Ephesians 3:4 Commentary and Bible Study

What is the mystery of Christ, the secret of Christ? The Greek word translated secret or mystery refers to something which had not been spoken of, or not spoken of very much, up until this point in time. Yes, justification by faith, for example, is in the Old Testament, but it is not as clear as it became in the New Testament. Moses preaches it. But the trouble is that it was surrounded by visual aids, the sacrifices, and we know what happened – the Jews trusted in the sacrifices instead of coming by faith. Instead of reading the law and being convicted by it, they said, ‘Oh, we are God’s special people because he has given us the law.’ They failed to understand what Moses meant when he said, ‘You must the utter the words, “Lord, I believe. I trust in salvation as the free gift of God.”‘ The sacrifices were given as pictures of what Christ would do when he made the great sacrifice and atoned for our sin on Calvary. But they said, ‘Oh no, these sacrifices actually take away sin. We trust in them.’ So it became almost a form of idolatry. Justification by faith was submerged, which should not have happened. But it is much clearer in the New Testament – the mystery of the gospel, the mystery of the kingdom of God, the mystery of grace that God will forgive sinners by Christ coming and suffering and dying for them. The faithful could understand these things in the Old Testament, but they are much clearer in the New. It is so wonderful, it is so unexpected, that God should save souls by grace alone. I can’t earn it; I can’t deserve it! No, it is the free mercy of God, it must come as a gift.Not until Christ was glorified and the Spirit was given was it clear that Christ would indwell his people by his Spirit; that there would be the most intimate and glorious relationship with the living God, the mystery of Christ. That Christ would come is foretold in the Old Testament; that there would be blessing, and intimate blessing with people was foretold also, but the character of the indwelling Christ, this was not explicitly spelt out and so this is something that was a mystery in that sense. It was there in the Old Testament but it was veiled, and now that secret is unveiled clearly in the New Testament. That is the first part, the walk with Christ, the Son of the living God, by his Spirit.‘Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed.’ It was made known, it was all there in the Old Testament, but not ‘as it is now revealed,’ says Paul, by all the apostles and by the inspired prophets of the time, as well as by himself.