All Truth
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FOREWORD
The title “ALL TRUTH” has been taken from the promise made by the Lord: “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: . . . .” (john 16:13). This promise we have sought to trace; first as to its fulfillment through the revelation which was given to complete the Word of God, and then in its application to each believer who is guided into that which God would now make known to His saints. The chapter headings have been taken from Colossians 1:24-29. The connection of this passage with the Lord’s promise of guidance into all truth will be seen in the opening chapter. The plan of this work will become evident as it is read: each chapter has been designed to pace the way for the one that follows, thus only by reading the chapters consecutively will their purpose be properly appreciated. May the God of all grace be pleased to guide us by His Spirit to the “all truth” the has been revealed, and we be permitted to enter into the understanding of that which He willeth now to make known to His saints. As this truth is seen may we also be enabled to believe it and act upon it, and by this means be led increasingly into the fuller knowledge of Him and of His Son, our exalted Head, the Lord Jesus Christ.
I. ALL TRUTH (john 16:13) “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: . . . .” (john 16:13). THESE were among the last words spoken by the Lord to His disciples before He went forth to give His life a ransom for all. The other gospels bring their record of this conversation to a close after the Supper was ended and Judas had been identified as the traitor (mat. 26:20-30; Mk. 16:17-26; LK. 26:14-38); but John continues to narrate the private communings of the Lord with the disciples that followed. These occupy chapters 13to 16 and are brought to a conclusion with the Lord’s prayer for His own in chapter 17. The Lord had gradually broken the news to the disciples concerning the death He was to suffer at Jerusalem, but now the time was at hand He told them plainly that He must leave them. “Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you” (John 16:7). “The Comforter” was indeed a title suited to the occasion. The Spirit of truth is referred to as “another Comforter.” The Lord Himself had been their Comforter, and He was still to be, for this title occurs in 1st JOHN 2:1, R.V. marg. The other Comforter, however, was to be with them. They were assured of the provision that had been made for their future: “And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;” (JOHN 16:16). Standing at the end of the pathway that had been given Him to tread, the Lord reviewed the things that He had taught. Had His teachings been limits? If we were to put this query to ourselves we might answer, No; for He “in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” may well be esteemed to have known no limitations. The Lord, however, reveals that He had been limited in the things which He had spoken—not of Himself, but by reason of the state of His hearers and the time during which they lived. Some things could not have been spoken until this occasion: “And these things I said not unto you at the beginning, because I was with you” (JOHN 16:4). Other things still had to remain unsaid, but the promise was given that “All Truth” should be revealed by the Spirit of truth that was to come.
Thus the Lord does not refer back to His own words as being the fullness of revelation, but rather directs the searcher for “All the truth” forward to things that were to be revealed after that the Spirit of truth had come. All truth is not therefore to be discovered in the Gospels, but in the revelation given subsequently. While All Truth was not revealed by the Lord in Person when on earth, it nevertheless was to be concerning Him, and it would glorify Him. A moment’s reflection will suffice to show that many of the things made known in the writings of Paul, for example, depended for their revelation upon the fact that the Lord Jesus had come, died, risen and returned. “But Christ being come . .” prefixes important teaching concerning His high priestly work in HEBREWS 9. These things could obviously not have been spoken during the days in which the Lord tabernacled in the flesh. The entirety of the truth God has been pleased to make known to us, is therefore to be sought in the Scriptures that communicate the things revealed by the Spirit of truth after that the Lord Jesus had been exalted at God’s right hand. These observations do not imply that any part of Scripture should be preferred above another. The fact of inspiration precludes the possibility of degrees of authority. Neither do they suggest that any words could be greater than the words spoken by the Son of God when on earth. But what we have endeavoured to draw attention to is, that “All truth” can be found only where the Lord Himself promised it should be given, and that is in the leading of the Holy Spirit after Christ was exalted. Loyalty to the Lord is not in question; for the most glorious things concerning Him are found not in His own utterances, but in the words given by the Spirit of truth who came to bare witness to Him. As it is our desire to discover where the Lord’s promise of All Truth was fulfilled, it is necessary to examine the things that were reserved for the Holy Spirit to reveal. Epaphras laboured fervently in prayers for his fellow-believers, that they might “stand perfect and complete in all the will of God” (COLOSSIANS 4:12). To have this completeness should indeed be our earnest desire and prayer, and in seeking it, we should take notice of the guiding passages of Scripture which direct attention to where all the will of God is to be found. ACTS 2 records the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples as had been promised. The Twelve, taught by the risen Christ and actuated by the Spirit, opened the testimony to the fact of the Lord’s resurrection. What was the special theme of their teaching?
The public testimony of the disciples recorded in the early chapters of Acts consisted mainly of a declaration that the things spoken by the prophets had been fulfilled, and that the promised hopes and blessings could be received upon the ground of redemption that had been proved by the Lord Jesus. Public testimony was not the only activity of these who had been so closely associated with the Lord, they had also the care of the believers, and to these epistles were written. The public testimony had been confined to the things foreseen by the prophets and spoken of by the Lord, but it might be expected that the more private and intimate character of the testimony in the epistles would provide a means for the unfolding of any further truth, should any such truth have been given. The epistles written by the apostles who had accompanied the Lord are those of Peter and John, who were among the twelve disciples, and of James and Jude, who may have been the Lord’s brethren (MATTHEW 13:55). What is the stated purpose of these epistles?
We have been unable to find a concise statement, similar to the foregoing, in James, but a general survey of the epistle will suffice to shew that it has similar characteristics to those indicated by these quotations. While there are very many precious things revealed in these epistles, yet it is evident that their general purpose is not to unfold further truth, but rather to establish the believers in what was already known through the prophets and to bring to their remembrance the words of the Lord. Nothing approximating to a claim to have received “All Truth,” does not refer to himself or to any of his fellow disciples as being the recipients of any further revelation, but he directs his readers to Paul.
Paul, therefore, had been given some things that were hard to be understood by Peter. This direction of Peter suggests that an analysis of Paul’s epistles should be made, to ascertain if they contain anything which could be referred to as the “All Truth.” Such an analysis would be lengthy and complex, and there would be the possibility of our making some unintentional mistakes. We need not, however, engage in such and attempt, for Paul himself made an analysis of a very large portion of his ministry. If we take Paul’s own summary of his testimony as a covering text for all that he did up to the time when the summary was made, then we shall be on sure ground.
