EPHESIANS 3:
PAUL’S REVELATION OF THE MYSTERY
EPHESIANS 3
PAUL’S REVELATION OF THE MYSTERY
JAN LILLEBY
Eph. 3:1-3, NASB,
“1 For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles -
2 if indeed you have heard of the stewardship of God's grace which was given to me for you;
3 that by revelation there was made known to me the mystery, as I wrote before in brief.”
What Paul refers to here, is a secret hidden from all the rest of mankind, but in due time revealed to one single person on earth: Paul, the apostle.
He also points to us Gentiles as the original sole recipients (!) ..verse 1, ..the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles.
Paul thus was the sole apostle God sent out to us Gentiles. He never sent Peter and the eleven. Read Paul’s explanation on what Peter was sent for, or rather…to whom he and the eleven was sent, as in Acts 13:31, NASB,
“…and for many days He appeared to those who came up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem, the very ones who are now His witnesses to the people.”
It is no doubt that it tells of the twelve apostles SENT OUT INTO THE LAND OF ISRAEL. The JEWISH people, not Gentiles. The entire Book of Acts proves that this was so. Peter is found to have stayed inside the land for full 21 years, only interrupted by his flight to Antioch in 44-48 CE to avoid jailing or death, or both. Acts 12:17 says that Peter fled …to another place…not saying were to. His visit there may have been for nearly two years…and he was no doubt very uncomfortable: he fell into hypocrisy regarding fellowship with Gentiles, Gal. 2:11-14. He pops up again in Acts 15, at the meeting at Jerusalem in 49 CE, which adds up to a total of 21 years proving Peter’s presence inside Israel He never went on world-wide mission. That theory is made up by the early Catholic church.
PAUL’S DECLARATION OF THE MYSTERY
AND THE NEW GRACE DISPENSATION
Eph. 3:4-9, NASB,
“4 By referring to this, when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ,
5 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;
6 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,
7 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.
8 To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ,
9 and to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God who created all things;”
This ‘now’ in verse 5 points to the very moment that Paul wrote this epistle, from his jail cell in Carcere Mamertino, Rome, 63-67 CE.
The revelation given him by God was all fresh when he wrote the letter.
Times prior to this moment, was times in which no man on earth ever knew anything of a future dispensation (Greek, oikonomia) called the Grace of God, or as quoted – stewardship of God’s grace.
Therefore we can be one hundred percent certain that this stewardship/dispensation/administration is not to be seen in the four Gospels or Acts, or in any writings during the Acts time line.
It only came to light Post Acts, through the apostle of Christ, Paul.
We cannot find that Jesus spoke to His disciples of this Grace-dispensation, and likewise, we are not seeing this throughout Acts either.
THE GRACE DISPENSATION IS TO BE
HERALDED BOTH IN THE HEAVENS AND ON EARTH
THROUGH THE CHURCH
Eph. 3:10-13, NASB,
10 so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places.
11 This was in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord,
12 in whom we have boldness and confident access through faith in Him.
13 Therefore I ask you not to lose heart at my tribulations on your behalf, for they are your glory.
In verse 9 we read that the church has the mission of ..bringing to light what is the administration (dispensation) of the MYSTERY…here on earth, meaning world-wide preaching.
But in verse 10 we are surprised to learn that this ‘heralding’ by us believers continues up there! God wants us to go preaching/heralding the Grace Gospel of Paul in these future heavenly places. Folks: we have a mighty interesting job waiting for us up there. We are to make known the Grace to the rulers and authorities (the multitude of angelic ministers) IN THE HEAVENLY PLACES. Undoubtedly these mighty angelic servants of God will ask: what are those multitudes of human beings doing up here? And God will let us do some real heavenly ministry…explaining these things to the angels, for their education. And guess who will be doing the very same amongst us? Paul – of course, the chief apostle of the Grace-dispensation. I am certain that you all will prefer to be along with Paul in ministry, don’t you? This is huge stuff, this is big time heavenly business folks!
This also must mean that these angelic ruling multitudes are not having so much knowledge right now, about our Grace-standing with God and Christ, if anything at all. They are in line for getting first-hand testimony as to how it is with our Grace salvation by faith alone, no works!
So don’t you come knocking on the doors up there, with the four Gospels or Acts. Stay with Ephesians and Colossians only, comprende?
Some will say, but how can a simple Christian like me dare face the mighty angels of God, preaching to them? I was no preacher at all here on earth!!
Relax guys, God has already thought of that: verse 12 calms us saying that we …have boldness and confident access through faith in Jesus Christ…also up there in the heavens. Which means that faith does not cease as we enter heaven – no, it stays with us for all eternity. Great, isn’t it?
Verse 13 let us know that the sufferings of Paul, being a prisoner for the sake of us Gentiles, must not pull us down in sorrow – for his suffering is OUR GLORY. This gives us a bit to chew on, doesn’t it?
TO COMPREHEND WITH ALL THE SAINTS
THE GREATNESS OF GOD AND CHRIST
Eph. 3:14-21, NASB,
“14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father,
15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name,
16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man,
17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love,
18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth,
19 and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.
20 Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us,
21 to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.”
This passage is self-explaining I believe. But still, I would like to point out verse 18, which actually declares ALL BELIEVERS IN CHRIST as SAINTS.
In the mystery-body, the ‘One New Man’, we are not seeing any sectioning among believers by class, or any kind of hierarchy. We are all on the same level in all matters of faith in Christ. We are ALL saints; we are holy people, set aside by the Lord, for the Lord, for heavenly ministry.
This is the final article in this series of three articles based upon Ephesians 1-3. I hope these are for your edification in the faith in Jesus Christ….but do go on and read also on your own, Ephesians 4-6 chapters. Wish you the best of luck…Grace to you!
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