I love mysteries. Many have looked at the universe as a mystery and sought to solve the mystery.
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Senior, was a doctor. As such he was very interested in the use of ether. In order to know how his patients felt under its influence, he once had a dose administered to himself.
As he was going under, in a dreamy state, a profound thought came to him. He believed that he had suddenly grasped the key to all the mysteries of the universe. When he regained consciousness, however, he was unable to remember what the insight was.
Because of the great importance this thought would be to mankind, Holmes arranged to have himself given either again. This time he had a stenographer present to take down the great thought. The ether was administered, and sure enough, just before passing out the insight reappeared. He mumbled the words, the stenographer took them down, and he went to sleep confident in the knowledge that he had succeeded.
Upon awakening, he turned eagerly to the stenographer and asked her to read what he had uttered. This is what she read: "The entire universe is permeated with a strong odor of turpentine."
This passage today is a very important part of the development of the message to the Church of Ephesus, and to us. In it, we see that Paul has something on his heat that he starts to tell us.
But as he begins, he realizes that he has not finished laying the groundwork. The concept he deems necessary for us to know that he has developed in the first two chapters in not complete until verse 12. He doesn’t get to what he was originally going to say until beginning with verse 13. We will look at that next week.
Let’s look at how he continues to explain the foundation setting required to complete this letter….
Eph 3:1-4 For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles—2 assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God's grace that was given to me for you, 3 how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly. 4 When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ,
I. The Messenger. (1-4)
One of the essentials for giving directions is to know not only where you are gowing but where you are coming from. Mal (a church member) and I were trying to find the Lifeway Book Store in Lubbock and my phone had us at the wrong place.
I called Laura (my wife) and asked her how to get there, as she goes to Lubbock more than I do. Her first question was, “Well, where are you at.”
My first reaction was, “I know where I am at, but what I need to know where I am going.”
Her response was, “Well, I can’t tell you which way you need to go unless I understand where you are at.” Makes sense.
Paul begins a thought and then realizes that it is important that the readers know from where he is coming. It is important for them to know that he is not revealing a secret that he heard from a few Jewish variants or rebels. He heard this important message from Jesus Christ himself. He said he assumed that they knew this already, but he needed to make sure.
We know from Acts 9 that Paul/Saul was saved when Christ appeared to him on his way to Damascus. However, we do not see much theology or teaching being covered at that time. We see Paul in total shock from the realization that this Jesus he opposed was, in fact the Messiah. The Christians he persecuted were, in fact, God’s true people.
It was Paul’s testimony that after he was saved, Jesus met with him and taught him. He covered this a little in Galatians.
Gal 1:14-18 And I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people, so extremely zealous was I for the traditions of my fathers. 15 But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace, 16 was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with anyone; 17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went away into Arabia, and returned again to Damascus. 18 Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas and remained with him fifteen days.
This was important for Paul to be considered one of the Apostles. 1Co 9:1 “Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are not you my workmanship in the Lord?” The messenger is important because of the Mystery he is revealing.
There are a lot of so-called messengers who are claiming to reveal a lot of mysteries today. They are teaching that the Bible is written in codes, and only the deep thinkers, like themselves, can unlock the mysteries of the Word of God.
However, this was not Paul’s message. He was revealing the mystery because Jesus had revealed it. This mystery is for us, not the deep thinkers, mathematicians or seers.
However, the messenger was a deep thinker, a Jew trained in the tenets of Judaism. He was one called to be an apostle to the Gentiles, to hand over the Kingdom of God from the Jews to the rest of the world.
Let’s look next at the Mystery.
Eph 3:5-10 which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. 6 This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. 7 Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God's grace, which was given me by the working of his power. 8 To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, 9 and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things, 10 so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.
II. The Mystery
The Mystery was hidden in the Old Testament. There were clues to it, but not enough for the Old Testament prophets to understand.
Paul was clear. It “…was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit.”
One writer states that the Old Testament prophets were only able to see portions of the future, like looking at mountain tops in a mountain range. The mystery was like a great valley between mountains, unseen by those of the Old Testament.
A great illustration of this is the 70 weeks of years in Daniel. As the History of Israel is revealed from the day of that prophecy forward, it works out perfectly except the 70th week. Once the 69th week of years (seven years each) is concluded, nothing since has made sense. It is as though after 69 weeks, there is a break.
