If you have ever been involved in dealing with someone's finances after their death, you will know it is a privileged task – fulfilling the wishes of somebody who has given you the responsibility. Ideally, an executor has been chosen while the person is alive (or is appointed by the courts); someone who is trusted and accountable to the courts to distribute the property and money according to the wishes of the deceased. This is the sort of thing that Paul writes about here. He is saying that the Lord Jesus has given him the gospel message, with detailed explanations, so that he can distribute it (Acts 20:24). He sees himself as a trustee ('administration' here means 'trust' or 'commission') with the task of telling the message of God's grace to His beneficiaries; among whom are the Ephesian believers, and all of us who trust in Jesus.

The precious treasure which Jesus wants us to have is His grace. This is a little word which means that God gives us all that we need but do not deserve, when we trust in Jesus and His sacrifice for us (Romans 5:15-17): for love towards unlovely people, forgiveness for sinners, peace for enemies, hope for the hopeless, adoption into God's family and an inheritance from God Himself being with Him for ever. That contrasts the inevitable separation from God, now and for ever in hell, for all who reject His grace (John 3:36). The gospel is the message of this grace, and how to respond to it. It was first entrusted to the apostles to pass to us and it is now our responsibility to pass it to many others.

The gospel of God's grace is described as a 'mystery'. The word means 'a hidden thing that is intended to be made clear' (Colossians 1:25-27), as opposed to occultism that intends to keep people in the dark. Paul, with all his learning and academic understanding of the Old Testament, had never understood the gospel - until Jesus revealed it to him (Galatians 1:11-12). It was the same for us and will continue to be so for future generations of believers: we and they are incapable of working out God's grace until He explains it to us through the words of the apostles in the Bible. Paul knew that it was his job to explain the truth convincingly to people's minds. Jesus gave him the authority and Paul kept on telling people (Colossians 2:2-3), even from prison ... and he is communicating the truth of God's grace to us too, as we read the same letters.

Some Christians think that there is little point in sharing about Jesus with those who don't believe. But their unbelief is just the reason why we should! Most do not know what is true about the gospel, so they cannot believe it. Explaining what the Bible says is the only way our friends will get to know the facts (Romans 10:14). This essential trustee responsibility seems, all too often, to be left behind in church on Sunday - when it is intended for the working week as well. On Sunday we give thanks for the gospel; and the rest of the week we should give voice to it. As we do, the Holy Spirit will do His special work of convicting hearts, exposing sin and uncovering the mystery of God's grace.