The Super Gigantic "Gulf" that stands between the One Creator of All That Is,
and the innumerable multitude of "the created" is today the very least incomprehensible,
even to the greatest of minds.
Yet, beyond any question or doubt, the Creator desired in His heart of hearts to have a created being that could, and that would "image" his own being. Yes, the "finite" was to be made to "image" the INFINITE. Impossible! Even for the One Creator of All; for such must be seen as a sure impossibility - it just could not be done. For the one single divine Deity could never be reproduced. There is and can only be one First, one at the TOP, one Greatest One, One God, yes, there could and there is but ONE DEITY.
So how could this One Single Deity be imaged or mirrored or expressed in or by the lowly created? We are told that such an impossible goal is the desired END of the Creator of All.
Study closely what is recorded for our learning in the Greek words in Eph. 3:9-11:
v. 9: 5461
3956 5101
3588
enlighten
all (saints) what (is)
the
2842
3588 3466
3588
message of the
musterion the one
613
575 3588
165 1722 3588
hidden from
the ages in
the
2316
3588 3588
3956 1223
God the one
the all
for (the sake of)
5547
2424
Christ Jesus
v. 10: 2443
1107 3568
3588
in order that known now
to the
746
2532 3588 1849
1722
rulers and
to the authorities in
3588
2032 1223
3588 1577
the heavenlies
by the
out-called
3588
4182
4678 3588
2316
the many manifold
wisdom of the God
v. 11: 2596
4286 3588
according to (His) purpose of the
165
3739 4160
1722 5547 2424
ages which
He fulfilled in Christ
Jesus
3588
2962 2257
the Lord
of us
The Out-Called Faithing Ones are chosen to make all see, or "enlighten all saints," as only one in Christ Jesus have hearing to receive and believe the things out of God. Yes, only the saints and the faithing are being addressed by the Spirit, both here and in the other six chapters of Paul's book. Only a Holy One can be "enlightened," and only a saint of God in Christ Jesus will be, or can be, "called." The Gospel of Life, as recorded in the book of John, is not a calling, but a proclamation. Every seed of Adam's race have been given hearing to this message of life, believe this message and live, reject it and you will not have this gift of "LIFE."
Yes, we have been charged of our Lord, as Paul was,
to "enlighten" all saved ones in Christ Jesus - what the message (dispensation)
of The Musterion is. Yet knowing full well that we cannot do that,
for this message is Musterion Truth, truth that is held in God and can
only come to one by Divine Revelation (Eph. 1:17). And yet, we must keep
on keeping on, doing what we are charged to do as best we can, always trusting
the Spirit of Truth to do that which only He can do, and will do. Now,
what Musterion Message is it?
The one hidden from the ages in God.
From what "ages" was this special message being "hid"? Think on this: As I see it, it could only be the ages of Divine Revelation - that is why this message is "unsearchable." It cannot be sought out except in Paul's post-Acts epistles. Yes, it was hid until being revealed to him at Rome after Acts times.
"The One the all created for the sake of Christ Jesus."
How do we get the idea "for the sake of'? See Strong's #1223 in The New Englishman's Greek Concordance and Lexicon, pg. 158.
But how are we to understand this? In one sense, all of Creation was for His sake, but Creation is not the subject here, and when the Spirit uses the words #3588 the, and #3956 all, we have the all, and we are told this should be rendered the all these, or all these things, with the context determining just what things are in view.
The subject in this verse being the Message of the Musterion, we then must look for the things that were created with a view to the Musterion. And as we consider the Musterion, all that we can find that was created, and created for the sake of Christ Jesus, are the Chosen Members of the Out-Called Body of Christ Jesus (Eph. 2:10) who are the living "image" of the Creator.
He came to earth as the Son of man to die for man, and to make the Creator known to man. But in that form He can be in but one place at a time. So, for His sake, the Body and its members are being CREATED.
jlw