in the great purpose of God and they speak with authority in that particular sphere of

service to which they were sent, chiefly in connection with the people of Israel who are

the key to world blessing and the kingdom of God on earth. But Paul' commission deals

with outcast Gentiles whose divine destiny after salvation is heavenly, whose

commonwealth exists in the heavens (Phil. 3: 20), and who are now seen positionally in

those very heavens `seated together in Christ' (Eph. 2: 6). This was certainly a fullness

of revelation that had never been made known before. The O.T. knows nothing of it, nor

does the N.T. until we reach the prison letters of the Apostle Paul where he first unfolds

the wonders of this divine secret and its purpose.

He assures us that, at this point, God willed or chose (R.S.V.) to make it known.

Israel, the covenant people of God, had miserably failed and been set aside in blindness,

hardness of heart and unbelief (Acts 28: 28). Instead of choosing another channel and

proceeding with His purpose of world blessing and the establishment of His kingdom of

righteousness and peace on earth, God now reveals a heavenly side to His kingdom,

principally Gentile, with a heavenly hope, with whom the aristocracy of heaven,

principalities and powers, are connected and are now learning the manifold wisdom of

God.  This company He plans to be a permanent home (habitation) for Himself

(Ephesians 2: 20-22). What a destiny and what a revelation!

As far as the redeemed are concerned, it is surely unmatched in the rest of Scripture!

No wonder the Apostle counted it the highest honour to be the human channel through

which it was revealed! No wonder he desired above all things to make it known at

whatever cost to himself!

Eph. 3: 3, 6-9 and Col. 1: 27 are complementary in revealing this great secret. The

Ephesian context tells us that the Body consists of chosen Jews and Gentiles who in this

out-calling lose their status as such. In this church there is no Israelite or Gentile

(Colossians 3: 10, 11). They are divinely called to be a new creation (not an evolution

or improvement from what had gone before), a new man (Eph. 2: 15), and are members

on a perfect equality for the first time, "joint-heirs", "joint-partakers" and forming a

"joint-Body" (Eph. 3: 6). As we have seen, it had never been a secret that Gentiles

would be blessed with and through Israel. This was God's express purpose in calling out

Israel, as He clearly made known to Abraham (Gen. 12: 1-3). But in this relationship

Israel did not lose her identity or her priority. Even during the Acts period the Gentile

was reminded that he was but a wild olive grafted into the true (Israel) to partake of the

root and fatness of the olive tree, that is, Israel's covenant blessings, but in doing this he

was reminded `thou bearest not the root, but the root thee' (Rom. 11: 18). Only by the

means salvation was attained were they equal, that is by grace alone (Rom. 3: 21-23), for

God has only one way of salvation whether it touches Jew or Gentile, namely--faith in

Christ Jesus apart from any human works or merit.

The context in Colossians with which we are dealing gives another aspect.  In

Colossians 1: 27 the preposition en occurs twice `this mystery among (en) the Gentiles,

which is Christ en (in or among) you, the hope of glory'. It does not seem likely that

Paul uses this preposition in two different senses in these phrases which are so closely