Ephesians 3:5-6
No More Mystery
People love secrets. We humans have an insatiable appetite for the hidden. It started in the Garden. Occult means “hidden knowledge”, and Satan jump started humanity’s love affair with the occult right there with Eve in the Genesis 3. “Eve! God knows that when you eat of the tree He told you not to eat from – He knows that your eyes will be opened, and you will be like Him! You will KNOW good and evil.” And it worked. Eve was hooked on the hidden. Her appetite came alive for the mysteries Satan had turned her onto. And in the very next verse it says that she saw it was good for eating, that it was pleasing to look at, and also desirable for gaining wisdom.
But what Satan hides is not knowledge. What he covers up is what is falsely called knowledge. Knowledge of God is true knowledge. Wisdom comes not from the mysteries of Satan but from the mouth of God. What Satan keeps in the dark is enslavement and corruption. And the soul that seeks after what Satan hides will in the end lead to death. The knowledge of God leads however to life. And God is the possessor of all knowledge. From wisdom to wisdom He contains all that is to be known. And God has His secrets. Proverbs 25:2 says, “It is the glory of God to conceal a matter…”
God’s Glory in His Secrets (v5)
Paul says in verse 5 that the mystery of Christ was not made known to men in other generations. The mystery of Christ was not perceived by the prophets in the past. The mystery was hidden from them. They could not see it. Jesus said in Matthew 13:17 to the disciples, “Many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.”
Peter describes the way that prophets of old wrestled with the Scriptures trying to understand the things about Christ when he says in 1 Peter 1, “Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things.”
Men devoted themselves to a lifetime of long nights searching, studying, praying, thinking and wondering about the things that were written about the coming Christ. They were not able to see what God had planned in Christ. They were not allowed to see the mystery of Christ and the formation of something called the Church. This was kept secret until God revealed it to the Apostles and Prophets in the days of the early Church. Other men of old, while longing to see, were not allowed to see this mystery.
The mystery is what Paul called God’s secret wisdom in 1 Cor. 2:7 when he said, “No we speak of God’s secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began.” God had secret wisdom that He was not going to reveal until Christ came and the Church was formed. And He planned before time began that the Church would receive this secret wisdom. Ephesians 1:9 says, “and He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure, which He purposed in Christ”. Paul elaborates further in Colossians 1:26-27 elaborates further when he says this “mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints. To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Then Paul says in the next chapter, “My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love so that they may have the riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”
God’s glorious secrets are contained in Christ. God’s glorious secret is Christ. He is our wisdom. He is our righteousness. He is our holiness. The secrets of God are glorious treasures of wisdom and understanding that He reveals in and through His Son.
If you love secrets then pour yourself into the secret wisdom of God that has been revealed in Christ.
Jews and Gentiles Joined (v6)
The mystery is not that Gentiles would be saved. The OT clearly told that. When God spoke to Abraham in Genesis 12:3 He said, “I will bless those who bless you and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” Then there are passages in the OT where God is speaking to the Messiah, to the Christ. In these passages God is saying that the Christ is going to be the Savior not only of Israel but also of the Gentiles. Then in 49:6 God says to the Christ, “It is too small a thing for you to be my servant and restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept. I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth.” Paul quotes some OT passages in Romans 15 to show that the OT spoke of Gentiles being saved: “Rejoice, O Gentiles; Rejoice with God’s people. Praise the Lord all you Gentiles, and sing praises to Him, all you peoples. The Root of Jesse will spring up, one who will arise to rule over the nations; the Gentiles will hope in Him.”
The Jews were aware that there was salvation for Gentiles. That was not a mystery. What they were not aware of was that there would come a time where Jew and Gentile would be joined together in one community, with the same standing before God, and be given equal status as members of a group called the Church.
In Ephesians 3:6 Paul describes the unity of Jew and Gentile in 3 areas. In other words, these are 3 things that you and I today, along with all other believing Gentiles since Pentecost are with the believing Jews.
#1: Jews and Gentiles are Joint-Heirs. We are both heirs. Jews are heirs and Gentiles are heirs. You are an heir. Why are you an heir? Because you are a child of God and it is children who receive an inheritance. Paul says in Romans 8:17, “Now if we are children, then we are heirs.” He says in Galatians 4:7, “So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir.” You may ask, How did I become a son? Paul answered that in Galatians 3:26, “You are all sons of God through faith in Jesus Christ.” That is it. Without faith you are not an heir. Without faith in the Son of God you are not a son of God. It is by faith in Jesus Christ that Jew and Gentile are heirs.
And as heirs what will we inherit?
It is an eternal inheritance. First Peter 1:3-4, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil, or fade – kept in heaven for you.”
Romans 8:17 says we are “heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in His glory.”
