One passage in Colossians must be included.  Paul speaks of the new

creation `where there is neither Greek nor Jew ... but (ta panta kai en pasin

Christos, in the Received Text) the all things and in all Christ' (Col.

3:11).  Here `Christ' is put in apposition to `the all things', He Himself

sums up in Himself the entire new creation.  Of this He is the Head, it is in

His image that all will be renewed, all other categories of worth and

privilege are lost and put aside.

So also in Ephesians 4:15 ta panta `the all things' is in apposition

with the `Head, even Christ'.  The `Fulness' that embraces this `all things'

is Christ and His Church, not Christ alone, and certainly not the Church

alone.  Of both Christ and His Church is `Fulness' predicated, but only

as Head and Body making one blessed company.  True growth presses to `the

measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ', and in this dispensation,

the growth of the One Body up into Him Who is the Head is the great example

and exhibition of what the day of glory will reveal in its perfection.

Christ as `Head', that is our theme, and here we see the first

unfolding which is in germ in Ephesians 1:22,23.

As we prosecute our studies we shall learn that other phases of this

growth and perfecting are associated with Christ the Head until, we hope,

when the survey is completed, every reader will concur with our proposition,

set out earlier in this exposition, that whatever blessings are to be

associated with the great title of King, Priest and Prophet, they are all

absorbed, filled and taken to their true end, in the one great title given to

Christ in the epistles of the Mystery, `The Head'.

The failure of Israel at the time of Nebuchadnezzar was answered by the

times of the Gentiles, which commenced in the third year of Jehoiakim, king

of Judah (Dan. 1:1), but, although earthly dominion passed from Israel at

that time, they did not become lo -ammi in the full sense of the term until a

fuller and deeper apostasy opened a deeper gulf, that could only be spanned

by a greater and more spiritual fulness among the Gentiles.  In the fulness

of time, God sent forth His Son, and His birth at Bethlehem and His genealogy

constitute the opening chapter of the book of the New Covenant (Matt. 1).

The earthly ministry of the Saviour opened with a proclamation concerning the

kingdom of heaven (Matt. 4:17), and as `The King of the Jews' He was

crucified (Matt. 27:37).  The earlier stages of the culmination of rejection

are revealed in chapters 11 to 13:

Matt. 11:20,26

`They repented not'.

`Even so Father'.

Matt. 12:6,41,42

`A greater than the temple, than Jonah and than

Solomon' rejected (Priest, Prophet and King).

Matt. 13

The Mystery of the kingdom of heaven.

In these three chapters the gap and its antidote is anticipated.  The

miracles which the Saviour wrought, had as their primary purpose the

repentance of Israel, and so to lead to the setting up of the kingdom (Matt.

11:20 -24).  Christ stood in their midst as Prophet, Priest and King, but

they knew Him not.

In Matthew 12 we meet the first favourable use of the word `Gentile'.

In Matthew 10:5 the disciples were told `go not into the way of the Gentiles'