Biblical Mysteries
Another of God’s hidden truths or mysteries was His intention to include Gentiles in His redemptive provision provided in the sending of His Son into the world. In His wisdom, God chose Paul, a devout Jew, to be a leading instrument of setting forth this intention to include Gentiles in His family.
A primary passage that sets forth this revealed mystery is Ephesians 3:1–12, in which that purpose is expressed: “that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel” (v. 6). We note the inclusive ideas expressed in the phrases “fellow heirs,” “same body” and “partakers.”
Paul came to understand this to be God’s longstanding plan that was brought to light when this mystery was made known, terming it a mystery that “in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets” (3:5). Paul pursued his ministry with the conviction that his evangelizing to Gentiles was “according to the gift of the grace of God given to me by the effective working of His power” (3:7).
The inclusion of Gentiles did not mean the exclusion of Jews. Paul understood the gospel of Christ to be “the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek” (Rom. 1:16).
At the time of Paul’s conversion, God met the reluctance of Ananias to go to Paul with these words, “Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings and the children of Israel” (Acts 9:15).
Later, when Paul and Barnabas encountered resistance on the part of Jews in Antioch, the two missionary preachers responded by saying, “It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first; but since you reject it, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles. For so the Lord has commanded us: I have set you as a light to the Gentiles” (Acts 13:46–47).
God’s eternal plan
When God completes His eternal plan that the gospel should be for all persons everywhere, the vision John saw in Revelation 5 with its new song will pay honor and praise to Christ, saying, “For You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and have made us kings and priests to our God; and we shall reign on the earth” (5:9–10).
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