Paul spoke these words before Agrippa, in the last tribunal that took place on his journey from Jerusalem to Rome as a prisoner who was to appear before Caesar. In such circumstances his words would have been chosen with care, when he maintained that he had said “none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come,” he was declaring something that might be called into question by his accusers. But apart from the authority of Paul’s own statement, we have the sanction that these words are true in that the inspired record had include them. Up to the time of Acts 26 Paul had said “none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come.” By that time he had completed all the missionary journeys recorded in the Acts. What Paul spoke he must also have written; his epistles written up to that time have therefore to be included. When the summary was made Paul had written all the epistles that were addressed to the churches prior to his being a prisoner in Rome. These epistles are ROMANS, 1st and 2nd CORINTHIANS, GALATIANS, and 1st and 2nd THESSALONIANS. What were the “none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come”? We are not left in doubt, for Paul summarizes them. These may be considered under three heads (verse 23). First, “That Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead.” This was the basis for the doctrinal teaching concerning salvation as contained in the first eight chapters of Romans. Second, “And should shew light unto the people.” The people were Israel; Paul had shared with the other apostles in the testimony that was “to the Jew first.” Third, “An to the Gentiles.” This was the distinctive feature of Paul’s testimony as being “the apostle to the uncircumcision.” Under one or other of these three heads it is possible to classify every part of Paul’s testimony up till the time when he made this summary. The things rebelled to him were fuller than anything found in the Old Testament, as an acquaintance with the Roman epistle. For example, will shew; but while they were indeed fuller, yet he affirms that he had spoken nothing beyond what had been foreseen by Moses and the prophets. Previous to this comprehensive summary in ACTS 26 Paul had given two other reviews of his ministry; these were both made during his journey to Jerusalem, which ended by his being taken prisoner by the Romans. Addressing the elders of the church at Ephesus who had known him so intimately, Paul said:
Writing about this same time to Rome, the city he was so desirous of visiting for the sake of the many believers he had not met in the flesh, he said:
This declaration of all the counsel of God and the full proclamation of the Gospel of Christ must both be contained within the limits of the summary Paul made late—“Saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come.” If ACTS 26 covers all that time during which Paul preached, ROMANS 15 covers all the territory in which Paul had witnessed; for Illyricum, on the west coast of the Balkans, marked the outer edge of the circle of Paul’s activities up to that time. The question suggests itself—Was the All Truth promised by the Lord a fuller unfolding of the things contained in the Old Testament and not the revelation of anything that was essentially unique or unforeseen? The answer to this must be deferred until we have completed the survey of the remainder of the New Testament. While Paul at the time when these summaries were made claimed to have exercised a complete ministry, yet it was by no means the completion of this earthly testimony. In the immediate context of each of these summaries Paul is found to be looking forward, not knowing the things that were yet to come upon him.
When Paul made the summary of ACTS 26 he was in bonds and on the way to Rome, as anticipated in these passages. In the record of his conversion and testimony hat Paul gave before Agrippa he mentions for the first time some words spoken to him by the Lord when he was smitten down on the road to Damascus.
On an earlier occasion, when Paul recounted his conversion before the nation of Israel, he mentioned only the words of Ananias:
Paul’s testimony at the first was concerning that which he had seen; by there was given him the expectation of the unfolding of things in the which the Lord should afterwards appear unto him. The contrasting words “These things . . . those things” emphasize that God did not reveal to Paul all His purpose at the beginning, but reserved some things until later. This of course is very evident, but with the desire to discover how “All Truth” was unfolded it is necessary to notice this promise of a subsequent revelation. That the “those things” should not have been mentioned by Paul until as late as ACTS 26 is significant and should stimulate the desire to discover where all “those things” are eventually made known. After chapter 26 little is recorded in the ACTS concerning the things Paul was teaching. When he arrived at Rome he called the Jews together, “To whom he expounded and testified the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses, and out of the prophets, from morning till evening” (28:23). This testimony, like that which had preceded, concerned “none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come.” The history of the ACTS concludes with Paul a prisoner. The dealings of God with Paul during that time can be gathered only form the epistles that he wrote from prison. EPHESIANS, PHILIPPIANS, COLOSSIANS, 2nd TIMOTHY and PHILEMON. It remains, therefore, that these epistles should be examined in order that the search into the nature of the “All Truth” promised shall be complete. Anticipating what these epistles have in store for us, we suggest again the question put forward earlier in this chapter. Was the “All Truth” promised by the Lord a fuller unfolding of the things contained in the Old Testament and not the revelation of anything that was essentially unique or unforeseen? The final answer must depend upon the things stated in these prison epistles of Paul. Whatever he had previously written came under his summary, “none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come.” It is now necessary to notice if the things revealed in the prison epistles are also included within the limits of the summary.
That which had “been hid in God” “from the beginning of the world,” and had “been hid from ages and from generations” until it was then revealed to the apostle Paul, could not have been the subject of any Old Testament prophecy. Moreover, that which had been hid in God, and hid from other generations, could very obviously not have formed part of Paul’s testimony during the time when his words were confined to “none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come”: The truth revealed under the title of “The Mystery” must therefore, of necessity, be something new and unforeseen in a relations to the things contained in Moses and the prophets and to the earlier ministry of Paul. This Mystery is clearly some further light of the truth that was revealed only through Paul in his later epistles. Is this therefore that “All Truth,” or are there yet further things into which the Spirit of truth will guide us? The words “to fulfil” in COLOSSIANS 1:25 are rendered in the Englishman’s Greek New Testament “to complete.” The same word appears in Chapter 2:10, “And ye are complete with Him”; and in 4:12, “that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.” Substituting this alternative rendering, COLOSSIANS 1:25-26 would read:
This Mystery completed the word of God. It is therefore the fulness of the “All Truth” to be made known; and, moreover, it is not to be expected that any further truth will be revealed, for nothing can be added to that which is complete the word of God.” In this search is had been seen that the Lord Jesus did not only remind His disciples of the words He had spoken while with them, but He also gave the promise that the Comforter who was to come would go on the guide them into “All Truth.” Peter, who heard that promise, wrote epistles to remind his readers of the things that had already been spoken; but he did not claim to have received “All Truth,” but rather directed to Paul, to whom special wisdom had been given. Paul in his turn does not direct us to his ministry as a whole, but summarizes the earlier part as being concerned with “none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come”; that the distinctive character of his later ministry of the Mystery, never before made known, may become evident. JOHN 16:13 leads on to COLOSSIANS 1:25-26 if we desire to know “All the Truth” (R.V.) then we must ask, “What is the riches of the glory of this mystery”? The work of the Comforter is to glorify Christ. The purpose of the Mystery concerns the exaltation of Christ “Far above all” (EPHESIANS 1:21).
II.
