Ephesians 3 : 1-6 Mystery, Mystery, Mystery.
In the 6 verses from todays passage, the word mystery is used 3 times. But what is this mystery?
This shouldn’t take too long to answer - it is clearly written in verse 6.
A more pertinent question might be how is this a new mystery seeing that the OT referred to Gods purpose to bless the Gentiles? As far back as as God’s calling to Abraham we read “All peoples on earth will be blessed through you” (Gen. 12:3). It is true of course, that God announced his intention of saving Jew and Gentile from the beginning. However before Christ, it generally meant that the Gentile would have to become a Jew. Or to be more accurate, a Gentile could approach the God of Israel, but only if they became an Israelite.
The “new” mystery revealed to Paul, is that this action was no longer necessary. Christ has broken down that wall, making one new people out of two previously divided people. So, as we looked at in the last Ephesians study, both Jew and Gentile approach God equally, on the new basis, as one people, the people of Christ, the Church.
Today, with this time period being centuries behind us, we may find it difficult to grasp how radical this new disclosure was, however looking at verse 1 gives us an idea. You will note how he starts the chapter, but then breaks off to write his long sentence (vv. 2-13). In verse 1 Paul speaks of himself as “the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles”
This was literally true. Paul had been initially arrested in Jerusalem, which led to his imprisonment and later he was arrested again in Caesarea. After an appeal to Caesar he was eventually transferred to a prison in Rome, which is where he wrote the letter we now know as “Ephesians”. In all these areas there was fanatical Jewish opposition to the proclamation that through Christ both Jew and Gentile are equal before God. We see this in Acts 21. Have a look at vv. 21-22 for a glimpse of the Jewish reaction to Paul.
Of course, the prejudice was not all on one side. It was especially intense among the Jews because for them it was a religious issue, and any disagreement of this nature stirred up powerful emotions. So yes, the Jews despised the Gentiles, however the feeling was mutual. The barriers between Jew and Gentile at this time, were absolute, (dare I say maybe even more fierce than the Ipswich / Norwich divide!?). This division between the two had been built in and encouraged for generation after generation. We cannot understate the controversy caused when Paul talked of the great mystery “not made known to man in other generations” but now “revealed by the Spirit to Gods holy apostles and prophets... that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus”. (vv5-6).
Together, Together, Together.
Pauls spends vv. 2-5 building up the importance of what he has to say in verse 6. Telling us there is a mystery, a mystery that has not not been made known to generation after generation, but after the Spirit had made known to Paul the revelation of this mystery, Paul was going to tell everyone what this mystery is...
The main point that Paul is making about this mystery of God creating one new people in Christ, is that Jew and Gentile, as well as all other men and women, hold the blessing of salvation equally and jointly in Christ’s church. This blessing is possibly clearer in the greek texts than in most English versions of this passage. To make his point Paul puts together (and in the opinion of some commentators, invents) three parallel expressions. In the Greek these words all begin with the prefix syn-, which means “together with”. This prefix is added to the words kleronomoi which mean heirs; soma which means “body” and metocha meaning “partner” or “companion”. Think about it, that Paul is thought to have invented a whole new expression for this mystery, gives strength to the point of how utterly ground breaking this message was.
Various Bible translations have this passage worded slightly differently, however the NIV is very effective in its translation as it repeats the word “together” three times, just as we have the word mystery three times, almost to drill home the point of the mystery and the togetherness. The NIV says in vs 6 “heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise on Christ Jesus” These three phrases are worth looking at in further detail.
1 : “Heirs together with Israel” (remember this letter is to”ex-Gentiles” who are now “Gods Holy People in Ephesus” Vs1)
The words “heirs” is a very important one for Paul, he uses it in many of his key passages. Romans 4:13 Paul uses it when talking about Abraham were he refers to Gods promise that he should be “heir of the worlds” through Christ’s righteousness. In Galatians 3:29, Paul extends “heirs” to all believers by saying “If you belong to Christ, then you are Abrahams seed, and heirs according to the promise”. Paul speaks of a future inheritance in Titus 3:7 “so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.”
