“That I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ.” (Ephesians 3:8b) When it was revealed to Paul and the other apostles “that the Gentiles should be fellowheirs and of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ by the Gospel,” it blew the doors wide open to world missions.
Perhaps we tend to read this revelation in the book of Ephesians (3:6) like a 2000 year old newspaper. It is well known to us now in the 21st century that Gentiles can be Christians, as by now many have come and gone, and here we are today. We even may wonder why it was such an amazing revelation to people like the great apostle.
But it’s a big deal, and it will do us well to catch Paul’s incredulity – and vision.
Part of the reason we think it shouldn’t have been such big news is that in the book of Isaiah we read a few passages about the servant of the Lord being a light to the Gentiles, and even back to the time of Abraham, we find God saying to Abraham that in his seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.
We today know what that means – salvation for all people. Even in times before the Apostles, it was known that it was possible for a Gentile to become a part of the covenant people of God. But he must come in a specific way: He must become a Jew, a proselyte. He must submit to circumcision, and to the laws and ceremonies God had given the Jews through Moses.
This was proper. After all, God had given the Jews these laws and commands because all of them, in some way, pointed forward to Christ. If Christ was to be the only way of salvation, then it would be fitting in the days of the Old Covenant that pointed forward to Christ, that one come to Christ through that Old Covenant and not otherwise, because that is the avenue God ordained.
But when Jesus came, He abolished all of these commands and rites that defined Judaism, not by changing His mind about them, but by fulfilling them. He to whom they had pointed had now come. The shadows gave way to the person who cast them, and He proclaimed, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No man cometh unto the Father but by me.” (John 14:6).
Yet it was unheard of among the initial Jewish believers that people could come into the fellowship of the household of God apart from the old Jewish way. Man wouldn’t have guessed it. It was a mystery.
But Paul had come to understand the Gospel. He wrote to the Romans, “(But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; {22} Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: {23} For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; {24} Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” Rom 3:21-24)
Without the law!
Peter received a vision from God to eat unclean animals, and an instruction from God to go to the unclean Gentile, Cornelius. “What God has cleansed, that call thou not common,” God said.
Peter went, preached the Gospel to Cornelius, and the Holy Spirit came upon him as He had upon the disciples at Pentecost. When Peter reported it to the Christians in Jerusalem, he said, “Who was I that I could withstand God?”
To the folks in Jerusalem it was like, Well, what do you know?! “Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life!” they said, as the truth dawned on them.
OK, wait a minute, now. What did that mean?
It meant open your eyes. Turn around and quit looking only at that small corner you’ve been staring at as if that’s all there is, and recognize that behind you is a whole world full of ears waiting to hear the message.
It meant look now at this gloriously simple Gospel message that can set them free from their sins and from the devil’s stronghold and can transform them into children of God – no Old Testament rites and ceremonies necessary!
It meant look at this privilege we now have to proclaim that simple and powerful message to those vast companies of people! Paul comprehended it and he said, “Whereof I was made a minister! … Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ.”
That the Gentiles have been granted repentance unto life means the same opportunity, ministry and privilege today. Through world-wide evangelism the souls of millions can be freed from the kingdom of darkness and transferred into the kingdom of light.
Back in the days of Job the sneering devil seemed to think God didn’t really have anybody he could keep from siding with the devil if the right pressure were placed upon him. He taunted God, “But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he [Job] hath, and he will curse thee to thy face.” (Job 1:11)
God allowed Satan to do what he had asked. But Job didn’t curse. It’s a long, hard story, but when it was over, God won! Job was faithful. Satan didn’t have quite the control he thought he did! There indeed was a man who would trust his Redeemer all the way through.
But there was more victory to be achieved. Fast forward to Calvary, where the prophecy was fulfilled: The Seed of the woman bruised the head of the serpent. Mass deliverance happened there! The sin of the world was atoned. Multitudes and multitudes have now been freed as the simple message of the Gospel, which had been a mystery, has been proclaimed around the world from that day to this. And in the heavenly realms, the manifold wisdom of God continues to awe the principalities and powers. The angels rejoice as the Gospel brings transformation to a lost sinner, and God, in all His saving power and glory is honored and praised as generation after generation of the redeemed pass from this life into eternal glory while the stupefied devil looks on.
God’s victory was overwhelming, the deliverance He accomplished is available to all, and it is now our privilege to bring this gospel to the nations. May God be glorified in His church also in this generation, by using our efforts in World Missions to rescue precious souls and to swell the number whose redeemed lives will proclaim to all principalities and powers the manifold wisdom of God.
Jim Fugleberg
World Missions Committee Member
