three in Galatians, leaving only two in the epistles written after the setting aside of Israel, namely, 1 Timothy 5:18

and 2 Timothy 3:16. Upon examination we discover that neither of these two latter has anything to do with the

teaching of the mystery, for 1 Timothy 5:18 deals with the recognition of service, a matter of practice that is quite

inter-dispensational, and 2 Timothy 3:16 is the apostle's testimony to `All Scripture' which precludes reference to

any particular doctrine.

The phrase `It is written' is used by Paul some forty times in his early epistles, but is entirely absent from the

epistles written after Acts 28:25. Let us then examine Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians and see the manner in

which the Old Testament Scriptures are used, or referred to, in them.

We read the whole of the first chapter of Ephesians down to the twenty-second verse before we come to a

reference, viz., `And hath put all things under His feet' (Psa. 8:6), but if the reader will compare `what' are here said

to be put under his feet, with what are said to be under His feet in Ephesians 1:21-23, it will be seen that the apostle

owed nothing to the Old Testament for what he writes in Ephesians 1:21-23.

We read on through chapter 2, through chapter 3, through chapter 4 to verse 8 before we meet with the next

quotation. Again, if the reader will turn to the quoted Psalm 68 it will be seen that while the ascension of Christ is

there revealed, not the remotest indication is given as to what were the `gifts' that He gave to men. For that

information we are indebted to the apostle, and he received it by revelation and observation, not by reading Psalm

We therefore continue our quest for one solitary quotation of the Old Testament Scriptures by the apostle in

making known the truth of the mystery. In Ephesians 5:30 we read, `For we are members of His body, of His flesh,

and of His bones'. The Revisers omit the words `of His flesh and of His bones' and so do The Companion Bible and

the Numeric New Testament. The passage therefore is too debatable to be admitted. The next verse is a direct

quotation from Genesis 2:24, but the words following, `But I speak concerning Christ and the church' (Eph. 5:32)

bring back the subject from the general relationship of man and wife to the particular relationship of Christ and His

church, which, though illustrated by the quotation is not thereby revealed.

In chapter 6 we meet the first direct quotation from Old Testament Scriptures upon which a doctrine or a precept

is made to depend:

`Honour thy father and mother ... that it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth' (Eph.

This is addressed, not to members of the Body, but to `children' who are exhorted to obey their parents in

the Lord `for this is right' - not because they were fellow-members of the Body.

The apparent quotation of Zechariah 8:16 in Ephesians 4:25, `Speak every man truth with his neighbour' is

explained by the fact that Paul's whole phraseology was tinctured with Old Testament language, but even if this be

included as a direct quotation nothing can be made of Zechariah 8 that constitutes any doctrine connected with the

subject-matter, except by general analogy.

Philippians contains not a single quotation from the Old Testament. There is an allusion to Isaiah 45:23 in

Philippians 2:11, and it refers to the Person of the Lord, not to the mystery. Colossians uses no reference, and 2

Timothy but one, namely Numbers 16:5 and 26, in chapter 2:19. As we have seen, 1 Timothy uses the law

concerning the muzzling of the ox, to which we have already alluded (1 Tim. 5:18); but there is no other quotation.

This leaves only Titus and Philemon neither of which makes reference to the Old Testament.

Here then we have seven epistles, and they contain not more than eight quotations from the Old Testament,

possibly but seven, and of this number, not one can be said to teach or reveal any doctrine peculiar to the testimony

of Paul the prisoner of the Lord.

We come back therefore to Acts 28:23 and 31 and perceive that the emphasis upon the Law and the Prophets in

verse 23 and the pointed omission of any reference to the Scriptures in verse 31 entirely harmonizes with the two

dispensations that find their `landmark' in Acts 28:25-28.

Before we go further it may be well to exhibit the structure of this section, which is as follows: