How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; ( as I wrote afore in few words,
By revelation God laid open before Paul the mystery of Christ, which is the plan of salvation wrought out through the work accomplished by Christ, hidden in God from the beginning of the world and not made known in other ages as it is now revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets.
Its substance is that through the gospel the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of God's promise in Christ, sharing fully with believers in Israel, of which Paul had written before in few words that readers could understand when read.
He received this by divine revelation with marvelous insight into the riches of grace, and by the dispensation of grace given for the Gentiles was made a minister to preach among them the unsearchable riches of Christ and make all men see the fellowship of the mystery, to the intent that now by the church the manifold wisdom of God might be known according to the eternal purpose in Christ Jesus, for which preaching he became the prisoner of Jesus Christ for the Gentiles.
Through it men without hope, dead in trespasses and sins, obtain deliverance by being quickened through faith in Christ, and everyone saved is to have Christ revealed in them, by them, and through them in a worldwide work proclaiming the last message of warning and salvation while it is called today, united with one voice against the alienation and disunion by which Satan hinders it.
The Mystery Revealed
By revelation God laid open before Paul the mystery of Christ, which is the plan of salvation as wrought out through the work accomplished by Christ. That work teaches how deliverance is obtained, and the revelation laid that way plainly before him.
The content of the mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of God's promise in Christ, sharing fully with believers in Israel. What had been withheld is now made plain, that Gentiles share fully in God's promise through Christ. This mystery had been hid in God from the beginning of the world, who created all things by Jesus Christ. It was not made known in other ages as it is now revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets.
Paul had written of this mystery before in few words, giving knowledge that readers could understand when read. Through the dispensation of the grace of God given for the Gentiles, he was made a minister by the gift of grace through the effectual working of God's power. Though less than the least of all saints, he was to preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ and make all men see the fellowship of the mystery. To that end now by the church the manifold wisdom of God might be known to principalities and powers in heavenly places according to the eternal purpose in Christ Jesus, because through Christ's sacrifice a new and living way has been opened for all. He could truly call himself the prisoner of Jesus Christ for the Gentiles because his preaching to the Gentiles made him a prisoner.
The mystery teaches how men without hope, dead in trespasses and sins under sin and death, obtain deliverance. Being quickened through faith in Christ Jesus, they are given life and power to reach forth with mind, heart, and soul unto holiness and love.
How Paul Received It
By revelation the truths Paul taught were laid open before him, giving him marvelous insight into riches of grace so deep and wonderful that he could not present to others all that he himself had seen. He himself had passed over the ground of warfare with the strange power opposed to perfection and victory through the saving power of Christ. That insight rooted and grounded him so firmly in truth that no sufferings, no reproaches, and no false theories could make the revelations of none effect or make him deny them. This was because all truth and holiness is unchanging and cannot be made into fanciful errors or a lie.
Revelation did not mean he was directly informed by God of every new development in the churches. Earlier revelations had prepared him to recognize the significance of later reports about dangers and divisions threatening them. His Spirit-inspired reproof could therefore express Christ's mind even without a new revelation for that particular occasion.
The abundant revelations given during Christ's ministry on earth and further revealed to the apostles and recorded in their writings were not to save only the generation living when Christ lived. They remain just as powerful today, revealing in all ages the rich treasures of the grace of Christ and His ever-flowing love and mercy. They are to be manifest in all ages, to all worlds, and in every place where a minister is called to show those abundant treasures, to all cities great and small, to towns and villages.
The Church's Present Commission
Ephesians 3 reveals the work to be done for everyone who is saved, that Christ is to be revealed in them, by them, and through them. It speaks of the gospel work to be done in the world by magnifying the truth through its sanctifying, cleansing, and refining influence. The church is all who are united to Christ by faith and believe the truth that works through love and purifies the soul, and as members of one family they are to carry out that gospel work.
