Ephesians 1:9 - Printer Friendly

ESV: making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ

NIV: he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ,

NASB: He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He set forth in Him,

CSB: He made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he purposed in Christ

NLT: God has now revealed to us his mysterious will regarding Christ — which is to fulfill his own good plan.

KJV: Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:

NKJV: having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself,

Part of God's wisdom (Ephesians 1:8) was to reveal or "make known" to believers "the mystery of his will." Paul uses "mystery" more in Ephesians than anywhere else in Scripture (Ephesians 3:3, 4, 6, 9; 5:32; 6:19). This concept is often misunderstood. Paul's focus is not on some mystical or self-contradictory approach, but simply on something which had been unknown in the past. In this case, a mystery of the past has now been revealed, with Gentiles coming to faith through the coming and resurrection of Christ (1 Corinthians 15:3–11).

This revealed mystery is also "according to his purpose." Paul had already referred to "purpose" in verse 5 and will mention it again in verse 11. In Ephesians 3:11 Paul talks about God's "eternal purpose," while in Ephesians 6:22 Paul speaks of his own purpose in sending Tychicus to encourage his readers. God's purpose referred to in Ephesians 3:9 was "set forth in Christ." It was not of human creation or wisdom. Only God could design and implement such an amazing, well-orchestrated plan to bring forth His plans and ultimately bring greater glory to Himself.

Ephesians 1:3–14 praises God for the blessings He has provided. Paul ties together the ideas of predestination, God's glory, the salvation of His people, and the rights we have as children of God. In particular, believers are blessed because God chose, before creation, to save us. That salvation came at a great cost: the death of Jesus Christ. As children of God, we can be confident that God will give us what He has promised: namely, an eternity with Him in heaven.

The first chapter of Ephesians contains two main passages. The first describes the blessings Christians have been given as a result of our salvation through Christ. Paul explains these through praises directed to God the Father. The second section both commends the Ephesians for their reputation, and prays that Christ would bring them into an even fuller and more aware faith.

The first three chapters of Ephesians are doctrinal, while the last three are practical. Chapter 1 establishes Paul's view on the value of our salvation in Christ, and the blessings we obtain from it. He does this in the form of praise, directed at God, and describing in detail what it means to have an inheritance in heaven. Later chapters will build on these ideas as Paul connects who we are in Christ to how we should live as Christians.

Ephesians follows a theme common in Paul's writings: connecting theory with practice. In this book, however, he goes into greater depth before making the transition. As a letter meant to be read by more than just the believers at Ephesus, this is an important look at how Christian belief should translate into Christian action. The first three chapters lay out spiritual ideas, the last three chapters show how these truths should be applied in the life of a mature believer. Paul focuses heavily on love, the unity of the Christian church, and the incredible value of our salvation through Christ.