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linked in position and meaning. The normal sense of en is `in', but we cannot translate
the former occurrence as `Christ in the Gentiles'. With the plural, en can mean `among'
and translators are forced to render it as such. Why not keep this for its second
occurrence which would then be `Christ amongst you' (Gentiles, as the A.V. margin). If
we render is as `Christ in you', we make the indwelling of Christ the secret hid from all
past time and generations of people. But a careful study of Scripture will reveal the fact
that this marvelous privilege (and God forbid that we should ever appear to lessen it) had
been known before, and in our next study we hope to deal with this. Meanwhile, may the
Spirit of wisdom and revelation be given to us and the darkness of our minds taken away,
lest we miss the priceless jewel of the Mystery from God's treasury of Truth.
No.56.
The Epistle to the Colossians (6).
pp. 150 - 154
In our last study we reached the point in Col. 1: where the Apostle Paul described the
unique ministry that had been given by the ascended Christ to him to make known to the
`Gentiles'. It concerned a phase of the great purpose of God that up to this point He had
kept hidden in Himself. Eph. 3: and this context in Colossians give us two aspects of it
which relate to the church which is the joint-Body of Christ:
". . . . . to whom God would (or wills to) make known what is the riches of the glory of
this mystery (secret) among the Gentiles; which is Christ among (A.V. margin) you
(Gentiles), the Hope of glory" (Col. 1: 27).
As we pointed out previously, this Divine secret is not that of the indwelling Christ as
the A.V. suggests. Their marginal reading is more accurate to the doctrine concerning
the Mystery. The fact of Christ's indwelling of the believer is wonderful indeed and its
experience is a matchless privilege. But this had been made known long before
Ephesians and Colossians had been written and had never been called a secret. In
Isa.lvii.15 we read:
"For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, Whose name is Holy; I
dwell in the high and lofty place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit . . ."
"Jesus answered and said unto him, if a man love Me, he will keep my words: and
My Father will love him, and We will come unto him, and make Our abode (dwelling
place) with him" (John 14: 23).
"And the glory which Thou gavest Me I have given them; that they may be one, even
as We are One: I in them, and Thou in Me . . . . ." (John 17: 22, 23).
"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me . . ."
(Gal. 2: 20).
From these Scriptures it will be evident that God's indwelling of His redeemed
children, wonderful though it is, is no secret which had been kept hidden `from ages and
from generations' (Col. 1: 26). It had been known as far back as O.T. times and Paul in
his first epistle (Galatians, written during the Acts) had declared this to be his precious
experience and he was writing to churches who had a large proportion of Gentile