Ephesians 3:9 Commentary and Bible Study

The modern versions all sadly go after another manuscript reading which says – ‘and to make all men see what is the dispensation of the mystery’. And that makes much less sense, and the King James Version and the older versions all go for the more authentic reading which says, ‘the fellowship of the mystery.’Well, what does that mean? ‘The fellowship of the mystery.’ It means this – the now openly shared mystery. What was a mystery? Well it was spoken of in the Old Testament, how Christ would come and atone for sins – exactly what he would do. It was spoken of in the Old Testament that the Gentiles would be converted and would be in the church of Christ – elect Jews saved by grace, elect Gentiles saved by grace, one body together. It was there but it was obscure. And now that mystery, that secret is wide open and we can speak of the fellowship of the mystery. It is available for all and can be openly declared: the end of the priesthood and so on. The great things that were a mystery in the Old Testament are not only open now, but they are shared. So Paul uses this generous language – and to make all men, Jews and Gentiles see what is the openly shared nature of the mystery ‘which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ.’