`according to' in these passages, the English idiom hardly allowing it, it

should be remembered that the word `by' has a very great variety of meanings

which should be kept in mind when reading, its distinction being under the

following headings:

Of

place `by land'.

Of

time `by day'.

Of

agency `by grace'.

Of

the effect of causation `by this I know'.

Of

relation `by the ounce'.

Of

specification `Greet the friends by name'.

Had the Mystery been made known to Paul `by' revelation simply, the

language of Galatians 1:12 di' apokalupseos would have been sufficient; instead

the apostle employs the language of Galatians 2:2 `I went up kata apokalupsin,

in harmony with a revelation', for no one believes that the revelation was the

mode of transport `by' which Paul went up to Jerusalem.  He went up because a

revelation had been made to him, and in harmony with that revelation it was

incumbent upon him to go up to Jerusalem, lay before those in charge `that

gospel which he preached among the Gentiles', and to yield not for an hour to

any pressure put upon him.  In like manner Paul had received a revelation, first

at his original commission (Gal. 1:16) and at the subsequent appearing to him of

the Saviour (Acts 26:16-18).  This revelation included such terms as:

`To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the

power of Satan unto God',

and no one acquainted with the Prison epistles will need chapter and verse to be

quoted here to show that these are an integral part of their testimony.  So,

says Paul `in harmony with this all-covering revelation given to me, there was

made known unto me the mystery'.  The bulk of the occurrences of gnorizo `to

make known' is found in Paul's epistles (18 references out of 24 in the whole

N.T.).  Gnorizo is used six times in Ephesians, two references (Eph. 3:10 and

6:21) deal with making known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, and the

making known by Tychicus the affairs of the apostle.  The remaining four

references are used exclusively of some phase of the Mystery:

`In all wisdom and prudence having made known unto us the mystery of His

will' (Eph. 1:8,9).

`How that by revelation He made known unto me the Mystery' (Eph. 3:3).

`The Mystery of Christ, which in other ages was not made known unto

the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto His holy apostles and

prophets' (Eph. 3:4,5).

`And for me ... that I may ... make known the Mystery of the gospel' (Eph.

Three of these passages refer to related mysteries; one only to the

Mystery of the present dispensation.  The mystery of His will is found in the

section of Ephesians 1 that deals with sin and its redemption.  Sin did not come

in the will of the Father (Eph. 1:3-6), but although unrevealed, we know that

God was not taken by surprise.  Although no reference was made to the provision

of a sacrifice for sin to Adam when he was warned of the consequences of

disobedience, that sacrifice had been foreordained as 1 Peter 1:19,20

establishes.  This is the mystery of His will.  The mystery of Christ awaits our