Ephesians 3:1-13
Q.1. How did Paul describe himself? What is the mystery of Christ? Why is it surprising? How has it been made known? – (Eph.3:1-6)
Paul was writing from prison. However, he was kept there as a – prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles (Eph.3:10). He shared with them his insight into – … the mystery of Christ, which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit; 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 (Eph.3:4-6). This revelation made known to Paul, made clear the ‘progressive revelation’ in which more insights have been revealed over the ages. For instance, Israel failed to appreciate the Gospel given as early as Abraham, although both Jesus and the Apostles gave us Scriptures which show that God always had the Gentiles in mind (c.f. Mt.28:19-20; Mk.16:15; Lk.24:47; Rom.15:7-13; Gal.3:8). This also applies to the Messiah, the Suffering Servant Whose ministry the Apostles failed to comprehend (Lk.24:25-27, 44-46). So, the mystery of Christ is surprising, in so far that His followers failed to understand it. However, much of it had been revealed in the prophecies of the Old Testament Scriptures.
Q.2. What was Paul part in this mystery? For whom is this wisdom of God? What made Jesus Christ crucial to this plan? – (Eph.3:7-13)
As Paul explained to the Galatians, he – had been entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been to the circumcised (c.f. Gal.2:7). Consequently, Paul – … preached to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ, and to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God who created all things (Eph.3:8-9). God’s plan to save the sinners of mankind is beyond brilliant. It is God’s desire that all people in Heaven and earth should know His plan for all the people of the world. He purposed – that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church … (Eph.3:10). Moreover, it was always God’s design to make known – the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord (Eph.3:12). We have little idea about what will befall us in future. By contrast, God always had His unchanging plan written down from Genesis chapter 1 to Revelation chapter 22. The completeness of the redemptive work of Christ gave Paul confidence about his near and distant future, so he urged the Ephesians not to lose heart (Eph.3:13).Â