1 John 3:16


"By this we perceive the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren."

Thursday 22 April 2010

Paul’s Mystery

Paul speaks about this greater inclusion of Gentiles in Ephesians. In Ephesians Paul is describing his call and ministry:

How that by revelation He made known to me the mystery; as I wrote before in a few words, whereby, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ, which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it is now revealed to His holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;

That the Gentiles should be fellow heirs and of the same body and partakers of His promise in Christ by the gospel…To me, who am less than the least of the saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ. (Eph 3:3-8).

Paul explained the mystery: that the Gentiles are included in the same body of Christ through the gospel and that we are the seed of Abraham through Christ. In Ephesians 2 Paul explained that we, the Gentiles, who were once afar off have been made nigh by the blood of Christ and are included in the Commonwealth of Israel, which is Christ (Eph 2:11-22).

In Eph 3:2 Paul describes his ministry, “If you have heard of the dispensation (stewardship) of the grace of God that is given to me to for you.”. He also shows this by his introduction to the epistle:

That in the dispensation of the fullness of times, He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth; even in Him. (Eph 1:10).

This describes Christ’s reconciliation on the cross, in bringing all things under His subjection and through the gospel gathering together the elect of the Jews and Gentiles into one body in Christ. Things in heaven means that we have peace with the Father, that we all may be one in Him. He brings us all into one body. This is what Paul’s ministry was about, to declare Is 42:6, 49:6.

“That in the ages to come (now in the church era) He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Jesus Christ.” (Eph 2:7).

That is what God has been doing in the nations as He gathers in His elect throughout the ages that we are now in. Paul made the same point about this inclusion of the Gentiles in Romans 11. We look more closely at this further below.

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