In Ephesians 3:8 Paul says, “To me, less than the least of all saints, was this grace given.” God gave Paul the grace to do two things: first, to announce to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ as the gospel, and second, to enlighten all that they may see what the economy of the mystery is, which throughout the ages has been hidden in God, who created all things (v. 9). This is the commission and charge Paul received through the grace of God.
The gospel in Ephesians 3 is very different from the kind of gospel we normally hear and preach. This chapter does not say that man is sinful, that the Lord Jesus died for man, and that if we believe in Him, we will have joy and peace. Rather, it says that the gospel is the riches of Christ, the all-inclusive One. This Christ is so all-inclusive that His riches are unsearchable, immeasurable, and untraceable.
The gospel preached by Christianity throughout the years has often made us shallow and dull. This is because the gospel in Christianity always begins from the sinners’ side, saying that we are sinners who deserve to perish, that all kinds of disasters and sufferings are upon us today because we are sinful, and that we should repent. This is absolutely true, and these things can all be found in the Bible. However, this is a very elementary and shallow gospel. Christianity today knows how to preach only this kind of gospel and nothing beyond it. If people were asked to advance to preach the gospel of life or the gospel of the kingdom, they would be at a loss. On the whole, people mainly know the gospel of the forgiveness of sins, preaching only that man is sinful but that because of God’s love Christ died for us to redeem us, and if we believe in Him, we will have peace, joy, and everlasting life.
Christianity has not even clearly explained what everlasting life means. Many believe that everlasting life refers to our going to a heavenly mansion after death to enjoy eternal blessings, although they also cannot explain what blessing is. According to the fleshly view, blessing is the entrance into the New Jerusalem to be on a golden street with pearl gates and a wall of precious stones. Christianity has made everlasting life and the New Jerusalem to be things in the physical realm. It does not have the adequate revelation of the gospel.
We must be reminded to have a new and deeper view of the gospel. This does not mean that we no longer acknowledge that we are sinners or that we do not acknowledge that the Lord Jesus died for us. We not only acknowledge that the Lord died for us sinners, but we also treasure and appreciate it. The book of Romans speaks of the gospel, beginning from the shallowest aspect, but even this is deeper than the gospel often found in Christianity; many in Christianity have not seen what Romans speaks of. We may say that the gospel in Romans is “shallow” because it also begins from man’s side. Romans 1 points out that man has fallen, sinned, and forsaken God. God created the heavens, the earth, and all things to testify for Himself so that man can know God through His wonderful works. However, man did not approve of holding God in his full knowledge. Instead, he put God aside and worshipped idols. Therefore, man has fallen in sins. This is what the beginning of Romans speaks of (vv. 20-32).
However, as Romans progresses, it climbs a heavenly ladder, ascending step by step. By chapter sixteen it enters into depths like those in Ephesians. Chapter sixteen concludes by saying that the gospel of God is according to the mystery that has been hidden in eternity, that is, the mystery which has been kept in silence in the times of the ages (v. 25). Romans begins from man’s sins in chapter one and ascends all the way to speak about the mystery hidden in the times of the ages. If we want to know this mystery, we need to read Ephesians. Ephesians does not begin from man’s side but from God’s side, from eternity. Therefore, Ephesians 3 says that Paul not only preached the unsearchable riches of Christ as the gospel but also that he enlightened all concerning the mystery hidden throughout the ages in God, who created all things. This mystery is not only spoken but revealed by enlightenment to all. This mystery is also the mystery in Romans 16.
The New Testament speaks of something called a “mystery.” This mystery first appears in Romans 16 as the mystery of God that has been kept in silence in the times of the ages, which is the totality of the hidden mystery in the New Testament. This mystery was hidden in God from eternity, which has no beginning or end. This mystery that was hidden in God was released to enlighten all in the two Epistles of Ephesians and Colossians. Now we can see that this mystery has two aspects. On the one hand, Christ is the mystery of God, and on the other hand, the church is the mystery of Christ (Eph. 3:4, 9; Col. 2:2; 4:3). Moreover, 1 Timothy 3:16 also says, “Confessedly, great is the mystery of godliness.” Ephesians 5:32 says, “This mystery is great, but I speak with regard to Christ and the church.” First Corinthians 2:7 also mentions “God’s wisdom in a mystery.”
From the preceding verses regarding the mystery, we see that Christ is the mystery of God. However, this may not seem to be personal to us, because the mystery of God concerns the relationship between Christ and God. On the other hand, the church as the mystery of Christ seems to be more personal to us. Still, this depends on whether or not we are living in the church. If we are not living in the church, this mystery also has very little to do with us practically; the church is the church, and we are we, and there is not much connection between the two. The great mystery of godliness mentioned in 1 Timothy is a primary principle, but how much we are related to it is still in question. The wisdom in a mystery in 1 Corinthians 2 is even more mysterious.
There is yet another verse in the Bible which speaks about the mystery hidden in God. This verse is the most substantial and practical one for us. It is Colossians 1:27, which says, “To whom God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” This verse has two versions in the ancient manuscripts. One says “in you,” while the other says “in us.” Both in you and in us are correct because Paul spoke in both ways. This shows us that this mystery is both personal and substantial to us.