I. Context and background to the epistle
II. What is the Biblical definition of a mystery?
A. What it is not
B. What it is: something unknown and undiscoverable by man, the
knowledge of which comes by
Divine disclosure
1. Revealed to the “least of all the saints”
2. Mysteries revealed in the New Testament
a. 1 Cor 1:27-30
3. The meaning of Old Testament prophecies
were hidden
1 Peter 1:10-12
4. Revelation comes from God according to
His good pleasure
a. Gal 1:13-16
b. 2 Cor 4:6
c. Eph 1:7-9
III. The Mystery Revealed (3:6)
In Christ Jesus, through the Gospel, gentiles are now to become fellow-heirs (with Israel),members of the same body, and sharers in the same promise.
A. That which Paul wrote earlier (3:3-4)
1. Eph 2:11-17
B. An unimpressive solution to the mystery
… or is it?
1. Why it seems unimpressive in the year 2010
2. How unlikely it is that a gentile
should get saved?
a. Rom 1:16
b. Jn 3:16
3. When did God begin to care for the nations?
a. The examples of Naaman and
the Canaanite widow
b. Isaiah passages (25:7, 52:15, 55:5)
c. Zech 2:11-12
d. Mal 1:11
C. Fellow-heirs, Fellow-members,
Fellow-partakers
1. This is why Paul was hated by the Jews
a. The Jews, as all people, preferred a works
based system of salvation
b. What are you trusting in?
D. Satan’s plan through the ages to introduce
works in the salvation plan
1. Judaisers, Catholicism, Arminianism
2. God’s eternal decrees are meant for you joy!
IV. Application
A. Be directed to Christ … not yourself
B. Share this mystery with other who
do not already know it
C. Why are you then still captivated
by mysteries?