The revelation given to Paul was to open truth before the Jews to help them understand the Scriptures and the mission of Christ. It was to lead them to yield former opinions and receive the gospel in its fullness, to become sons and daughters of God and members of the royal family. It was to enable converts to see the heavenly things in Christ Jesus, so that Jews and Gentiles through repentance, conversion, and belief would be grafted into the living vine, have peace with God and a sanctified conscience, and dwell in peace and love and unity in oneness with Christ. They would thus be renewed, transformed in character and temper, become partakers of the divine nature in disposition, words, and works, and bear fruit in good works revealing God's grace, kindness, mercy, and tenderness.
The message of the chapter is entrusted and personally addressed to present believers as their commission. It lays on them the same burden Paul carried, to unite in a worldwide, earnest work to be done in a short time proclaiming the truth, the last message of warning and salvation. That united proclamation is to reach those who have never heard the reasons of faith and tell them where the world stands in its history, because the end is near and swift judgments are coming.
That work calls for lifting up the voice like a trumpet to show God's people their transgressions that hinder the work. It is to arouse them to understand their true position and to stop working at cross-purposes with God. They are to take up God's work intelligently and unitedly with one voice while it is called today, for God will not be trifled with and there will be no second probation.
These words are to be read to hearers and impressed upon their minds, and to be read most solemnly with the fourth chapter of Ephesians, because the instruction they contain means much. They expose a hard-spirited condition that comes from being strangers to the working of the Holy Spirit. They call for a great reformation in words and works and spiritual understanding, catching the inspiration of the angels in the heavenly courts and daily breathing the atmosphere of heaven.
Satan hinders this united proclamation by alienation, disunion, diversity of opinion, self-seeking, envy, evil surmising, faultfinding, seeking the highest place, and letting commercial business absorb attention and means that belong to the gospel. Putting self out of sight would have advanced the work a thousandfold. Though time is fast passing and the world grows worse, the Spirit of God still strives with souls, calling believers to put on the whole armor of God and do the undone work.
By revelation God laid open before Paul the mystery of Christ, which is the plan of salvation wrought out through the work accomplished by Christ, hidden in God from the beginning of the world and not made known in other ages as it is now revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets.
Its substance is that through the gospel the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of God's promise in Christ, sharing fully with believers in Israel, of which Paul had written before in few words that readers could understand when read.
He received this by divine revelation with marvelous insight into the riches of grace, and by the dispensation of grace given for the Gentiles was made a minister to preach among them the unsearchable riches of Christ and make all men see the fellowship of the mystery, to the intent that now by the church the manifold wisdom of God might be known according to the eternal purpose in Christ Jesus, for which preaching he became the prisoner of Jesus Christ for the Gentiles.
Through it men without hope, dead in trespasses and sins, obtain deliverance by being quickened through faith in Christ, and everyone saved is to have Christ revealed in them, by them, and through them in a worldwide work proclaiming the last message of warning and salvation while it is called today, united with one voice against the alienation and disunion by which Satan hinders it.
The Mystery Revealed
By revelation God laid open before Paul the mystery of Christ, which is the plan of salvation as wrought out through the work accomplished by Christ. That work teaches how deliverance is obtained, and the revelation laid that way plainly before him.
The content of the mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of God's promise in Christ, sharing fully with believers in Israel. What had been withheld is now made plain, that Gentiles share fully in God's promise through Christ. This mystery had been hid in God from the beginning of the world, who created all things by Jesus Christ. It was not made known in other ages as it is now revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets.
Paul had written of this mystery before in few words, giving knowledge that readers could understand when read. Through the dispensation of the grace of God given for the Gentiles, he was made a minister by the gift of grace through the effectual working of God's power. Though less than the least of all saints, he was to preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ and make all men see the fellowship of the mystery. To that end now by the church the manifold wisdom of God might be known to principalities and powers in heavenly places according to the eternal purpose in Christ Jesus, because through Christ's sacrifice a new and living way has been opened for all. He could truly call himself the prisoner of Jesus Christ for the Gentiles because his preaching to the Gentiles made him a prisoner.
