COMMENTARY ON EPHESIANS
LESSON NUMBER 30
Eph 3:3 "How that by revelation He made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, 4 Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)"
(Eph 3:3-4
MADE KNOWN BY REVELATION
INTRODUCTION
There are key words in apostolic doctrine that give us some idea of the nature of the message of the Gospel, what was involved in obtaining it, and what is associated with perceiving it. Some of those words are expressed in this third chapter - words pertaining to his message: "dispensation" (3:2), "revelation" )3:3a), "made known" (3:3b), "the mystery" (3:3c), "understand" (3:4a), "knowledge" (3:4b), and "the mystery of Christ" (3:4c). This is a message that focuses on what the Lord has done: "blessed us" (1:3), "chosen us" (1:4), "predestinated us" (1:5), "made us accepted" (1:6), "abounded toward us" (1:8), made known unto us" (1:9) His exceeding great power is "toward us" (1:19), He "loved us" (2:4), "quickened us" (2:5), He "raised us" (2:6), and "made us sit together in heavenly places" (2:6). In the ages to come, He will show "the exceeding riches in His grace in His kindness toward us" (2:7). We are, indeed, "His workmanship" (2:10). This accents the fact that the condition into which men were cast by sin cannot be resolved by them doing something - even though there are things that are to be done. Our state, or condition, however has been changed by God, not by us, or what we have done. This has proved to be a very difficult thing for men to see - even the best of men. Yet, all of this is in the message - the Gospel of Christ, the preaching of Christ, and the preaching fo Christ and Him crucified. God has so arranged things that the only way men can be effectively changed into the likeness He has determined is through a message - the message that Paul was ordained to preach to the Gentiles. Any success men have in being holy, pleasing the Lord, presenting their bodies a living sacrifice . . . etc, is directly related to their understanding of the word, the message that God has ordained as the means of saving men (1 Cor 1:21). This is why Paul is speaking so extensively concerning the message he was given to preach. It is lofty, but not too lofty. Faith, which obtains grace, can take hold of it.
HOW PAUL CAME TO KNOW TH E MYSTERY
Eph3:3 "How that by revelation He made known unto me the mystery . . ."
HOW. Paul will now elaborate on how he received "the dispensation of the grace of God" (3:2). That is, God's grace, which was dispensed to Paul, also comes to us by means of a message, and the faith that is required to take hold of that message -i.e., "by grace through faith" (2:7=8). Today, there is too much nebulous talk about the grace of God. Grace is not like a blob of kindness that is thrown upon the person suddenly, so that God does not condemn them anymore. It is true that, in Christ, we are delivered from condemnation and the wrath of God. That is a preparatory work, not a consummate one. At its core, salvation does not consist of the absence of condemnation, but of the possession of something that pleases God and changes us.
The appointed means by which we come to an understanding of this marvelous change is not our feelings, or even our outward manners. Anything that is confined to the natural part of man can be emulated, or fabricated. Satan can duplicate such things, causing people to appear to be something that they are not. For those in Christ, the message of the Gospel contains all of the ingredients required to reason soundly and conclude that Christ is in them, of a truth (2 Co 13:5). However, which message are we Gentiles to believe? Paul affirms it is the one he preached. Now he writes to explain why this is a proper conclusion.
It is tragic to acknowledge that this is not the manner in which men are commonly being taught today. However, if anyone will give heed to what Paul says, and carefully examine and believe his message. It will result in them having a satisfying and productive understanding of their position and acceptance in Christ. They will also find this will give them a powerful incentive to do and be everything God requires of them.
BY REVELATION HE MADE KNOWN UNTO ME. Other versions read, "God himself revealed," NLT "direct revelation," AMPLIFIED "God has shown me," CEV "showing it to me," ERV "I got the inside story on this from God himself," MESSAGE All other versions read "by revelation."
Lexically, the word "revelation" means, "1) a laying bear, making naked 2) a disclosure of truth, instruction 2a) concerning things before unknown 2b) used of events by which things or states or persons hitherto withdrawn from view are made visible to all 3) manifestation, appearance." THAYER This speaks of something that exists, yet cannot be seen - it is something that has been purposed, yet is not known. The "mystery" is here depicted as something hidden behind a curtain of obscurity. That curtain is so thick and formidable, that it can only be pulled back by God Himself, so that the can be clearly seen. It is not the intellectual complexity of the mystery that hides it (although some of that is involved). Rather, it is that something stands between "the mystery" and those who need to see it. Boiled down to its essence, that obscuring factor is "the flesh." Sin has rendered humanity stupid concerning the things of God, and particularly the mystery of what He is doing in the earth. God is the only One who can effectively deal with this situation - and He did so for Paul. He pulled back the curtain of ignorance and showed Paul a mystery that had been put in place before the foundation of the world.
