Mysteriously Unified

Intro: You’ve seen the halloween costumes where someone looks like themselves, but dressed up as someone, or something else. For example, I might dress up as a ninja, but I still look like Ben, just more ninja(y), like ninja(y) Ben. Or I might shave my head to look like Martin Luther to celebrate reformation day, but I still look like PBJ, just a more reformed version of him. But then, there are those costumes that entirely conceal the identity of the person wearing the costume. I want you to visualize a costume that completely seals someone’s identity. Pause. We’re all thinking of the same costume, are we? The terrifying and lifelike T-Rex Inflatable costume. No halloween outing is complete without seeing someone wear one of these. But the thing is, you actually have no idea who the person under the costume is unless it is revealed to you. It’s a mystery.

It’s was a mystery that Jews and Gentiles together can form a new person in Christ Jesus. There is no way to know this truth of the Gospel unless it was revealed to you by a source outside yourself, that source for us today is the text of Scripture and the historic teaching of the Church. Let us stand for the reading of God’s Word.

Ephesians 3:1–13 “1 For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner of 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, 5 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 thin…”

Remember:

Audience: The church in Ephesus and the surrounding communities

Aim:

Cosmic reconciliation and unity to Christ is the aim of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. There doesn’t seem to be a specific agenda or reason for writing the letter such as addressing a specific pattern of sin.

Arrangement:

Doctrine/Theology chapters 1-3

and duty/ethics chapters 4-6. We are now

Eph 3:1 “1 For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles—”

For this reason refers back to 2:11-22 where Paul teaches that Jews and Gentiles are all one new person in Christ Jesus.

Paul begins to pray, but breaks it of for 12 verses, only to continue the prayer in 3:14. Paul in a sense pauses his prayer to address the mystery of Christ

Ephesians 3:2 “2 assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for you,”

here translated “assuming”

“In Eph 4:21 it presupposes that they had heard of Christ; 2 Cor 5:3 presupposes being clothed with immortality;1 in Gal 3:4 it assumes that their sufferings were not in vain;2 and in Col 1:23 it denotes confidence that they will continue in the faith.3 Hence, the translation “surely” seems best to convey the intended meaning” - Harold Hoehner

“In the present verse Paul is merely continuing his emphasis on grace (1:6–7; 2:5–8). This is consistent with the idea that the administration given to Paul as an apostle to the Gentiles is an outcome of God’s grace” - Harold Hoehner

“This “special” grace is the revelation of the mystery regarding the church, which is composed of believing Jews and Gentiles united into one body. Hence, rather than call it a dispensation of grace, a better designation would be the dispensation or administration of the church” - Harold Hoehner

“Before the cross Gentiles would have had to become Jews, whereas now Gentiles do not become Jews nor do Jews become Gentiles but both become one “new person,” the church. The idea of the church is not exclusively Paul’s, as will be seen in verse 5. It was already revealed to Peter and the early apostles in Acts 10–11 and later at the Jerusalem Council in Acts 15. However, Paul was the one to whom God graciously gave the ministry of dispensing this mystery and this was in connection with his specific role as an apostle to Gentiles.”- Harold Hoehner

Ephesians 3:3 “3 how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly.”

This is not something Paul dreamed up, or deduced. The only way to know this mystery that salvation is not through an ethnic or national line, but through Jesus Christ was through revelation by God Himself. That is what we have in the book of Ephesians is a special revelation from God written to partially help us to understand the previously not-understood truth that all are one in Christ.

Ephesians 3:4 “4 When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ,”

This is great. Let’s read that again. read again. That word for perceive conveys the idea of two tributaries flowing together for form a new and larger river-the same river. Specifically when the Ephesians read Ephesians 3:4, they joining with Paul’s thinking to perceive his insight into the mystery of Christ. That’s what the Holy Spirit does with Scripture! When believers read Scripture, the Holy Spirit can help us to join with the thoughts conveyed to us through Scripture, or to perceive about the topic of Scripture that which the author perceived about the topic.

Isaiah 55:11 “11 so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.”

Ephesians 3:5 “5 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.”

This was a new idea, a new concept for faithful followers of the one true God. God had not previously revealed that anyone can come to Jesus Christ as they are without pretense, or cleaning up their life first, or becoming a Jew. My friend, you can come to Jesus just as you are with all of your sin and shame and surrender to Jesus who freely forgives all that come to Him in faith.

Ephesians 3:6 “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.”

in case we missed it up until now, the mystery is revealed to us that Gentiles are fellow heirs of Christ

Ephesians 3:7 “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.”

Ephesians 3:8 “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,”

Ephesians 3:9 “9 and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things,”

Ephesians 3:10 “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.”

Ephesians 3:11 “11 This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord,”

Ephesians 3:12 “12 in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him.”

Ephesians 3:13 “13 So I ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory.”

“The afflictions (ἐν ταῖς θλίψεσιν) mentioned here do not refer to his whole ministry but rather to his imprisonment2 in Rome on behalf of them (ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν). No doubt, at this time he was waiting for the Jews to bring accusations against him before Caesar”- Harold Hoehner

It can be easy to get discouraged when a servant of Christ doesn’t seem to have it as easy as we want it. Said in the more extreme, what does God allow His children who are serving Him to go through hard times

2 Corinthians 4:17–18 “17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18 as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.”