Paul declares to the Ephesians that both Jew and
Gentile being placed into one Eternal Body is God’s Mystery Revealed Part 2
Ephesians
3:3-5 How that by revelation He made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote
afore in few words, Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in
the mystery of Christ) Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of
men, as it is now revealed unto His holy Apostles and Prophets by the Spirit; KJVAs we declared in the previous study, Paul had early on in the beginning of his letter briefly talked about this mystery of the Body of Christ being the spiritual abode, residence, and home of both Jew and Gentile together (despite God the Father withholding it from His Prophets of Old) (Ephesians 1:9-10). Paul again repeats this same reference. The great stumbling block for the Jews was that YAWEH was reaching out to the Gentile people through only the Gospel of Christ and that they would not be required to follow the Mosaic Law. The idea that the Mosaic Law was to be abolished or completely done away with and made of no more significance is what caused the Jews extreme anger and hatred for the Apostle Paul who was once one of the most adamant proclaimers and defenders of it in all of Israel. Note: It was the purpose and will of God the Father to hide the complete revelation of the Gospel of Christ or the Gospel of Grace from the Jews before the foundation of the world in order that He would bring in every Gentile sinner into the sheepfold and then gather all the (remnant) true believing Jews into that same sheepfold being the Body of Jesus Christ (Romans 11:1-5) (2 Timothy 2:19).
Paul declares that “by revelation He made known unto me the mystery” (Ephesians 3:3). The English word revelation the Apostle Paul uses here is translated by the Greek word apokalupsis which means to take the cover off of something that is hidden, that is, to disclose it or reveal it to all (i.e. to make known to everyone that which was previously known only to a few people or that was meant to be kept a secret until the appropriate time it was to be made known or visible). In other words, the Apostle Paul was the Father’s, the Son’s, and the Spirit’s chosen vessel to make known this mystery or sacred secret known only to the Triune God from before the foundation of the world as Paul declared with these words he wrote to the Galatian believers, “For I want you to know, brethren, that the Gospel which was proclaimed {and} made known by me is not man’s Gospel [a human invention, according to or patterned after any human standard]. For indeed I did not receive it from man, nor was I taught it, but [it came to me] through a [direct] revelation [given] by Jesus Christ (the Messiah).” (Galatians 1:11-12). This same Greek word apokalupsis used here in Ephesians 3:3 is also used by Paul in Galatians 1:12.
The direct revelation/apokalupsis Paul received form our Lord Jesus Christ is what conditioned, characterized, and certified Paul to preach this Gospel of Grace to the Gentile world as he wrote in his greeting to the Galatian believers with these words, “Paul, an Apostle (not sent from men nor through the agency of man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead)” (Galatians 1:1). Paul knew he had been commissioned or given official approval to act as the ambassador of the Sovereign God with this critical, crucial, and credible message to the Gentile world that they too can know YAWEH through faith in Jesus Christ as recorded for us by Dr. Luke these words our Lord, Master, and Savior Jesus Christ spoke directly to Paul as Paul gave his defense before king Agrippa, “‘While so engaged as I was journeying to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests, at midday, O king, I saw on the way a light from Heaven, brighter than the sun, shining all around me and those who were journeying with me. And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew dialect, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ And I said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. But get up and stand on your feet; for this purpose I have appeared to you, to appoint you a minister and a witness not only to the things which you have seen, but also to the things in which I will appear to you; rescuing you from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you, to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.’” (Acts 26:12-18).
Paul also further testified of being revealed this Gospel to the Galatians with these words, “But when God, who had set me apart even from my Mother’s womb and called me through His Grace, was pleased to reveal His Son in me so that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with flesh and blood, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were Apostles before me; but I went away to Arabia, and returned once more to Damascus. Then three years later I went up to Jerusalem to become acquainted with Cephas, and stayed with him fifteen days.” (Galatians 1:15-18). Some commentators believe that these three (3) years Paul refers to here in Galatians 1:18 speaks of his time spent in Arabia being taught by our Lord Jesus all of the deep mysteries, revelations, and knowledge found in his epistles, but Paul never says this specifically anywhere here in Galatians or in any of his other epistles, but it is most likely that he began his declaration of the Gospel of Grace in Arabia and was taught all of the deep things written in all of his letters as his journeys continued by the Holy Spirit as our Lord Jesus declared He would do with these words to the first Apostles, “I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. But when He, the Spirit of Truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine; therefore I said that He takes of Mine and will disclose it to you.” (John 16:12-15).
Paul so desperately wants them to understand that he says, “when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)” (Ephesians 3:4). The English phrase Paul uses here “when ye read” is translated by one Greek word anaginosko being in one word the combination of a primary preposition and adverb ana having in its meaning the idea of intensity and repetition and ginosko being a prolonged form of a primary verb having in its meaning to know something absolutely or totally and definitely; without question. In other words, the Apostle Paul wants these Ephesians to know (without question or doubt) that what he preaches and what he writes (here in this letter) is direct revelation/apokalupsis from our Lord Jesus Christ and God the Father by way of the Power of the Holy Spirit. Paul then even more strongly affirms his desire by the use of the English phrase “ye may” which is translated by one Greek word dunamai which means that they be able or to be of power to “understand” and this English word is translated by the Greek word noieo meaning to exercise the mind (observe), that is, figuratively, to comprehend or heed. Paul’s only concern was that these Ephesian believers grasp the truth of the Gospel that he preached to them and all the rich treasure that was theirs and ours today in Christ which is what inspired his prayer for them before he digressed into this discourse. Note: “Every sermon reveals the preacher’s grasp of ‘the mystery of Christ.’ If he has no insight into Christ, he has no call to preach.” (Robertson’s Word Pictures).
