"For this reason .." Paul starts to say something, then suddenly breaks off and starts describing his wonder and joy at the way God has worked in and through him, and only returns to his original thought in verse 14.
Before he became an apostle, before he met Jesus on the Damascus road, Paul was an ardent Pharisee, and persecuted Christians. Indeed that was his purpose in going to Damascus. He believed that God's covenant, His promises, His kingdom, were confined to the Jews, with everyone else outside it. The "administration of God's grace" is the way in which God turned his whole life around. God chose to reveal to Paul the full extent of His plan and how it was fulfilled in Christ.
Note that it was not revealed just to Paul, but to all "God's holy apostles and prophets", by the Spirit. Peter, though of a very different temperament to Paul, equally thought the kingdom was restricted to the Jews (see Acts 10), and it took a special revelation from God to convince him otherwise.
The "mystery" is that Gentiles are heirs together with the Jews. All who believe in Christ are part of one body, and are all first class citizens. Peter realised this when Cornelius received the Holy Spirit.
Before he became an apostle, before he met Jesus on the Damascus road, Paul was an ardent Pharisee, and persecuted Christians. Indeed that was his purpose in going to Damascus. He believed that God's covenant, His promises, His kingdom, were confined to the Jews, with everyone else outside it. The "administration of God's grace" is the way in which God turned his whole life around. God chose to reveal to Paul the full extent of His plan and how it was fulfilled in Christ.
Note that it was not revealed just to Paul, but to all "God's holy apostles and prophets", by the Spirit. Peter, though of a very different temperament to Paul, equally thought the kingdom was restricted to the Jews (see Acts 10), and it took a special revelation from God to convince him otherwise.
The "mystery" is that Gentiles are heirs together with the Jews. All who believe in Christ are part of one body, and are all first class citizens. Peter realised this when Cornelius received the Holy Spirit.
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