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God all in all in the future; Christ all in all in the present--the church of the Mystery
being the clearest and fullest exhibition and foreshadowing of that glorious goal. "Where
. . . . . Christ is all, and in all" (Col. 3: 11).
Returning to I Cor. 15:, we observe that the word translated "put down" in verse 24 and
"destroyed" in verse 26 is the one Greek word katargeo. This has a variety of renderings
in the N.T. Abolish, bring to nought, make of none effect, make void, destroy, cease and
fail, give a fairly clear idea of its primary meaning which is "to render inoperative".
Katargeo is used in Luke 13: 7 "why cumbereth it the ground?" Paul uses it in Romans
six times as follows:
Shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect? (Rom. 3: 3).
Do we then make void the law through faith? (3: 31).
Faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect. (4: 14).
That the body of sin might be destroyed. (6: 6).
If the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law. (7: 2).
But now we are delivered from the law. (7: 6).
The way in which the Apostle uses katargeo in I Cor. 13: 8, 10, 11 where it is
translated "fail", "vanish away", "done away" and "put away" must be remembered when
we come to the next occurrences, namely in I Cor. 15: 24 and 26. All rule, all authority
and power will be "done away", will "vanish away", will be abrogated, repealed,
dissolved, the last of these enemies thus to be repealed, abrogated and done away being
death itself. The only occurrences of katargeo in the Prison Epistles are:
"Having abolished in His flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained
in ordinances." (Eph. 2: 15).
"Who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the
gospel." (II Tim. 1: 10).
In Eph. 1: 22 this aspect of truth is not made prominent, "He hath put all things under
His feet" precedes and prepares the way for the great abolition. Principalities and powers
are not yet "abolished", indeed armour is provided and warning given concerning their
animosity (Eph. 6: 12), but the first great step has been taken. These spiritual enemies
are now "under His feet". The rapid transition "feet . . . . . Head" in Eph. 1: 22 reminds
us that there is a blessed side to this exalted position of the Lord. He has been given as
Head, not over all things universally yet, but Head over all things so far as the church is
concerned, a blessed forecast of things to come. This church has a double title, it is now
"the Body", it will then be "the Fullness". The title "the Body" must be used with
discretion. Paul was a member of that Body, but the members of that Body now living
were, at the time of the writing of Ephesians, unborn. Consequently there never has yet
existed a company of believers on earth that has comprised every member, the term
"Body" being used of the existing company to set forth their relationship one with
another as fellow-members, and with the Lord as their Head. When however every
member is gathered in and the number of the elect is complete, the title changes. From
being called the Church which is His Body, it will then become "The Fullness of Him
that filleth all in all". This is so far reaching that we do not feel that justice could be done