Galatians 4:1-7 however makes a much more immediate reference, contrasting the heirs position to a child (when he was little more than a slave) with his position now as a fully grown son who therefore has “the full rights” of a heir. In Romans 8:17, Paul uses one of the phrases (as he did in Ephesians) that he may have invented and uses the words syn- kleronomoi, saying, “Now if we are children, then we are heirs - heirs of God and the co- heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory”.
The importance of this is vital to our understanding of Christianity. There is no inner or outer circle of the saved. ALL who are in Christ inherit all God’s blessing and inherit them jointly.
2 : “Members together of one Body”
If you look back to the end of the preceding chapter, Paul compares the church to a kingdom, a family and a temple. He goes back to a theme introduced at the end of Chapter 1. “God placed all things things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way” vv22-23.
Keep this in mind when we get chapter 4 in a few weeks, v.4 “There is one body” and then as the verse continues Paul goes on to describe how God has built us all into a single body. Have a look at chapter 4 vs 11-16.
The way Paul describes the body, is that of a mystical and spiritual union possessed by all God’s people in the church, and is something that (as we have looked at and considered before) goes way beyond one dimensional friendships. This union is something that must grow and that God’s people should strive towards. That is the supernatural union that joins all people, even Jew and Gentile along with all groups of society.
How is this to happen? Maybe discuss this for a moment before moving on...
It is to only happen as we grow in the love and the knowledge of the One who brought us all together. Martyn Lloyd-Jones says in his discussion of Ephesians 2, “We are equally sinners... We are all equally helpless... We have all come to one and the same Saviour... We have the same salvation... We have the same Spirit... We have the same Father... We even have the same trials... And finally we are all marching and going together to the same eternal home.” It is a knowledge and appreciation of these things that will, or at least should, draw us together.
3 : “Sharers together in the promise of Christ Jesus.”
The Bible has many promises for those who trust God and come to him through faith in Christ. But the word ‘promise’ in this case is singular rather than plural. I think this is Paul referring to the “promise of redemption, made first to our parents, repeated to Abraham, and which forms the burden of all the Old Testament predictions” (Gal. 3:14, 19, 22, 29)
To have that (redemption), as Paul declares the people of God do, is to have a share in the greatest of all possible human blessings. To share it with others from a great variety of races, people and cultures and to participate in the mystery which was revealed to Paul and declared by him.
If we fully grasp this, fully grasp that every single person, anywhere in the world, shares in the same glorious redemption that Christ offers those that follow him. That will bring us into a union with anyone and everyone throughout history that has ever or will ever call themselves a Christian. This should build in us a deep and un-relenting desire to worship Him who called us all together, together.
Questions.
These are not necessarily questions that need answers, they are rather to be used as conversation starters.
1: When we think of a united church of Jew and Gentile - do we fully grasp how “big” this would have been?
2 : What opposing groups can you think of in todays society that it would seem impossible to unite? Could you ever see them put aside their differences and become one?
3 : Is there biblical unity in the worldwide church today? Can you give some examples of where the worldwide church has worked together? And the same for when it has not?
4 : Closer to home, is there unity within the Church of England? Can you think of examples of where the Church shows its unity... and times where it does not?
5 : Even closer to home, is there unity between the 3 congregations at MIE? Where are the areas you feel we are unified? Where (if at all) is there work still to be done?
6: As members of the Church, we are all called to grow and strengthen the bonds with all other Christians, how can we grow this idea at MIE? Both as individuals and corporately.
7: What could we do as a Church to develop and grow the unity with the wider Church?
8 : More personally, can you think of (and perhaps share) a time where you have not prioritised unity within the Church? Perhaps something someone has said or done has led to a falling out or difference of opinion? Is it still affecting your relationship with others? How could you begin to think about resolution?
9 : Considering that we are all called to be part of the Church, what are you going to do within the Church to further strengthen the bonds we have with one another.
10 : Consider someone form the outside of Church looking in, how would you describe the unity, fellowship and support that the Bible instructs us to have.