(1-5) Preface to the revelation of the mystery.
For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles; if indeed you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which was given to me for you, how that by revelation He made known to me the mystery (as I have briefly written already, by which, 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 has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets:
a. I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles: During his Roman imprisonment Paul was under house arrest. In the day he was free to move around the house with the supervision of soldiers, but every night he was chained to a soldier to make sure he did not escape before his trial before Caesar. Yet he saw himself as the prisoner of Jesus Christ. He knew that Jesus was the Lord of his life, not the Roman government, so if he was a prisoner, he was Jesus’ prisoner.
b. For you Gentiles: The entire reason he was under arrest and awaiting trial was because of his missionary efforts on behalf of the Gentiles.
i. Paul suffered for the very truth he would explain to the Ephesians, and this did not make him back down one bit.
ii. The last thing Paul wanted was people to feel sorry for him because he was imprisoned. He wanted his readers to realize that it was a benefit for them that he was a prisoner.
c. If indeed you have heard: This suggests Paul knew his particular calling to the Gentile world was well known among Gentile Christians.
d. You have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which was given to me for you: The word dispensation speaks of the “implemented strategy” of God’s plan in the church. “Here as in Ephesians 1:10, however, it is to be interpreted rather as the implementation of a strategy.” (Wood)
i. “By the dispensation of the grace of God we may understand, either the apostolic office and gifts granted to St. Paul, for the purpose of preaching the Gospel among the Gentiles… or the knowledge which God gave him of that gracious and Divine plan which he had formed for the conversion of the Gentiles.” (Clarke)
e. How that by revelation: Paul wanted them to know, “I’m not making this up. This isn’t my invention. God gave me the revelation and I am only His messenger of this truth.” It cost Paul a lot to hold on to this mystery, so he probably would not have made it up himself.
i. It is indeed amazing that God would take a Hebrew of the Hebrews, a Pharisee, and a persecutor of the church to be the main minister of the mystery, the mystery of the work of the gospel in bringing Jew and Gentile together into one new body.
f. He made known to me the mystery: The principle Paul will describe is a mystery, yet it is known. However, it would never be known if God did not make it known.
i. “In English a ‘mystery’ is something dark, obscure, secret, puzzling. What is ‘mysterious’ is inexplicable, even incomprehensible. The Greek word mysterion is different, however. Although still a ‘secret’, it is no longer closely guarded but open… More simply, mysterion is a truth hitherto hidden from human knowledge or understanding but now disclosed by the revelation of God.” (Stott)
g. He made known to me the mystery: Paul did not hesitate to claim that the mystery he will reveal was given to him by revelation. But it was not given to only him by revelation. It was also given specifically to Peter by revelation (Acts 11:1-18), and it is consistent with prophecy in the Old Testament (such as Isaiah 49:6) and the specific words of Jesus (Acts 1:8).
i. However, it seems that God used Paul to declare specifically how Jews and Gentiles would be joined together in one body of Christ. This was something hinted at through others, but only specifically detailed through Paul’s revelation. Paul trusted that his readers would understand what God revealed to him.
h. Was not made known to the sons of men, as it now has been revealed: The nature of the union of Jews and Gentiles into this new body is the aspect that was not made known. In the Old Testament, the salvation of Gentiles in the Messiah is prophesied, the coming together of Jew and Gentile into the Church is never spoken of.
2. (6-7) The mystery described.
That the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel, of which I became a minister according to the gift of the grace of God given to me by the effective working of His power.
a. That the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body: This describes the mystery itself – that believing Jews and believing Gentiles are joined together into one body of Christ, into one Church, and no longer separated before God as such.
b. Partakers of His promise in Christ: The truth of this mystery means that Gentiles are now full partakers of His promise. This was a privilege no longer reserved only for the believing Jewish person.
c. Through the gospel: This could only happen through the gospel, where all men have an equal standing in Jesus. This is the same gospel Paul is a servant of, because of the gift of grace given to him by the working of God’s power.
i. Paul says he is a minister, but that is a title of service, not exaltation. In classical literature of ancient Greece, the minister (diakonos) “is a table waiter who is always at the bidding of his customers.” (Wood)
3. (8-9) Paul’s presentation of the mystery.
To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ;
a. To me, who am less than the least of all the saints: Paul marveled at the grace given to him, by which he was called to preach the gospel that makes the mystery a reality. When we consider Paul’s personal history, we see that his calling really was all of grace.
i. “But while Paul was thus thankful for his office, his success in it greatly humbled him. The fuller a vessel becomes the deeper it sinks in the water. A plenitude of grace is a cure for pride.” (Spurgeon)
ii. “Preachers ought to grow in grace, for their very calling places them at a great advantage, since they are bound to search the Scriptures, and to be much in prayer. It is a choice mercy to be permitted to preach the gospel. I wish some of you would be ambitious of it, for earnest preachers are wanted.” (Spurgeon)
b. That I should preach: The ancient Greek word translated “preach” literally means “to announce good news.” Paul’s preaching was simply the announcement of the good news of what God has done in Jesus.
c. The unsearchable riches of Christ: This mystery is like great riches for the Gentiles. They can now come before God in a standing they could only dream of before.
i. Paul tried to figure out the greatness of God’s grace, and started tracking it out as one might track out the shore of a lake. He soon discovered that it wasn’t a lake at all, but an ocean, an immeasurable sea. God’s riches are unsearchable; we will never know them completely.
ii. “I am bold to tell you that my Master’s riches of grace are so unsearchable, that he delights to forgive and forget enormous sin; the bigger the sin the more glory to his grace. If you are over head and ears in debt, he is rich enough to discharge your liabilities. If you are at the very gates of hell, he is able to pluck you from the jaws of destruction.” (Spurgeon)
d. To make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery: Having been entrusted with such riches, Paul’s passion was to make this gospel known to all people. He wants everybody to see and share in the fellowship of this mystery – which is a mystery precisely because it was unknown and unknowable until God revealed it.
e. Fellowship of the mystery: We should carefully consider what this phrase means. It demonstrates that these are not only facts to know but also a life to live, united in Jesus with other believers, without any separation such as existed between Jew and Gentile.
f. Which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God: This great truth – the fellowship of the mystery – was hidden before it was revealed after the finished work of Jesus on the cross. This reinforces the idea that there is genuinely something new in the New Covenant, and that it is wrong to consider Israel simply the Old Testament Church and the Church the New Testament Israel.
i. “This statement settles the question once for all concerning the existence of the church, the body of Christ, in and during the Old Testament dispensations. Yet it is one of the most widespread views that the church existed from the beginning of creation and the words of promise contained in the Old Testament prophetic Word are the promises of the church, and its glorious future on the earth, in reigning over the nations.” (Gaebelein)