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213 - THE DIMENSIONS OF THE MYSTERY - Part I of 3February 7, 1960
Henry F. Kulp
Ephesians 3: 6 - 12 That the Gentiles should be fellow-heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel: Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power. Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord: In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.
We have been telling you about this mystery, this new program that God has initiated for this day through the Apostle Paul. He has said that in days gone by God made a difference between Jew and Gentile, that God made the Jew the outstanding one in the world, and he brought out that the Gentile was to be blessed through the Jew. That the Gentile was to be in subjection to the Jew, the Jew was to have the prominent place. That is an important thing to see if you are to understand the Bible. The Jews was to be the means of blessing to the Gentile. The Gentiles were inferior, they were in subjection to the Jew. They were dependent upon the Jews to be blessed.
1/ Ephesians 3: 6 That the Gentiles should be fellow-heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:
The change of program can be seen when we see three words that are translated here from this portion of Scripture.
2/ So the change of plan is conveyed by three Greek words whose force is largely lost in translation. Each having the prefix, sun EQUALS—PARTNERS—SAME FOOTING—NEITHER INFERIOR OR SUPERIOR TO THE OTHERS.
3/ Ephesians 3: 6 tells us that the Gentiles are co-heirs—as co-heirs of God they are on equal footing, not being inferior to the Jews. Then we read they are co-members of the body. In other words, they are not inferior parts of the body, they are on an equal footing with the Jews who receive Christ today. And finally we are to be co-sharers of the promise. So this is a new fact this is gloriously brought out. Instead of a chosen people through whom blessings might flow we are all on the same footing, we are all made members of His body.
4/ These three words are fellowship, same, partakers. You will notice first of all, the fellow-heirs—they are co-heirs with the Jews. They are heirs on the same footing. Then they are of the same body, they are co-members of this body, and they are co-sharers in the promise of God. They are not co-heirs under the old-economy, they were not co-heirs with the Jew when there was an earthly Kingdom, for only the Jews are to inherit the promised land, the prominent place, and then they are not co-members with Israel for they are not of the same nation, but they will be of other nations blessed through this nation. And then, here, they are co-sharers of the promise, but they were not co-sharers of the promises under the old economy, so we can see in these three words, the new program under God.
5/ Ephesians 3: 8 Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;
Paul certainly was not puffed up by this commission that was given to him. The greatness of his task humbled Paul. His divine given ministry he calls “the gift of the grace of God.” He marveled that God would choose him and make him a messenger of so wonderful a message. Some men in the ministry speak of having earned certain degrees and diplomas that qualify them for the ministry. May God save us from such pride. Paul knew nothing about pride, he was just thankful that God gave him the wonderful privilege of being the Apostle of this message.
6/ Paul is so full of his wonderful subject, and he could bring out and see so clearly the sin of self-righteousness that he brakes the rules of grammar, and he piles a comparative upon a superlative, and calls himself less than the least. Actually, leaster would be the word if there were such a word. But how can anyone be less then the least of all?
7/ Now we will see as we read this chapter and study it, how this mystery was known in other ages, how it was hid in God. It was hid in God because Paul tells us here that we have the unsearchable riches of Christ that he is to preach among the Gentiles. The word, unsearchable, is untraceable and that means this truth could not be traced back to any man, since it was hid in God until it was revealed in Paul.
8/ Then we can go a step beyond that and we can recognize in verse 10 that the angels fallen, and unfallen,—all the angelic powers had no knowledge of this mystery until it was revealed by God through Paul to the church. Right now, if the unseen hosts want to see what God is doing, they look down upon the body, the church, because he tells us here that the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known not by, but through the church. So you can see how great this mystery was and how it was hidden. Even the angelic host knew nothing about it until Paul revealed it and even today they look down upon the church to understand the manifold wisdom of God, the many-sided wisdom of God.
9/ Then we can see also that Paul was in prison for this mystery. He wasn’t in prison because he deserved to be in prison, but he was in prison because he preached this brand new truth that was hid in God, that wasn’t traced back to anyone, and even the angelic hosts did not know it until Paul revealed it to the church—so it is important for us to see that he is in prison for this truth.
10/ We will see how Paul viewed his imprisonment and how Joseph viewed his imprisonment.
Genesis 45: 4, 5 And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt. Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life.
In other words, it is God’s will that I should be in prison. He willed that I should be sold for the purpose of protecting the family when they were sent into Egypt might be taken care of. So Paul says, I don’t mind being in prison. It is God’s purpose that I am here. This message is needed, and this is the way it is going to be gotten out.
11/ Acts 9: 15 But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:
You remember what the Lord said unto Ananias, that Paul is a chosen vessel to bear My name before the Gentiles, Kings, and the children of Israel. How did he get before the Kings?—by being in prison. He was right there before the leaders of all nations as it were, because the ruler of the world was there in Rome and he faced him and had the opportunity of testifying about Jesus Christ.
