We there showed that the Mystery was revealed for the first time to Paul alone in

Ephesians, and therefore the rest of the question set out above requires no further answer.

The distinction between "the Mystery" and "the mystery of Christ" was also discussed in

that number.

Let us notice what is revealed in Ephesians regarding the characteristics of this

1. PLACE.--Heavenly places (1: 3), further defined as at the right hand of God and

far above all principalities (1: 20, 21), and indicated as the glorious sphere of blessing for

the church of the one body who are made to sit together in the heavenly places in

Christ Jesus (2: 6).

2. TIME.--Before the foundation of the world (1: 4).--Waiving the question of the

interpretation of this passage, we note that no other company of believers are spoken of

as connected with this period. The expression occurs elsewhere only of Christ Himself.

All others are blessed in connection with a purpose dating "since the foundation of the

world". Parallel with this unique expression are the words of II Tim. 1: 9 and Titus 1: 2,

the literal rendering of which is "before age times". Other mysteries are dated "since the

age times" (Rom. 16: 25).

3. TITLE.--The company of believers who are thus blessed are called "The church

which is His body, the fullness of Him that filleth all in all" (Eph. 1: 22, 23).

4. UNITY.--All distinctions, privileges, and disabilities, which in here to either Jew

or Gentile in the flesh, are destroyed, and in this new company we find not a reformation

or a development, but a "new man" and a "new creation". The middle wall of partition

being broken down, the only unity now recognized is the unity of the Spirit.

5. STATUS.--In this new sphere the Gentile is a fellow-heir, a fellow-member, a

fellow-partaker, a fellow-citizen (2: 19, 3: 6). Such a condition had not been hitherto

experienced. In Romans, even, the Jew is first, the Gentile is but a wild olive, grafted

into the Abrahamic stock. In Ephesians it is impossible to distinguish either the Jew or

the Gentile. They are created one new man.

Question 3 (above) is practically answered already. If the mystery was never revealed

until the people of Israel had been set aside, if no one except the apostle Paul originally

received it, if its place of blessing, time of election, title, unity and status are all peculiar

to itself, it is evident that it did not logically arise out of the teaching of the early ministry

of Peter and Paul. It rather is given complete and entire by God, when all His hitherto

revealed purposes had apparently ended in disaster.

The omission of Old Testament quotations, the absence of the names of Abraham,

Isaac, Jacob, Moses, the Fathers, Israel (in a positive sense, see refs.); the setting aside of