Ephesians (continued) trusteeship had been given to Paul in Order that he might dispense it to the Gentiles. The household of God must be managed according to a par ticular plan; therefore it -was a high honor betowed upon Paul when God entrusted His plan to him.” The apos tle was a steward, holding something in trust for another. In this case he held in trust the divine bestowal of saving grace to the Gentiles. The prime requisite of a steward is “that a man be found faithful” (I Cor. 4:1, 2), hence the Apostle Peter writes: “As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God” (I Peter 4:10). Every gift is a trust from God and must be exercised according to divine plan. Thus Paul recognized the source and character of his mission as well as the responsibility to faithfulness. Under what circumstances did the apostle receive this truth? Paul him self says: “. . . by revelation He made known unto me the mystery” (3:3). A special dispensation had been ar ranged by God which included Paul. It was planned in past eternity, and Paul writes: “It pleased God, who sep arated me from my mother’s womb, and called me by His grace, to reveal His Son in me . . .” (Gal. 1:15, 16). “A mystery (hitherto unrevealed truth),” so says Pink, “cannot be found out by the searching of men. God alone must reveal it. Human wisdom never stumbled on such a plan. A veil of secrecy had covered the truth of the dispensation of grace to the Gentiles until God revealed it in Paul’s day. The apostle reminds them that he men tioned the mystery ‘afore in few words,’ referring, I take it, to his words in 1:9. The subject received only a pass ing notice in the early part of the epistle ‘but, because of its source (reve lation from God) and Paul’s steward ship, he will now plead its cause the more earnestly. He felt that God had highly honored him in the divine ap pointment and special commission to preach His grace to the heathen.”
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This revelation was not vouchsafed to Paul that he might merely ponder it in His own heart but, he continues: “Whereby, when ye read, ye may un derstand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ” (3:4). What earnest watch fulness Paul displayed over the saints of God! The body of truth in his posses sion must be passed on to others; the world must know. There was no time to be lost. Others must not read it merely but understand it as well. May God give unto the ministers and teach ers of His Word such earnestness and fervency of spirit that none will rest until every eager listener 'has ai clear understanding of the divine message. The message is “the mystery of Christ,” which means that it all centers in the Person and work of the risen and as cended Lord. It is Christ Himself who composes the body of believing Jews and Gentiles. To prepare Paul for this ministry God had given to him a super natural revelation, and now he must not rest until men hear and understand its meaning. When we will not allow anything to overshadow the blessed work of God, then are we His servants indeed. The writer of these lines has been guilty of repeating truth when he himself did not understand, much less was able to make it plain to others; but when Paul preached and wrote, he did it as a divinely-inspired man who comprehended the subject under dis cussion and had a right to be heard. This mystery “in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto His holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit” 34
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