ALL Truth has been revealed in that the Word of God is now complete. The promise of the Lord Jesus was, :He shall guide you into all truth." The passage that states that the word of God was completed by the Mystery committed to Paul states also that it is God's will to make known this mystery to His saints. Thus the Lord's promise and God's will alike direct our attention to something to be entered into and appreciated by the believer. his saints: To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery...:" (COLOSSIANS 1:26-27). The word rendered "would" is thelo; to wish or desire as prompted by natural impulse rather than from considered deliberation, a wish that is closer to the passions of the heart than to the reasonings of the mind. Another word used almost synonymously is boulomai, the wish or will from a mental standpoint, to have a wish that makes for intention or purpose. The first occurrence of both words is in MATTHEW 1:19 :
Joseph's feelings towards Mary moved him to wish that she might be shielded; this desire caused him to think the matter over, and in consequence he determined to put her away. God does not, in this day of grace, force His truth upon any, but has condescended to use a word that signifies the heart's desire in order that those who earnestly seek to please Him might realize that there are things He would have them know. This fact should indeed cause us to respond to His desire and seek to understand "what is the riches of the glory of this Mystery." A contrast in the use of these two words translated "would" is seen in the following:
It is not God's intention that any should perish, but it is His desire that all should be saved. What God has said concerning the unsaved sinners He has said also of His saints; He has a wish, a desire, for both. For the unsaved it is His "desire that all men should be saved"; for the believers it is that He "desires to make known....this Mystery." When we remind ourselves that it is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, He before Whom all principalities and powers must bow, Who has said that He desires to make known to us, His saints, this Mystery; surely we should exclaim, with Samuel of old, "Speak, Lord, for your servant heareth!" To think that any desire of God for His own should not be fulfilled is almost untenable; and yet, if we take notice of our fellow-believers, we become saddened by the obvious fact that many do not take heed to this Mystery that God would have them know. Believers are very rightly occupied with the precious privilege of proclaiming to mankind at large that it is God's desire that they should be saved through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. None can be too earnest in that proclamation, but it is evident that there is a danger of being so occupied with proclaiming what is God's desire for others, as to overlook that fact that He has expressed a desire for us. One would expect that to read such a statement as "His saints: To whom God would make known what is....this Mystery" would be sufficient to cause the busiest Christian to stop and consider; and to rouse the most drowsy Christian to ardent inquiry. It is not, however, our intention to comment on the shortcomings of others; our concern is rather to see that we may ourselves give proper attention to that which God desires to make known unto us. Because Paul knew God's purpose, he prayed and acted accordingly. God's desire for us is reflected in Paul's request for prayer:
God's desire is to make known this Mystery to His saints; and because of this it was Paul's longing and entreaty that he might be granted boldness to be able to make the Mystery known. Both "which" and "therein" agree with the neuter "Mystery" not with the feminine "bonds." The sense and emphasis of the passage is therefore:
It was no mere chance that Paul was in bonds at the time when the commission was given him to make known the Mystery. Great stress is laid upon the fact that he was in bonds for the express purpose of being the channel through whom it should first be revealed.
It is important to take heed to this insistence upon the connection between Paul's bonds and the revelation of the Mystery, lest we should fall into the unjustifiable, yet none too infrequent, mistake of expecting that it is possible to discover truths that are peculiar to the Mystery in the epistles written prior to Paul's prison ministry. We have seen that EPHESIANS, PHILIPPIANS, COLOSSIANS, 2 TIMOTHY and PHILEMON are the prison epistles, in which alone it is possible to discover that revelation for which Paul was the prisoner of the Lord. God's revelation of His purpose has been progressive. It would seem unnecessary to remind ourselves of this, if it were not that we are prone to forget it when reading the Scriptures. The value of noticing the progressive way in which God has unfolded His truth is that it calls attention to that which is the latest revelation. The latest revelation to us is also the final revelation of the Word of God. It has always been the last revelation of God to any of His own that has been the important thing for them to heed. This can be seen in the following two examples. In the beginning man was given a vegetarian diet:
But after the flood meat was added:
Had Noah continued his vegetarian diet after the flood he would have come short of all God had intended for him. When the Lord first sent forth the disciples He instructed them to:
But later these instructions were modified:
It was imperative that the disciples should heed the Lord's last instructions to them. Had they disregarded His "But now" and continued the earlier practice, they would have dishonoured their Lord, and, instead of experiencing the former provision, they would, in all probability, have lacked something. Having been accustomed to regard our Scriptures as a complete revelation from God, we may perhaps have been a little inattentive to that which was the last unfolding of God's purpose; if, however, we overlook the "but now" which is intended to draw our attention to that which God desires for us, we shall most certainly lack something.
The examples of Noah and of the disciples, enable us to appreciate more fully the importance of God's latest revelation to any of His own. Before the latest directions were made known to Noah or to the disciples, they could not have acted upon them; but after they were revealed, it was their responsibility to take notice and act accordingly. Any reversal of the divine order of revelation is unwarranted; it may even result in serious error, for God's will at one time may definitely not be His intention for another. The antediluvians were not permitted to eat meat; but now the command to abstain from meats is listed among the things to be shunned as doctrines of demons (1 TIMOTHY 4:1-5). To read back the revelation concerning things that had been "hid from ages and from generations" into Paul's epistles written at a time when he was "saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come," would be as much a deviation from the order of revelation as for Noah to have eaten meat before the flood. To continue in the things that are limited to the prophecies of the Old Testament without regard to that which has been revealed as being distinct from anything previously foreseen, would be as much a coming short of God's will as for Noah to have continued as a vegetarian after the flood. A few moments spent considering the foregoing illustrations will serve to shew that no new or untried principle of Bible study is being advocated. Most readers will have noticed the manner in which God's revealed will for man has at times been changed, modified, or augmented, as the case may be, as the result of the fuller unfolding of His purposes. To notice these changes is interesting; but to take notice of the change introduced by God's last revelation, which is especially addressed to us, is imperative. The evidence for the necessity for giving heed to that which is last revealed should stimulate us to inquire more earnestly what is for us "All Truth." We cannot discover "All Truth" before "All Truth" is revealed; we must expect to find it only where it is plainly stated to have been made known.
The "All Truth" that completes the Word of God is, as we have noticed, called "the Mystery." A mystery according to the present-day usage of the word suggest something incomprehensible, obscure, an enigma. Such is not the meaning of mystery in Scripture; God's truth is never perplexing. Among the ancient religions their were certain inner sects called the mysteries (musterion) into the knowledge of which only the initiated (mustes) were admitted. The translators of the Septuagint made use of this word, and God has been pleased to sanction that use by employing it to denote the mysteries revealed in the New Testament. God has His secrets to make known to His saints. The Mystery that was revealed to Paul the prisoner, was the last and final truth to be made known, and yet it had precedence in respect to time to all other purposes. This Mystery is distinguished from other Mysteries revealed earlier, in that it has to do with purposes formulated before the foundation of the world. A comparison with the Mysteries of the kingdom in MATTHEW 13 will exemplify this difference:
There are good reasons for rendering "foundation of the world" as "overthrow of the world"; but for our present purpose the essential thing is to notice two words, the meanings of which are indisputable, from and before. Mysteries concerning purposes kept secret from the foundation of the world cannot obviously be the same as a purpose that was before the foundation of the world. This being so, the respective purposes should be distinguished, in order that the distinctive character of the Mystery may be better appreciated. The purposes that are said to be from have to do with what is spoken of in MATTHEW as "the kingdom of heaven."