And according to Titus 3:7 Paul says that “having been justified by His grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.”
We will inherit eternal life. We will inherit salvation. We will inherit the glory of Christ. And we will inherit God Himself.
Brothers and sisters we have an inheritance that we cannot imagine. The Scriptures say, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him.” (1 Cor. 2:9) Do you love Him? Do you? You see there will be every spiritual blessing for us to inherit but never let the blessings eclipse the fact that we will inherit the Blesser. Lay your eyes upon Him. Lay your heart upon Him. Fix yourselves on Him and only Him. Job said it best in 19:26, “I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes – I and not another. How my heart yearns within me!”
#2: Jews and Gentiles are Joint-Members of the same Body. We have spent much time in chapter 2 describing this. There is a new society that God has created in Christ. It is the Church. It is the Bride of Christ. It is the Body of Christ. Paul said in 2:15, “Christ’s purpose was to create in Himself one new man out of the two”, and then in verse 19, speaking to Gentiles, he says, “Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household.” Paul was stressing that in the Church, Jew and Gentile come to God on the same terms and have the same standing and have the same privilege. No one is a member of this society by race or nationality. It is only when you, whether Jew or Gentile, put your faith in the risen Lord Jesus Christ and are regenerated and receive the indwelling of the Holy Spirit who makes you a member of this community.
#3: Jews and Gentiles are Joint-Partakers of the Promise. What is the promise? It starts with Abraham. God promised Abraham in Genesis 12:3 that through him all peoples on the earth would be blessed. Now, if you turn over to Galatians we get some help. In chapter 3 we have several mentions of the promise. Paul says in verse 14 that the promise is the Holy Spirit, “Christ redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Holy Spirit.” This certainly is a promise for anyone who is in Christ, that they by faith receive the Holy Spirit. That is what Paul had already told the Ephesians in 1:13. But Paul says in verse 19 that the promise is also the Seed of Abraham, which is a reference to Jesus Christ: “What then was the purpose of the Law? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come.” The promise includes our inheritance, verse 29 says, “If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. To be Abraham’s seed, and therefore participate in the promise given to Abraham and his seed, you and I must have faith in Jesus Christ. Romans 4 says that Abraham is the father of all Gentiles who have faith. Because of their faith, Abraham, the man of faith, is considered their father. Now, We also learn that in Romans 4:13 that the promise includes us being made righteous and heirs of the world.
This is a big deal. This was hard to believe for Jews in the early Church. Any cursory reading through the book of Acts will show that was a big problem early on in the beginning days of the Church. Paul has addressed this historic division and hostility in the 2nd chapter of Ephesians. But God showed the Jews that He accepted the Gentiles on the basis of faith. That is the same basis that God was accepting Jews. God was accepting Jew and Gentile alike through faith in Jesus Christ and forgiving the sins of both. Furthermore, this new community of “believers”, this new community of those who were born again, this new community had been joined to Jesus Christ as His Body.
One thought to take away is this: God has created unity between us, therefore we are to create unity with one another. Let us remember that the work Christ did and does is to unite us together in Him. Therefore let our work bet to preserve and promote unity with one another. Paul starts the application section of ephesians with this exhortation in 4:3, “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit thorugh the bond of peace.” We need to do everything we possibly can to foster unity here in EFC.
Paul describes several things that are the result of the Church coming into existence. Jews and Gentiles joined together. However, one thing the Church does not do is replace the nation of Israel, or any of the promises God made to her specifically. The Church has come about and during her time on earth Jews and Gentiles are coming together as they both come to Christ. God during this time has set the nation of Israel aside (Rom. 11). Israel will be set back in the center of God’s dealings after the full number of Gentiles has come in (Rom. 11:25). We must remember that Israel is not cut off, but set aside. We must remember that God has made specific promises to Israel that are eternal. They will live in the land that God has promised to them forever. That is evident from Jeremiah3 and 33, as well as Ezekiel 36 and 37. David’s descendant will reign over them. They have been promised that in a future day they will no longer be the least of nations, but, in that day they will be the greatest of nations and all nations will be blessed through them (Rom 11; . The Church and the nation of Israel are separate and distinct. The existence of the Church does not cause the forfeiture of Israel’s promised future.
Conclusion: The Gospel
How does God do this? How does God join Jew and Gentile together? How does He join them to Christ? How does the promise in Christ, the privileged membership in His Body, and the inheritance all become applied to someone? How can it all be applied to you? Paul says in verse 6, don’t miss it. He says, “This myster is that through the Gospel….” Through the Gospel. It by believing the Gospel that you may become a participant and partaker with us in all these things. Look to Christ and put your trust in Him. He is your Savior and God has commanded that all men everywhere believe in Him for the forgiveness of sins. Obey this and believe.
