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fullness of the seasons is marked by the resurrection glory of that same Christ during the
period of His rejection by Israel and by man.
Col. 1: 20 speaks of the same period as Eph. 1: 10. In Colossians "reconcile" is used;
in Ephesians "head up." These are not so widely different as may at first appear. If
things in heaven and things on earth are to be united under one Head, then of necessity
they must be reconciled, and if reconciled, then they will both confess the same Lord.
The church does acknowledge that the Lord Jesus is Head and Lord. To the church He is
indeed pre-eminent. Principalities and authorities also are taught the same mighty lesson.
He also is Head of principality and authority. It is in connection with the exaltation of the
Lord Jesus "far above all principality," that Eph. 1: 22 tells us that He was given as the
Head over all things to the church. These erstwhile divided companies are to be divided
no longer.
The fact that the sphere of blessing for the one body is "among the heavenlies," and
"in heaven," is emphasized in Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians. Ephesians speaks
of our being blessed with all spiritual blessings in or among the heavenlies, Philippians
tells us that our citizenship is in heaven, and Colossians declares that our hope is laid up
in heaven. This hope is linked to that of Ephesians by the words, "whereof ye heard
before in the word of the truth, the gospel of your salvation" (Eph. 1: 12, 13). This
heavenly hope, a part of the gospel which was peculiar to the prison ministry of Paul
(Col. 1: 23-27), went out into the whole Gentile world. No restrictions whatever bounded
it in its breadth, while its height embraced thrones, dominions, principalities and powers,
the visible and the invisible, the things in heaven, and on earth. Such is the reconciliation
as it pertains to the mystery, which reconciliation must be kept distinct from the
reconciliation of Rom. 5:, 11:, and II Cor. 5: No dispensational barrier keeps the nations
at a distance, or exalts Israel above them, for the reconciliation (katalasső) has been
proclaimed, and within the sphere of the mystery the members of the one body, together
with their heavenly and spiritual environment and associates, are completely and fully
reconciled (the apokatalasső, elective and exclusive, Eph. 2: and Col. 1:). To apply this
teaching of the dispensation of the mystery universally is most unwarranted.
* * * * * * *
An Explanation.
As some of our words on pages 73 and 74 of Volume 5: have cause a little
misunderstanding, we gladly respond to the suggestion that we should give an
explanation. We do so for one only of the two reasons given. The clearing of our good
name, etc., we do not undertake, but if we have appeared to fail with regard to our
attitude towards others, we hasten to seek a way of putting things straight. We are glad to
be able to say that the writer whose teaching we believe to be in error does not apply the
reconciliation of Eph. 2: universally, nor to the future, and the words objected to should
be read as applying to the united message of Eph. 2: and Col. 1: As we see the
reconciliation of Eph. 2: and Col. 1: as one, and past, having no reference to that which
is future or universal, we mentally carried over the remarks to the, as then, unpublished