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is here we find our calling, and there we shall discover what promises, if any, belong to
the Church of the Mystery.
The epistles that contain the word `promise' are Ephesians, 4 references; I Timothy,
1 reference; II Timothy, 1 reference, and so six in all. Upon examination, two that are
found in Ephesians do not count in the present study, namely the one declaring that the
Gentiles were strangers to the covenants of promise which refer to the past, and the other
referring to the command "Honour thy father and thy mother" (Eph. 6: 2). This leaves
but four promises in the epistles of the Mystery. Two of these speak of `life' (ITim.iv.8;
II Tim. 1: 1), one of the seal (Eph. 1: 13) and one of the unique character of the
membership of the one Body (Eph. 3: 6). Of the references in the epistles to Timothy,
the one in I Tim. 4: 8 must be removed from our list, as it speaks of `the promise of the
life which now is, and of that which is to come' in a general way, without associating this
promise with any covenant made with the fathers, Abraham or Israel or special time
period.
We have therefore three passages only in all the N.T. that use the word `promise'
specifically of the church of the Mystery. Let us examine these references carefully, for
our hopes are bound up with the doctrines they contain. As II Timothy deals with a
promise of life, and life must come before any possibility of experience, let us consider
that passage first.
"Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, according to the promise of life
which is in Christ Jesus" (II Tim. 1: 1).
With this passage we can read the opening verses of the epistle to Titus:
"In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began"
(Titus 1: 2).
The expansion of this promise begins at II Tim. 1: 8 with a reference to `the
testimony of our Lord' and with Paul `His prisoner'. We do well to note the order here.
It is not the teaching, idea or fancy of Paul. The epistles are as much the testimony of
Jesus Christ as is the Sermon on the Mount, the parables of the mysteries of the kingdom
(Matt. 13:) or the prophecy of Matt. 24: The perpetuation of these testimonies was
entrusted to either Matthew or Paul according to their stewardship, but inspiration knows
no dispensational boundaries. The Christ Who spake on earth, has since spoken from
heaven, and Paul is as much His mouthpiece as were Peter and John. The fact that Paul
emphasized his prison ministry is in line with the fact that he is still dealing with that
dispensation that came into force at Acts 28: Saved Gentiles, called during Israel's
blindness are in view, and here we find our calling and the basis of our hope. This calling
goes back `before the world began' (II Tim. 1: 9; Titus 1: 2) pro chronon aionion,
literally `before times of ages'. This calling therefore is identical with that of Eph. 1: 3,4,
which goes back to `before the foundation (or overthrow) of the world'. The life that is
the subject of this promise is defined as `eternal, or age-abiding life', `that which is to
come', and `life and immortality'. The figure of speech called hendiadys seems to have
been employed in II Tim. 1: 10 in the phrase `life and immortality', for there can be no
immortality where there is no life. Hendiadys, is the figure that uses two words where