remember. People who miss Sunday sermons – to some degree at least – miss what God is say to them through their Pastor in this unique context. I know, some will argue, “but I read my Bible at home,” or “but I go to a weekly Bible study.” Let me lovingly but firmly say, it’s not the same…
SOME SCHOLARS SEE V. 7 AS BELONGING TO THIS PASSAGE AND NOT the previous passage. Verse 7 reads…
NAS Ephesians 3:7 of which I was made a minister, according to the gift of God’s grace which was given to me according to the working of His power.
VERSE 7 IS WHAT WE CALL A “TRANSITION VERSE,” in that it could be seen as either ending the passage begun in v. 1 of chapter 3 or the introduction to the following passage, our passage for this week. Studiously, prayerfully, I chose to see v. 7 as concluding the previous passage, vv. 1-7…
VERSE 7 HARMONIOUSLY BLENDS INTO V. 8, AS PAUL IS HUMBLY SPEAKING OF his personal ministry as the “Apostle to the Gentiles”…
NAS Romans 11:13 But I am speaking to you who are Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle of Gentiles, I magnify my ministry,
“PAUL IS NOT SAYING IN V. 3 THAT HE ALONE IS A STEWARD OF GOD’S SECRETS. All Christians are stewards of God’s mysteries. You are and so am I. We have received the gospel, the story that explains all of life and enables us to solve the riddle of our existence. This responsibility was committed to us by God, and He expects us to dispense this secret to those around us.” – Steadman…
NAS Ephesians 3:8 To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ,
“UNFATHOMABLE” CAN BE A HARD WORD TO SAY, BUT it is a most accurate word in describing the riches of Christ. “Christ’s fathomless spiritual wealth can never be fully comprehended.” – Hoehner…
THE GREEK WORD USED HERE IS FOUND ONLY ONE OTHER PLACE IN THE N.T.…
NAS Romans 11:33 Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!
THE GREEK WORD ἀνεξιχνίαστος (a-nex-ik-nee-as-tos) literally means “not to be tracked out,” “not capable of being traced by footprints”; inscrutable, incomprehensible. I see God and His blessings to me that way – don’t you?…
NAS Romans 11:33 … How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!
BACK TO EPHESIANS 3:8… Aren’t those especially beautiful words from a humble man? I have heard more than a few people in my life as a pastor and teacher – especially women – comment to me that they thought Paul was an arrogant man. Nothing could be further from the truth. Paul was a very humble person. Listen to what he said of himself in 1 Corinthians 15:9…
NAS 1 Corinthians 15:9 For I am the least of the apostles, who am not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
“PAUL WAS HUMBLED BY THE PRIVILEGES GOD HAD GIVEN TO HIM BECAUSE he sincerely viewed himself as the least of all the saints. In v. 8, Paul expressed himself with a sudden outburst of amazement that God would use him to proclaim the Lord Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.” – Garner/TAR…
“THEN OR NOW, THE MAN WHO IS GENUINELY CALLED BY GOD IS in constant danger of losing his effectiveness by coming to think of himself as more than a servant. When he loses his sense of servanthood, at that same time he loses his spiritual power and usefulness. When he exalts himself and begins to work in his own human power and according to his own plans, he competes with God and forfeits his spiritual power.” –MacArthur…
IN A CULTURE THAT SO HIGHLY PRIZES INDEPENDENCE, CONSIDER these words… “To lose dependence is to lose everything, because everything that is of any value in our lives as Christians, including power for service, comes only from the Lord.” – MacArthur…
WITHOUT LIFTING MYSELF UP AT ALL, I FEEL EXACTLY LIKE PAUL. I was an intellectual, artistic, worldly-minded, philosophic blasphemer raising my family arrogantly and shamefully apart from God. And now, amazingly through God’s grace, I was given the unspeakable privilege of preaching and teaching God’s Word. Every day without fail, I thank God for the miracle He has brought about in my life. Praise His holy name…
PAUL GOES ONTO SAY IN V. 9…
NAS Ephesians 3:9 and to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God, who created all things;
IN VV. 8-9, PAUL WAS GIVEN THE GRACE “TO PREACH TO THE GENTILES the unsearchable riches of Christ” and “to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery.” He considered it a great privilege and he never grew tired of exercising that deep privilege…
“PAUL WAS TO DISCLOSE PUBLICLY TO EVERYONE, NOT JUST the Ephesians (cf. Eph. 3:2) this stewardship of God’s sacred secret (vv. 3-4, 6). This secret had been hidden in God (cf. v.5), the Creator of the universe. Even before creating all things God had in mind this wonderful truth as part of His eternal plan (cf. 1:4, 11).” – Hoehner…
WE TOO ARE TO DISCLOSE PUBLICLY OUR FAITH and the reason for that faith…
THE FIRST THREE WORDS IN V. 10 GAVE ME THE TITLE FOR THIS BLOG: “in order that.” “In order that” is another way of saying “Purpose”…
NAS Ephesians 3:10 in order that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places.
