Knowing and Proclaiming God’s Secrets

Ephesians Series Ephesians 3:1-11

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11For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles…
2Surely you have heard about the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for you, 3that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. 4In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5which was not made known to men in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets. 6This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are fellow heirs, fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus.
7I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace, given me through the working of His power. 8Though I am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, 9and to illuminate for everyone the stewardshipb of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. 10His purpose was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, 11according to the eternal purpose that He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Ephesians 3:1-11

The thrill of knowing a secret

Tabloids and social media feed on secrets of the rich and famous and viewer counts rise significantly with such disclosures.

Headlines seduce us with promises of “the secret” to wealth, health, beauty, or fame.

A friend shares in confidence, and often, we are itching to share that knowledge with someone! (Of course, we don’t since the friend trusted us.)

The more scandalous or outrageous the details, the more we are intrigued and drawn into the web of power. We love the thrill of possession of insider information. There is often something we can gain from such a revelation.

The secrets or mysteries of God

Imagine God actually telling you some secret plan He has had in mind since before creation. Knowing the human propensity to relish and share something that has been hidden, it is easy to see why Paul gets so excited to be God’s steward of truth.

The Creator has finally made plain His purpose for all mankind to share in His riches, the family of God, and the oneness of salvation in Christ.

This is not only a juicy, scandalous secret, but it is incredibly GOOD NEWS for all humanity. Because God is infinite, all of His treasures and attributes are also. There is an abundance of His grace and mercy to go around.

So why did this news meet with so much resistance from God’s people?

Keeping the secret

The Hebrews had been told all through their history that they had been specifically chosen by God as His people. This special relationship was reiterated through the rituals and parameters of daily life that set them apart from all the other nations.

Additionally, they embraced a code of laws, oral traditions, and religious ceremonies that clearly distinguished them as ‘insiders” and the others as “outsiders”. With a strong sense of national and sectarian pride, the Jews developed a tight line around those who were “acceptable” in the community.

Sometimes, these barriers even excluded those of the same lineage who had an illness, a disability, or even different points of view.

Was God’s plan really hidden?

Despite the numerous words in this passage (in bold) that imply a message never known before, the Old Testament is full of stories to the contrary. Here is a small sample.

Noah: After the flood, God spoke six times of His covenant with all people. (Genesis 9:8-17)

Job: Although a contemporary of Abraham, the record does not indicate that they ever met, nor if he was a Semite. Job and His friends believed in the one true God and had a direct encounter with the Lord and many blessings. (Job 1, 42)

Abraham/Abram: Originally part of a family of pagan worshipers, Abram received numerous promises that he would be a father of nations and through him, all the earth would be blessed. Many of the non-Semitic people in his story had a healthy respect for God and received blessings also, including his son Ishmael, father of the Arab nations. (Genesis 12, 15, 16, 17, 20, 22)

Jacob/Israel: Jacob’s children include those born to the concubines, Bilhah and Zilpah, who may have been Arameans. Even after the terrible and tragic incident at Shechem in which Jacob’s sons killed all the Shechemite men, God reaffirmed His covenant that Jacob would father many nations. His sons’ wives included several foreign women (For example Tamar with Judah whose descendants include Jesus, and Asenath of Egypt with Joseph). (Genesis 35 and other references.)

Moses: Besides having a foreign wife and a believing father-in-law, Moses’ company at the Exodus included a mixed multitude who understood the power of God. Some likely embraced God’s ways.

Jonah: When God appointed him to preach to the Ninevites, Jonah tried to run away. Later, after 120,000 of the most treacherous people of the time repented and worshiped God, the prophet declared he knew the Lord would have mercy on them. (Jonah 1-4)

Jesus: The Messiah Himself has three, possibly four women in his ancestral line who were foreigners: Tamar (from Canaan), Rahab (from Canaan), Ruth (from Moab), and Bathsheba (origin uncertain, but she was married to a Hittite).

Commissioned as light to the world

Several major Biblical characters have interactions with foreigners who sought the true God. The Hebrews were repeatedly charged with being a light to the nations (Isaiah 42, 49, 60), an example of righteousness to the nations (Psalm 98, Isaiah 61-62, Jeremiah 4), and to proclaim the only God who will be the savior for all people (See this list for numerous verses).

Here is a list of New Testament verses that validate the promise of salvation available to all people.

Sadly, we see from the historical records that the Hebrews did just the opposite. Instead of living and testifying to the reality and mercy of God, they were more likely to take on the pagan practices of those around them. Or, when they did convert others to Judaism, the religious leaders barraged them with so many rules, the people could not begin to live perfect lives.

Besides, the leaders missed the point entirely, elevating the law and traditions far above a loving, covenantal relationship with YHWH. Jesus called them out on this several times (Matthew 15 and other references).

Some secrets are meant to be shared

After the resurrection, Jesus clearly instructed the disciples to carry out God’s original plan.

18Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. 19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
Matthew 28: 18-20

Sometimes, they needed a little push, such as persecution, to get them moving beyond Jerusalem. They met with great opposition from those who believed that the Jews were the chosen elite, so it was offensive to include the Gentiles in their blessings. (Jesus settled that matter with direct words to Peter and Paul. Acts 9, 10).

As Jesus followers today, we are entrusted with the same mysteries of God–that salvation is available to all who believe and confess that Jesus Christ is the Lord and Savior.

Now, that is a secret worth sharing!

Who has shared the gospel of Jesus Christ with you? Have you shared with anyone what that has meant to you?

Ephesians Series