And He has made known to us the mystery of His will according to His good pleasure, which He purposed in Christ
Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: (m) For unless the Lord had opened to us that mystery, we could never have so much as dreamed of it ourselves. (13) Not only the election, but also the calling proceeds from grace alone.
"He hath abounded," or "made (grace) to abound toward us" (Eph 1:8), in that He made known to us, namely, experimentally, in our hearts. the mystery--God's purpose of redemption hidden heretofore in His counsels, but now revealed (Eph 6:19; Rom 16:25; Col 1:26-27). This "mystery" is not like the heathen mysteries, which were imparted only to the initiated few. All Christians are the initiated. Only unbelievers are the uninitiated.
Verse 9. Having made known to us the mystery of his will. The word mystery (μυστηριον) means, literally, something into which one must be initiated before it is fully known (from μυεω, to initiate, to instruct;) and then anything which is concealed or hidden. We commonly use the word to denote that which is above our comprehension, or unintelligible.