The Apostle Peter gave credence to this desire in the heart for these Ephesian believers by the Apostle Paul when writing of Paul’s revelation, wisdom, and knowledge from our Lord Jesus with these words warning those in his epistle, “So, beloved, since you are expecting these things, be eager to be found by Him [at His coming] without spot or blemish and at peace [in serene confidence, free from fears and agitating passions and moral conflicts]. And consider that the long-suffering of our Lord [His slowness in avenging wrongs and judging the world] is salvation (that which is conducive to the soul’s safety), even as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the spiritual insight given him, Speaking of this as he does in all of his letters. There are some things in those [epistles of Paul] that are difficult to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist {and} misconstrue to their own utter destruction, just as [they distort and misinterpret] the rest of the Scriptures. Let me warn you therefore, beloved, that knowing these things beforehand, you should be on your guard, lest you be carried away by the error of lawless {and} wicked [persons and] fall from your own [present] firm condition [your own steadfastness of mind]. But grow in grace (undeserved favor, spiritual strength) and recognition {and} knowledge {and} understanding of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (the Messiah). To Him [be] glory (honor, majesty, and splendor) both now and to the day of eternity. Amen (so be it)!” (2 Peter 3:14-18).
With these words written to the Colossian believers “in Christ” Paul sums up the essence or heart and soul or the most vital part of this mystery or sacred secret, “Of this Church I was made a minister according to the stewardship from God bestowed on me for your benefit, so that I might fully carry out the preaching of the Word of God, that is, the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His saints, to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, WHICH IS CHRIST IN YOU, the hope of glory. We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ.” (Colossians 1:25-28).
Lastly, Paul declares that the complete revelation of this Gospel of Grace being freely dispensed into the Gentile world was not known in the complete fullness by which it has been revealed to him by our Lord, Master, and Savior Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit working in Paul mightily (Colossians 1:29) in any other generation of humanity and even the great Apostle Peter who walked with, worked with, and witnessed with our Lord Jesus Christ during His earthly ministry had to be re-educated by our Lord Jesus one day on a housetop while he (Peter) was praying (Acts 10:9-16), but even then Dr. Luke records in the Scripture this concerning Peter after the visions, “Now while Peter was greatly perplexed in mind as to what the vision which he had seen might be” (Acts 10:17), but Acts 10:18-20 declares that Peter obeyed the voice of the Holy Spirit and went with these men to a Gentile’s house named Cornelius, for before this instance Peter never once carried the Gospel of Christ into any Gentile city let alone into the home of a Gentile, but the Apostle Peter went and spoke to them and Dr. Luke records these words that close Chapter 10 of the Book of Acts, “While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were listening to the message. All the circumcised believers who came with Peter were amazed, because the Gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. For they were hearing them speaking with tongues and exalting God. Then Peter answered, ‘Surely no one can refuse the water for these to be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we did, can he?’ And he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to stay on for a few days.” (Acts 10:44-48).
When Peter went back to Jerusalem and reported what he saw and heard among the Gentiles this was the first response he received as recorded by Dr. Luke with these words, “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). However, after Peter fully testified to the Grace of God through His declaration of the Gospel of Christ to the Gentiles with these words, “‘And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them just as He did upon us at the beginning. ‘And I remembered the Word of the Lord, how He used to say, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ ‘Therefore if God gave to them the same Gift as He gave to us also after believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God’s way?’” (Acts 11:15-17). The response was completely understandable from the Jews in the Jerusalem Church and it was this, “When they heard this, they quieted down and glorified God, saying, ‘Well then, God has granted to the Gentiles also the repentance that leads to life.’” (Acts 11:18).
“Let us observe that the conversion of the Gentile world to the faith of Christ was an adorable mystery, and we ought to bless God for it. Who would have imagined that those who had been so long in the dark, and at so great a distance, would be enlightened with the marvelous light, and be made nigh? Let us learn hence not to despair of the worst, of the worst of persons, and the worst of nations. Nothing is too hard for Divine Grace to do: none so unworthy but God may please to confer great grace upon them. And how much are we ourselves interested in this affair; not only as we live in a time in which the mystery is revealed, but particularly as we are a part of the nations which in times past were foreigners and strangers, and lived in gross idolatry; but are now enlightened with the Everlasting Gospel, and partake of its promises! The Apostle informs them how he was employed in this office, and that with respect to the Gentiles, and to all men.” Matthew Henry
“This great truth had been hitherto concealed, or but partially understood, and Paul says that he was appointed to make it known to the world. His ‘knowledge’ on the subject, he says, could be understood by what he had said, and from that they could judge whether he was qualified to state and defend the doctrines of the Gospel. Paul evidently supposed that the knowledge which he had on that subject was of eminent value; that it was possessed by few; that it was important to understand it. Hence he dwells upon it. He speaks of the glory of that truth. He traces it back to the Counsels of God. He shows that it entered into His Eternal plans; and he evidently felt that the truth which he had communicated in the former part of this Epistle was among the most important that could come before the mind.” Albert Barnes
If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...
Sincerely in Christ,
Clifford D. Tate, Sr.
Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…
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