Ephesians was not revealed through Paul until he was a prisoner. In the epistle to the

Romans he is a free man, making plans for wider missionary efforts.

The reference to "all nations for the obedience of faith," links this passage with the

first chapter (1: 5). To us, now, there is possibly no mystery as to the evangelizing of the

Gentiles, but until the Apostle Paul received the ministry of the reconciliation, even a

pious Gentile like Cornelius would be reckoned by Peter as "common and unclean"

(Acts 10: 28).  The estrangement of the Gentiles (Rom. 1: 18-32) necessitated the

reconciliation. But that this would take place, and when, and how, was not spoken of in

the Scriptures. So it is that in Rom. 16: 25 Paul's gospel is linked with the mystery

that had been hushed or kept quiet during the age times, but was made manifest when he,

the Apostle to the Gentiles, received the commission unto all nations for the obedience

of faith. The One Body and the mystery of Ephesians is nowhere in sight. Your

emphasis in your letter on "SINCE" the world began is based on the A.V. There is no

word for "since" in the original of this passage.

`Therefore, I, too, hearing of the faith which relates to you in the Lord Jesus, and that

which is for all the saints.' The editor of another magazine omits these two words also.

He says, `What is the force of the contrast between you and all the saints? In the

Apostle's day there were many of the circumcision still alive who were looking forward

to an earthly allotment. Their faith is not our faith. But here the Apostle speaks of a

faith which refers to us in contrast to that which relates to them, and he prays, etc.

The weight of evidence, supported by the Numerics New Testament is in favour of

omitting the words translated "the love."

It is certainly true that the faith of the members of the One Body differs essentially in

many respects from those called under other dispensations. If this be the meaning of the

passage, "all the saints" must be taken to mean not "all," but all those outside the One

Body. While there is scriptural usage for the limitation of "all," we cannot ourselves

believe that this is the meaning of the passage. We too might ask what is the force of the

Apostle's reference to his "hearing" of these two phases of faith? We would ask your

consideration of another way of looking at the passage, and then leave the decision with

you. "All the saints," in 3: 17-19 is an expression that means, there, the believers in

the One Body--even though the word "you" is used as well. Again, in 6: 18, "all the

saints" refers to those who believe with the same faith as the Ephesian believers, even

though contrasted with Paul's personal "me." So far as the addresses of this Epistle are

concerned, the Apostle does not recognize any distinctions between them. The "both"