“For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles— Surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given to me for you, that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly.

In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to people in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets. 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.

I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power. Although I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ, and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things.

His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory.“

Ephesians 3:1–13

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OCTOBER 22, 2024

The Nicene Creed (325 a.d.) identifies the church as apostolic, meaning she proclaims a message received and not created. This message is the gospel, and she’s commissioned to proclaim this good news to all ethne, “nations” or “people groups” (Matthew 28:19).

Ethne is the same Greek word translated “Gentile” throughout Ephesians 3, a term used to identify anyone who is not Jewish; in other words, outsiders to God’s covenant (and that’s most of us!).

This is Paul’s audience. He wants his readers to know that a great mystery has been revealed: through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus (3:6).

Though we have gotten used to all “people groups” being joined together under God through Christ, this was a truly unbelievable idea at the time! This one concept caused no end of tension, debate, and disunification within the church. So, Paul wants them to know that under the banner of Christ, Jews and Gentiles are truly one people, now. This is the mystery so long hidden and now revealed in Christ.

It is to this mystery that Paul became a servant and thus proclaims, spending his life’s energies and facing many dangers to spread the news that in Jesus the dividing walls have come down and that God’s purpose…

…was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. (3:10-11)

It is through the church—the Spirit-created people of God in Christ—that the Lord makes this wisdom of God’s radical inclusion known. And as the church proclaims this message, this mystery, this wisdom, she makes war against “the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places” (6:12) who would keep us apart. Still today, “rulers and authorities” use loud voices to stir up disunity. The enemy desperately desires to frustrate and destroy God’s wisdom, but has no chance.

What fear, then, should we have in proclaiming the mystery of the gospel to our communities, or living out this mystery through our reconciled lives together? We are “heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.”

If God says that in the church, we are members of the same body, then it is so.

Questions for reflection and discussion:

  • What is the mystery of the gospel, and why was it so shocking to the early church?
  • How do we still try to draw lines around who can and cannot be part of God’s people under Jesus?
  • Why can true unification between all people of all places only be done in the church?

 

Church Reading Plan: Daniel 7; Psalm 114-115