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blessings," and all "in the heavenlies." Before the apostle could unfold the subject of the
great mystery and the truth of the one body, he must first reassure his hearers that their
case was not so hopeless as they may have imagined. He had to tell them that although
Scripture itself was silent as to any hope of blessing apart from Israel, yet that upon
Israel's defection the Lord had revealed a purpose of grace hitherto kept secret, that these
things were but the working out of His eternal purpose.
Two mysteries in particular are referred to in Eph. 3: 2-9, viz.:--
1. The mystery of Christ.
2. The mystery of the present dispensation,
the one being more completely revealed than ever before; the other being revealed for the
first time in the history of man. The one, to many apostles and prophets, the other, to
one - Paul. Care is required in reading the passage which contains these statement,
otherwise we shall be making Scripture contradict itself. We set out the scriptures in
their harmony and structure, showing the difference there is between the mystery
concerning Christ and His heavenly glories, and the mystery concerning the present
dispensation.
"If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to
you-ward, how that by revelation He made known unto me the mystery,
(as I wrote afore in a few words (viz. Eph. 1: and 2:), whereby, when ye read, ye
may understand my knowledge in 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 by the Spirit),
that the Gentiles should be fellow-heirs and fellow-members of the same body, and
fellow-partakers of His promise in Christ by the gospel whereof I was made a minister."
The structure of the passage will help to show this distinction even more clearly.
A | 2. The dispensation of the grace of God.
B | 3. The mystery made known to Paul.
C | a | 4. The mystery of Christ.
b | 5. Apostles the ministers (plural).
C | a | 6. The mystery of the dispensation.
b | 7. Paul the minister (singular).
B | 8. The mystery made known by Paul.
A | 9. The dispensation of the mystery (R.V.).
Vitally connected with the "mystery of Christ," which involves His ascension far
above all principalities and powers, is the mystery of the present dispensation, which
gives us the standing and hope of believers now. Eph. 3: 6 contains a condensed
summary of the essential elements of the "dispensation of the grace of God," the
"dispensation of the mystery" given to Paul.
Those who have access to the original will not have failed to observe the threefold
repetition of the little word sun, meaning "together with." "That the Gentiles should be
heirs together, and a body together, and partakers together of His promises in Christ
through the gospel." One has only to read such passages as Rom. 11: 24, 25; Isa. 61: 5, 6,
&100:, to see that Eph. 3: 6 introduced something entirely new. It was no secret that the