A MARVELOUS PLAN. Ephesians 3:1-13 Paul wasn’t bitter because his imprisonment limited him. In his mind, he was a prisoner to God’s will and was content with that, no matter where he was or what the circumstances were. God had graciously chosen Gentiles to be part of His people, and Paul was in prison because that mystery was the foundation of his ministry to them. He obeyed the Lord despite opposition. There is still opposition to teaching salvation by grace alone. We must stand firm for God's grace in the Gospel.
In revealing divine truth about Jews and Gentiles as God's dwelling, Paul was about to pray for those united believers seated in heavenly places. He intended to address several fundamental needs of those in the church, which is His body. Then, the Spirit of God led him to diverge from that teaching path to discuss an important issue related to the topic. What is behind this dwelling of God? What caused the unified body of believers to become members of God's household? Where do these pieces come from, being fitted together into a "holy temple in the Lord"? This digression takes readers back to how this previously hidden truth came to light. The church is different from Israel in God's plan in the Old Testament. It is not the same as the kingdom over which Christ will reign during the millennium. The church began at Pentecost and will continue to grow until the Lord Jesus calls it to Himself as His bride. Paul explains how it became connected to the "one new man," of which the believers in Ephesus were a part.
From verses two through thirteen, he was led to explore another line of thought, explaining how he was qualified to speak of the mystery of Christ being the Gentiles as part of the “hope of glory," as well as the Jews. This was meant to help believers understand the role of the apostles and prophets, whom the Holy Spirit established as the church's foundation. This truth was not known in Old Testament times. It was difficult for the Jews to accept that Gentiles share fully in the privileges of being God’s people. They are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and full participants in the Old Testament promises regarding Christ.
Many today who claim to be Christians say the church, which is the body of Christ, is simply an extension of Israel from the Old Testament. Some argue, therefore, that infant baptism and circumcision are the same traditional ways of entering the church. This kind of speculation comes from those who do not read the Bible as it is written and only accept what they are told by spiritual advisors who follow a sectarian agenda.
In this parenthesis, Paul clarifies that the mystery concerns "the Christ" and His church. It is to this fact that these verses are addressed. The grace of God toward all nations was, and is, preached in the Gospel. That commission came from the Lord Jesus Christ just before He ascended into heaven. "Go ye, therefore, and teach all nations..." The mandate was first carried out by the apostles, who heard that commission directly from the Lord, and it has now been passed down to us in this generation.
Paul's time in prison was not the main focus, but rather an example of what it sometimes means to preach the Gospel of Christ. He was not ashamed of the message he preached because he knew he was exactly where God wanted him to be, doing what God called him to do. He felt blessed to carry the message of God's grace to all nations. His circumstances did not change that calling. God provided His servant with the grace needed to share this truth effectively through His power working in believers.
He was given a special responsibility to teach this, even though other apostles and prophets also conveyed it through the Spirit. Jews understood that Gentiles needed to hear the message of the Gospel and salvation by grace. However, they did not realize that Gentiles would be on equal footing with Jews in the body of Christ. This union represents His body-life, His bride-love, and His temple-glory. These were “unsearchable riches” that Paul felt humbled to be able to proclaim.
These hidden riches include not only salvation truths but also all the truths necessary for living the Christian life as God desires. All of God’s grace and His sufficiency to meet every need, so that we do not live frustrated lives, are unsearchable, and His ways are past finding out. There is an appreciation of our relationship with God and our spiritual connection with His people. We have been entrusted as stewards of God's grace. People need to understand that they can be saved by grace.
The Lord gave Paul a clear understanding of the Gospel and the fact that it wasn't only for the Jews but for all nations. It was not just to the Jews who were dispersed through all nations because of their failure, but to all people everywhere. The mystery is that there is good news from God, and those who repent and believe the Gospel become members of His body. He is the "Head," and every believer is in the "body of Christ," regardless of their background. This is no longer a hidden message to us, but for first-century Jews, it was hard to accept at first.
God's people called to Him by the Gospel are neither Jews nor Gentiles but the Church of God. Every child of God is equal before Him. They are all "fellow heirs." Each is a fellow member of that body in which God has placed us. Every child of God can be a fellow partaker of God's promises to those in Christ. The Gospel has crossed all barriers and, in doing so, has revealed to us that there are riches in Christ of which we have been made partakers. The apostles were the first to proclaim the Gospel. Paul was the apostle to the Gentile nations, and now we hold this stewardship. Paul was chosen to do this work when God saved him and entrusted him with the contents of the Gospel message.