“IN ORDER THAT” IS THE GREEK WORD ἵνα (hee-nah). I tell my Greek students that this little word is one of the most important, most revealing words in the N.T., for it specifically tells us the writer or speaker’s purpose in the sentence. One reason I like this little word so much is that it so clearly denotes the purpose. The sincere Bible student can’t argue with this little word, and can’t ignore it…
“THE MYSTERY” IS THAT BOTH BELIEVING JEWS AND GENTILES are in one body, the Church (Eph 3:6)…
“THE PURPOSE OF THE MYSTERY” IS “that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places”…
“IN CLASSICAL GREEK (the predominant expression of ancient Greek before biblical [or koine] Greek – TAR) the adjective ‘manifold’ (πολυποίκιλος [pa-lu-poi-ki-los], many-sided, diversified) referred to the beauty of an embroidered pattern or the variety of colors in flowers. The “manifold wisdom of God” does not refer to redemption as such but rather to the new relationship between believing Jews and Gentiles in one body. The medium by which this wisdom is communicated is the church.” – Hoehner…
“THE RECIPIENTS ARE THE ANGELIC HOSTS ‘IN THE HEAVENLY REALMS’ (cf. Eph. 1:3) [other commentators, e.g., Snodgrass, think the reference is to evil powers, not good angels – TAR]. These ‘rulers and authorities’ refer to both good and evil angels as seen in 6:12 (cf. 1:21). As the angelic hosts witness the church, they must admit that having Jews and Gentiles in one body is evidence of God’s wisdom.” – Hoehner…
“THE PURPOSE OF THE MYSTERY,” THEREFORE, IS that angelic beings might see God’s variegated wisdom… In other words, that they might see us – the church…
NAS Ephesians 3:11 This was in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord,
GOD THE FATHER CARRIED OUT THIS ETERNAL PURPOSE IN CHRIST JESUS our Lord…
THE DIVINE PURPOSE IS CONSUMMATED IN JESUS. This fact was one of the points that stood out to me most in my studies this week…
“THE DIVINE PURPOSE, TO BE CONSUMMATED IN CHRIST, WAS originally conceived in Christ. Jewish and Gentile believers who have now been reconciled in him were already chosen in Him.” – Bruce…
REMEMBER THAT PAUL DECLARED THIS BACK IN CHAPTER 2…
NAS Ephesians 2:18 for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father.
“AND WHAT IS TRUE OF THE CHURCH IS TRUE OF THE UNIVERSE. The entire universe will one day be reconciled in Christ. This fact was decreed in Christ according to God’s ‘eternal purpose.’” – Bruce/TAR…
TOTAL RECONCILIATION, OF COURSE, WILL NOT HAPPEN UNTIL a future time. But spiritually, it has already been accomplished…
“GOD CARRIED OUT HIS PURPOSE (accomplished it) IN CHRIST 2,000 YEARS AGO. The verb is past tense, not present or future. The inclusion of believing Jews and Gentiles in one body was in fact accomplished by Christ’s death.” – Hoehner/TAR…
AND THE IMPLICATIONS OF ALL THIS AFFECT US. “In the outworking of this ‘purpose of the ages’ the people of Christ – that is us – are given an essential part to play.” – Bruce/TAR…
“IN CHRIST” or variations of the term such as “in Him” are, as you’ll remember, prominent in Ephesians… Another variation of the term is found in v. 12…
NAS Ephesians 3:12 in whom we have boldness and confident access through faith in Him.
“THE TWO NOUNS, ‘BOLDNESS’ AND ‘CONFIDENT,’ ARE JOINED TOGETHER to more emphatically express one idea, a thought close to Hebrews 4:16.” – Snodgrass/TAR…
NAS Hebrews 4:16 Let us therefore draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and may find grace to help in time of need.
THROUGH FAITH IN CHRIST, CHRISTIANS HAVE THE RIGHT OF ADDRESS TO GOD the Father. “Though God’s eternal plan was accomplished in Christ nearly two millennia ago, believers can still address God and go to Him freely and confidently.” – Hoehner…
THE WORD “HAVE” IN THE GREEK TEXT IS IN THE PRESENT TENSE. This signifies continuous action; we always have this access…
CONSIDER THAT FOR A MOMENT: YOU AND I HAVE DIRECT, 24-7 ACCESS to the Creator of the universe, Almighty God! The individual believer does not need an intercessor or intermediary. You don’t need a priest or a pastor to pray for you – though that is not a bad thing in and of itself. Go to God and immediately you are there. Speak to Him and immediately He hears…
THERE CAN HARDLY BE A GREATER BLESSING!…
NAS Ephesians 3:13 Therefore I ask you not to lose heart at my tribulations on your behalf, for they are your glory.
“WITH THE WORD ‘THEREFORE,’ PAUL CONCLUDED HIS DIGRESSION BEGUN IN v. 2.” – Garner… You may not remember this, but the past three blogs we have had have been parenthetic. In next week’s blog, which will cover vv. 14-19, will actually be a continuation of v. 1. It’s a little confusing, I admit. Just think of vv. 2-13 as a parenthesis, and next week we’ll connect vv. 1…
REMEMBER THAT PAUL WROTE EPHESIANS FROM PRISON, probably in Rome…
“APPARENTLY MANY BELIEVERS GRIEVED OVER PAUL’S EXTENDED YEARS of imprisonment and over the almost continual suffering he endured because of his ministry. Paul tells them that his sufferings turned out for the honor and glory rather than the disgrace of those to whom he ministered.” – MacArthur…
“THEY” ARE THE JEWS; “YOUR” REFERS TO THE GENTILES… CONSIDER PAUL’S POIGNANT WORDS FROM PHILIPPIANS 1:12…
NAS Philippians 1:12 Now I want you to know, brethren, that my circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the gospel,
“PAUL SAW HIS IMPRISONMENT AS BEFITTING THE GENTILES AND SAW NO reason for him or his readers to be discouraged by it. We can rely on God in whatever helps others take part in God’s eternal plan.” – Garner…
AND THAT MEANS THE CHURCH – US!…
WE CAN RELY ON GOD. What a great place to end our study for this week, and what a great place to start… anything. What a blessing to know this and live our lives trusting this!…
ANOTHER GREAT MESSAGE FOR US FROM GOD’S WONDERFUL WORD…
-Professor Rohm