At this point it is important to see that all of this relates to being "blessed" (1:3), "chosen" (1:4), being "holy and without blame" (1:4b), being "predestinated unto adoption" (1:5), being "accepted" (1:6), receiving "the forgiveness of sins" (1:7), obtaining an "inheritance" (1:11), and being "sealed" with the Spirit (1:14). In other words, salvation has to do with what God intends for us to have and be in Christ, and before Him. It is not simply a rescue operation!
THE MYSTERY. In Scripture a "mystery" is not merely something that cannot be comprehended. Rather, it is something that man cannot comprehend by his own ability. In our text, "the mystery" is something that has been revealed, opened, and made understandable - so much so, that it can be proclaimed. Further, the thing that causes "the mystery" to be hidden is not the Divine intention itself-i.e. something that is so deep it cannot possibly be known. God is the One who has concealed "the mystery," purposefully hiding it from those who have not been initiated into the Kingdom of His dear Son. It is as though He put blinders on "the flesh," and man is not able to remove them. Thus, Jesus said God "hid these things from the wise and the prudent" (Matt 11:25). Paul described this as a veil over the faces of those who are not accepted in the Beloved (2 Cor 3:13-16).
The fact that the thing concealed is a "mystery" is strictly controlled by God Himself. He does not intend to allow anyone to see what He is doing unless He grants them the ability to do so. This mystery cannot be comprehended accidentally. People do not stumble upon its meaning. Paul was shown this mystery because he could be trusted with it - to handle it properly (1 Tim 1:12). We can see it because Paul declared it in "words which the Holy Spirit teaches" (2 Cor 2:13). Through the Spirit, he could properly correlate the words of Moses and the Prophets with the Gospel of Christ (Acts 26:22; 28:23). In doing this, He would elaborate on this great salvation, confirming that it is what God had purposed before He created the worlds.
READING AND UNDERSTANDING
3:3b-4aa " . . .as I wrote afore in few words, Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge . . ."
Why is Paul writing in this manner to the Ephesians? Should not the Gospel have been sufficient to clarify these matters to them? And, was not their faith adequate to decipher these things effectively? Some of the complexities of salvation requires this kind of approach. God has determined that salivation will be worked out (Phil 2:12) in the crucible of conflict and warfare. It will be done in a cursed world that is dominated by the devil (2 Cor 4:4; 1 John 5:19), and filled with false prophets (1 John 4:1). Heresies, or divisions, exist in order to find out who has real faith, and who has been accepted (1 Cor 11:19). This type of environment demands that an authentic message be put before the people - a message by which all other messages will be measured. Such a message was revealed, or manifested, to Paul - a message he was commanded to preach and teach, particularly to the Gentiles (1 Tim 2:7; 2 Tim 1:11).
I WROTE BEFORE IN FEW WORDS. Other versions read, "as I have briefly written already," NKJV "as I wrote before in brief," NASB "as I wrote above in few words," GENEVA "I have just described briefly," NJB "I have already briefly explained it to you," LIVING and "I have already written a little about this." ERV
Paul does not mean that he had written them an earlier letter, for there is no evidence of such a writing. He is referring to what he had written earlier in this epistle - specifically the first two chapters. There He made known that "the mystery" included Divine provision (1:3), the election, or choosing of the people (1:4), the predetermination of God (1:5), redemption (1:7), regeneration (2:10), the administration of grace (2:7-8), the joining together the Jews and Gentiles into "one body" (2:15-20), and the preparation of the church to be a "habitation of God" (2:22). These are essential components of salvation - which means there is no salvation without them, and that they are present by Divine choice and objective.
Notice that in all of those "few words" the One who does the determining and the effective working is the Lord. The saved are recipients, and are more noted for what they have received than what they have accomplished.
To this day, this kind of salvation remains hidden to the masses. The number of "Christian" plans, techniques, courses, routines, and laws that are being set forth as a remedy for human failure are nearly beyond count. Routines have been established for building a congregation, evangelizing, training the youth, having a pleasant and productive home, marital success, knowing how to fast, knowing how to pray, knowing how to read your Bible, knowing how to order your time . . . etc. None of these marketed plans capitalize on the "few words" Paul wrote concerning the salvation of God in the first two chapters of this book - and certainly have nothing to do with what we are now reviewing. In other words\, the rank and file of professing Christians remain in a state of abysmal ignorance concerning the text to which we are now exposed.
