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mystery of Christ, for the first time in this epistle. Here are riches of grace (1: 7); riches
of glory (1: 18, 3: 16); and exceeding riches of grace (2: 7).
The mystery of Christ, the unsearchable riches of Christ, constitute the riches of the
glory of the mystery. Without these unsearchable riches the dispensation of the mystery
would be a dispensation of beggary. Every member of the One Body would be a
Syrophenician suing for crumbs from Israel's table. The apostle makes this clear in Col.
1: 27:--
"To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery
among the Gentiles."
What is it? Shall we enumerate the spiritual blessings? Shall we dilate upon heavenly
places? Shall we exult in the threefold equality? We cannot. These are valueless and
empty without the risen and ascended Christ. The riches of the glory of the mystery
among the Gentiles is "Christ among you the hope of the glory". In Rom. 1: 1-4 the
gospel of God is defined as:--
"Concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David
according to the flesh, and declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the
spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead."
The Christ of Eph. 3: is the same blessed person. He is still so far as the flesh is
concerned "the seed of David", but the revelation of His present position is much more
wonderful than that given in Rom. 1::--
"Dost thou remember Jesus Christ, the One having been raised from the dead, of the
seed of David, according to my gospel, wherein I suffer trouble, as an evildoer, even unto
bonds" (II Tim. 2: 8, 9).
Without a knowledge of the mystery of Christ we cannot preach the gospel that
harmonies with the truth of the One Body.
We must reserve the consideration of the message of Eph. 3: 9 for another paper.
Meanwhile may we rejoice in the riches here revealed to our faith, and find our hearts
knit together and comforted as we meditate upon all that they mean to us and to our
blessed Lord.