Compare HEBREWS 4:3; 9:26; REVELATION 13:8; 17:8. The only references to before are connected with Christ, and with those who are blessed according to the purpose of the Mystery committed to Paul when he was in bonds. The following are all the occurrences:
The two things spoken concerning Christ before the foundation of the world, without blame (amomos) and love (agape), are combined in this reference to those who were chosen in Him at that time; such is the wonder of the purpose of the Mystery that completed the Word of God. The Mysteries of the kingdom were an integral part, the esoteric part, of the purposes of the kingdom; but the mystery committed to Paul was a purpose entire in itself, that had its origin in the will of God before the foundation of the world. We have just quoted EPHESIANS 1. This chapter is the first in the canon of Scripture to make known this choice of a specific company of the redeemed, before the foundation of the world, who are destined to be blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places. This choice and blessing is because of one reason-"according to the good pleasure of His will." It is God's will that summarizes this purpose rather than His counsel. God's will is placed first as the motive for this purpose; it is not until verses 7 to 11, which deal with the work of the Son, whereby that will is to be realized, that there is any suggestion of "the mystery of His will" and "the counsel of His will." If we would but transport ourselves back into the times of the Ephesians, to whom this epistle was addressed, and endeavor to visualize their outlook upon Paul's ministry at the time it was taking place, we should not be of two minds as to whether Paul's prison epistles contain a distinctive revelation. When Paul was last with the Ephesians he called on them to acknowledge that his testimony had been complete and unreserved; "Wherefore I take you to record this day, that....I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God" (ACTS 20:26-27). What, then, would be the effect upon them of the opening prayer of this epistle? "The eyes of you understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of His calling,...." (verse 18). If they had already heard "all the counsel of God," what calling and what hope was it that they did not know? "All the counsel of God" was a testimony restricted to the things foreseen by Moses and the prophets (ACTS 26:22-23), and consequently could not have included that revelation that had been "hid from ages and from generations" (COLOSSIANS 1:26). It was not until the Mystery was given that the full purpose of God's will was known and "All Truth" could have been said to have been unfolded. Looked at from this standpoint, Paul's request for the Ephesians- "That ye may know what is the hope of His calling" -becomes deeply significant. As it is God's desire to make known this fuller unfolding of His will to His saints, and if it is our desire to know it, what more is necessary? Just this, the enlightenment given by God. It is for this enlightenment that Paul was praying on behalf of the saints. The word rendered "know" here, implies knowledge that comes from without, that which we come to know as absolute knowledge in contrast to getting to know by learning. It is really a perfect of "to see" -namely, "I have seen." With the reference to eyes in the context it might be permissible to make a provisional change by substituting "see" for "know" in the same way as when we say "I see" after that a fact we have sought to know unsuccessfully suddenly dawns upon us. "The eyes of your understanding having been enlightened; that ye may see what is the hope of His calling." This same word "know" is used in connection with the Mysteries of the kingdom: "Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye (get to) know all parables?" (MARK 4:13). This stands in direct contrast to the blindness of the people referred to in the text. While it is for us to search to understand God's mysteries, yet the entry into them depends on God causing us to "see" or "know." It is after we receive that initial insight that we may explore and get to know something of the fullness of the revelation. The use of this word is in the keeping with "mystery" which God makes known, not to the world at large, but to His own redeemed ones whom He initiates. The contrast with the word which implies "getting to know" by research is evident in the following passage:
The disposition of the knowledge of the things God has revealed is therefore retained in His own power. A truth made known in Scripture does not necessarily become public property to be seen by all who may read, for He can both veil or unveil the eyes, according to His wise judgment. The things freely given us of God are given with Christ; but not apart from Him; like salvation, they are an unmerited gift of grace secure through His work, not a reward of any works of ours.
Every gift can be received only through Christ, and consequently every gift can be received only by those who are in Christ. It is, therefore, the believer who alone is able to receive all the things God would make known. "To His saints: To whom God would make known what is....this Mystery." This being so, why is it that all believers do not, as a matter of course, come to know the Mystery? One reason is evident. Many have never given any heed to what God desires for them. There is, however, a deeper reason; going on into fuller truth does not depend solely upon our resolution to look into these matters, it rather depends upon "If God permit." Unless God graciously permits His own to enter into truth, any attempt on their part to force an entry would be futile; even as Israel were unable to enter their land when they were presumptuous and went up without God's commission (DEUTERONOMY 1:43). It is not for us to decide that we will look into the matter of this Mystery; it is rather that we should ask of God that we may be allowed to do so. Who, then, among God's saints are allowed to be entrusted with His secrets? Being a Christian is not the only credential necessary for the reception of "All Truth." Those of Corinth to whom Paul wrote were believers, and yet his testimony to them was restricted. He had to say:
This limited testimony was due to their state:
Glorious as is the proclamation of Jesus Christ crucified, yet this cannot be regarded as the totality of all testimony. It is clear that the world of the unbelieving needs that word, but it is a sad evidence of lack of growth if a believer should require to hear no more. Jesus Christ and Him glorified at God's right hand in heavenly places far above all, is the fullness of the gospel. The Corinthian church, through their failure in the ordinary matters of life, were not permitted to enter into all the truth that they might have done. "Howbeit," said Paul, "we speak wisdom among them that are perfect" (Ch. 11:6). The state of the Corinthian believers stirred Paul to the utmost. Their failures were sad enough in themselves, but the more serious result was that they prevented growth in the knowledge of the Lord and of the fruits that are the outcome of that growth. Paul, with all earnestness, draws attention to his own state that it might reveal to their hearts what is required of one who was to be entrusted as a steward with the mysteries of God:
This principle obtains in home life; how much more, then, in the household of faith! It is to the faithful child that the parents entrust the private affairs of the family; even so it is to His faithful children that God commits His mysteries. These evidences of faithfulness which Paul knew to be necessary for the reception of fuller truth he looked for in others. It was after he heard of the Ephesians' faith in the Lord Jesus and love unto all saints that he prayed that prayer for their enlightenment which we have just noticed (EPHESIANS 1:15). The two epistles in which the hope of the Mystery is made known have a peculiarity not to be found elsewhere in Paul's church epistles, they are addressed to faithful brethren (EPHESIANS 1:1, COLOSSIANS 1:2). Timothy was among the first to whom this Mystery was committed, and he in his turn was instructed to commit it to other faithful men.
