THE MYSTERY OF CHRIST
Ephesians 3.2-5
What actually Paul meant by words, "My inside into the Mystery of Christ?" First of all Paul is the master of suspense, symbolism, and presentation of the imagery in metaphors. Paul usually starting from the things that hard to understand at first and then slow rolled out the meaning and the substance of the subject of his concern.
In these verses very clear that the Mystery of Christ the Paul talking about is his personal knowledge of revelation that made known to him from GOD, and he did wrote about it before (2-3), and in following verse 4 Paul wrote that by reading his knowledge that he had received from GOD, his readers will understand his insight into Mystery of Christ.
In the next verse 5, Paul reveals that his knowledge of the Mystery of Christ has not been revealed to the previous generation, it means to those who lived before Christ, as it now revealed to GOD'S holy Apostles and Prophets in the Spirit of GOD.
So, what the actually a Mystery of Christ Apostle Paul is talking about? In verse 6 Paul reveal that the Mystery of Christ is His Gospel of Spiritual Commandments of the Law of Moses.
It seems that revealing of the Gospel was conducted differently before Christ than under Christ, and for good reason. The definition of the Gospel reveals itself in the written Spiritual Commandments of the Law of Moses which before Christ was given very little attention because only few men of GOD teach it to the masses, and because of it people had more concern for Rituals, Customs, and Ceremonies of the Law instead of Spiritual Commandments - the Gospel of the Law.
But Christ did the opposite, He introduced and teach only Spiritual Commandments - the Gospel of the Law of Moses and make comparisons of it with earthly life and with Kingdom of GOD in His numerous parables and examples, so people might understood the Principals and Ideals of the Spirituality of Law - the Gospel of the Law and the Spirituality of GOD Himself Who live in His Own Spiritual World.
This have never been happen before, and because of it the Mystery of Jesus Christ has been revealed in full, that Jesus Christ is the long waited Messiah, the Son of GOD, the Sacrificial Lamb for humanity, the King of the World, and the Saver of mankind, Who came from ancient prophesies written about Him, and when He came to humankind, He brought with Him the New Covenant for the world, promised long ago in the Old Covenant, which is the Gospel of Spiritual Commandments of the Law of Moses, in order to turn people from the Ritualistic worship and service of GOD to a Spiritual worship and service of GOD, in order to prepare people Spiritually for GOD and for the entrance into Spiritual World of His Spiritual Kingdom.
~ Promised New Covenant in the Old Covenant: Isaiah 40.9, 41.27, 42.6, 49.8, 52.7, 54.10, 60.6, 61.1) (Jeremiah 31.31-34, 32.37-41) (Ezekiel 16.59-60.62) (Nahum 1.15) (Malachi 3.1) (Mark 14.24) (Matthew 26.27-28) (Luke 1.19, 2.10, 4.18, 22.20) (Acts 8.12, 13.32) (Romans 11.26-27)(1Peter 4.5-6) (Galatians 3.8) (Hebrews 4.2.6, 8.6-13).
Paul also call Jesus Christ as the Administration of the Mystery (8) to let the readers understand that Jesus Christ is the Administrator of the New Covenant - the Gospel that He did made with His people Israel and with the people of the world and by this presented Himself as the Ruler and the King of the new Covenant that He had made with the entire humanity.
DO NOT LOSE HEART
Ephesians 3.13
13. Therefore, I ask you not to *lose heart at any tribulations on your behalf, they (my tribulations) are your glory.
~ 13. *Lose heart. Looking back. Shrinks back: (Luke 9.62) (Ephesians 3.12) (Hebrews 10.38) (Psalm 119.113) (Ecclesiast 5.4).
This is very important verse, because it revealed unstable, unbalanced, and weak character and personality of human beings. Christ number of times preached in some His parables about this particular issue and warned about false enthusiasm of some who pretended to be a follower of Christ and show himself or herself as dedicated Christian, but in actuality such people live according to the principals and fundamentals of this earthly, secular, and godless world.
Of course we cannot recognize and to know who is real and true Christian and who is false and fake "Christian," but those who received GOD'S Spirit and like Apostles, Paul, and all in whom dwells the Holy Spirit of the Lord, they can instantly and easily recognize all false and fake "Christian" and make certain adjustments, change, and alterations in the church in order to separate "wheat" from "weeds and thorns." As it written in the quotes, such people do not inherit the Kingdom of GOD, because they are unreliable and double minded.
CHRIST DWELL IN YOUR HEART
Ephesians 3.17
17. So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through (your) faith (John 14.23) (Romans 8.9-11) (2Corinthians 13.5) (Ephesians 3.17) and that you being rooted and grounded in love,
This verse does not need in any special explanations, meaning of which goes though out entire Bible as the most important aspect of being a true Christian. Such people in whose spirit dwells the Holy Spirit of GOD also called as saints (18) which means the holy people. The ingredient for such holy condition is only few, Faith, Hope, and most important of all, Love (1Corinthians 13.13).
Verse 19 also explains the superiority, advantage, and dominance of Love above all other Spiritual Qualities and Properties of the spirit. In other words, those who love Christ surpasses knowledge of the Scripture, and lifted up to the Spiritual fullness of GOD.
Whoever love GOD, His Commandments, and the neighbor, fulfill the entire Law (Romans 13.8-10) (Galatians 5.6.14.22-23). So, the written knowledge of the Law no longer necessary for those who have true Love, and the physical written Law became overshadowed by Spiritual Love, which is the combination of all Spiritual Qualities and subsequently fulfillment of entire written Law of Moses.
Here are some examples of explanations and descriptions of Love.
1Corinthians 2.9
9. "But just as it is written, 'Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, and which have not entered the heart of man, all that GOD has prepared for those who love Him.'
Isaiah 64.4
4. "From the old they have not heard, nor perceived by ear, neither has the eye seen a god besides You, who acts in behalf of the one who waits for him."
Psalm 91.14-16
14. "Because he has loved Me, therefore, I will deliver him, I will set him securely on high, because he has known My name.
15. He will call upon Me and I will answer him in trouble, I will rescue him and honor him.
16. With a long life I will satisfy him, and let him behold My salvation."
1Corinthians 13.1-8
1. "If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong, or a clanging cymbal.
2. And if I have the gift of prophecy, and know all the mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.
3. And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I deliver my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.
4. Love is patient, love is kind, and is not jealous, love does not brag, and is not arrogant,
5. does not act unbecomingly, it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong,
6. does not rejoice in unrighteousness but rejoiced with the truth,
7. bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8. Love never fails, but if there are gifts of prophesy, they will be done away, if there are tongues, they will cease, if there is knowledge, it will be done away."
