Reading Ephesians 1-3 has to be one of the most sustained “thrills” among Paul’s letters. I never noticed before the “reciprocity of revelation” (I can’t think of a better phrase for it) that is described in chapter 3: on the one hand, “revelation” brings the church into being but, on the other, the church itself is the vehicle of “revelation” of divine wisdom in the supernatural realm. Amazing!
To flesh that out just a little: in vv. 7-9 Paul describes how his ministry of the gospel brought light to the Gentiles and brought them into one body with the Jews, both of them together a single people of God (compare v. 6). The “turn” at v. 10 inspires wonder, but it so easily slips by: “so that through the church the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places”. Grammar (the Greek particle hina) is reinforced by content in v. 11. God intended that the church (!) (the church!) should display his wisdom “to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms”!
So revelation (that is, the gospel) brings this church, this one whole new people of God, into being. And then the church in its turn reveals, displays (Calvin says it “mirrors” ) the wisdom of God to supernatural beings.
This reinforces, too, the gravity of the “mystery” revealed to Paul, that is, that Gentiles and Jews are fellow heirs of the promise in Christ (v. 6 again). I don’t think I have ever quite felt the weight of that “mystery”. In fact, something like the opposite has been the case. It seemed a bit of an anticlimax. The mystery surely is more … well, mysterious than just that Jews and Gentiles both can become Christians. However, this only demonstrates a limited understanding and impoverished imagination.
Thinking along with Paul here, and seeing more of what the church means in a cosmic scale, the magnificent passage in 2:11-22 only grows in importance, and the revelation of the mystery of God making one body through the cross (2:16) is truly a marvel.
As a postscript, I note again how this teaching has a “practical” side, and is not just about being or getting it “right”. The revelation of God’s wisdom in and through the church promotes confidence in prayer (3:12) and inspires hope (3:13). No wonder Paul can say in the benediction in vv. 20-21, “…to him be glory in the church [amazing!] and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever.” Amen!
