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examination of Eph. 3: 1-13, the final revelation of the mystery of Christ as known by
Paul will be seen as essential to the revelation of the mystery proper.
If the mystery was a secret hidden by God, there are at least two things necessary
before that secret can be known and believed. It must be "revealed", and it must be
"manifested". These two aspects of the subject we find by comparing what the Apostle
wrote in Eph. 3:, with what he wrote in Col. 1:
"If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to
you-ward: How that by revelation He made known unto me the mystery" (Eph. 3: 2, 3).
"Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given
to me for you, to fulfil the word of God; even the mystery which hath been hid from ages
and from generations, but now is made manifest to His saints" (Col. 1: 25, 26).
"By revelation He made known to me"; "Now is made manifest to His saints". The
mystery has been revealed to no one, but Paul, the chosen vessel. Through his
subsequent ministry it has been manifested to the saints. In this series our subject is
"The Mystery Manifested" and it is evident from what we have seen in Eph. 3: and
Col. 1: that "The mystery" was manifested through a special ministry, that of Paul.
However, this statement left without comment would be misleading, for Paul's ministry
commenced with his testimony at Damascus (Acts 9: 19, 20). Paul himself was never
under any illusion regarding the character of his ministry, for, from the very
commencement, it was made known to him that the Lord, Who had appeared unto him at
the first, would appear unto him again, giving him a further commission. This Paul stated
in Acts 26: 16. He did not know in Acts 9: that this subsequent ministry was to be
intimately associated with "bonds and afflictions", although it was stated at the time that
he was a chosen vessel not only to bear the name of the Lord, but also to suffer for His
name's sake. Prison begins to be associated with this new ministry in Acts 20: 22, 23
and 21: 10-14, and it is as the prisoner of Jesus Christ that Paul received and made
known the mystery. This is stated in Eph. 3: and Col. 1: The R.V. of Eph. 3: 1
reads, "The prisoner of Christ Jesus", where the A.V. reads "Jesus Christ". The
change is suggestive, for with the exception of Acts 3: 20, where the R.V. reads, "The
Christ . . . . . even Jesus", this title is exclusive to the ministry of Paul, the references in
I Pet. 5: 10 and 14 reading "Christ" in the R.V. The difference between the two titles is
this,
Jesus Christ.--In the Gospels it means, Jesus the Messiah. In the Epistles it means Jesus
Who humbled Himself, but is now exalted and glorified as Christ.
Christ Jesus.--This is the converse of Jesus Christ, and denotes the new exalted One,
Who once humbled Himself (Comp. Bible, Appendix 98, 11:, 12:).
The mystery is essentially connected with the exalted Christ. It is that phase of the
mystery of Christ that is the distinctive note of Eph. 1: 21-23. Paul was not only the
prisoner of Christ Jesus, but for you Gentiles. We must remember both statements, for
both are important. Up to the close of the Acts, Paul could say, "For the hope of Israel I
am bound with this chain" (Acts 28: 20), whereas in Eph. 6: 20 he calls himself "an
ambassador in a chain" (R.V. margin), and now, no longer for the hope of Israel, but for