and to principalities and powers, the One Who has the first place (pre-eminence) in all

things whether in heaven or earth (Col. 1: 15-18).

The Secret relating to the church which is Christ's Body and Fullness was never made

known in O.T. times or at any time before God gave it to the channel through whom He

willed it to be revealed, namely, Paul the prisoner of Christ Jesus.  It was indeed

completely hidden in God, not even hidden in the Scriptures. It is quite surprising how

many expositors have never gripped this fact, for they explain the Mystery as being the

blessing of the gospel going out to the Gentiles and the Gentiles then being blessed with

the Jew. But this was never a Secret. As early as Gen. 12:, God revealed to Abraham

that through his seed all families of the earth would be blessed. Although Israel was so

favoured and for centuries took the first place in God's dealings, yet this was only to

prepare them to be the channel for world-wide blessing (Acts 13: 47). Those who think

this is the Mystery take a view which contradicts Scripture and shows that they have

never understood what this special Secret is about.

However, Eph. 3: 6 gives some of its peculiar characteristics, "that the Gentiles

should be joint-heirs, a joint-body, and joint-sharers of the promise in Christ Jesus

through the gospel whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of that grace of

God which was given me according to the work of His power" (6, 7). As the A.V. fails

to bring out the meaning of the Greek, we offer an alternate translation. Three times in

connection with the words "heirs", "body" and "partakers (sharers)" the Holy Spirit uses

a preposition that means "on an equality with". In this new calling the Jewish believer

ceases to have priority. It is no longer "to the Jew first". The status of a Jew in special

covenant relationship with God ceases, and if he comes into this calling by grace, he does

so as an ordinary saved sinner like the Gentile believer. The Gentile Christian also loses

his status as an outsider, far off, as described in chapter 2:, and out of these two

companies God creates something entirely new, a NEW MAN, in which there is neither

Jew nor Greek (Gentile--Col. 3: 10, 11), each member being on a perfect equality for

the first time. This is one of the unique characteristics of this great Mystery or Secret

now so fully revealed. Other details are given in this glorious epistle and also that to the

Colossians. Paul states his great aim in Eph. 3: 9 "to make all see what is the

dispensation (stewardship) of the Mystery (see R.V.) which from all ages has been hid in

God", hidden for so long, but now made known. Was Paul's aim achieved? How many

responded in his lifetime and how many have responded since? We ask the reader to

look round on modern Christendom and estimate how much this great secret is

proclaimed from the pulpits and elsewhere today and how many are rejoicing in its

exceeding riches? We fear they will get a shock. What has gone wrong?