He already picks up that theme of mystery in Ephesians 1: 9 and 10 where he says that in Christ all things have been summed up. Everything that lies in a caterpillar's path is a horrible obstacle over which it must painfully crawl. The mystery he spoke of was that Gentiles are now fellow family members of the church in Jesus through the gospel (Ephesians 3:6). to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, Ephesians 3:10 The purpose of the mystery is that the church would declare it to demonic forces! I ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory," you will understand what he is trying to say in the intervening sentences. Eph 3:3 how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly. We don't know how to feed the world. Here he begins to describe in full detail the great mystery which he had devoted his life to propagating around the world. Even physicists tell us that, hidden away in every physical manifestation of the world and universe around us, is mystery. Our whole modern era was brought about by the discovery of a secret which was hidden in nature until the time when Einstein stumbled upon a few hints of it. We can learn how to handle our environment, even, on the basis of this new creation yet today. To us is committed this responsibility. But I hope you can go back, perhaps during this Christmas season, and think again of the breathless wonder of this great mystery which Paul declares to us -- how in Jesus Christ we can step out of the old, already, into the new creation. Note Ephesians 3:11, “GOD’S ETERNAL PURPOSE.” Then God’s will in His eternal purpose should no longer be a mystery, that is, a secret. MARE: PAUL'S MYSTERY IN EPHESIANS 3 79 In the canonical Old Testament the only book where the Septuagint • translate s the original by µÌÛÙÁÒÈÔÌ is in the Aramaic section of Daniel. But personally I think it is a reference to what he has written previously in this letter. It would simply be “a new creature” (2 Corinthians 5:17), “one new man” (Ephesians 2:15), a new species of mankind. There are those who tell us that the Apostle Paul learned his gospel from the other apostles, who in turn had heard it from Jesus, and that, therefore, Paul's apostleship is somewhat less than theirs. This chapter starts with the words “For this reason . An unveiling, uncovering, revealing, revelation. We have access (cf. It is not new to us -- we have been discussing and discovering aspects of it all along in this letter. We continue to make automobiles even after they have filled the highways and poisoned the air. The "mysteries" are the sacred secrets that God knows about life, which men desperately need to know. "It was made known to me by revelation." And the glory of kings is to discover that which has been hidden. What is he talking about? Think of this! But when people began to operate on its basis, even though they didn't fully understand it, they began to change the world. Any time we know there is something we ought to do, something we should do, something it would be right for us to do, but which we don't want to do -- if we then cast ourselves in helplessness upon the Lord Jesus and trust his word, we can assume the power of the Spirit to do that thing. And the book of Hebrews tells us that we do not yet see all things subject to Christ, but we do see Jesus, the One who has been made heir of all things, and in him we share that heirship, so that one day all things subject to this new law will be ours. Don't go on any longer subject to all the heartache and misery and malice and hatred and resentment and oppression which comes from the old creation. And this creation has already begun! How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery. The reference is one of those parenthetical remarks, which, to those remembering how St. Paul's Epistles were dictated, almost irresistibly suggest insertion on the reading over of the Epistle. This is the way the apostle's mind worked. Christians have the answer to the ecological crisis. "A people who sat in darkness saw a great light," (Isaiah 9:2 RSV). And, more than this, he was taught this personally by none other than the Lord Jesus himself. It states that we never can discover fully the truth about anything; there is an element of hidden information about every subject we go into. The first breakthrough was on Christmas Day, when in the darkness of the world -- sunk in apathy and misery, in superstition and blindness, and in death -- a light broke through. Here the prevailing idea of the preceding chapters is the wonder and the mystery of God's fore-ordaining love, overflowing in the riches of His grace to those who are made one with Him and with each other in Christ Jesus. His first statement is this: "I am a prisoner for Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles -- ." Every now and then we run across someone who says, usually in defense of Women's Liberation, that Paul was a crusty old bachelor whom no one can really trust, and that we must understand that he was conditioned by the culture of his time, and that therefore one must pick and choose among his writings. It has already begun. Subject to permissions policy, all rights reserved. But I pray that God will open the eyes of your understanding, that you will see how fantastic is this great mystery, and how important it is to understand it thoroughly, and to enter into it. This is the mystery, as Paul describes it to us, and as God wants us to understand it. And there is much yet to be learned, even in this realm. I refer you to Matthew 13, where you have it recorded that our Lord spoke these amazing words. We are ever confronted with mystery. The answer, as is detailed in other places in Scripture, is that the old creation which has existed since the beginning of time is gripped by an unbreakable law, which Paul calls "the law of decay" in Romans 8. Even terms we commonly use, such as love and joy and life itself, are basically mysterious to us. That we would plunder hell to populate heaven! The second thing Paul says about himself, so that they might understand what he was going through, is that he was a steward of God's grace. Website © 2021 by Ray Stedman Ministries. The Lord Jesus himself began to unfold the mystery. Ephesians 1:17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: Acts 22:17,21 And it came to pass, that, when I was come again to Jerusalem, even while I prayed in the temple, I was in a trance; …. You may live your life as a member of the new creation -- in the midst of the old, but not part of it any more -- "no longer strangers, no longer foreigners," says the apostle. In verse 1 “For this reason” are connecting words indicating that what Paul is now going to write is based He has a wonderful plan for its life. 4In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5which was not made known to men in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God's holy apostles and prophets. This is a tremendous lesson to us, who sometimes become worried and anxious about what the political powers-that-be are doing in the world today. God understands us so thoroughly that he has hidden mystery in everything in life. The Bible reveals at least three callings.” (1) The calling of Israel (2) The calling of the church before Acts 28 (3) The calling of the Church of the Mystery. It's a letter that captures so much of God's plan right across redemptive history and the fulfillment that has come in Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 3:1-6 RSV) There, in very brief form, is his statement of the mystery which lies at the heart of all life. The, the definite article. In the Old Testament there is very little reference to the resurrection of the body. 11 This fits God’s purpose for … The secret was hidden to men of past ages. Some propose one solution and some another; some are partially right, and some are almost totally wrong. And I wonder if sometime the Lord isn't going to lock me up to give me a chance to write some of the things he has laid on my heart. Here was a man who spoke with direct authority, commissioned by the Lord Jesus himself. Ephesians 3:13 is the conclusion of Paul’s parenth… If you and I had been in Rome with Paul as he wrote this letter, and could have stood in the room of the hired house where he was living, chained day and night to a Roman soldier, and watched as he dictated to his amanuensis, his secretary, watched him as he paced the floor, perhaps, with the soldier having to walk along with him, stopping now and then to make corrections, we would have understood something of Paul's concern for the recipients of this letter. Ever refer to himself all this time referring back to Eph ch 1 and Romans 8 about. Devoted his life to propagating around the world access with confidence through faith in him awaiting trial Nero... 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