Tag: The Mystery is Gentiles Partake in the Promises - Ephesians 1-3

Ephesians 3:1-6 (ESV Strong's)

For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles— assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God's grace that was given to me for you, how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly. When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

Tag: The Mystery is Gentiles Partake in the Promises

Paul writes much about the “mystery of the Gospel.”  Of the 27 times the word is used in the New Testament, 20 of them are used by Paul.   He talks repeatedly about the “mystery” of Christ, found in the Gospel.   

In Colossians, he states the following:

Colossians 4:3 (ESV Strong's)

At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison—

And, 

Colossians 1:27 (ESV Strong's)

To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

The “mystery” is that the “riches of God’s glory is manifested in Christ to the Gentiles” that we might experience be “fellow heirs” of the inheritance of the saints.   Wow!!   We are “fellow heirs” in the inheritance of the saints!!   Unless we fully understand what that means we will miss the power of Paul’s statement.  In the beginning of Ephesians Paul explained the inheritance of the saints in chapter one.   It is a glorious, run-on sentence of what God has provided for us in Christ.  That is our inheritance.  The “mystery” has been made known.  Paul’s entire mission is to make known that mystery.  It is rejoicing to hear the mystery and it rejoicing to proclaim it others.  That is what motivated Paul.    He wanted to declare the mystery of what it means to be in Christ.