Paul begins an idea in verse 1, then digresses to another related thought before recommencing his first thought in verse 14. The intervening verses have proved difficult for translators to punctuate. Verses 2-7, for example, comprise one long sentence in the Greek. This freeform movement of his writing indicates a heightened excitement over the truth about which he writes.

The thought Paul begins in verse 1and continues on with in verse 14 can be summarized this way, “Because of this truth of the mystery, namely, God has reconciled both Jew and Gentile, as one group of people to Himself, we should pray for a deepening love for His people and a greater understanding of God’s love for us. After all, we are part of the same body.”  But, the thought gets interrupted with a further, excited commentary on the mystery he has revealed.

Notice here, Paul identifies himself as the “prisoner of Christ” (see also 4:1, 6:20). He wore that title proudly. This reminds us of Peter and John who rejoiced “that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for His name” (Acts 5:41). He wrote this letter from jail. The usual word people would use here would be that he languished. However, it is difficult to describe Paul as ever languishing. He carried on quite an active writing ministry while there.

He makes clear that he was given the unique stewardship of this truth. He did not arrive at it through human reasoning; it came by revelation from God. Now we don’t know exactly when this happened. Possibly it came in rudimentary form during the days after his conversion. He was told by God, through Ananias, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel” (Acts 9:15). He was privileged to preach the gospel primarily to the Gentiles. Peter affirmed this when he acknowledge that Paul “ had been entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been to the circumcised” (Gal 2:7).

The full mystery was that God’s grace extended not just to the Gentiles, but it extended equally to the Gentiles as to the Jews. This was a huge truth that Paul could not speak about enough. It was his major contribution to the cause of Christ. Grace fully extended to both Jew and Gentile alike. That is why he breaks out from his thought to extol this great truth once more.