Sermon Audio: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ministrybymail

“By revelation He made known to me the mystery (as I have briefly written already, ⁴ by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ), ⁵ which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets: ⁶ that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel, ⁷ of which I became a minister according to the gift of the grace of God given to me by the effective working of His power. ⁸ To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, ⁹ and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ; ¹⁰ to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, ¹¹ according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord, ¹² in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him.”

Dearly Beloved Fellow Believers,

It is a common human trait to enjoy having information or knowledge that others do not possess. We see this in the popularity of organizations with secrets known only to their members. Those initiated into the mysteries of these organizations promise—sometimes even with an oath—that they will not reveal them. There are also religious organizations that have secret rituals meant to be viewed only by members.

How different from all this is the Christian faith! Those instructed in the Christian faith are indeed introduced to great mysteries, to knowledge not known by those outside the church. These are the mysteries of God and His plan of salvation, of Jesus Christ, God’s Son, the Savior, and of the Holy Spirit. Yet, there is no attempt by the church to keep this knowledge to itself. Quite the contrary—those instructed in the Christian faith are not only encouraged but urged to share the knowledge they have gained with everyone. Our Christian worship is not conducted in secret but is public and open to anyone who wants to come and listen. Holy Communion is indeed offered only to members, but we are pleased to explain it to anyone willing to listen.

In our text, Paul, the apostle of Jesus Christ, sets forth one of the great mysteries of the Christian faith. It is a profound mystery, something that could never have entered the mind of any person except by divine revelation. Yet Paul does not want to keep this wonderful knowledge to himself, nor does he want to deliver it only to a select few he deems worthy. He wants it to be known far and wide, shouted from the rooftops, and discussed in the marketplaces of every village and town. It is the mystery of the Holy Christian Church: God’s plan to gather from all nations a people for Himself, to make them His children and heirs of eternal life. The details of this great plan long remained hidden in God, but then the Holy Spirit began revealing it through Old Testament prophets, and it was fully revealed with the coming into the world of God’s Son, the Savior, who came to carry it out. This great mystery of the church is what we want to consider this morning as we celebrate Christ’s Epiphany—the revelation of Jesus as God’s Son and the Savior of the world.

The meaning of the mystery

Paul writes here to Gentile Christians. In his letter, he sets forth the doctrine of the Holy Christian Church. He wants them to know and understand this teaching so they may be confident in their place and standing among God’s people. He presents this teaching of the Church as the revelation of a mystery. And it was indeed a mystery, because in previous ages it had remained “hidden in God” (v.9) and “was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit.”

In Old Testament times, God dealt first with one man, Abraham, and then with one nation, the people descended from Abraham through Jacob. With that nation, God made a covenant; He dwelt among them and blessed them. As time went on, God revealed to the prophets that the Gentiles—the other nations and peoples of the world—would share in the blessings of the promised Messiah. In his letter to the Romans, Paul quotes a series of Old Testament passages that include the Gentile nations in the blessings promised to God’s people (Romans 15:9-12). But with the coming of the Savior, it was fully revealed that the Gentiles would share in the blessings of His saving work.

Jesus Himself revealed this in His teaching, even though His earthly ministry was confined, as He said, to the “lost sheep of the house of Israel.” He also said to Nicodemus, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). Near the time of His passion and death, when approached by Greeks wanting to meet Him, He said, “And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself” (John 12:32).

Still, Jesus’ disciples were slow to understand that salvation was for the Gentiles. Remember that Peter needed a vision from heaven to convince him to go to the house of the Roman centurion Cornelius and preach the gospel to him and his household (Acts 10). It was Paul whom the Lord called to be the apostle to the Gentiles, bringing the gospel message to the Gentile world. With great humility, Paul here speaks of this privilege, given to him to “preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,” bringing to pagan Greeks, Romans, and others the good news that “the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ.”

Its source

Paul emphasizes that God Himself is the source of this mystery. He wants his readers to understand that what he is sharing is not merely a sentimental idea to make them feel good. He wasn’t— as people say today—trying to build up their self-esteem. The mystery of God’s plan of salvation for the world was something hidden in God. He devised this plan before the foundation of the world. Human plans— even some of the most important ones—are often the result of passing events or trivial causes. We often have to change our plans at a moment’s notice. But God’s plan to gather the Church from every nation was His “eternal purpose.” Paul received it by revelation; it wasn’t something Paul or any other man conceived. Therefore, we can have complete confidence in it and take comfort from it.

God’s plans for the Holy Christian Church even have a purpose beyond mankind. Paul says it was God’s intent that His manifold (many-sided or many-faceted) wisdom “might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places.” He refers to God’s holy angels. God intended His gracious dealings with humanity to be a lesson to the angels in heaven about the wonders of His grace. This isn’t the only place in Scripture where such a thing is mentioned. Peter also says the things concerning our salvation are “things which angels desire to look into” (1 Peter 1:12). People often dismiss the gospel as unimportant or unworthy of their attention, but angels see its true value and glory and praise God for it.

Its significance for us

When we hear about this mystery Paul unfolds, we are not mere observers, listening to something meant for someone else. Paul tells us that we, too, have been included in God’s plan of salvation. God wanted us to have a part in His church, to be fellow heirs with His Old Testament people, even to be of the same body and partakers of His promise in Christ.

Paul says this knowledge gives us “boldness and access with confidence through faith in [Christ].” We can be confident in our standing before God because we know He has included us in His plan of salvation. We know He welcomes us into His church, to have fellowship with His Son and with all believers. We know that our sins are forgiven through the blood of Christ. As poor, unworthy sinners, we can be certain God accepts us through faith in Jesus and regards us as His own children.

People love having knowledge unavailable to everyone. If they discover something precious and worthwhile, they often hoard it for themselves. But the mystery revealed here is boundless. Paul speaks of the “unsearchable riches of Christ.” Usually, what is precious is rare; there isn’t enough gold or precious gems in the world for everyone. But the riches of Christ are limitless. Whoever hears the gospel may have the riches of membership in God’s family simply by believing. God be praised for His great grace and mercy in Christ.

Let us rejoice in this mystery, grow in it throughout our lives, and sacrifice to spread it abroad. Amen.

—Rev. John Klatt

Watertown, SD

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All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.