Hidden in Plain Sight All Along
In Ephesians 3:2-7, the apostle Paul makes a stunning claim that would have shocked his fellow Jews: through Jesus, Gentiles were coheirs of the promises of God along with the Jews. God's secret plan to save the world was a plan hidden in plain sight for generations, now fully revealed in Jesus Christ.
What Is God's "Secret Plan"?
Two words in Ephesians 3:2-7 are worth pausing on. The phrase "responsibility to distribute" comes from the Greek word oikonomia, meaning management, stewardship, the work of putting a household in order. And "secret plan" comes from mysterion, something hidden until it is revealed.
This isn't the kind of mystery you can solve with more information or crack with the right technique. Theologians distinguish between problems, puzzles, and mystery. Problems can be solved if new information is found. Puzzles can be put together if new techniques are employed. But mystery defies either resolution or manipulation, and invites only embrace.
The Plan Revealed: Everyone Is Invited In
So what exactly is this mystery? Simply put: the Gentiles, everyone who isn't part of God's covenant people of Israel, would be incorporated into God's family through Jesus Christ.
God chose to work through a particular people, the people of Israel, to make salvation available to all people. Through them came the Revelation of the one true God, the history of the Passover and Exodus, worship through sacrifice and the Temple, and the promise of a coming Messiah. Through this particular people, God revealed enough for everyone to recognize the moment when salvation would be made available to all.
Now, through Christ, the Gentiles are:
Heirs together with Israel: Jesus came as a member of God's chosen people and as the true Son and heir of God's Kingdom. Now he makes his inheritance available to everyone who would receive him.
Members of the same body: Through Jesus, Jews and Gentiles are part of the same body, the body of Christ, which is the Church. They belong to one another just as all the parts of your body belong together.
Sharers in the promises of God: both promises already fulfilled in Christ and future promises of his return and the renewal of all things.
The Church as a Witness Against Divisive Powers
This unity isn't just beautiful, it's countercultural in the deepest sense. As Paul writes in Ephesians 3:9-11, "God's purpose is now to show the rulers and powers in the heavens the many different varieties of his wisdom through the church."
The "rulers and powers" Paul refers to are spiritual forces opposed to God and God's people, forces that are manifest in a variety of ways in the world around us. Their strategy is to divide and conquer. But a body of believers united across racial, ethnic, linguistic, and national barriers stands as a witness to God's desire for unity among all people.
The word translated "many different varieties" gives the impression of a shape with many sides, faces, and dimensions. In contrast to the powers that divide people or flatten their differences, the wisdom of God is manifest in the unity with diversity of the people of God.
Expect Opposition But Don't Be Discouraged
Because the Church is a witness against these powers, we should expect opposition. Paul himself knew this well. In fact, he opens Ephesians 3 with a stunning Revelation buried in a single line: "This is why I, Paul, am a prisoner of Christ for you Gentiles" (Ephesians 3:1).
Paul is writing this entire letter from prison. His witness to the saving work of Christ was so effective it landed him in serious trouble. Yet far from seeing this as a burden, Paul calls his mission grace: "God gave his grace to me, the least of all God's people, to preach the good news about the immeasurable riches of Christ to the Gentiles" (Ephesians 3:8).
He considers himself blessed to have been so effective in carrying out his mission that he ran afoul of the principalities and powers. And he reassures those who might be discouraged by his suffering: "I ask you not to become discouraged by what I'm suffering for you, which is your glory" (Ephesians 3:13).
Even in the midst of opposition, God's plan is still being carried out, and God's Kingdom is still advancing because the powers of this world have already been defeated.
The Strength We Need
So how do we keep going? Paul points us to this: "In Christ we have bold and confident access to God through faith in him" (Ephesians 3:12).
We don't need to be timid in going to God. We don't need to fear that God will greet us with, "You again? Can't you figure this out on your own?" No, we can turn to God at all times with boldness and confidence, knowing that God loves us and cares for us, and that God's greatest desire is to strengthen us by His Spirit for the mission he has entrusted to us.
Putting It Into Practice
Paul closes Ephesians 3 with one of the most famous prayers in the entire Bible (Ephesians 3:14-21), praying that we would be strengthened in our inner selves through the Spirit, that Christ would live in our hearts through faith, and that we would know "the love of Christ that is beyond knowledge so that you will be filled entirely with the fullness of God."
Here's how we can live this out:
Embrace the mystery. God's plan of salvation isn't a puzzle to be solved, it's a gift to be received. Come to it with openness and wonder.
Live as a witness. The way we treat people across racial, ethnic, and national lines is itself a testimony to the world about who God is and what he is doing.
Expect opposition and don't be surprised by it. When living out God's purposes creates friction, that's not a sign that God has abandoned you. It may be a sign you're doing something right.
Become a person of prayer. If we're going to carry out God's mission, it starts on our knees, depending on his strength not our own.
Reflection
Take a few quiet moments with these questions.
Paul describes himself as "the least of all God's people," yet he was entrusted with distributing God's grace to the world. How does your own sense of unworthiness either hold you back from or draw you deeper into the mission God has for you?
The Church is called to be a witness to the principalities and powers by living in unity across every dividing line the world tries to draw. Where do you see those dividing lines most clearly in your own life, community, or church? What would it look like to actively resist them?
Paul was in prison when he wrote these words and he called it grace. When have you faced opposition or difficulty because of your faith? Did you experience it as a sign of God's abandonment, or as a sign of faithful witness? What shaped that perspective?
Eugene Peterson wrote that kneeling in prayer is "a position of willed submission," a moment when we set our own agenda aside and become present to God. How would you describe your current posture in prayer, bold and confident, or hesitant and distant? What might need to change?
Application
Paul didn't just know God's secret plan, he was entrusted with distributing it. The same is true for you. You have been brought into God's family, made part of his body, and given a share in his promises. That is not just good news to hold onto, it is good news to give away.
This week, choose one of the following ways to live out your role as a witness to God's plan:
Pursue unity. Intentionally reach across a dividing line, racial, political, generational, or otherwise, and invest in a relationship that reflects the unity God is building in his Church.
Speak up. Share with one person, a friend, coworker, or neighbor, what it means to you that God's plan of salvation is open to everyone, not just those who seem to have it all together.
Kneel. Literally. Set aside time this week to pray on your knees. Let the posture of your body reinforce the posture of your heart, one of dependence on God's strength, not your own.
Whatever opposition you face as you step out in faith, remember: the powers of this world have already been defeated. God is still at work, and he is able to do far beyond all that we could ask or imagine by his power at work within us.
Prayer
Father God, I kneel before you and ask that you strengthen my inner self through the riches of your glory in the Spirit. As a result of having strong roots in love, I ask that you give me the power to grasp love's width and length, height and depth, together with all believers. Fill me with the love of Christ that is beyond knowledge. God, you are able to do far beyond all that I could ask or imagine; all glory be to you in the church and in Christ Jesus for all generations, forever and always. Amen
