THE MYSTERY OF CHRIST
Ephesians 3:3-7 NKJV
3 how that by revelation He made known to me the mystery (as I have briefly written already, 4 by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ), 5 which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets: 6 that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel, 7 of which I became a minister according to the gift of the grace of God given to me by the effective working of His power.
Paul is giving the Ephesian church insight into what he was sharing with them. He called the message of what has been done for us in Christ the mystery of Christ. The first two chapters of the Book of Ephesians are all about the mystery of Christ.
However, Paul does not claim to have come up with the knowledge of the mystery of Christ on his own. He reveals that his knowledge was a result of revelation by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the One who understands what has been done for us in Christ. To the Holy Spirit, this is not a mystery.
The word mystery is "some sacred thing hidden or secret which is naturally unknown to human reason and is only known by the revelation of God." The twelve apostles did not understand the mystery of Christ until it was revealed to them by the Holy Spirit. Very few people saw Jesus as the answer to the sin problem of mankind.
Embedded in the mystery of Christ was the fact that the Gentiles would be equal heirs of God, in the same body of Christ, and able to partake of all of God's promises. Paul recognized that he was a minister of this gospel, this good news, because of the gift of the grace of God given to him. So, in effect Paul is not making himself out to be anything other than a man who received revelation and received grace to share the wonderful, good news of the mystery of Christ.
APPLICATION
We who are not of Jewish heritage can appreciate Paul's willingness to accept what the Holy Spirit revealed to him regarding the mystery of Christ. Paul caught a great amount of persecution from the Jews who did not embrace this hidden knowledge that the Gentiles would be on equal footing with those born Jewish. But the mystery of Christ, what God has done for us in Christ Jesus, takes exclusivity away from all of us.
No longer can any one group of believers look down on anyone else because we are all recipients of grace. No longer can anyone claim special knowledge because, without the Holy Spirit's revelation, we would all be in the dark. The mystery of Christ elevates us spiritually but equalizes us naturally. Without Jesus, none of us are in good shape; none of us can boast.
PRAYER
Thank You, Heavenly Father, for the hidden work You did in Jesus and for making the mystery known to mankind.