In today’s first reading Paul talks about mystery: “You have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for your benefit, namely, that the mystery was made known to me by revelation.” A mystery is not a problem to be solved but the plan and will of God. While we can come to know God through nature we only come to a full knowledge of God through the mystery of the incarnation, the Word becoming flesh and dwelling among us. The mystery of Christ reveals the great love of God who welcomes all and excludes no one. Paul expresses this revealed mystery in this way: “Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same Body and copartners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the Gospel.” So, there are not two separate groups of Jews and Gentiles but all are one.
Paul goes on to explain that this mystery reveals the grace of God. We are joined together as “coheirs,” “co-members” of the Body of Christ, and “copartners” in the promise. Paul explains that this unity comes about through God. Even Paul’s call to preach to the Gentiles comes about not through his own initiative but through the grace of God: “this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the inscrutable riches of Christ, and to bring to light for all what is the plan of the mystery.” Paul was a zealous preacher of the Gospel and even opposed his fellow apostles when he didn’t think that they were following the “truth of the Gospel.” He received the Gospel not from other human beings but from a revelation: “Now I want you to know that the gospel preached by me is not of human origin. For I did not receive it from a human being, nor was I taught it, but it came through a revelation of Jesus Christ.” (Galatians 1:11-12).
The mystery, is the Gospel that Paul preaches. It proclaims that God’s will is to save all people. We do not and cannot earn this salvation, it is a gift from God. “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not from you; it is the gift of God; it is not from works, so no one may boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9). We are called and challenged to receive this gift and to live as gifted and graced people.
Image: “God” by niso.russian is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.