The mystery teaches how men without hope, dead in trespasses and sins under sin and death, obtain deliverance. Being quickened through faith in Christ Jesus, they are given life and power to reach forth with mind, heart, and soul unto holiness and love.
How Paul Received It
By revelation the truths Paul taught were laid open before him, giving him marvelous insight into riches of grace so deep and wonderful that he could not present to others all that he himself had seen. He himself had passed over the ground of warfare with the strange power opposed to perfection and victory through the saving power of Christ. That insight rooted and grounded him so firmly in truth that no sufferings, no reproaches, and no false theories could make the revelations of none effect or make him deny them. This was because all truth and holiness is unchanging and cannot be made into fanciful errors or a lie.
Revelation did not mean he was directly informed by God of every new development in the churches. Earlier revelations had prepared him to recognize the significance of later reports about dangers and divisions threatening them. His Spirit-inspired reproof could therefore express Christ's mind even without a new revelation for that particular occasion.
The abundant revelations given during Christ's ministry on earth and further revealed to the apostles and recorded in their writings were not to save only the generation living when Christ lived. They remain just as powerful today, revealing in all ages the rich treasures of the grace of Christ and His ever-flowing love and mercy. They are to be manifest in all ages, to all worlds, and in every place where a minister is called to show those abundant treasures, to all cities great and small, to towns and villages.
The Church's Present Commission
Ephesians 3 reveals the work to be done for everyone who is saved, that Christ is to be revealed in them, by them, and through them. It speaks of the gospel work to be done in the world by magnifying the truth through its sanctifying, cleansing, and refining influence. The church is all who are united to Christ by faith and believe the truth that works through love and purifies the soul, and as members of one family they are to carry out that gospel work.
The revelation given to Paul was to open truth before the Jews to help them understand the Scriptures and the mission of Christ. It was to lead them to yield former opinions and receive the gospel in its fullness, to become sons and daughters of God and members of the royal family. It was to enable converts to see the heavenly things in Christ Jesus, so that Jews and Gentiles through repentance, conversion, and belief would be grafted into the living vine, have peace with God and a sanctified conscience, and dwell in peace and love and unity in oneness with Christ. They would thus be renewed, transformed in character and temper, become partakers of the divine nature in disposition, words, and works, and bear fruit in good works revealing God's grace, kindness, mercy, and tenderness.
The message of the chapter is entrusted and personally addressed to present believers as their commission. It lays on them the same burden Paul carried, to unite in a worldwide, earnest work to be done in a short time proclaiming the truth, the last message of warning and salvation. That united proclamation is to reach those who have never heard the reasons of faith and tell them where the world stands in its history, because the end is near and swift judgments are coming.
That work calls for lifting up the voice like a trumpet to show God's people their transgressions that hinder the work. It is to arouse them to understand their true position and to stop working at cross-purposes with God. They are to take up God's work intelligently and unitedly with one voice while it is called today, for God will not be trifled with and there will be no second probation.
These words are to be read to hearers and impressed upon their minds, and to be read most solemnly with the fourth chapter of Ephesians, because the instruction they contain means much. They expose a hard-spirited condition that comes from being strangers to the working of the Holy Spirit. They call for a great reformation in words and works and spiritual understanding, catching the inspiration of the angels in the heavenly courts and daily breathing the atmosphere of heaven.
Satan hinders this united proclamation by alienation, disunion, diversity of opinion, self-seeking, envy, evil surmising, faultfinding, seeking the highest place, and letting commercial business absorb attention and means that belong to the gospel. Putting self out of sight would have advanced the work a thousandfold. Though time is fast passing and the world grows worse, the Spirit of God still strives with souls, calling believers to put on the whole armor of God and do the undone work.