As Paul specified that the truth was to be committed to faithful men, it is of special interest to notice the history of one, whom he spoke of as faithful. Onesimus was to Paul "a faithful and beloved brother" (COLOSSIANS 4:9). This man was a runaway slave who was brought to the Lord through the instrumentality of Paul during his first imprisonment in Rome (PHILEMON 10). Before the end of that two years' imprisonment, Onesimus was sent back to his own city Colosse in charge of this letter that declared him to be faithful. Not years, but months of Christian activity had been sufficient for Onesimus to have gained this appellation. God looked upon his heart and upon the faithful service he has rendered to Paul's needs in the bonds of the Gospel (PHILEMON 13). The inspired biographies of other lives give examples which shew that on this principle of faithfulness, God has made known His purposes to His own, whatever purposes they may have been. These cases are helpful, as they display that which is esteemed to be faithfulness.
Abraham and Moses were alike faithful in their houses, irrespective of what others were doing; and in consequence God was able to entrust them with the understanding of His purposes and ways. The Scriptures have much to say concerning the ordinary, commonplace matters of domestic life; for it is these matters that, to a large extent, provide the testing-ground for that which God regards as faithfulness. 1 TIMOTHY declares that one credential of an overseer is an ordered household. To some, such faithfulness might appear very ordinary and unattractive, and not nearly so exciting as to leave the paths of everyday life and launch forth into all kinds of Christian exploits. Yet if it is ordinary, it nevertheless provides an equal opportunity for all, and should give encouragement to those who have no other sphere in which to be faithful. While individual faithfulness has been the character of those to whom God has revealed His secrets, yet the cause for the revelation of the secrets themselves has been corporate failure. After Israel had failed under their kings and were carried away captive, God revealed to Daniel the secret concerning the character of future Gentile dominion (DANIEL 2). It was after MATTHEW 12, where the state of that unrepentant generation is reviewed, that the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven were made known to the disciples. Although the Mystery committed to Paul is stated to be distinct from the former promises; it was, nevertheless, revealed on the same principle as previous mysteries. The setting was failure; Israel had rejected the testimony that was to them first, and as a result their hopes, that were conditional upon repentance, were necessarily deferred, but through the grace and wisdom of God the failure of Israel but led to the revelation of this Mystery. We see therefore that it is God's desire to make known to His faithful children the Mystery, which is the last and final revelation in the Word; a purpose that reaches back to before the foundation of the world and which was hid in God until committed to Paul the prisoner. This is clearly the subject to be specially heeded by those who long to be led into "All Truth."
III.
WHAT is glory? To give a comprehensive and satisfactory definition of God's usage of this word would indeed be difficult. What then shall be said of "the riches of the glory"? or again of "what is the riches of the glory of this Mystery"? As these transcending terms are employed to qualify "this Mystery" we should certainly hesitate before any assertion is accepted which commences with such words as, "The Mystery is simply...."! The prison epistles are rich with superlative expressions; this is without question one of the reasons why these epistles are so especially precious to believers. The following are examples taken from EPHESIANS:
The superlative language is necessitated by reason of an excelling revelation. It is good to notice the glory of the language, but it is more precious to discern the revelation contained therein. Paul prayed that we "may approve things the are excellent" (PHILIPPIANS 1:10); it is fitting, therefore, that we should endeavor to appreciate these superlatives. Any suggestion as to a method of investigation given in the prison epistles should be closely followed, as it may be intended to be a guide to that which God is desiring to make known. "That ye may approve things that are excellent." The word translated "approve" is variously rendered "discern" (LUKE 12:56), "prove" (LUKE 14:19), "try" (1 CORINTHIANS 3:13), and "examine" (1 CORINTHIANS 11:28); while the word "excellent" is elsewhere "differeth from" (1 CORINTHIANS 15:41). The reason for the marginal readings can therefore be understood. The A.V. has "That ye may try things that differ," and the R.V. "prove the things that differ": Only by trying or proving the things that differ is it possible to discern the things that are best. To "try things that differ" is the process, to "approve things that are excellent" is the result. Any comparison between the things of God might at first thought appear improper and unjustified, for every thing from Him must be excellent. We are not, however, left to our own surmisings in this matter, for the Scriptures provide several comparisons that serve as examples of this principle. In 2 CORINTHIANS 3 the New Covenant is compared with, and found to be more excellent than, the Old Covenant. Both these Covenants with Israel were of God, both were glorious; but the one which brought life and forgiveness of sin was more glorious:
The work of the Lord Jesus as the minister of this New Covenant is set in contrast to that of Moses the minister of the Old Covenant.
The condition of the Old Covenant was the law of Sinai, the condition of the New was the word of grace of the Gospel. Paul declared the law to be holy and just and good (ROMANS 7:12); but when the law and its associated things were used to dim the glory of the Gospel of grace, he had no compunction in calling them "weak and beggarly elements"! (GALATIANS 4:9). The law had its place in the purpose of God, but it was not the only hope given to Israel.
The ministration of the New Covenant (2 CORINTHIANS 3) was accompanied by confirmatory gifts of the spirit, manifest in tongues, healings, etc., the proper control and order of which is outlined in 1 CORINTHIANS 12. Great and wonderful as these gifts in their various manifestations were, yet the apostle Paul sought that the believers should not be hindered in going on in the truth through esteeming these as the most excellent things. The best gifts were those that made for edification, but gifts were not the final "All Truth."
These gifts were not the end of all things; Paul did not exhort the believers to clamour after them, he rather pointed forward to "a more excellent way"; a way that was bound up in the purposes of love.
When that purpose of God is fully come to which these gifts bore confirmatory witness, then they will be done away, being no longer necessary. These gifts did cease in the Apostle's own lifetime, although the purpose of the New Covenant was not realized (PHILIPPIANS 2:26-28, 1TIMOTHY 5:23, 2 TIMOTHY 4:20). Something else came, even that Mystery which completed the Word of God. With this revelation the gifts given are of a different order, not being seen in outward demonstrations of power; and until the purpose of this revelation is realized there is no reason to expect such gifts to occur. The obvious absence in this day of these gifts, in the measure in which they were granted to the Corinthians, makes evident the exigency of the inquiry into that unfolding of truth which caused their temporary suspension. The New Covenant, its conditions and its ministry, are all therefore shewn to be more excellent that the Old Covenant. This exemplification of the principle "try things that differ," and in consequence "approve things that are excellent," should prepare and encourage us to apply it elsewhere. The Lord Jesus Christ in resurrection receives many titles, all of them glorious, all of them exalting Him; yet some by their very nature are more excellent than others. To appreciate in any measure His most excellent titles must certainly be honouring to Him. When Peter addressed the people of Israel on the day of Pentecost (ACTS 2:14) his subject was the resurrection of the One who they had rejected and crucified. This resurrection was witnessed to by Old Testament quotations, one of which dealt with an office to which the Lord was raised.
