◄ What Does Ephesians 3:3 Mean? ►

For two wonderful chapters, Paul outlines the gospel of God, where believers have been placed in union with Chris, such that Jews and Gentiles together have become one Body in Christ.

He started to explain that his imprisonment was for the sake of this gospel, which he reminded them was specially and uniquely revealed from God to the Church through Paul himself. He then began to point out the importance of this new, special administration, which he described as: "The dispensation of the grace of God," and which we often call the 'Church age'.

Paul pointed out that before this new administration of God's grace was revealed to him, it had been a mystery: a truth known only in the mind of God; a truth that had been hidden for ages and generations; a mystery that was now to be unveiled to all who believe on the death, burial, and Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.

And Paul had been made a minister of this mystery by God; a mystery which was to be given to the Church through him in a similar way that Moses had been made a minister of the Law, given to Israel many centuries earlier.

Paul was God's specially chosen vessel through whom this mystery would be revealed. He was chosen to be a minister or a servant of this mystery: "Which is Christ in you the hope of glory." This new revelation from God had been unknown in ages past and was unique to believers in this dispensation of the grace of God. And Paul breaks into his own dialogue, in order to give a clearer understanding of what this new revelation means for all who believe in Christ for salvation while emphasising that this mystery was given to him by divine revelation.

The word mystery in our time has taken on a completely new, esoteric, mystical, or mysterious meaning, but in the Bible a mystery simply means a hidden truth that man could never have discovered on his own, unless God Himself had revealed it. And Paul was now explaining, that this mystery was given to him by revelation from God Himself; a hidden truth that was now to be made known to the Church through Paul and Christ's other apostles. And although Paul had touched on areas connected with the mystery earlier in his epistle, he now takes about 12 whole verses to explain in detail its incredible significance to all, who by grace through faith have been placed in union with Christ Jesus our Lord.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your goodness and grace and for the wonderful truths that were revealed through Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles. Thank You that I have been placed in eternal union with Christ and have been imputed with His righteousness. By faith, I have become a new creation in Christ so that His resurrected life has become my new, born-again life in Christ. May I live to Your praise and glory. In Jesus' name I pray, AMEN.