And He has made known to us the mystery of His willThis phrase highlights the revelation of God's divine plan, previously hidden but now disclosed to believers. The "mystery" refers to truths that were once concealed but are now revealed through Christ. In biblical context, a mystery is not something unknowable but something once hidden and now revealed by God. This aligns with
Colossians 1:26-27, where Paul speaks of the mystery hidden for ages but now revealed to the saints. The mystery involves the inclusion of Gentiles into God's covenant, a radical shift from the Jewish-centric view of God's promises.
according to His good pleasure
This indicates that the revelation of His will is not due to human merit but is a result of God's sovereign and gracious choice. It reflects God's benevolent nature and His desire to share His plans with humanity. This aligns withPhilippians 2:13, where it is stated that God works in believers to will and to act according to His good purpose. The phrase underscores the grace and kindness of God in revealing His plans to us.
which He purposed in Christ
This phrase emphasizes that God's plan is centered in Christ. The purpose of God is fulfilled and realized in Jesus, who is the focal point of God's redemptive work. This connects toEphesians 3:11, which speaks of the eternal purpose accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. Theologically, it underscores the centrality of Christ in God's plan of salvation, highlighting that all things are brought together under Christ. This also reflects the typology of Christ as the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies and promises, serving as the ultimate revelation of God's will.
Persons / Places / Events
1.
Paul the ApostleThe author of the letter to the Ephesians, Paul was a key figure in the early Christian church, known for his missionary journeys and theological teachings.
2.
The Church in EphesusThe recipients of the letter, the Ephesian church was a significant early Christian community located in a major city of the Roman Empire.
3.
ChristCentral to the passage, Christ is the one in whom God's will is purposed and revealed.
4.
God the FatherThe one who reveals the mystery of His will, acting according to His good pleasure.
5.
The Mystery of God's WillRefers to the divine plan of salvation and unity in Christ, previously hidden but now revealed to believers.
Teaching Points
Understanding God's WillGod's will is not meant to be a secret forever; it is revealed to us through Christ.
Believers are invited to seek and understand God's will as part of their spiritual growth.
The Role of Christ in RevelationChrist is central to the revelation of God's will, emphasizing the importance of a Christ-centered faith.
Our understanding of God's plan is deepened through our relationship with Christ.
Living According to God's Good PleasureGod's will is aligned with His good pleasure, suggesting that His plans for us are rooted in His love and goodness.
We are called to trust in God's purposes, even when they are not fully understood.
Unity in ChristThe mystery of God's will involves bringing all things together under Christ, promoting unity among believers.
As part of the body of Christ, we should strive for unity and peace within the church.
Bible Study Questions and Answers
1.What is the meaning of Ephesians 1:9?
2.How does Ephesians 1:9 reveal God's purpose for our lives today?
3.What does "the mystery of His will" mean in Ephesians 1:9?
4.How can we align our lives with God's "good pleasure" mentioned here?
5.Connect Ephesians 1:9 with another scripture about God's revealed will.
6.How can understanding God's will in Ephesians 1:9 impact daily decisions?
7.What is the "mystery of His will" mentioned in Ephesians 1:9?
8.How does Ephesians 1:9 relate to God's overall plan for humanity?
9.Why is the concept of "mystery" significant in Ephesians 1:9?
10.What are the top 10 Lessons from Ephesians 1?
11.Who was Clarence Larkin and what were his achievements?
12.What is the meaning of God's mystery?
13.What constitutes the mystery of faith?
14.What defines Progressive Dispensationalism in Christian theology?What Does Ephesians 1:9 Mean
And He has made known• God takes the initiative to reveal; this is not human discovery but divine disclosure, echoing Jesus’ words, “no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him” (Matthew 11:27).
• The verb is past tense, underscoring that believers already possess this unveiled truth, much like the Spirit’s present ministry of revelation in1 Corinthians 2:10.
• Revelation is always specific and purposeful; just as “the LORD revealed Himself to Samuel at Shiloh by the word of the LORD” (1 Samuel 3:21), so He now discloses His plan through the apostolic message.
to us• “Us” refers to all who are in Christ (Ephesians 1:1). This is not a secret reserved for an elite religious class but a shared family treasure.
• The collective pronoun highlights unity: Jew and Gentile together receive the same truth (Ephesians 3:6).
• It answers the cry ofPsalm 25:14: “The LORD confides in those who fear Him.” Through faith in Christ, we are the trusted recipients.
the mystery of His will• In Scripture, “mystery” is something once hidden, now revealed (Colossians 1:26).
• God’s will centers on redemption and cosmic restoration in Christ (Ephesians 1:10).
