The Mystery That Found Us: Ephesians
As I was going through my notes, I realized that Ephesians is the letter I’ve written about more than any other Pauline letter — and for good reason. It’s tied to one of the most remarkable fellowships in the early church. This was the fellowship Mary, the mother of Jesus, belonged to. It’s where John the Revelator fellowshipped until he was dispatched to the island of Patmos. It’s this very fellowship that urged him to write down his story about Jesus — the Gospel of John — since he was the last living apostle. From Ephesus, he also penned the three letters that bear his name (1st, 2nd, and 3rd John). And because of this same fellowship, Paul’s letters to Timothy were written.
Ephesus, therefore, wasn’t just another congregation; it was a thriving, influential body of believers — a nerve center of faith. Even today, the ruins of that church and what’s believed to be the grave of Mary still stand, echoing the legacy of a community that truly embodied the gospel.
This time round, as I read through Ephesians, my attention was drawn to one word — “mystery.” This word appears six times in the letter. In a general sense, mystery refers to something hidden or beyond human understanding. But Paul used it differently. He was saying, “What I’m about to share can’t be found in black and white in the old writings. It’s there — but we missed it for so long that only through revelation and fulfillment could we now see it.”
It was a divine unveiling as the curtain in the temple was torn in two — a symbol that what was once closed off was now open. “For He Himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility...” (Ephesians 2:14). No longer was the Holy of Holies accessible only to priests, but now open to all — Jews and the rest of humanity. This was a hard saying for any religious Jew.
Ephesians, in many ways, reads like Paul’s defense for his mission among the Gentiles — a very diplomatic explanation of why the gospel had to go beyond the Jewish boundary. He couldn’t just blurt it out; it was a truth that had to be landed gently on the hearts of Jews.
So he began:
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ... With all wisdom and understanding, He made known to us the mystery of His will according to His good pleasure, which He purposed in Christ...”
— Ephesians 1:3–14
In this opening, Paul subtly points out two groups of believers — those who FIRST put their hope in Christ (the Jews) and those who were later INCLUDED (the Gentiles). The seed of Abraham and the seed of other nations — united at last. Most believers in Ephesus were Gentiles — watu wa mataifa mengine kando na Wayahudi — so this message hit home deeply.
Paul called this revelation a mystery because it wasn’t a new idea, but a long-hidden one. God’s Spirit was the seal of this inclusion — proof that Gentiles were also accepted by God. Without that seal, the Jerusalem Council would have had every reason to excommunicate Peter and the others who dared to bring Gentiles into the fold.
But Paul pressed on:
“Surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given to me for you, that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation... This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.”
— Ephesians 3:2–9
Here Paul clarifies several things:
- This mystery was entrusted to him by God’s grace.
- He understood it through revelation.
- Other apostles received the same insight.
- It must be administered well by those who understand it.
And what’s the mystery?
Simply this — you don’t have to be a Jew to be a friend of God. The Gentiles don’t have to go through the Jews, and the Jews don’t have to go through human priests.
That was a hard saying. For many Jews, it was actually offensive. They had missed the fuller promise to Abraham — that through him ALL NATIONS would be blessed (Genesis 12:3). God had even proved His mercy when He blessed Ishmael, the so-called illegitimate child. This was the hidden thread — the mystery — that remained unrecognized for generations.
Preaching this truth among the Jews was no easy task. Paul often faced hostility, yet he carried the assignment faithfully. Toward the end of his letter, he pleaded:
“Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains.”
— Ephesians 6:19–20
It’s this same mystery that reached me (a Kamba) — that brought me into the fold of God. A mystery that destroyed the wall dividing Jew and Gentile, insider and outsider, and created one new humanity in Christ.
“But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ... His purpose was to create in Himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace.”
— Ephesians 2:13–16
That’s the heartbeat of the gospel — that ALL PEOPLE, regardless of tribe, race, or background, might be reconciled to God through Christ.
But Paul didn’t just reveal the mystery; he built the entire letter around it. The mystery is the core of Ephesians, and around it are three layers: who you are in that mystery, how to walk in it, and how to fight for it.
- Chapters 1 to 4:32 focus on who you are in Christ — the phrase “in Christ” appears 13 times, reminding believers of their new identity.
- Chapters 5 to 6:9 teach how to walk — how to live out that revelation in relationships, purity, and daily conduct.
- Chapter 6:10 to the end, Paul explains how to fight — how to war for what you’ve received, putting on the full armor of God to stand firm.
So we pray for those still called to make this mystery known among the nations — including those still unreached in our generation. May they, and we, do it fearlessly as we should.
Because the mystery didn’t just find Paul.
It found us — in Mukundi, in Nairobi, in every village where His name is now known.
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