No More Mystery
People love secrets. We humans have an insatiable appetite for the hidden. It started in the Garden. Occult means “hidden knowledge”, and Satan jump started humanity’s love affair with the occult right there with Eve in the Genesis 3. “Eve! God knows that when you eat of the tree He told you not to eat from – He knows that your eyes will be opened, and you will be like Him! You will KNOW good and evil.” And it worked. Eve was hooked on the hidden. Her appetite came alive for the mysteries Satan had turned her onto. And in the very next verse it says that she saw it was good for eating, that it was pleasing to look at, and also desirable for gaining wisdom.
But what Satan hides is not knowledge. What he covers up is what is falsely called knowledge. Knowledge of God is true knowledge. Wisdom comes not from the mysteries of Satan but from the mouth of God. What Satan keeps in the dark is enslavement and corruption. And the soul that seeks after what Satan hides will in the end lead to death. The knowledge of God leads however to life. And God is the possessor of all knowledge. From wisdom to wisdom He contains all that is to be known. And God has His secrets. Proverbs 25:2 says, “It is the glory of God to conceal a matter…”
God’s Glory in His Secrets (v5)
Paul says in verse 5 that the mystery of Christ was not made known to men in other generations. The mystery of Christ was not perceived by the prophets in the past. The mystery was hidden from them. They could not see it. Jesus said in Matthew 13:17 to the disciples, “Many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.”
Peter describes the way that prophets of old wrestled with the Scriptures trying to understand the things about Christ when he says in 1 Peter 1, “Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things.”
Men devoted themselves to a lifetime of long nights searching, studying, praying, thinking and wondering about the things that were written about the coming Christ. They were not able to see what God had planned in Christ. They were not allowed to see the mystery of Christ and the formation of something called the Church. This was kept secret until God revealed it to the Apostles and Prophets in the days of the early Church. Other men of old, while longing to see, were not allowed to see this mystery.
The mystery is what Paul called God’s secret wisdom in 1 Cor. 2:7 when he said, “No we speak of God’s secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began.” God had secret wisdom that He was not going to reveal until Christ came and the Church was formed. And He planned before time began that the Church would receive this secret wisdom. Ephesians 1:9 says, “and He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure, which He purposed in Christ”. Paul elaborates further in Colossians 1:26-27 elaborates further when he says this “mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints. To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Then Paul says in the next chapter, “My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love so that they may have the riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”
God’s glorious secrets are contained in Christ. God’s glorious secret is Christ. He is our wisdom. He is our righteousness. He is our holiness. The secrets of God are glorious treasures of wisdom and understanding that He reveals in and through His Son.
If you love secrets then pour yourself into the secret wisdom of God that has been revealed in Christ.
Jews and Gentiles Joined (v6)
The mystery is not that Gentiles would be saved. The OT clearly told that. When God spoke to Abraham in Genesis 12:3 He said, “I will bless those who bless you and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” Then there are passages in the OT where God is speaking to the Messiah, to the Christ. In these passages God is saying that the Christ is going to be the Savior not only of Israel but also of the Gentiles. Then in 49:6 God says to the Christ, “It is too small a thing for you to be my servant and restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept. I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth.” Paul quotes some OT passages in Romans 15 to show that the OT spoke of Gentiles being saved: “Rejoice, O Gentiles; Rejoice with God’s people. Praise the Lord all you Gentiles, and sing praises to Him, all you peoples. The Root of Jesse will spring up, one who will arise to rule over the nations; the Gentiles will hope in Him.”
The Jews were aware that there was salvation for Gentiles. That was not a mystery. What they were not aware of was that there would come a time where Jew and Gentile would be joined together in one community, with the same standing before God, and be given equal status as members of a group called the Church.
In Ephesians 3:6 Paul describes the unity of Jew and Gentile in 3 areas. In other words, these are 3 things that you and I today, along with all other believing Gentiles since Pentecost are with the believing Jews.
#1: Jews and Gentiles are Joint-Heirs. We are both heirs. Jews are heirs and Gentiles are heirs. You are an heir. Why are you an heir? Because you are a child of God and it is children who receive an inheritance. Paul says in Romans 8:17, “Now if we are children, then we are heirs.” He says in Galatians 4:7, “So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir.” You may ask, How did I become a son? Paul answered that in Galatians 3:26, “You are all sons of God through faith in Jesus Christ.” That is it. Without faith you are not an heir. Without faith in the Son of God you are not a son of God. It is by faith in Jesus Christ that Jew and Gentile are heirs.
And as heirs what will we inherit?
It is an eternal inheritance. First Peter 1:3-4, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil, or fade – kept in heaven for you.”
Romans 8:17 says we are “heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in His glory.”
And according to Titus 3:7 Paul says that “having been justified by His grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.”
We will inherit eternal life. We will inherit salvation. We will inherit the glory of Christ. And we will inherit God Himself.
Brothers and sisters we have an inheritance that we cannot imagine. The Scriptures say, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him.” (1 Cor. 2:9) Do you love Him? Do you? You see there will be every spiritual blessing for us to inherit but never let the blessings eclipse the fact that we will inherit the Blesser. Lay your eyes upon Him. Lay your heart upon Him. Fix yourselves on Him and only Him. Job said it best in 19:26, “I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes – I and not another. How my heart yearns within me!”
#2: Jews and Gentiles are Joint-Members of the same Body. We have spent much time in chapter 2 describing this. There is a new society that God has created in Christ. It is the Church. It is the Bride of Christ. It is the Body of Christ. Paul said in 2:15, “Christ’s purpose was to create in Himself one new man out of the two”, and then in verse 19, speaking to Gentiles, he says, “Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household.” Paul was stressing that in the Church, Jew and Gentile come to God on the same terms and have the same standing and have the same privilege. No one is a member of this society by race or nationality. It is only when you, whether Jew or Gentile, put your faith in the risen Lord Jesus Christ and are regenerated and receive the indwelling of the Holy Spirit who makes you a member of this community.
#3: Jews and Gentiles are Joint-Partakers of the Promise. What is the promise? It starts with Abraham. God promised Abraham in Genesis 12:3 that through him all peoples on the earth would be blessed. Now, if you turn over to Galatians we get some help. In chapter 3 we have several mentions of the promise. Paul says in verse 14 that the promise is the Holy Spirit, “Christ redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Holy Spirit.” This certainly is a promise for anyone who is in Christ, that they by faith receive the Holy Spirit. That is what Paul had already told the Ephesians in 1:13. But Paul says in verse 19 that the promise is also the Seed of Abraham, which is a reference to Jesus Christ: “What then was the purpose of the Law? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come.” The promise includes our inheritance, verse 29 says, “If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. To be Abraham’s seed, and therefore participate in the promise given to Abraham and his seed, you and I must have faith in Jesus Christ. Romans 4 says that Abraham is the father of all Gentiles who have faith. Because of their faith, Abraham, the man of faith, is considered their father. Now, We also learn that in Romans 4:13 that the promise includes us being made righteous and heirs of the world.
This is a big deal. This was hard to believe for Jews in the early Church. Any cursory reading through the book of Acts will show that was a big problem early on in the beginning days of the Church. Paul has addressed this historic division and hostility in the 2nd chapter of Ephesians. But God showed the Jews that He accepted the Gentiles on the basis of faith. That is the same basis that God was accepting Jews. God was accepting Jew and Gentile alike through faith in Jesus Christ and forgiving the sins of both. Furthermore, this new community of “believers”, this new community of those who were born again, this new community had been joined to Jesus Christ as His Body.
One thought to take away is this: God has created unity between us, therefore we are to create unity with one another. Let us remember that the work Christ did and does is to unite us together in Him. Therefore let our work bet to preserve and promote unity with one another. Paul starts the application section of ephesians with this exhortation in 4:3, “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit thorugh the bond of peace.” We need to do everything we possibly can to foster unity here in EFC.
Paul describes several things that are the result of the Church coming into existence. Jews and Gentiles joined together. However, one thing the Church does not do is replace the nation of Israel, or any of the promises God made to her specifically. The Church has come about and during her time on earth Jews and Gentiles are coming together as they both come to Christ. God during this time has set the nation of Israel aside (Rom. 11). Israel will be set back in the center of God’s dealings after the full number of Gentiles has come in (Rom. 11:25). We must remember that Israel is not cut off, but set aside. We must remember that God has made specific promises to Israel that are eternal. They will live in the land that God has promised to them forever. That is evident from Jeremiah3 and 33, as well as Ezekiel 36 and 37. David’s descendant will reign over them. They have been promised that in a future day they will no longer be the least of nations, but, in that day they will be the greatest of nations and all nations will be blessed through them (Rom 11; . The Church and the nation of Israel are separate and distinct. The existence of the Church does not cause the forfeiture of Israel’s promised future.
Conclusion: The Gospel
How does God do this? How does God join Jew and Gentile together? How does He join them to Christ? How does the promise in Christ, the privileged membership in His Body, and the inheritance all become applied to someone? How can it all be applied to you? Paul says in verse 6, don’t miss it. He says, “This myster is that through the Gospel….” Through the Gospel. It by believing the Gospel that you may become a participant and partaker with us in all these things. Look to Christ and put your trust in Him. He is your Savior and God has commanded that all men everywhere believe in Him for the forgiveness of sins. Obey this and believe.
Comments
Post a Comment