Ephesians 3:5Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

By saying this, the Apostle indicates either that it was not revealed to all men, for he adds, "Which was not made known to the sons of men in former generations, as it has now been revealed." Or he means that it was not manifested so clearly in their deeds and actions. Consider this indeed: Peter would not have gone to the Gentiles unless he had heard direction from the Spirit. Listen to what he says: "If then God gave them" the Holy Spirit, "as also to us" (Acts 11:17). The Apostle Paul's words, "by the Holy Spirit" (εν Πνεύματι), mean that God, through the Holy Spirit, counted them worthy to share in grace. The prophets also spoke of this. Yet men would never have known it with such clarity as they did after hearing the Apostles, who surpassed every human understanding and common expectation.

And note that the Spirit gives revelation not concerning circumcision, but concerning the Gentiles, because the reception of the despised Gentiles into the Church was a great matter.

The ancients did not know this mystery to such a degree that even the great Peter needed the instruction of the Spirit concerning it.

Indeed, Abraham saw His day and rejoiced (Jn 8:56). It was said to him, "In your seed all the nations shall be blessed" (Gen 22:18). Jacob also speaks prophetically about Him who was to be born from the seed of Judah: "He shall be the expectation of the nations" (Gen 49:10).

Moses also considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt (Heb 11:26). Isaiah says, "Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear" (Is 7:14). Elsewhere he says, "There shall be a shoot from Jesse, and He shall rise to rule the nations. In Him the nations shall hope" (Is 11:1).

So as not to prolong the proofs too much, it is enough to cite a few words from the Psalms: "All the families of the nations shall worship before Him" (Ps 21:28), and, "All nations shall serve Him" (Ps 71:11). Still more clearly, concerning the people of Israel and the Lord Savior, it says, "Visit this vineyard, and perfect what Thy right hand has planted, and look upon the Son whom Thou hast strengthened for Thyself" (Ps 79:15-16).

The completion of His Incarnation is shown in the following words: "Let Thy hand be upon the man of Thy right hand, and upon the Son of Man whom Thou hast strengthened for Thyself" (Ps 79:18).

Therefore, one must either say with Montanus that the patriarchs and prophets spoke in ecstasy and did not know what they were saying, or, if such an opinion is impious, since the spirit of the prophets was subject to the prophets, they certainly understood what they were saying.

But if they understood, how does Paul now affirm that what was revealed to Christ's apostles was not known to other generations? Therefore we must answer in one of two ways. First, the Apostle cautiously and meaningfully bears witness that the mystery was unknown to the sons of men, but not to the sons of God, to whom it is said, "I said, You are gods, and all of you sons of the Most High" (Ps 81:6). Thus those who had received the Spirit of adoption, among whom were the patriarchs and prophets, knew the mystery of God.

Or, if this is not accepted and seems too forced and strained, then our explanation will proceed as follows. The Apostle did not say absolutely and generally that the mystery of the Lord was wholly unknown to other generations. He said that the ancient patriarchs and prophets did not know it as it has now been revealed to His saints and apostles.

For this reason the prophet John is called greater than all the prophets (Lk 7). He personally beheld Him whom the prophets foretold, and pointed to Him with his finger, saying, "Behold the Lamb of God, behold Him who has taken away the sins of the world" (Jn 1:29).

The following words must also be interpreted according to this meaning: "Many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it" (Lk 10:24). Certainly, they wanted to see and hear what they knew was to come. For if they had not known what was to come, how could they have desired what they did not know?

In the books of Kings we read that the Lord promised Solomon in a dream and said, "Because you asked this word of Me, and did not ask for many days, nor demand riches or the life of your enemies. But asked to understand and hear right judgment, behold, I have fulfilled your word and have given you a prudent and wise heart, such as none before you had, and after you none like you shall arise" (3 Kgdms 3:11).

How, then, do some suppose that the mystery was revealed to Christ's apostles but was unknown to Solomon, when the divine voice promised that Solomon would be wiser than all the apostles and, after them, the patriarchs? He himself also says of himself with full assurance: "God taught me wisdom, and I knew the understanding of the saints" (Prov 30:3).

David likewise boasts of knowing the hidden mystery, saying, "Thou hast revealed to me the unknown and secret things of Thy wisdom" (Ps 50:8). And to the one who applauded himself for wisdom, God says through the prophet, "Are you wiser than Daniel?" (Ezek 28:3).

Therefore we must either hold to the sense we established earlier, namely, that the patriarchs and prophets did not know the mystery of Christ in the same way as it has now been revealed to the apostles. It is one thing to hold something in one's hands, and another to foresee it by the Spirit.

