Sigurd Grindheim, «What the OT Prophets Did Not Know: The Mystery of the Church in Eph 3,2-13», Vol. 84 (2003) 531-553

The purpose of this essay is two-fold. First, it argues that the inclusion of the Gentiles is referred to as a previously unrevealed mystery because it is based upon the abrogation of the Mosaic law and entails a degree of nearness to the Lord that exceeds the expectations of the old covenant. Second, it addresses the question of authorship. Assuming Pauline authorship as a working hypothesis, it shows that the use of the concept of mystery in Eph 3 is intimately linked with Paul’s terminology and thought world attested in the undisputed letters. It is unwarranted, therefore, to find proof of a post-Pauline development in the use of the term "mystery" in Ephesians.

such a collection could be called "brief"¹³. It is more likely that he refers to what he has just written in the letter to the Ephesians¹⁴.

        The concept of making the mystery known is introduced in Eph 1,9-10, where the mystery is defined as the summing up of all things in Christ, those in heaven and those on earth¹⁵. It is probably best to understand the mystery in ch. 3 as a specific aspect of this, namely the part which deals with the earthly things, which is described here as the bringing together of Jews and Gentiles in unity¹⁶. The referent of "as I have previously written to you briefly" must therefore primarily be 2,11-22 and only secondarily 1,9-10¹⁷.

        The antithesis between the abysmal past of his audience and their glorious presence described in Eph 2,11-22 is well-known from Paul’s