Understanding the Mystery of Christ: According Yourself with God's Purpose

"To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ; to the intent that the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, ACCORDING TO the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence THROUGH faith in Him. Therefore I ask that you do not lose heart at my tribulations for you, which is your glory." (Ephesians 3:8-13)

As you know, the second word in the paragraph, me, is Paul. He revealed the mystery through his testimony: clearly portraying among the churches Jesus Christ crucified. Paul desires that the church testify in the same way: according oneself through faith in Christ.

according to- consistent with( WCD)

through- from the first to the final stage of; from beginning to end; to completion( WCD)

Paul refers to himself as "an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God"; not just IN God's will but BY God's will, according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord! Prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers are readied BY His will. These offices of ministry are for "the equipping of the saints for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all (according to and through) come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, MAY GROW UP IN ALL THINGS INTO HIM who is the head - Christ- from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love." (Ephesians 4:12-16)