Christ raised as King to sit upon the throne of David! A message of hope to Israel and to the world, for as the Lion of the tribe of Judah He will yet be proclaimed as the King of kings and Lord of lord over all peoples. There is, however, a greater throne than that of David.
At the right hand of this throne the Lord is called High Priest, and as such, He became the Minister of the tabernacle in heaven. The chapter goes on to shew that this ministry is associated with the New Covenant that is to be made with Israel. In the capacity of High Priest the Lord Jesus "passed into the heavens" (HEBREWS 4:14), to "appear in the presence of God" for His people (HEBREWS 9:24). What title and position is ascribed to the risen Lord in the prison epistles? Of all the excellent things revealed in these epistles none should quicken our expectation more than that which speaks of His transcendent glory.
There can be no higher place than "far above all." With this exaltation is associated the title "Head," a title peculiarly connected with His present preeminence in the heavenlies, in contrast with other places that are not yet put under Him (HEBREWS 2:8).
Intimately connected with these different titles and positions of the Lord are the hopes of His redeemed. All hopes are centered and secure in Him; all will be received from Him and all will be glorious. But while this is so, it does not follow that all are identical. What is the difference between them? and in consequence, Which is to be approved as the most excellent? Christ being given "the throne of Hid father David" (LUKE 1:32) suggests the thought of the kingdom given to David, even that which was in the mind of the disciples when they asked, "Lord, wilt Thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?" (ACTS 1:6). The extent of Israel's land was specified when it was promised to Abraham (GENESIS 15:18). Israel have never possessed all the territory, but when at last their King shall reign in Zion it shall be theirs; the description of that time is the burden of many of the prophets. Abraham, who received the promise of this earthly country, was given the promise of an even better country, -that is, an heavenly. It is not recorded in the Old Testament when that promise was given Abraham, but it is spoken of in HEBREWS 11, a promise not known by him only, but by others also.
The Hebrew believers who are addressed in this epistle were partakers with those blessed in this heavenly calling of Israel; a calling associated with the Lord Jesus as the High Priest.
This heavenly city is described as "Jerusalem which is above," in contrast with Jerusalem which now is (GALATIANS 4:24-26). A glorious word picture of it is given in REVELATION 21, which almost surpasses comprehension. With the Lord's title "Head" is associated yet another calling:
The "Church which is His Body" is blessed with Christ its exalted Head in a place that is "far above all"; there is nothing that can excel this hope.
No detailed account of this place of blessing could be given, for who, in this life, would expect to be able to comprehend what are "all spiritual blessings in heavenly places"? It should suffice any craving for descriptions if we believe that, by wondrous grace, we have been made to sit together with Christ in the heavenlies; as to the place, one word appears to be specially used to describe it-"glory" (COLOSSIANS 1:27; 3:4). Other parts of the New Testament speak of the Lord Jesus being raised and seated above all; but only in the prison epistles of Paul is it revealed that a company of His redeemed ones called "the Church which is His Body" are seated with Him in heavenly places. This calling is the distinctive message of the Mystery never before made known. We may conclusively "approve" that the blessings of the Mystery are, without question, the most "excellent" if we compare the "things that differ" concerning these blessings with those of other blessings. It is hardly necessary to compare heavenly blessings with those blessings that are to be received on the earth; the contrast is apparent. We will, therefore, note the difference between the blessings of the Church which is His Body in heavenly places and the Bride, the heavenly Jerusalem, Israel's heavenly blessings. The Church which is His Body.
The Heavenly Jerusalem.
The station of angels provides a datum stratum by which the relative position of these two companies can be compared. The Church which is His Body is blessed with Christ far above all principalities, powers and every name, but those of the heavenly Jerusalem come only so far as unto the realm of angels. This contrast is so sharp and clear cut that if there were no other things that differed about these two callings this alone would be adequate proof of their distinctiveness; and, moreover, the contrast with the station of angels is such that it at once makes evident which calling is the most excellent; that which is far above every name must be most excellent than that which is situated among angels. Both the blessings of the Church which is His Body and the new Jerusalem are heavenly; but only the Church which is His Body is blessed in the heavenly places. The construction "in heavenly places" (en tois epouraniois) occurs only in EPHESIANS.
The Church which is His Body is blessed in heavenly places, but it is also blessed far above the principalities and powers that are in those heavenly places, its position in Christ is more excellent than the highest of heaven's host. The new Jerusalem is called "the heavenly Jerusalem" (HEBREWS 12:22), but nowhere is it said to be in heavenly places; It is spoken of as "Jerusalem which is above" (GALATIANS 4:26), but nowhere is it said to be far above all. Those blessed therein are "partakers of the heavenly calling" (HEBREWS 3:1), but they are not said to be blessed with all spiritual blessings in the heavenly places. When the hope of that calling is received it will be seen coming out of heaven.
While both these callings are heavenly, yet there is a difference-the Church which is His Body, being seated with Christ, occupies a place the is "far above all heavens" (EPHESIANS 4:10); the heavenly Jerusalem has in comparison a subjacent position, for it is to come down from God out of heaven, and it is among an innumerable company of angels. The times of the revelation of these two hopes are different: the hope of the Church which is His Body was not made known until it was revealed to Paul (EPHESIANS 3); the hope of the heavenly Jerusalem was known to Abraham (HEBREWS 11). The times of entry of these hopes are different; the Church which is His Body has a present hope (EPHESIANS 2:6, PHILIPPIANS 3:20), but the heavenly Jerusalem is a city yet to come (HEBREWS 13:14). The times for the subjugation of things under Christ are different: to the Church which is His Body this is viewed as already accomplished (EPHESIANS 1:22-23), but for others this is not yet seen (HEBREWS 2:8). When the full complements of these callings are attained they will be called by dissimilar names.