• This revelation moves Christianity beyond moral advice to a grand, redemptive narrative—fulfillingGenesis 3:15 and culminating inRevelation 21:5, “Behold, I make all things new.”
according to His good pleasure• God’s motivation is His own delight; salvation flows from divine joy, not human merit (Zephaniah 3:17).
• Grace originates in the heart of a pleased Father, echoing the baptism of Jesus: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17).
• Because the plan springs from pleasure, it is unchanging and secure (James 1:17).
which He purposed in Christ• Christ is the focal point; every promise finds its “Yes” in Him (2 Corinthians 1:20).
• The Father’s purpose and the Son’s obedience intersect at the cross (Acts 2:23) and the empty tomb (Romans 1:4).
• The eternal blueprint (Ephesians 3:11) centers on uniting all things under Christ’s lordship, ensuring history is not random but Christ-directed.
summaryGod lovingly took the initiative to unveil His once‐hidden plan. He entrusted this revelation to every believer, drawing us into the shared family secret of redemption. The content of that mystery is His sweeping will to restore all things through Christ, a plan birthed from divine delight and anchored forever in the person and work of Jesus.
(9)
Having made known unto us the mysteryofhis will.--In the same connection we read in
1Corinthians 2:7, "we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery." The word "mystery" properly signifies a thing which (see
Ephesians 3:5;
Colossians 1:27) "was hid from all ages, but is now made manifest." So our Lord evidently uses it (in
Matthew 13:11;
Mark 4:11;
Luke 8:10). For the rest, except in four passages of the Apocalypse (
Revelation 1:20;
Revelation 10:7;
Revelation 17:5;
Revelation 17:7), it is used by St. Paul alone, and by him no less than twenty-one times, of which ten belong to this Epistle and the parallel Epistle to the Colossians--always in connection with such words as "knowledge," "declaration," "dispensation." The ordinary sense of the word "mystery"--a thing of which we know that it is, though how it is we know not--is not implied in the original meaning of the word; but it is a natural derivative from it. Reason can apprehend, when revealed, that which it cannot discover; but seldom or never can it comprehend it perfectly. In this verse the mystery is declared to be accordant to the good pleasure of God's will, which (it is added) "He purposed
in Himself." In this seems to be implied that (see
Ephesians 3:19) though in some sense we can know it, yet in its fulness "it passeth knowledge." . . .
Verse 9. -
Having made known unto us the mystery of his will. The wide extent of God's grace was a
mystery,
i.e. a hidden counsel, before Christ came and died, but it is now made known. In this, and not in the modern sense of mystery, the word
μυστήριον is used by Paul. The thing hidden and now revealed was not the gospel, but God's purpose with reference to its limits or sphere (see
Ephesians 3:6).
According to his good pleasure which he purposed in himself. The whole phraseology denotes that, in this transaction, God was not influenced by any external considerations; the whole reason for it sprang from within. The threefold expression brings this out:
(1) according to his good pleasure (see ver. 5);
(2) he purposed, or formed a purpose;
(3) in himself, without foreign aid, "For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counselor?" (Romans 11:34).
Parallel Commentaries ...
Greek
[And] He has made knownγνωρίσας(gnōrisas)Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 1107:To make known, declare, know, discover. From a derivative of ginosko; to make known; subjectively, to know.to usἡμῖν(hēmin)Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 1st Person Plural
Strong's 1473:I, the first-person pronoun. A primary pronoun of the first person I.theτὸ(to)Article - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 3588:The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.mysteryμυστήριον(mystērion)Noun - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 3466:From a derivative of muo; a secret or 'mystery'.of Hisαὐτοῦ(autou)Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 846:He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.willθελήματος(thelēmatos)Noun - Genitive Neuter Singular
Strong's 2307:An act of will, will; plur: wishes, desires. From the prolonged form of ethelo; a determination, i.e. choice or inclination.according toκατὰ(kata)Preposition
Strong's 2596:A primary particle; down, in varied relations (genitive, dative or accusative) with which it is joined).Hisαὐτοῦ(autou)Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 846:He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.good pleasure,εὐδοκίαν(eudokian)Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 2107:From a presumed compound of eu and the base of dokeo; satisfaction, i.e. delight, or kindness, wish, purpose.whichἣν(hēn)Personal / Relative Pronoun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3739:Who, which, what, that.He purposedπροέθετο(proetheto)Verb - Aorist Indicative Middle - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 4388:To purpose, design beforehand, determine. Middle voice from pro and tithemi; to place before, i.e. to exhibit; to propose.inἐν(en)Preposition
Strong's 1722:In, on, among. A primary preposition denoting position, and instrumentality, i.e. A relation of rest; 'in, ' at, on, by, etc.[Christ]αὐτῷ(autō)Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 846:He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.
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NT Letters: Ephesians 1:9 Making known to us the mystery (Ephes. Eph. Ep) 
