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hidden part of the great purpose of the ages. It is the one section of that purpose that
reaches to the highest heavens, sees Christ as the One Head of all things which are in
heaven and earth, and manifests in miniature what the new creation will be when the
glorious purpose of the ages has reached its fulfillment. Brethren, we have in this
revelation a sacred deposit. Should all our Asia forsake us, let us still look up and say:--
"Nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know Whom I have believed, and I am
persuaded that He is able to keep that which has been committed till that day."
The fact of a purpose running through the ages comforts the heart, if it does not
unravel all the mysteries of providence. Ecclesiastes finds the thread in this great
purpose that reaches out beyond death and the grave. The fact of a purpose enables the
believer to wait patiently for God and God's own time. Just as in "Pippa Passes" we
read, "God's in His heaven, all's right with the world", so we, while realizing all the sin
and misery around and within, we too know that God's in His heaven, and is working out
His purpose of the ages, and individually makes all things to work together for good to
them that love God, who are called according to His purpose.
#57.
"My tribulations . . . . . Your glory (Eph. 3: 12, 13).
pp. 71 - 73
As the words of A.V. 3: 13 stand they are ungrammatical.
"My tribulations for you, which is your glory."
The relative "which" is in the feminine gender, and singular number, "tribulations"
being plural. Valpy and Macknight call attention to this, but say:--
"The relative being placed between the two nouns `tribulations' and `glory', the one in
the plural and the other in the singular number, it may, according to the idiom both of the
Hebrew and Greek languages, be made to agree with either. Here it agrees with doxa
(glory) which is in the singular number."
It appears therefore that the translation that alters "is" to "are" gives us the sense and
the truth, although being compelled by the different idiom of either language to depart
from literality. There are some who would place verse 12 and part of 13 in parenthesis,
reading:--
"The purpose of the ages which He made in Christ Jesus our Lord . . . . . which is your
glory."
We feel however that the meaning is that given in the A.V. and that the sufferings of
the apostle contributed or tended in some way to the glory of the church of Christ.
Col. 1: 24-27 is parallel with Eph. 3: 1-13, and there we read in direct association with
the fact that Paul had been made a minister according to the dispensation of God given to
him for the Gentiles, namely the mystery:--