It is our duty to uphold the integrity of that message in our preaching and share it wherever possible. This message was hidden from the people of Israel and the nations, but through the stewardship of the apostle Paul, it has been revealed. It is our responsibility today to ensure this pure message reaches as many people as we can. This relationship grants us the privilege of Christ living within us to carry out His will through us. This relationship is possible because a believer is a new creation in Christ. In His sovereign plan, He shows His wisdom through the unity of diverse people from different places, backgrounds, and cultures to “principalities and powers” we don’t even know about.
Paul clearly understood the significance of this, and it enlightened the Gentiles, including the Ephesian believers. But it goes far beyond that, as the Gospel teaches angels—who are aware of what happens on earth—truths about God's wisdom. Through what God has revealed to us in the church, angelic authorities are learning about the diverse, multi-faceted wisdom of God. They can witness firsthand the restoration of divine headship that they lost. Some angels rebelled against God and what He intended for them; they forfeited their position. Even the first humans lost the blessings of submitting to divine headship when they disobeyed God.
Now, that divine intention is evident in the church. Locally, it is visible when citizens submit to governing authorities. It appears in homes when husbands take responsibility for the family's affairs as God has appointed them. In the local assembly, it is demonstrated when men remove their head coverings during the gathering of God's people, and women cover their heads and their hair with a covering so that attention is directed toward the Lord. Angels observe all of this and can learn the various aspects of God's wisdom.
None of this was an afterthought on God's part. This had been planned as part of His purposes through all the ages. God intended that between the calling out of Israel from the nations to be a chosen earthly people for Him and the time they would finally understand their responsibility to the Messiah, there would be this period when He would "call out" His church from among the nations. Our role in God's plan is best described as a bride to her husband. He is the Head of the body, and the church shares life, labor, and glory with Him. Close fellowship and harmony unite to strengthen the life of the body. Being "called out" is the foundation of our gathering. God has achieved this through His Gospel. Being "gathered out" shows what it means to be called out.
There is an eternal purpose behind all of this that was planned before the world was created. People must be saved by grace through faith in Christ before they can fulfill this purpose. We can confidently tell others that they can receive salvation from sin and be brought into this body of believers. Not only can people be saved by grace, but we also have access to God’s grace to live daily for His glory. We can depend on Him for all those spiritual blessings. Victory, not defeat, is expected in a Christian’s life.
The Christ and His church have been revealed. What was once hidden is now made known. Believers from all nations are part of this church. Angels observe us and learn from us in a way similar to what we learn from Israel's history; "All these things that happened unto them (Israel) for ensamples: and they were written for our admonition." These events have come to pass through the Gospel message being preached, which tells of Christ's death, burial, and resurrection. This insight helps explain how God works today in the nations and why our work for Him is significant. The church of God is growing because of the work of the Gospel.
It has happened: a chosen group called out people are saved by grace alone. They have experienced this truth, but many don't understand how it was done in a way that does not put one culture, nation, or person above another. God has opened the door to His household so that we are brothers and sisters in Christ. This message was first proclaimed by those who had seen the risen Lord personally, but now, this truth has spread worldwide. His grace extends universally to all who will know and believe in "the Christ." The church is a growing organism, a unified whole with all the senses of the body and soul.
Through this great mystery that has been revealed to us, a defining truth has emerged: God desires all the families of men and angels to understand what is happening here on earth. A growing body, a building, and a temple are being constructed for God's personal dwelling with His people. Angels and all authorities and powers see the enduring result of His salvation. Throughout all ages—past, present, and future—the church, the bride given to His Son, has been, is, and will be seen in beauty. He purchased it Himself with the blood of His own, so as both human and divine, He claims the great multitude of those redeemed as His bride. "These," saith He, "Are mine."
It is neither with pride nor even false humility that we can claim we are His. The entire mystery unfolds, beginning with the Gospel of God's redeeming grace. The Gospel message to the nations has, and is, revealing the manifold wisdom of God. We, who stand on redemption ground, experience the blessings of God’s promises in His Word.