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Ephesians Lesson 3

THE MYSTERY OF THE CHURCH

Ephesians 3:1-21
Key Verse: 3:10

“His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms.”

There are many huge cathedrals and beautiful churches in the world. The biggest church building in New York City might be St. John the divine, which is located right by Columbia University in Manhattan. Our center is a small and ordinary house. The most magnificent church building in the world is St. Peter’s Cathedral of Rome. Once I had a chance to visit this magnificent building. Being totally  overwhelmed, I said, “Wow! It’s big!” It’s so huge that you cannot see from one end to the other. It’s 600 ft (180 m) long, 450 ft (135 m) wide and 137 ft (42 m) high. It’s not only huge but also very beautiful. It is the fruit of the Renaissance artists, such as Bramante, Raffaelo, Michelangelo, Sangallo, Bernini, etc. But in the same city of Rome, I saw another kind of churches, called “catacombs”, which is originally “underground cemetery.” The early Christians could not worship God in gorgeous buildings due persecution. They had to worship in a dark catacomb. We are very lucky to worship the Lord comfortably in this building. However, according to today’s passage, the church is never a building but people, an assembly of believers in Christ Jesus. In today’s passage, Apostle Paul unveils the mystery of God through the church, the body of Christ.

First, the mystery of Christ made known to Paul (1-6)

Look at verse 1. “For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles.” At that time, Apostle Paul was in the prison of Rome. But he didn’t say that he was the prisoner of Nero. Instead, he introduced himself as the prisoner of Christ for the sake of Gentiles. When Paul preached that there is no distinction between Jews and Gentiles and that all men can be saved only by faith through the grace of Jesus, the Jewish extremists were raving mad at him. There was a riot against him in Jerusalem, and Paul was arrested. However, Paul was not found guilt of anything deserving of death by the Roman court. He could have become free. Yet, he appealed to Caesar for his case in order that he might be able to go to Rome, the capital of the world, even as a prisoner and preach the gospel there to the Gentiles. Indeed, he was the prisoner of Christ for the sake of the Gentiles. Paul was always in danger of assassination by the Jews. However, God provided the best way for him to Rome, being escorted by Roman soldiers. As a matter of fact, when he arrived at Rome, he was allowed to live by himself, with a Roman soldier to guard him, so that without hindrances Paul could have many one-to-one Bible study appointments and train many leaders and missionary candidates in Rome.

Why was Paul so eager to preach the gospel to the Gentiles when he was hated and even threatened by his own people? It was because of the mystery that was revealed to him. Look at verse 3. “That is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly.” In this chapter, the word “mystery” is repeated four times. (3,4,6,9) What is mystery? It’s not Mr. Rhee. According to the American Heritage Dictionary, mystery is anything that arouses curiosity because it is unexplained or secret. Generally we call something abstract as mystery. But the mystery Paul was talking about is not an abstraction, but God’s concrete plan of salvation for all mankind. However, it is called the mystery because it had been hidden from human knowledge or understanding for such a long time. (4-5) Look at verses 4 and 5. “In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made know to men in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets.”

To what mystery did Paul refer? He already mentioned it in the previous chapters. (1:9-10; 2:14-16) But he repeats it over and over because of its importance. Read verse 6. “This mystery is 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.” The mystery of Christ was that the Gentiles have an equal share with the Jews as God’s children in all the riches of God’s inheritance. In other words, the mystery of Christ is the complete union between Jews and Gentiles in Christ Jesus. In short, the mystery of Christ is a new humanity in Christ. (2:15) But this was an outrageous idea to the patriotic Jews, the Jewish extremists.

However, why did Paul say that it was hidden in the previous generations? Didn’t the Old Testament talk about it? Yes. For example, when God called Abraham, the ancestor of the people of Israel, he said, “Through your offspring all people on earth will be blessed through you.”  The Lord said to Israel through Moses in Exodus 19:5 and 6, “Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” Also Isaiah 49:6b says, “I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth.” Obviously, God’s intent to include the Gentiles in his covenant was clearly revealed in the Old Testament. The Jews believed that Israel was the center of God’s history. But what was not revealed in the Old Testament but revealed to Saint Paul and other apostles was that the nation Israel would no longer be the center of God’s history, instead God would establish the church of Christ, an international community of believers in Christ, as the center of God’s history.

