Thus the Lord had given Paul his commission to enter the broad missionary field of the Gentile world. To prepare him for this extensive and difficult work, God had brought him into close connection with Himself and had opened before his enraptured vision views of the beauty and glory of heaven. To him had been given the ministry of making known "the mystery" which had been "kept secret since the world began" (Romans 16:25),--"the mystery of His 160 will" (Ephesians 1:9), "which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto His holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ by the gospel: whereof," declares Paul, "I was made a minister. . . . Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; and to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: to the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, according to the eternal purpose which He purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord." Ephesians 3:5-11.

Sådan havde Herren overgivet Paulus hans opgave at gå ud på hedningeverdenens store missionsmark. Som forberedelse til denne vidtrækkende og vanskelige gerning havde Gud bragt ham i nær forbindelse med sig selv og havde for hans undrende blik åbnet syner af den himmelske herlighed og skønhed. Han havde fået den opgave betroet at forkynde "en hemmelighed, der var fortiet fra evige tider," Rom. 16,25. "sin viljes hemmelighed" Ef. 1,9. "som i tidligere slægter ikke var kundgjort for menneskenes børn, således som den nu ved Ånden er blevet åbenbaret for hans hellige apostle og profeter, nemlig den hemmelighed, at hedningerne er medarvinger, medindlemmede i legemet og meddelagtige i forjættelsen og alt dette i Kristus Jesus ved evangeliet; og," erklærer Paulus, "det er jeg blevet tjener for ..... Ja, mig, den allerringeste af alle hellige, blev den nåde givet at forkynde hedningerne evangeliet om Kristi uransagelige rigdom og at oplyse, hvorledes den frelsesplan er, der fra evighed har ligget gemt som en hemmelighed hos Gud, alle tings skaber, for at Guds visdom nu i al dens mangfoldighed ved kirken skulle gives til kende for magterne og myndighederne i den himmelske verden. Således var fra evige tider det forsæt, som han udførte i Kristus Jesus, vor Herre." Ef. 3,5-11.