 |  |
"But now is made manifest to His saints (see `all saints' in 1: 4): to whom God would
make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery (see Eph. 1: 18: `The hope of
His calling, the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints'), among the Gentiles
(see Col. 1: 6: `Unto you and all the world') which is Christ among you the hope of
glory" (Col. 1: 26, 27).
The very fact that, in spite of the setting aside of Israel, and in spite of the cessation of
supernatural gifts, Christ could be preached "among the Gentiles" necessitated some
basis other than that given in earlier Scriptures. For where, apart from the mystery
epistles, can we find warrant for going with a message of supernal grace and glory to
Gentiles, independently of Israel, the new covenant, and the promises made to Abraham?
Neither Israel, the new covenant, nor the promises to Abraham enter into the gospel and
hope of the church which is His body.
The third chapter contains a further statement concerning our hope:--
"When Christ, Who is our life, shall be made manifest, then shall ye also be made
manifest with Him IN GLORY' (Col. 3: 4).
With this passage we should read Titus 2: 13:--
As we should like to devote rather more space than we have at our disposal now to a
consideration of one or two other distinctive features of this hope, we reserve further
comment until we write the next article of the series. For the moment we have seen that
the same exclusiveness that belongs to the mystery itself belongs also to the hope of the
mystery. We leave with the reader the thought that while some may look forward to the
high privilege of meeting the Lord in the air, and others of going in with Him to the
marriage feast, those blessed with all spiritual blessings according to the terms of
Eph. 1: 3-14 entertain the hope of one day being made manifest with Him in glory.
#21.
The mystery that fills up the Word of God.
His appearing (II Timothy).
pp. 186 - 189
In our last article we paused at the comparison between Col. 3: 4 and Titus 2: 13.
These passages have two features in common which are specially connected with the
hope of the mystery.
The first is the word "appearing'; the second the word "glory". In Col. 3: 4
"appear" in the original is phaneroo, and in Titus 2: 13 it is the cognate word
epiphaneia. Before Acts 28: Paul uses the two words parousia and apokalupsis
("coming" and "revelation") when speaking of the Lord's coming, using epiphaneia once
when speaking of the "brightness" of the parousia (II Thess. 2: 8). After Acts 28: he
never again uses either of the words parousia or apokalupsis to define the second coming