Wait a minute! Does it mean that God had finished with the people of Israel forever? No. Paul didn’t think so. According to Paul, God has a great hope for the people of Israel. Paul said concerning Israel in Romans 11:25, “I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in.” According to Paul, there will be a time when a significant number of Jews may turn to Christ and become united with Gentiles in the union of Christ Jesus. This mystery Paul didn’t learn from men but directly from God by the revelation of the Holy Spirit. (5) In fact, Paul had a special calling to do the ministry for the mystery he received.

Second, the mystery of the church Paul realized (7-13)

In verses 7-9, Apostle Paul gives his own testimony concerning the grace of God’s calling. Look at verse 7. “I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power.” Here, Paul emphasizes that it was only by God’s grace that he became a servant of Christ Jesus. We know who Paul was before his conversion. He was a legalistic Pharisee, a Jewish young man, who would look down on Gentiles, feeling superior to them. He was also a violent persecutor of the church of God. But all of a sudden he became such a humble man of God, a graceful shepherd for the Gentiles. What happened to him was a miracle by God’s special favor and mighty power. I thought that I would never be changed. But I realize that what happened to me is also a miracle by God’s special favor and mighty power. We all experience God’s miraculous work in our lives through the grace of Jesus Christ. “We are a God’s miracle.”

Look at verse 8. “Although I am less than the least of all God’s people, this grace was given me; to preach to the gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ.” Paul was a humble man of God. There was a rabbi who wanted to show how humble he was. So he walked around the synagogue, shouting, “I am nothing, I am nothing.” An elder also followed him, saying the same thing, “I am nothing too! I am nothing too!” When a janitor saw them, he was so moved and began to follow them, saying “I am really nothing! I am really nothing.”  But as soon as the rabbi saw the janitor doing the same thing, he suddenly stopped because his pride was hurt. He thought that he was better than the janitor.

Why did Paul say that he was less than the least among God’s people? He even said that he was the worst of all sinners. (1 Tim 1:15) Was he trying to show off his humility? No, he wasn’t. If he were, he would be a hypocrite. Paul minimized himself because he was deeply aware of his own unworthiness before God. Even though he worked very hard and became such a fruitful man of God, he didn’t think that he was doing a favor to God. He didn’t think he was righteous before God because of his hard work. He had the attitude of “I am an unworthy servant.” In fact, he was a man of great learning. But he didn’t look down on others. When he was conscious of his unworthiness before God, he could overcome his own pride and humbly serve any kind of proud man. People are proud for many reasons. Pride is a very serious problem, which we easily overlook. From time to time, we blame others or our situation for our poor spiritual progress. But hidden pride is one of the most dangerous spiritual sicknesses that hinder our spiritual growth. We must deeply realize and say, “I am an unworthy servant.”

What did Paul do as an unworthy servant? Look at verses 8b and 9. “To preach the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things.” Many of us don’t have confidence to preach or teach the word of God. Sometimes, we are even ashamed of the gospel and feel inferior and envious of the glamorous things of the world, such as sports, movies and all kinds of entertainment. Why? It’s because  we are ignorant about the riches of Christ in the gospel. But Paul was so eager to preach the gospel to the Gentiles. In fact, he was confident and proud of the gospel because he knew that he had so much to share with them in the gospel of Jesus Christ. The mystery of Christ is simple, yet it is never shallow. It provides us with endless spiritual treasures and resources that the world cannot provide. So Paul calls the mystery of Christ as “the unsearchable riches of Christ.” To name a few, we have the grace of forgiveness of sins, reconciliation with our God, unlimited access to our Father, resurrection from death, eternal membership of God’s kingdom, indwelling of the Holy Spirit, a great mansion in heaven, love, joy, peace, hope, faithfulness, gentleness, kindness, the crown of life and much more. When we study the Bible with others, we are not just transferring our head knowledge. Bible study is sharing the riches of God’s spiritual food and treasures.

Paul had traveled to so many different places where he had to face so many different kinds of people with different traditions and habits. But he was so eager to preach the gospel to them more and more. And wherever he went, he didn’t just try to make individual converts. Instead, he built the church of God, the body of believers in Christ among Jews and Gentiles. Why was he so eager to build the church among the Gentiles. It’s because he believed that God would work through the church until the time of the second coming of Christ Jesus.

Read verses 10 and 11. “His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Here, we learn that there was God’s eternal plan for the church of Christ, that the church would be the chosen institute on earth not only to preach the gospel but also to show his manifold wisdom to all the rules and authorities in the heavenly realms. Although there are many different kinds of local churches, they are one in Christ Jesus. But some people are reluctant to be a committed member of the church, saying that there are too many problems in the church. Of course, there is no perfect congregation. Each and every church needs to be reformed and renewed. However, a Christian must belong to the body of Christ. Why? Because a Christian without joining the body of Christ is like a baseball player without a team or a soldier without an army. God established each and every local church for the same fundamental purpose that the church would be the center of the gospel work, Christian living and even human history.