The 70th week Daniel saw was a mountain top. What was between him and that last seven years is the day of grace, the mystery, the Church. When the Church is removed at the rapture of the Church, the last week of 7 years of Daniels vision and Israel’s prophetic history will resume.
You will not find details of the Church, the age of the Gentiles, the day of grace, in the Old Testament. To the OT saints and prophets, this was a mystery.
Let’s look at the mystery and make sure we know what it is.
Eph 3:6 This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.
If you would have asked Paul before his conversion, he would have told you that there was no room in the scriptures for the Church. His testimony is, “I never saw that coming.”
Yet, it was he who God called to be the Apostle to the Gentiles, the banner bearer for the age of Grace. His writings are so important because they are not primarily to move people from Judaism to the Church. They are written to Gentiles who were from other religions and how they are supposed to operate in the Church, operate in the world, and participate in the mission of the Church.
This mystery unveils the eternal plan of God, the unsearchable riches of Christ. This mystery, the Church, the age of Grace, pulls the cover off of God’s eternal plan. The saints of heaven are looking at the Church now and saying, “Oh, I finally get it.” The angels in heaven are looking at grace and the Church and saying, “Oh, I finally get it.” All the demons who have fallen from their high estate to their low survival are looking at the Chuch, and those saved from every nation and every people, and saying, “Oh no, I get it now.”
Am I sure of that? Yes.
“Eph 3:10 “…so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.”
After the Hebrew writer finished his Hall of Faith listing in Chapter 11, he concluded that none of the Old Testament saints could see or understand the Church, although they longed for it.
Heb 11:39-40 “And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, 40 since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect.”
Yet for us, the mystery is solved. It is us, believers from all over the world, unified into one eternal Kingdom. The mystery is the Church.
Eph 3:11-13 This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, 12 in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him. 13 So I ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory.
III. The Meaning. (11-13)
First we see that this was God’s plan all along. This Mystery was what He was building up to. It was according to His Eternal Purpose. It was all found in Jesus Christ. All the mysteries of the universe are solved in Jesus Christ.
In Him, we have access to the throne room. We have our belonging in Him, our purpose, or forgiveness, our value. Because of His life, death, burial and resurrection, we have a confidence and boldness no matter what we face in life.
Listen, it is complete silliness for us to worry about anything. I know I worry, and you worry, and sometimes we worry together. But to do so is like saying, “God, I know that until now, everything has happened by your power, for your purpose, in your providence, and through your grace…..But I am worried about this thing because this is bigger than you ever handled before.”
Can you see the silliness now? Your job situation does not catch God by surprise. Your family situation is not bigger than History, and God has taken care of that. Your finances are not a greater task for God than the hopelessness of mankind, and Jesus handled that just fine.
Paul even said his situation, sitting in a jail, with nothing to do but write letters, was for the benefit of the Ephesians. “So I ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory.”
I often hear so much about how hard it is to live the Christian life. But Adam would say, “I wish I had it that hard.” Noah would say, “I wish I had the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit within my spirit.” King David would tell you, “I wish I was surrounded by the body of Christ, the Church, with all its promises.”
The meaning of this mystery revealed to us is that we have the life of Christ in us. The things that separated people such as nationality, color, language, heritage and culture have been overcome to make all of us one people. The only way that can be done is the recreating of who we are in Christ. The internal change, once we are saved, trumps every external difference.
Sometimes we forget that. We forget that the most unifying gift in eternity was meant for us, given to us, and lavished upon us. If we are not careful, we can still find that little difference, small preferences, and trivial prejudices can divide what Christ died to unify. So the meaning for us is to focus on that which unifies us.
Has it ever occurred to you that one hundred pianos all tuned to the same fork are automatically tuned to each other? They are of one accord by being tuned, not to each other, but to another standard to which each one must individually bow. So one hundred worshipers [meeting] together, each one looking away to Christ, are in heart nearer to each other than they could otherwise possibly be, were they instead to become 'unity' conscious and turn their eyes away from God to strive for closer fellowship. (A.W. Tozer, The Pursuit of God.)
