Articles
Understanding The Mystery of Christ
Understanding The Mystery of Christ
In Ephesians 3, Paul writes about the mystery of Christ and the fact that is has been revealed unto mankind.
“1 For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles-- 2 if indeed you have heard of the stewardship of God's grace which was given to me for you; 3 that by revelation there was made known to me the mystery, as I wrote before in brief. 4 And by referring to this, when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5 which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit;” (Ephesians 3:1-5).
Such ‘mystery’ is not something which can not be known, but rather that which had yet to be revealed. In the OT times it was a mystery, but NOW it is a REVELATION. While in other ages it was not made known, NOW it has been revealed and made known.
This mystery was that the Gentile believers are fellow-heirs and of the same body (of God’s people) as the Jewish believers (read vs. 6).
The purpose of revelation, any revelation, is to MAKE SOMETHING KNOWN. God made His purpose, plan, and method of salvation to Paul (and to all of the apostles and prophets of the New Testament). Paul then wrote them down so there would be a permanent record of such revelation.
People then, as now, write letters in order for them to be read and understood. So, Paul wrote that we can understand what God made known unto him. There is a catch, such letters give knowledge only when read. In the first-century, such reading was usually done publicly in a congregational setting. Today, since the invention of the printing press and now the advent of the electronic page, you have the great privilege of reading such at any time and at any place.
Ability plus opportunity equals responsibility! As Jesus constantly asked the religious leaders of his day: “Have you not read…” So it needs to be asked today.
I rejoice that so many have joined this little reading group that we started some years ago. Glad that we can read and share our understanding together. Glad that you have chosen to take the time to read the revelation of God. I rejoice that you are like those in Berea that “ere more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily, to see whether these things were so” (Acts 17:11).
Hugh DeLong