12/ Then we come to Ephesians 3: 14 - 21 For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.
Paul’s second prayer in this Epistle, and you’ll notice, he says, for this cause—what cause? Because he has been given this message, he says I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Have you ever noticed that if you are just quietly engaged in prayer, you may just sit, and perhaps as I often do there in my study, with my Bible open before me, and I close my eyes and lift my heart to God in prayer, but when you come before God with something that is gripping you, something that has taken ahold of you, something that has stirred you to your soul, you find yourself driven or forced to your knees, and Paul says, this thing has overwhelmed me until I am driven to my knees before God.
13/ Then notice that Paul wants every believer to know the breadth, length, heighth and depth of something. This is given to us in the 18th verse. But what is he talking about? The average person says that we might know the breadth, length, depth, and heighth of love, and I used to think that until I studied this Scripture and I realized that the main thought in this Scripture is the mystery. This wonderful truth that was hid in God and is now revealed.
14/ Does this truth do violence to the teaching of Scripture? I think not, for notice, the Apostle makes it clear that the saints must be rooted and grounded in love to be able to comprehend this great truth, and only as they come to comprehend his truth, will they know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge. In other words the understanding of this precious truth has its root in love, and bears fruit in love. But what is the truth itself? It is the mystery, very definitely.
15/ It is absolutely necessary that you understand the mystery. That is why Paul says in Ephesians 3: 9 And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:
He is trying to make all men see the fellowship of the mystery, because if they do not see it, they are in trouble, and the Christian world is in trouble today, because men have failed to see this truth.
16/ Now let us look at the breadth of the eternal purpose of God. In days gone by, God’s purpose was to one nation, now it is true to all nations through the one nation. But it depended upon that one nation, whether all the nations would be blessed. If the one nation does not obey God and get saved, then the other nations cannot be blessed through this one nation, but now we have a new program. Here we have the breadth of God’s purpose and grace. It is not confining itself to the blessing of one nation, or even the blessing of all nations. It is pure, free, God Himself, to each and every individual who will believe in Jesus Christ.
17/ Notice, I Timothy 2: 4 - 7 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time. Whereunto I am ordained a preacher, and an apostle, (I speak the truth in Christ, and lie not;) a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and verity.
Who would have all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of truth. Because there is one God and one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself, now notice, a ransom for all—what a wonderful, marvelous truth. Oh, the breadeth of the mystery—the eternal purpose of God.
18/ Notice, Romans 10: 12, 13 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
19/ Now let us look at the length of the eternal purpose of God, the Mystery. This part of the mystery is the one that astounds me and thrills my heart, and we can get the answer, how long it is, by just this one book—Ephesians.
Ephesians 1: 3, 4 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
According as He has chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world. Think of it. Long before the world began, we were on His heart, and in His purpose.
Then Ephesians 2: 7 That in the ages to come, He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His Kindness to us through Jesus Christ.
Again think of it, and be astounded, thrilled. That He says in eternity future we are going to be with Him, and we will rule in the Heavens with Him—not upon earth, but in the Heavens.
Part of His glorious body that will occupy the Heavens throughout all eternity. The length of this mystery—it was founded before the world, and will go on through all eternity future. No one can comprehend that with his human mind.
20/ Now let us look at the depth of it. The depth of this mystery?
Let us go to Philippians 2: 6 - 8 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
Think of the depth of sin, and the depth to which our Lord had to stoop to save us from it. The mystery reaches down to all who are down and out. Both Jew and Gentile have rebelled against God and have been sold under sin, but Jesus Christ left Heaven’s glory, came down to this earth and was made sin for us so that He can reach down to us in the depth of our sin and lift us out of that horrible, filthy, corrupt condition.
21/ Then notice the heighth of it—yes, we can see the depth of it in
Ephesians 2: 1 - 3 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
When we realize what we were in ages past. We were slaves of this present age, slaves of the devil, slaves of our own flesh, but God reached down, and picked us out of that awful condition. And now the heighth of it—He placed us in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.
Ephesians 2: 6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
We do not have to wait for the future to have this true of us—even now in the present time we are in this condition—seated in heavenly places with Christ Jesus. I know this is going to be my lot in the future, because it is my lot right now.
Ephesians 1: 19 - 21 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:
Here it says He raised Christ from the dead and set Him on His right hand in Heavenly places, and he did this so that we can be with Him in eternity future. Oh, what a glorious truth we have before us this morning.
AMEN
Ref: 02/07/1960 213 - THE DIMENSIONS OF THE MYSTERY / 10/05/2020
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