measure what the Lord felt when He faced not only death and suffering, but the

intense shame of being `numbered with the transgressors' (Mark 15:28).

Compulsory association with brutal company can be more torture than the stake.

And so Paul said `and for me'.

The utterance and the boldness that Paul desired was that he might make

known the mystery of the gospel.  There are two sources of help available in

seeking the meaning of this expression.  We may observe its connection with the

use of the word `mystery' in this epistle.  We may read it in the light of the

parallel passage in Colossians.  Now the Mystery is mentioned six times in

A

The dispensation.

B

3:3.  The Mystery.

C

3:4.  The mystery of Christ .

A

3:9.  The dispensation (R.V.).

B

5:32. The Great Mystery.

C

6:19. The mystery of the gospel.

We have already learned to distinguish between the Mystery itself which

was revealed only to Paul, and the Mystery of Christ which had been made known

in measure down the age, but in its final and highest sphere to Paul.  It would

appear therefore that the Mystery of the gospel was connected with the Mystery

of Christ.  Let us now turn to Colossians 4.  The context is identical with that

of Ephesians 6:

`Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of

utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds:

that I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak' (Col. 4:3,4).

This passage confirms our finding.  Why should the apostle lay such stress

upon this feature?  The reason seems to be this.  Every message sent by God in

grace to man has been inseparably connected with Christ, and until His person

and position were made clear, no good message could be intelligible.  If one

would preach the gospel of the kingdom one must preach the advent of the King.

If one would preach the gospel of grace, one must preach Christ crucified, dead,

risen.  If one would preach the good tidings of the Mystery which places the

redeemed `far above all', it is essential that before such a statement can be

received, or even be intelligible, Christ must be preached `far above all' too.

Where Paul surpassed all in the revelation he received, was that over and above

the accumulated knowledge of the Mystery of Christ, that had grown ever since

the first revelation given in the garden of Eden, he had received the climax of

truth, viz., that the risen but rejected Messiah was now at the right hand of

God, Head of both principality and church, and that the Mystery of the union of

the church with the ascended Lord constituted the fulness of Him, Who in His

turn was designated to fill all in all.  It was in order that he might make this

message clear, without compromise and without fear, that he asked the prayers of

the saints.