In Colossians 1:24, the apostle Paul speaks of his suffering for the body of Christ, which is the Church. He continues in verse 25:
“Of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. To them, God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” (Colossians 1:25-27, ESV)
Many believers struggle to understand God’s will for their lives, but Paul did not. After his dramatic conversion from a Christian-hunting Pharisee to a devoted apostle of Christ, he had a clear understanding of his calling.
Paul describes himself as a minister according to the stewardship of God. He expresses a similar sentiment in Ephesians 3:7-9. The Greek word translated as stewardship is the same term Jesus used for management in Luke 16, and it implies a leadership or administrative role. Paul affirms to the Colossians that God had entrusted him with the authority of an apostle to proclaim the gospel.
His mission was “to make the word of God fully known.” Paul was called to reveal the word of God, which had been “a mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints.” He discusses this mystery at length in Ephesians and again in Colossians.
So, what is this mystery? Verse 27 provides the answer: “To them, God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”
Paul further clarifies this in Ephesians 3:6: “This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.”
Additionally, in Galatians 3:14, he writes: “So that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.”
Although the Old Testament contained clues that the Messiah would come for all people (see Isaiah 49:6; 60:3; Psalm 117:1), many Jewish leaders believed Gentiles were merely “fuel for the fires of hell.” To Paul’s former Pharisaical peers, his words would have been shocking—perhaps even blasphemous. But to Gentile readers, they were a source of immense joy and hope.
Likewise, we should find joy and hope in this great mystery revealed through Paul. Christ is the bridge to the Father for all who believe. No one is excluded from salvation based on nationality, race, or lineage—only by their response to Christ.
As Paul writes in Romans 4:16: “That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring—not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all.”
Therefore, let us live and walk in faith, fully trusting in Christ’s sacrifice to cover our sins once and for all (see Hebrews 10:10). Let us strive each day to live in a manner worthy of our calling, looking forward to the hope of glory that awaits us.