Or we must say that, just as faces are not like faces and hearts not like hearts, so, according to the Apostle's word, there are different gifts. One has prophecy, another kinds of tongues, a third gifts of healings, another helps and governments. One is wise, another faithful. One has the ability to explain hidden things, another is content with simple faith (1 Cor 12).

For not all spoke equally, as Solomon did, about the nature of beasts, birds, and plants, so as to discourse from the cedar of Lebanon to the hyssop that sprang through the wall. For his part, Solomon may not have been as discerning as Moses concerning every kind of sacrifice and divine worship. The Lord did not speak with him face to face. Nor did he have, or understand, the beautiful arrangement of the vessels whose pattern the Lord showed Moses on the mountain (3 Kgdms 4).

Just as we must believe that the patriarchs and prophets possessed something the apostles did not possess, so, conversely, by necessity and according to the time and form of the preaching of the Gospel, the apostles possessed a clearer knowledge of the mystery of Christ. Holy men of old also knew this mystery, but not in the same way as the apostles, to whom the duty of preaching was entrusted.

What, then, is this mystery that was not revealed to other generations as it is now? It is, of course, what follows: "that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the Gospel" (Eph 3:6). Of this Gospel Paul became a minister according to the gift of the grace of God, given to him according to the working of His power.

I know that the addition of the prefix "co-" in Latin makes the speech inelegant. But since it is present in Greek, and since individual words, syllables, and points in the holy Scriptures are filled with meaning, we prefer to incur criticism for word formation and composition rather than for corrupting the sense.

Therefore the Gentiles are fellow heirs of Israel, or, as seems better to us, of Christ, since our inheritance is God. This is also written elsewhere: "Heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ" (Rom 8:17). This does not mean that some inheritance is divided among us, but that the Lord Himself is our inheritance and possession, because it is said, "The Lord is your inheritance" (Deut 18:2). Elsewhere it is said, "The Lord is my portion and my inheritance" (Ps 15:5).

"Members of the same body" means that, as in one body there are many members, such as eyes, hands, feet, ears, belly, and knees, and since they are in one body, they have their own distinctions and rejoice or suffer for one another. So also those who have believed in Christ, though they have different grace, are gathered in the one body of the Church.

In the two words mentioned above, "fellow heirs" and "members of the same body," there is already occasion to think that there is something distinct in the one body. But by his addition, "and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus," every thought of distinction is removed, because where there is fellowship, all things are wholly common.

Beautifully he adds, "Through the Gospel, of which I became a minister according to the gift of grace, which was given to me according to the working of His power" (Eph 3:7). He does this to show that this was the work of grace, not of his own merit. For he knew that he had been a persecutor and had laid waste the Church of Christ.

By such humility the sin of arrogance is completely excluded. Some accuse him of arrogance because he says that the mystery was revealed to him which had been unknown to the prophets and patriarchs. Yet the disciple of humility never spoke arrogantly. He said that the Gospel of which he was minister was not the work of his merit, but of the grace of God.

Those who suppose that the prophets did not understand their own words and spoke as though in ecstasy use this testimony to confirm their teaching. They also use another, found in many copies of the Epistle to the Romans: "Now to Him who is able to strengthen you according to my Gospel and the preaching of Christ Jesus. According to the revelation of the mystery kept silent from eternal times, but now made manifest through the prophetic Scriptures and through the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ," and so on.

To such people it is necessary to reply briefly that in past times the mystery of Christ was kept silent, not for those to whom its fulfillment had been promised, but for all the nations, to whom it was later revealed. Likewise it must be noted that the mystery of our faith could be revealed only through the prophetic Scriptures and the coming of Christ.

Yet men never knew it with such clarity as they did after hearing the Apostles. These surpassed every human understanding and common expectation when they said that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs. What does it mean to be fellow heirs? The meaning of these words is lofty. They mean that Gentiles and Jews are joined into one body, and they signify their close union. The Israelites had previously been partakers of the promise. Now the Gentiles also have been made fellow partakers of this promise. They shared in the promises because heralds of the gospel were sent to them, and they believed them. They did not simply become fellow partakers of the promise, but through the gospel" (Chrysostom).

"In other generations" means in the generations that come and go, according to Solomon’s expression, and thereby determine periods of time. A generation may be considered equivalent to an age. "In other" means not those who were then on earth when the Apostle wrote this, but those who preceded them.