Look at verses 12 and 13. As we think about the evil power working in the world through injustice, extreme materialism, hatred, immorality, violence, deception, unfairness, we become disheartened, and we ask, “What is God doing?” We become fatalistic about our situation, feeling spiritually defeated and low. The Christians in the Ephesian church loved Paul dearly because Paul was their shepherd. When Paul left for Jerusalem, they all wept as they embraced him and kissed him. When they heard that Paul was imprisoned in Rome, they must have been discouraged and intimidated, thinking that the power of evil is too strong to overcome. But Saint Paul encouraged the Ephesians to come to God with freedom and confidence. It’s because our God is sovereign and almighty, capable of doing much more than we can ever imagine. Therefore, we don’t need to despair in any circumstance. We need to have confidence in God Almighty and believe that . God who began a good work in us would carry it on to completion through his church until the day of Christ Jesus. (Philippians 1:6)

Third, Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians (14-21)

Verses 14-21 is Paul’s prayer for the Ephesian Christians. When Paul thought of God’s wisdom and the gigantic scope of God’s plan of salvation through the church, he was so amazed that he fell to his knees and praised and prayed to the Father, the Creator of heaven and earth. His prayer topics for the Ephesians were very clear and spiritual.

First, Christ may dwell in your hearts. Look at verses 16 and 17a. “I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power, through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.” Once one of my Bible students called me up in the middle of the night and asked, “Missionary David, what is your prayer topic for me?” Of course, I said  to him, “I pray for you to grow spiritually.” But in my mind I wanted to say, “I pray that you may not bother me at night.” It’s easy for us to pray that our sheep may not have any trouble. But Paul didn’t pray like that. Paul teaches us the best prayer topics for God’s flock. He prayed that Christ may dwell in their hearts through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. The world is full of trouble and evil influence. So our life in this world can be stressful, hazardous and discouraging at times. But when Christ wells in our hearts through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, we can be truly strong, joyful, peaceful, resilient and victorious in any circumstance. We need Jesus every day, not once a week.

Second, you may know the love of Christ. (17b-19) Read verses 17b-19. “And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, to know this love that surpasses knowledge — that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” The most powerful thing in the world is not nuclear weapons. It is the love of God. Only the love of God can defeat the evil of the world. God is love, so God’s children must love one another. Apostle Paul prayed that the Ephesians would take deep root into the soil of God’s boundless love like a tree and have a firm foundation on the unchanging  love of God like a building. We also learn that there are four dimensions in the love of God. It is wide enough to embrace all kinds of people, especially Jews and Gentiles. It is long enough to endure for eternity. It is deep enough to reach the most degraded sinner. And it is high enough to exalt to heaven.

Once we were spiritually dead in transgressions, cut off from Christ, alienated from the covenants of God’s promise, hopeless and godless in the world. We were far away from God. But we are changed only because of God’s love and mercy. We are blessed with so much spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus. Most of all, we are called to love one another in Christ Jesus. Jesus said in John 13:34 and 35, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” As we struggle to love different people, we can truly grow in the fullness of God’s love. Especially, Paul added the phrase, “together with all the saints.”  Why? It’s because even though the isolated Christian can know something of the love of Jesus, his understanding of God’s love is bound to be limited by his limited experience. It needs the whole people of God to understand the full measure of God’s love, Jews and Gentiles, men and women, young and old, black and white, with all their various backgrounds and experiences. Yet, the love of God is too profound for us to comprehend in our lifetime experiences. We will have to spend eternity to measure the fullness of God’s love. How wonderful it is to grow in the love of God eternally.

Verses 20 and 21 are Paul’s doxology. “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” We are limited in time and space. We are weak but God is strong and eternal. Paul used to be an active worker. However, he was in prison. Soon he might die and to be with Christ. But he believed that God is able to do much more than we ask or imagine. Paul believed that God is the Sovereign over all human affairs and history, who is working mightily among us, the church of Christ, through the power of the Holy Spirit. The world itself has no hope. But God established each of us to be the member of his holy church to preach the gospel to the every corner of the world, so that the manifold wisdom of God would be made known even to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms. May the Lord help us not to remain in earthbound level, but grow mature in Christ Jesus, grasping how wide, long, high and deep the love of God is. May Christ dwell in our hearts through the Holy Spirit every day.  Let’s read our key verse, verse 10.  “His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms.”