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different from others. Jeremy Taylor uses the word thus `idiots or private
persons' that is in its first Greek sense, a man in private life. An idiom
is a mode of expression peculiar to a language. Idiosyncrasy is a peculiar
temperament, constitution or characteristic. In the New Testament idios is
mostly translated `own' and it is so translated by the R.V. of 1 Timothy 2:6
and Titus 1:3. It is of the very essence of dispensational truth that the
message given or received should pertain to its peculiar season, otherwise,
that which may have been God's truth at one period, may not be the truth for
another. This can easily be seen in the apostle's argument in Galatians 5:2
-4, for under the law circumcision was compulsory. So, to preach the gospel
of the kingdom (Matt. 10) in the dispensation of the Mystery is to preach a
message out of season, and to that extent, false. In 1 Timothy 2:6 Paul
could preach `A ransom for All' whereas in the days of Christ's early
ministry He spoke of `a ransom for Many'; in the latter case He had purposely
limited His ministry to Israel, whereas Paul had a message for all, whether
Jew or Gentile. Not only is there a `due time' for the preaching of the
gospel and teaching of the Mystery, there are also named distinct stewards of
that message and Secret. Galatians 2:7 -9 most clearly distinguishes between
the sphere of ministry given to Peter, James and John on the one hand, and to
Paul and Barnabas on the other. This close association of the message and
the messenger, is implied in the word `committed':
`The gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me' (Gal. 2:7).
`This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy' (1 Tim. 1:18).
`The same commit thou to faithful men' (2 Tim. 2:2).
`That good thing which was committed unto thee keep' (2 Tim. 1:14).
The R.V. places in the margin of 2 Timothy 1:12 `Or, that which He hath
committed unto me Gr. my deposit', instead of `that which I have committed
unto Him'. The apostle refers to the fact that unto himself, less than the
least though he may be, had been entrusted the glorious revelation of the
Mystery, a theme he expands in Ephesians 3:1 -13 and in Colossians 1:24-27.
This
precious truth was committed to Paul `according to the commandment of God our
Saviour' (Titus 1:3).