The Mystery of Christ
A Sermon on Ephesians 3:2-7
Originally preached Oct. 21, 1956
Scripture
2If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: 3How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, 4Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the …
Sermon Description
What is the mystery of Christ? Why did God wait so long for Him to be revealed? In this sermon on Ephesians 3:2–7 titled “The Mystery of Christ,” Dr. Lloyd-Jones explores the importance and uniqueness of the apostles and the glorious message not revealed until the New Testament. The mystery of the gospel has been revealed and can now be understood. It is not the vague feelings found in mysticism but the one true gospel. Through the recounting of Paul’s imprisonment to the Ephesians, Paul encourages them to stay strong in the faith. That the mystery that has been revealed is true, marvelous, and worth believing above all else. It is worth the imprisonment that Paul is joyfully enduring. They needn’t worry about present circumstances and his imprisonment but should rather glory in their salvation and in the gospel. God’s plan of salvation is a wondrous thing and worth contemplating. No one’s intelligence could ever unravel this wondrous mystery. Dr. Lloyd-Jones soberly reminds the listener that they must be enlightened by the Holy Spirit in order to understand.
Sermon Breakdown
- The apostle Paul is writing to the Ephesians from prison.
- He knows the Ephesians are troubled by his imprisonment.
- Paul wants to reassure the Ephesians and help them understand his role as an apostle.
- Paul says he has been given a "dispensation of the grace of God" to preach to the Gentiles.
- Paul says he received the message of grace directly by revelation from Jesus Christ.
- Paul says God has revealed the "mystery" of the gospel to him and the other apostles.
- The "mystery" refers to a truth that can only be known through God's revelation. It is not vague or indefinite.
- Paul says he and the other apostles have been made "stewards" of the mystery of the gospel. They are responsible for imparting it to others.
- There can be no successors to the apostles. The apostles received direct revelation from Jesus and passed on the authoritative message of the gospel.
- Christians today are dependent on the Scriptures alone for the message of salvation. We can add nothing to or take nothing away from the apostles' teaching.
Sermon Q&A
Questions and Answers from Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones' Sermon on Ephesians 3:2-7
What does Lloyd-Jones explain as the meaning of "dispensation of the grace of God" in Ephesians 3:2?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, the "dispensation of the grace of God" refers to a stewardship that God entrusted to Paul. He explains that God "has entrusted to me a stewardship of this marvelous grace of his. God has appointed me to be one of the custodians and the guardians of this precious favor which he is showing to mankind in the son of his love, our lord and savior, Jesus Christ." It represents the divine appointment and authorization of Paul as an apostle to dispense God's grace to others, particularly to the Gentiles.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones define the biblical concept of "mystery" in this sermon?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that a "mystery" in the New Testament sense is not something vague, indefinite, or mystical. Rather, it is "a technical term" meaning "a truth which, because of its character, can never be attained unto or arrived at by the unaided human intellect or ability." The mystery itself is clear and definite, but it cannot be discovered by human wisdom alone—it must be revealed by God. He emphasizes that "the mystery has been revealed" to the apostles, who then communicate it clearly to others.
What are the essential characteristics of an apostle according to Lloyd-Jones?
According to Lloyd-Jones, an apostle had several essential characteristics: 1. One who was "very definitely and specifically called by God himself by the Lord Jesus Christ" 2. Not appointed by men but directly by God ("not of men, neither by men") 3. Given the power to work miracles and signs as "marks of an apostle" 4. One to whom God gave the message of salvation in a special way 5. One who was a witness of the resurrection 6. One given unique inspiration and authority 7. A steward or custodian of God's mysteries
What does Lloyd-Jones say about apostolic succession in this sermon?
Lloyd-Jones firmly rejects the concept of apostolic succession, stating: "There can be no repetition of an apostle, and that a talk of apostolic succession is simply to deny the scriptural teaching. There can be no successor to the apostles." He explains that since apostles were part of the foundation of the church, and since revelation was given to them once and for all, there cannot be any continuation of the apostolic office. He states, "Our quarrel with Rome and its followers is not political, it's scriptural. They are denying the scripture. They are saying that a foundation can be perpetuated in the wall and can be continued. It's impossible."
Why does Paul remind the Ephesians of truths they already know, according to Lloyd-Jones?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones points out that although Paul assumes the Ephesians know these truths, he reminds them because: "The very essence of good teaching is repetition, because we all think we know things, but if we're examined about them, we discover we don't know them. Not only that, though we may know things theoretically, somehow or another, when we're in trouble and in difficulty, we fail to apply the knowledge." Paul repeats these truths because the Ephesians were troubled about his imprisonment, and he wanted them to see the bigger picture of God's redemptive plan rather than focusing on his personal suffering.
What does Lloyd-Jones identify as the purpose behind Paul's imprisonment digression in Ephesians 3?
Lloyd-Jones explains that Paul digresses to discuss his imprisonment because the Ephesians were "troubled about the fact that he was a prisoner" which "tended to stumble them in their faith." Paul wants to show them how he himself views his imprisonment - not as a tragedy but as part of God's plan. The apostle wants to help them see the bigger picture of God's redemptive work so that "not only...they will not faint at it, but they will even glory in it." Paul is helping them see beyond his personal circumstances to the magnificent work God is doing through him.
How does Lloyd-Jones describe the relationship between human intellect and divine revelation?
Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that human intellect alone is insufficient to understand spiritual truth. He states that Christian truth "is not ordinary knowledge. It is not something that the unaided human intellect can understand and receive without the enlightenment, which the Holy Spirit alone can give." Quoting 1 Corinthians 2, he explains that spiritual truths remain hidden to natural human understanding, no matter how brilliant, until God reveals them through His Spirit. Lloyd-Jones concludes that "we must all become as little children we need the inspiration and the anointing and the unction of the Holy Ghost" to comprehend divine truth.
What does Lloyd-Jones teach about the authority and completeness of Scripture?
Lloyd-Jones teaches that we are "entirely dependent upon the scriptures" and "can know no saving truth apart from what we find here." He emphasizes three key points about Scripture: 1. Nothing can be added to Scripture because revelation only came through apostles and prophets, and there are no more apostles by definition 2. Nothing can be taken away from Scripture - we cannot "pick and choose" what parts to believe 3. Our human intellect cannot judge Scripture - to do so denies the principle of revelation
He concludes that "we are absolutely shut into the New Testament and its teaching" as our sole authority for faith.
The Book of Ephesians
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.