Ephesians 3:4-7

Day 22

“By referring to this, when you read you can understand my 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, 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.” Ephesians 3:4-7

Insight into the Mystery of Christ
As mentioned in the discussion on Ephesians 1:6, in the New Testament, the meaning of “mystery” is a bit different than how we commonly use the word.  We speak of a mystery as something where the facts or events are hidden, situations where we seek additional information to give clarity.  In the New Testament, the word “mystery” often means a truth that was previously hidden but has now been revealed.  In Ephesians, Paul divulges a few mysteries, things God has now revealed that in the past were hidden. Ephesians 3:4-5 “When you read you can understand my 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.”  This verse provides a good definition of this word.  A mystery is that “which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed.”  The specific mystery Paul described here is that “the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.” (Ephesians 3:6)

It is difficult for a modern Christian, living in the West, to comprehend the gravity of this statement by Paul.  The Pharisees of Jesus day prayed on the street corners for all to hear, “Thank You God that I am a Jew and not a Gentile.”  Gentiles were often referred to as dogs and viewed as completely unworthy of the things of God.  All of the Pharisees viewed the separation from Gentiles as critical to remaining ceremonially clean.  When Simon Peter went to Cornelius’ home, the shock that went through the more legalistic branch of the early church was palpable.  Now the apostles and the brethren who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. And when Peter came up to Jerusalem, those who were circumcised took issue with him, saying, “You went to uncircumcised men and ate with them.”  (Acts 11:1-3)  This began the long fight over Gentile reception into the church.  It was forbidden for an orthodox Jew of Peter’s day to even enter the home of a Gentile, let alone share a meal.  Paul came from the Pharisee school of theology.  The ideas presented in Acts 11 would surely have been regularly taught to Paul while he studied under the great theologians of his day.  God chose him to send this shocking message to the world.  Interesting that the choice of God for the Gentile mission wasn’t a Gentile, but instead a staunch Jewish Pharisee.  Only the Spirit of God could break through those strongly held traditions in the mind of the young, zealous Paul.  However, this made Paul the best choice for evangelizing the Gentiles.  The only way for him to change his thinking on these matters was divine revelation.  There is no chance that Paul, in his natural mental state, would make such a radical claim on his own.  God revealed it to Paul.  Paul now preached it to the world.  It got him arrested and imprisoned, a reality he embraced because of what was at stake.

Two thousand years have passed since Paul’s arrest in Jerusalem, and the message of Christ has penetrated into just about every culture, language, and nation.  Nearly all believers in Christ today are Gentiles, in the understanding of that term from Paul’s era.  This glorious truth continues to resound throughout the world.  God saves all sinners on the basis of faith in Christ.  God brings all sinners into His family purely on the basis of their relationship with Jesus Christ.  As believers, we are called to a life that honors Christ, but we are not called to a life of legal and ceremonial rites to be right with God.  Our standing before a holy God is Christ.  He makes all people righteous before God, something the law of Moses could never accomplish.   

Suggested Prayer:  Thank You God for the Good News of Jesus Christ.  Thank You for receiving us as fellow citizens regardless of our ethnic, linguistic, cultural, or religious heritage.  We trust in Jesus to be our law-fulfilling righteousness.  Praise You, Oh God, for Your marvelous plan.

Ephesians