The Mystery of Christ

by Hugh DeLong

Text: Ephesians 3

The mystery of Christ, as mentioned in Ephesians, is that “to be specific, that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel” (Ephesians 3:6). Such was not revealed as (in the same way, to the same degree of illumination) it is now revealed unto Paul (and the other apostles and prophets of the New Testament).

The promise was that through Abraham’s seed all nations would be blessed. Beginning with Abraham, the emphasis of God’s revelation was to those ‘in Abraham’s lineage’. The problem was that the scope was narrowed with each generation of choices: Isaac (not Ishmael), Jacob (not Esau), etc. Thus, it was ‘in Israel’ (in the family of Jacob) that the chosen vehicle of the promise was. To them God revealed His covenant through Moses.

The promise was still that all nations would eventually be blessed, but in the Old Testament, it was narrower. Now, with the coming of Jesus, God has invited people of all nations to come to Him through Jesus. As Jesus said: “Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me'” (John 14:6). The blessings (enumerated in chapter one with all the ‘in Him’ references) now include Jews and Gentiles (all of those who are not ethnic Jews). All who have put their trust in Jesus and are following Him are blessed: we are the chosen, the holy/sanctified saints, the blameless ones, the adopted children, the redeemed, the forgiven, etc.

The emphasis must be on the fact that these blessings are found only in Christ through the gospel. The question of eternity: are you in Christ?