Since "in other generations" is opposed to what is now taking place, the expression means: in previous ages. "Was not made known," ουκ εγνωρισθη, means was not brought to knowledge, was not given to be known. "To the sons of men" means to people in general, neither to Jews nor to Gentiles was it made known.

Why this turn of speech, when at the word "revelation" no one would have thought of Gentiles, but only of Jews? Perhaps because "other generations," that is, previous ages, embrace the whole time before Christ’s coming. Therefore they include the time when there was no division, but all were one.

The division began with Abraham. In order not to exclude the generations that preceded him, the Apostle said, "to the sons of men it was not made known." He wished to indicate both the time from Adam to Abraham and the time after.

Moreover, the Apostle is speaking here to Gentiles. The Gentiles did not consider themselves alien to God’s providence, though they did not understand it as they should. Saint Paul himself did not consider them alien to it. The Apostle’s gaze embraces the whole human race.

He says that God, who in former generations "did not leave Himself without witness" (Acts 14:17), nevertheless did not will to tell anyone this mystery. Such a thought is more understandable to the Gentiles, who did not know how revelation proceeded among the Jews, or to what extent.

Furthermore, the Apostle does not say here that it was not made known at all, but that it was not made known in such measure "as it has now been revealed." Yet there was a measure of knowledge about Christ the Deliverer even among the Gentiles.

After the division of languages and the separation of the Jews, the Gentiles took with them all the previous revelations and held to them. But because these revelations remained among them without renewal and explanation, they distorted them.

Nevertheless, a general expectation of mankind’s renewal remained among them. It became more living when the Jews were scattered among them in the later time. Therefore, when Saint Paul intended to speak about the measure of the previous revelation, he could not fix his attention on the Jews alone.

He judged it right to embrace all people, saying, "to the sons of men it was not made known." "As it has now been revealed." The Gentiles guessed darkly. To the Jews the mystery of Christ was given to be known more definitely.

They knew both about the person of Christ the Savior and about His work, the ordering of salvation. They even knew about those saved by Him, and that the Gentiles also would be called. Yet all this was slight in comparison with the present revelation, says the Apostle.

This is already so because there is a great difference in the definiteness of knowledge between beholding something by the Spirit and seeing it being accomplished in deed. For this reason many prophets and kings desired to see what pertains to the Lord, and did not see it (Lk 10:24).

Why is John the Forerunner higher than the other prophets? Because with his hands he touched the salvation that the others only saw from afar (blessed Jerome). This is true generally of the divine economy of salvation.

But it is most evident in relation to the mystery of the calling of the Gentiles. The prophets foresaw that the Gentiles too would know the true God, as, for example, Isaiah says: "Behold, nations that did not know You shall call upon You" (Isa 55:5).

But that they would be called to equal participation with the Jews in the Kingdom of Christ was not known by the men of the Old Testament. Even those of the New Testament did not understand it at once.

"Although the prophets spoke about the calling of the Gentiles, it still remained a mystery. For this reason those who were with Peter at Cornelius’s house were amazed. Even Peter himself then learned by revelation from the Spirit that God had received the Gentiles also.

Until then the words of the prophets lay under a veil. They seemed enigmatic and awaited clarification from the very event of their fulfillment" (Saint John of Damascus).

"Now it has been revealed to His holy Apostles and prophets by the Holy Spirit." By prophets here he does not mean the Old Testament prophets, since he places them together with the Apostles in contrast to the former generations. He means the New Testament prophets. "For in the time of the Apostles many had prophetic grace" (Theodoret).

When the Apostle says that the Holy Spirit has now revealed it more clearly, he means either the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles in general. The Spirit was their final and definitive guide in understanding the work of salvation and establishing it on earth.

Or he means more particularly the indication given from above to the Apostle Peter, that he should not hesitate to receive the Gentiles into communion of grace.

Saint Chrysostom says: "Peter would not have gone to the Gentiles except by the indication of the Holy Spirit. Listen to what he says: ‘They received the Holy Spirit just as we did’ (Acts 10:47).

The Apostle Paul’s words, ‘by the Holy Spirit,’ mean that God, through the Holy Spirit, made them worthy of participation in such grace. The prophets also spoke of this, but men would never have known it with such clarity as they did when they heard the Apostles.

The Apostles surpassed every human mind and common expectation when they said that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, and so forth."

The Apostle’s purpose in saying this is to intensify their attention to the benefaction of God shown to them. He does this by the extraordinariness of the mystery already fulfilled among the Gentiles, and thereby strengthens his charge: therefore remember.