The Mystery of the Gospel

Paul begins as Christ's prisoner for the sake of the Gentiles and says that the stewardship of God's grace was given to him by revelation. The mystery now made known is that Gentiles are fellow heirs, fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

F¹or this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles... ²Surely you have heard about the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for you, ³that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. ⁴In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, ⁵which was not made known to men in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets. ⁶This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are fellow heirs, fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus.

Paul says he became a servant of this gospel by God's grace and power, though he counts himself less than the least of all the saints. He was given grace to preach Christ's unsearchable riches and to bring the mystery into light, so that through the church God's manifold wisdom might now be made known in the heavenly realms according to his eternal purpose, and therefore his readers should not lose heart over his sufferings.

⁷I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace, given me through the working of His power. ⁸Though I am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, ⁹and to illuminate for everyone the stewardship of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. ¹⁰His purpose was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, ¹¹according to the eternal purpose that He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. ¹²In Him and through faith in Him we may enter God’s presence with boldness and confidence. ¹³So I ask you not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory.