Known Secret Series

KNOWN SECRET (EPHESIANS 3)

My mother was called home to the Lord last Wednesday (June 5, 2024). A month before, on Tuesday, May 2, 2024, my 88-year old mother, who was paralyzed and lost her memory for one a half years from Covid, was rushed to the hospital, where she was diagnosed with pneumonia. None of the closest relatives was around, some on holiday and others live abroad, so there was widespread panic. I could not leave immediately because I had a wedding appointment and a class to teach in the next few days.

The doctor said that my mother “did not look good and was in a dangerously ill stage. Her oxygen level was down to 40%.” They did suction for her phlegm, gave her stronger antibiotics and 100% oxygen.

All thorough the week, I prayed for the fighting spirit she gave me to me from her genes to work in her. On Monday, she was in a stable condition, and two days later, I flew to be by her side and spend a whole week with her for Mother’s Day. She passed away five days after her discharge, but the Lord answered my prayer and gave me closure because I was by her side on Mother’s Day.

The two most powerful and greatest prayers of Paul are found in the book of Ephesians, in 1:15–23 and 3:14-21. Prayer heals people, relationships and wounds. When God saved us, He called us to be ministers, mediators and models of pardon, peace and prayer. We are to be His imitators, intercessors and intermediaries.

How is God’s grace manifested in the world today? How does the gospel work in daily living? How is God glorified in our race relationships?

Close the Gap

1 For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles— 2 Surely you have heard about the administration of God's grace that was given to me for you, 3 that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. 4 In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5 which 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. 6 This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.

Like kids my generation, I read books from Enid Blyton, one of the most famous author of “mystery” novels whose 700 books and about 2,000 short stories had sold over 600 million copies. What is a mystery (vv 3, 4, 9 musterion)?

“A mystery in the Bible is something God reveals to His children that men cannot discover.”

“A mystery in the Bible is something God knows but has not yet been revealed to men on earth.”

“A mystery in the Bible is something that was hidden in the past but is no longer hidden. It’s something that was once concealed, but is now revealed.”

“A ‘mystery’ in the Bible is, in some ways, the very opposite of a ‘who-done-it’ in a book or a movie. It is meant to make sure you know everything that relates to ‘the mystery’ right from the very start.”

“A mystery in the Bible is not something dark, obscure, or puzzling, but an open secret now proclaimed publicly.”

“A 'mystery' in the Bible is a term that is used to describe a truth from God that cannot be known by human effort or reasoning.”

Paul proudly called himself the apostle to the Gentiles at least twice in the Bible (Rom 11:13, 1 Tim 2:7). The focus, however, was not on his works but on God’s wisdom. He revealed the mystery of the ages: “that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.” (v 6) The term “mystery” (musterion) occurs in verse 3, 4 and 9, the most of any chapter in the Bible. One of the greatest mysteries in the world is the salvation of the Gentiles.

The three single-word adjectives for the outcome of the mystery of Christ (v 4) are that the Gentiles are “heirs together” (SUG-kleronomos), “members together of one body” (SUS-somos) and “sharers together” (SUM-metochos). “Heirs together” is a legal term, and “members together” (of one body) is a biological term, just as ‘sharers together” is a relational term. Heirs are the same family, members are the same flock, and sharers are the same fellowship. The first concerns inheritance, the next is about interrelationship, and the last is involvement.

V 6, Heirs together

(sug-kleronomos) Members together

(sus-somos ) Sharers together