"Man" in the former passage is not the general word anthropos, which sometimes can be inclusive, "mankind"; but it is the particular term aner, a male or husband (the other occurrences of the word in EPHESIANS are 5:22,23,24,25,28,33, in each of which it is used in the sense of husband). The Church which is His Body is therefore to attain unto a perfect man, and the heavenly Jerusalem is to be prepared as a bride. Some have said that these are but two names for the same company, their argument being that as the terms are used figuratively they have a flexible meaning;-but a word used figuratively does not loose its meaning, it rather acquires increased force. If, the language and terms of Scripture are ambiguous, then of what use are they for the purpose of signification? It is impossible to regard "man" and "bride" as synonymous terms; these words have therefore been used for the purpose of contradiction. The relationship between Jewish and Gentile believers is different in these two callings. In the Church which is His Body all such distinctions are entirely lost; but in the heavenly Jerusalem which was promised to Abraham the distinction is still retained, for on the gates of the city ate written the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel, and on the twelve foundations the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb (REVELATION 21:12-14). These twelve apostles are those of ACTS 1, whose special mission was to witness to the people of Israel. If it was in one point only that the Church which is His Body was found to differ from the heavenly Jerusalem, then we might have reason to doubt that the difference was the result of some misunderstanding on our part; but when it is found that in many points they are completely different, then without question, they must constitute two separate and distinct companies; for how can blessing in heavenly places be the same as those which came down from God out of heaven? or how can "far above all" be the same place as that which is among angels? or how can a calling hid in God and hid in generations until revealed to Paul the prisoner, be the same as that for which Abraham looked? or how can a company called "a perfect man" be also "the Lamb's wife"? The verse in PHILIPPIANS 1 that precedes the request "try things that differ" asks that we "may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all sense" (margin). If ordinary sense is graciously allowed to be used to guide us in these things, the result will be a clear appreciation that the calling of the Mystery is distinct from Israel's earthly and heavenly callings and is the most excellent of all callings. The relationship of these callings to the Lord Jesus Christ is, after all, the supreme factor that decides which is the more excellent. The Lord's Name as Head to those of the Church which is His Body implies the very closest relationship to Him, they being members of that unity, the One Body, of which He is the inseparable Head. The Lord as Head to those blessed in the Heavenly Jerusalem is as a husband is the head of his wife.
The superlative expression "what is the riches of the glory of this Mystery," led us to examine the injunction that would have us "approve things that are excellent"; the superlative language leads to a superlative revelation, and so, by observing things revealed in the prison epistles of Paul, we are led to see the most excellent position of our Lord in relation to His redeemed and the most excellent position of His redeemed in relation to Him we being members of His Body, to the praise of His glory.
IV.
WE might well convert this chapter heading into a question-"What is this Mystery?" Many Christians would be prepared to tell us what they believe the Mystery to be; that, however, is irrelevant to the point of our inquiry. We desire to know "What is this Mystery." In order that we may have the truth of God, and not the interpretations of men, we must take up our concordance and look up the word "mystery" to discover the passages wherein it is spoken of that we may get to know what it really is. It has already been observed that there are several Mysteries in Scripture; among the characteristics that distinguish "this Mystery" from the other Mysteries is that the passage was are considering states that it had been hid until made known through Paul the prisoner. It would therefore be futile to search for it in any Scripture written prior to Paul being made a prisoner; to attempt to do so would be akin to the inattention to God's word that led some of the Israelites to look for the manna on the Sabbath day, in spite of the fact that they had been plainly told they would not find it there. As this Mystery was the distinctive ministry of Paul the prisoner, it is necessary to search his epistles written from prison; in doing this it becomes apparent that even these epistles are concerned with more than one mystery. The Mystery of Christ.
The Mystery.
The Mystery of Christ was known in other ages or generations, although it was not known "as it is now." In contrast to this, the Mystery was not known at all in former ages and generations. Moreover, the Mystery of Christ was revealed to apostles and prophets, but the Mystery was made known solely through Paul. The Mystery of Christ concerns who He is and what God has made Him to be. One only fully knows Christ; and we can get to know Him only as that One reveals Him. "No man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father" (LUKE 10:22). The ultimate aim of the unfolding of God's purposes is the revelation of His Son. It was given to the Old Testament saints to discern glories in the prophecies concerning Him who was to come; "Abraham," the Lord said, "rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it, and was glad." But the glories of the Christ could not be known "as it is now" until He who came had returned to the heavenly places far above all and God had unfolded the purposes respecting that sphere of His exaltation. The Son who is exalted upon the throne is verily God.
The progressive revelation of the Mystery of Christ through the different generations marks it out as being distinct from the Mystery revealed only to Paul. The final unfolding of the Mystery of Christ "as it is now" was nevertheless closely interrelated with the revelation of the Mystery. This connection is also realized in the experience of entering into the truth of the Mystery; we must know who Christ is and where He is before we can understand what it means to be blessed with Him far above all. Many believers, who dearly love their Lord, have their hearts set on the thought of His glory at God's right hand and rejoice in these passages in EPHESIANS and COLOSSIANS which speak of their having been made to sit together with Him in the "far above all" in the heavenlies. These things are indeed precious, and some might be tempted to ask-"If this is believed why trouble further"? "What necessity is there to stress the need of knowing the how, when, and why of such blessings"? It should be noted that God's will expressed in COLOSSIANS 1:27 does not say "would make known what is the hope of this Mystery." Now to be seated with Christ in the heavenlies far above all is the distinct hope of the Mystery, but the Mystery itself includes other things besides its hope. We are brought back, therefore, to our opening question-"what is this Mystery"? The answer is found in the near context:
The Mystery is a dispensation. "Dispensation" is an unusual word. its meaning may therefore be obscure. The word so translated occurs first in LUKE 16:2-4, where it is three times rendered "Stewardship":
The steward had been entrusted with the responsibility of dealing with his lord's household, but his way of dealing was unfaithful, and in consequence the lord deprived him of this privilege. A dispensation is "a way of dealing" or, to express it in a singles word that is rather more familiar, an "administration." A "dispensation of God" is therefore God's manner, scheme, plan, or system of dealing with His own household. God would make known "this Mystery" which is to us-ward who believe; or, in other words, He would have us know what is now His way of dealing with His redeemed ones. Can it be imagined how disastrous it would have been for an Israelite not to have heeded the law during the time when God's "way of dealing" with that nation was by the law? Such inattention would almost certainly have eventuated in transgression, for which the plea of ignorance would be inexcusable, for God had spoken. But would the result of not heeding God's "way of dealing" with us to-day be any less disastrous? Summary retribution is not seen so evidently in this day of God's grace and longsuffering, but it does not follow that it is any the less possible to neglect, with immunity from loss, that which is God's present administration. While it is indeed blessed to rejoice in the fact that God has raised and seated us with Christ, yet it is certainly of great importance that all who have such a hope should know what is God's way of dealing connected therewith. God's ways explain His acts, and only as we enter into His ways shall we understand His acts. To know what is now, at this present time, God's "way of dealing" is to appreciated what is His wish for us and what should be our chief witness for Him. God's dispensations, administrations, or "ways of dealing" are connected with two main themes-salvation and blessing. The law was at one time to Israel both the condition of receiving life and the promised blessings, but it was impossible for them to receive either on this stipulation. Since the law salvation is by grace (ROMANS 5:21), and the blessing of their inheritance is to be received by grace (ROMANS 4:16). The dispensation of the law was superseded by the dispensation of grace, in respect both to salvation and to blessing. The law was therefore a way of dealing with Israel that obtained during a limited and clearly defined period (JOHN 1:17, ROMANS 10:4). The twofold purpose, salvation and blessing, is seen together in EPHESIANS 3: "the dispensation of the grace of God" (verse 2), and "the dispensation of the Mystery" (verse 9, R.V.). Grace is still the manner of salvation-"By grace are ye saved"; but the Mystery now reveals the manner whereby the redeemed are blessed. As it is of vital importance for the unsaved to know that God's way of salvation is by grace through the efficacy of the Lord's substitutionary death; so it is also of vital importance that believers should know God's way of blessing revealed in the Mystery, by reason of the Lord's exaltation far above all. If one is vital, so also is the other; and if we are concerned about proclaiming to others the former, we should also be concerned about giving heed ourselves to the latter. Of the several ways in which God has dealt with His own the present is distinguished as being "the dispensation of the Mystery"; other dispensations have had their related Mysteries, but this dispensation was itself altogether and entirely a Mystery until it was revealed. It should be noted that there is no reverence to an age, or period of time, in the term "dispensation." The present age was not a mystery-it was foreseen by the prophets and spoken of by the Lord; but what should be God's dispensation during this age was a Mystery right until the time this age commenced. The present age was described as being a period of the desolation of Jerusalem and dispersion of Israel; this did not come about immediately after the Lord's death, for when He was on the cross He prayed, "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do": This request was answered in the years of testimony to Israel that ensued. The Lord had spoken of those years, but He also revealed plainly that the testimony would not be received and in consequence Israel should be dispersed and their city destroyed (LUKE 11:49-51; 13:1-5; 19:41-44; 23:28-30).
