“Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:”
My Notes
What Does Ephesians 1:9 Mean?
Paul reveals God's disclosure of his hidden plan: having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself.
Having made known (gnorizo — to cause to know, to reveal what was previously hidden) unto us — God revealed. The mystery was hidden. Now it is known — not discovered by human investigation but disclosed by divine initiative. God made it known. The knowing is a gift, not an achievement.
The mystery (musterion) of his will — a mystery in Paul's usage is not something unknowable. It is something previously hidden that has now been revealed. The mystery is of his will (thelema — God's desire, God's determined purpose). The plan that God kept hidden through the ages is now unveiled — and the content is his will: what God has decided to do.
According to his good pleasure (eudokia — delight, satisfaction, the happy resolve of a pleased will) — the revelation was not forced or reluctant. It flowed from God's good pleasure — his satisfied, delighted, joyful determination. God took pleasure in the revealing. The unveiling of the mystery was a happy act — the delight of a Father sharing his plan with his children.
Which he hath purposed (protithemi — to set before, to plan in advance, to purpose beforehand) in himself (en auto — in himself, within his own being) — the purpose originated in God alone. In himself — no external influence. No committee. No consultation with creation. The plan was conceived, designed, and purposed within the self-contained will of God. The mystery that is now revealed was always planned — from within God, by God, according to God's own delight.
The mystery's content is revealed in v.10: that in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth. The hidden plan is cosmic unification: everything gathered together under Christ's headship. Heaven and earth. Jew and Gentile. All things — in one, in Christ. The mystery of God's will is that the fractured universe will be reunited under one head: the Son.
The verse establishes that the gospel is not a reaction to human sin. It is the revelation of a plan that existed in God before anything else existed — purposed in himself, designed in delight, revealed in grace.
Reflection Questions
- 1.What does a 'mystery' mean in Paul's usage — and how does it differ from something unknowable?
- 2.How does the plan being purposed 'in himself' establish that the gospel is not a reaction to human sin but a pre-creation plan?
- 3.What does God's 'good pleasure' in the revealing communicate about his emotional posture toward sharing the gospel?
- 4.How does the mystery's content (v.10: gathering all things in Christ) describe the ultimate destination of God's plan — and where do you fit in it?
Devotional
Having made known unto us the mystery of his will. Made known. The mystery — the plan God kept hidden through ages and generations — has been unveiled. Not figured out by human wisdom. Made known — by God, through grace, to people who could never have discovered it on their own. The knowing is a gift. The mystery was his to keep. The revealing was his to give.
The mystery of his will. God has a will. A determined purpose. A plan that encompasses everything — and the plan was hidden. For centuries. Through the patriarchs, the prophets, the law, the exile. Hidden — present but unrevealed, operative but invisible. And now, in Christ, the mystery is disclosed: this is what God has been doing all along.
According to his good pleasure. The revealing was not reluctant. It was joyful. God took pleasure in making the mystery known. The good pleasure — the happy, satisfied delight of a Father sharing his greatest secret with his children. The revelation of the gospel is not a grim necessity. It is a delighted disclosure: God is glad to show you what he planned.
Which he hath purposed in himself. In himself. Before anything else existed. Before creation. Before humanity. Before sin. God purposed — within himself, from himself, by himself — the plan that the gospel now reveals. The mystery was not a response to human failure. It was a plan that preceded human existence. The gospel is older than the universe. The purpose was set before the first star was lit.
The content (v.10): gathering together all things in Christ. Heaven and earth. Jew and Gentile. The fractured universe — broken by sin, divided by rebellion — reunited under one head. Christ. Everything that is scattered, God is gathering. Everything that is divided, God is uniting. The mystery of his will is cosmic reconciliation — and the center is Christ.
The plan was purposed in God. The plan was revealed in Christ. The plan is being accomplished through the gospel. And the plan includes you — known, revealed, delighted in, purposed before the world began.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
Having made known unto us the mystery of his will,.... The Gospel, which is a mystery, a hidden mystery, the mystery of…
Having made known to us the mystery of his will - The word “mystery” (μυστήριον mustērion) means literally something…
Having made known unto us the mystery - That the Gentiles should ever be received into the Church of God, and have all…
He begins with thanksgivings and praise, and enlarges with a great deal of fluency and copiousness of affection upon the…
Having made known An aorist participle. The time-reference is to the actual revelation of the Gospel. Cp. e.g. Rom 3:21;…
Cross References
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