WHEN YE READ. Paul does not envision a church that is ignorant of what was made known to him. He assumes that the epistle he has written will be read, particularly since it is so vital to spiritual understanding. Yet, today we have a professing church that has very little, if any, understanding of this epistle - even though it was written for the Gentiles, and particularly pertained to them. It explains what they have received in Christ, and how it relates to the Jews and the Law that was given to them.
It is an enormous sin for a professing Christian to be ignorant of what is declared in this epistle. Only a falling away can account for this ignorance - a condition that resulted from not being able to :endure sound doctrine" (2 Tim 4:3).
YOU MAY UNDERSTAND MY KNOWLEDGE. Other versions read, "understand my insight," NASB "perceive my understanding," NRSV "be clear about my knowledge," BBE "grasp how I understand this," CJB and "you can judge of my insight," WEYMOUTH
Paul knows there are at least two advantages every believer has. First, they have received the Spirit (1:13). Second, as he prayed, God will open the eyes of their understanding (1:15-20). It is within the awareness of these glorious realities that Paul writes, knowing that if they will not quench the Spirit, and it they draw nigh to God, He will show them the truth of what he has written to them. That is how God has ordained salvation to be brought to completion. Being a "God of truth" (Psa 31:5), He will always work within the perception of "the word of the truth of the Gospel" (Col 1:5). That is the Gospel Paul preached, and their perception of it will confirm its truth.
Salvation is also worked out in a united environment, where each member of the body is, in some way, contributing to the whole. The sphere of operation for each member is "the measure faith" they have been given (Rom 12:3), or the spiritual gift that is resident in them (1 Cor 12:7,11,18), or the measure of grace that has been distributed to them (1 Pet 4:10).
Paul knows that wherever this environment exists, the people will see the truth of what he has written. It is within that perception that salvation will be brought to its intended conclusion.
THE MYSTERY OF CHRIST
3:4b " . . . in the mystery of Christ" Other versions read, "secret of Christ," BBE "secret plan concerning the Messiah," CJB "plan regarding Christ," NLT and "truth of Christ." WEYMOUTH
The fact that "mystery" surrounded Christ is confirmed in the manner He was received. As it is written, "He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not" (John 1:10-11; Acts 13:27). Even though Moses and the Prophets had foretold the coming of the Christ, yet when He came, the people at large did not recognize Him or receive Him as the Messiah. Every devout Jew knew that a Messiah was coming, but they could not associate Jesus of Nazareth with the prophecies of the Christ. With a very few exceptions, they were looking for a military deliverer that would free them from the Roman yoke (Acts 1:6).
No one associated Jesus with a Messiah upon whom the sins of the world would be laid, who would be "cut off" without any progeny, and would be "despised" by men (Isa 53) - even though it was revealed vaguely in Isaiah's prophecy. Who was the individual who looked for a Messiah who would be "the Lord our righteousness" (Jer 23:6; 33:16), or one who would be given as a light to the Gentiles (Isa 49:6). In fact, there is no record of anyone prior to Christ's appearance who looked for a Messiah who would bruise the serpent's head (Gen 3:15). Although to those who are in Christ, these prophetic references might be clear, to others an inhibiting veil is over their face so they cannot perceive these texts. That veil substantiates their alienation.
In our time, the veil has grown even thicker, and the real Jesus has been largely hidden to the masses - the churches masses. Mind you, an apostle and teacher has been given to us Gentiles, to whom the "mystery of Christ" has been revealed, and he has communicated that revelation to men through his epistles. Ponder some of the mysterious things about Christ that have been cleared up by Paul. Here are a few of them.
These realities are actually an exposition of things introduced by Moses and the Prophets. However, they could not be seen because they had been hidden, "kept secret since the world began" (Rom 16:26). In revealing them to Paul, He provided someone who could correlate the real Jesus with Scripture. This was necessary because salvation requires this kind of cognition. We live by "every word of God" (Lk 4:4). In Christ, this does not have to do so much with instruction as it does with a proper view of the Lord Jesus Christ. Salvation hinges on this kind of knowledge - "the light of the glory of the knowledge of God in the face of Jesus Christ" (2 Cor 4:6). That is, through Christ we come into acquaintance with God, and begin to participate in what He is doing through Christ. This participation, however, cannot exist where there is a fundamental ignorance of God. Further, the knowledge of God is acquired by walking in the light with Him through Jesus Christ - and that is salvation. The salvation of God begins with the remission of sins, but it certainly does not end there. Paul is illuminating the marvelous scope of salvation.