ISAIAH 6:9-10 describes the state of the heart of Israel that was to bring about this present age of Israel's dispersion. It was not until after Paul had quoted that passage as being characteristic of the Jews of the dispersion, as it had been of the Jews in the land, that the destruction of Jerusalem took place and this era of its desolations began (ACTS 28:25-27). Isaiah, when he heard these fateful words, asked how long this condition should continue:
History declares that this has been the state of Israel and their land right down to this present day. Hosea foretold that this period should be protracted, but nevertheless not without an end-they shall return in the latter days.
Thus the present age was foreseen, but what was to be God's administration that should obtain during this age was not foreseen by the prophets-it was a Mystery. God's purposes in Israel remained in view so long as they were a people in the land and possessed of their city and temple, but when their heart was hardened they were dispersed and their hope was necessarily deferred. It is at this juncture that the question arises- "What is now God's administration?" The Mystery committed to Paul after ACTS 28:28 supplies the answer. The somewhat difficult term "dispensation of the Mystery," therefore, simply means the way God is dealing with His redeemed during this period of Israel's dispersion. To inquire what is this present way of dealing is obviously the most logical and most necessary thing the believers should do. What is now the position of the Lord Jesus Christ and what is now God's purpose among the redeemed?
This position now particularly ascribed to Christ ("Head of the body the church"), and this position now given to a company of the redeemed ("The church which is His body"), are both present facts. The sevenfold unity of the spirit enumerated in EPHESIANS 4 commences "There is one body...." (verse 4). As this is so, God's present way of dealing with His redeemed is to call out from among them those who are to form this One Body.
The building or growth of this One Body is taking place during this period of Israel's dispersion. Nationality is lost sight of entirely in the blessings of this calling; the present, in contrast to the past, position of believers is that they are called out, irrespective of whether they are Jews or Gentiles, to form One Body.
This way of dealing was a Mystery until revealed to Paul; never before was it known that out from among believing Jews and Gentiles there should be called such a company to be the "Church which is His Body" whose hope is to be seated with Christ in the heavenly places. Some may ask- Was not the One Body spoken of by Paul in his epistles written during the period covered by the ACTS before his prison ministry began, even in ROMANS 12 and 1 CORINTHIANS 12?; and is not the Bride referred to in the prison epistle EPHESIANS 5? These are vital questions which demand close attention. The subject of the body in both ROMANS 12 and 1 CORINTHIANS 12 is introduced by the word kathaper, "as," or "even as"; what follows is therefore an object of comparison rather than a statement of fact.
The body is used in these two passages as an illustration; the understanding of the illustration depends upon that to which it is applied, and it is therefore essential to consider the figure of a body in the light of the context. The same sequence of subject is found in both passages. ROMANS 12:3-6 Subject:
Figure:
Application:
Subject:
Figure:
Application:
The subject in these scriptures is the disposition of gifts in the church; these were entrusted to individual members according to the judicious discrimination of God. The gifts were all from the same source, and all worked in the same cause, but severally their functions were dissimilar. The believers were therefore exhorted to view the several gifts as parts of a united manifestation of the working of that one and the self same Spirit, and in consequence not to think too highly of their own apportioned gifts nor allow schisms to arise through preferring some recipients of gifts above others. The figure of the body is interposed as an apt illustration of diversity in unity. The body in question is the human physical body, and not that specific company of the redeemed called "the Church which is His Body" of which Christ is Head; for it is conceivable that there might arise a dissension within the head, between the ear and eye, or again between the head and some members of the body as the hand or foot. Such allusions as these would not be fitting if the figure was illustrating the unity of that Body of which Christ is the Head. Moreover, the members are definitely referred to as "our" parts, some of which are feeble or uncomely; these would not be appropriate terms if the illustration depicted the members of that company who will be "a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing" (EPHESIANS 5:27). The believers were called "members one of another" (ROMANS 12:5), not members of Christ's Body. As they individually belonged to each other they were to have "care one for another" (1 CORINTHIANS 12:25). The spiritual gifts with which they had been entrusted are enumerated in 1 CORINTHIANS 12:7-11. Some of these pertained to the testimony to unbelieving Israel, which occupied the first place during that period as recorded in the ACTS. "Tongues," for example, were a sign especially given to confirm the word spoken to Israel:
In the twenty-seventh verse of 1 CORINTHIANS 12 "body" is without the article as it is the predicate, and thereby affirms something respecting the subject- "now ye are a body"; and as such they "belonged to Christ" and were members individually." In 1 CORINTHIANS 10:17 the same figure is employed; they were a body by reason of their all having partaken of the one bread; and if they were the bread, then were also broken for themselves. This, however, is untenable: the term can only mean that as a body they had all partaken of the table of the Lord, and therefore, as the context shews, it would have been inconsistent to partake also of the table of demons. The reference in 1 CORINTHIANS 6:15 is to our personal bodies as being used as instruments in the Lords service; and this has no bearing on the present subject. These references to believers being a body are not therefore exceptions to the unbroken silence of the earlier epistles of Paul to the subject of the Church which is His Body. The believers were all one in Christ Jesus; they all as a body belonged to Him; but nowhere before the Mystery revealed in the prison epistles of Paul is anything spoken of that Church which is His Body, the fulness, of which Christ is the Head, and whose peculiar place of blessing is to "sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus." Is that Church called the Bride, referred to in EPHESIANS 5:22-33? The practical exhortations of the last three chapters of EPHESIANS are covered by the opening verse:
We are exhorted to walk worthy according to the vocation, or calling, wherewith we are called; not according to |