The Word of Truth for Today 30
/By Joseph L. Watkins
The One Spirit of All Truth used the “unique” and identifying expression, the “unsearchable riches” found in Eph. 3:6-11, to set forth and to emphasize that one great message of "Musterion Truth" that we see as God's “Word of Truth - for Today;” or we should perhaps say, God's Word of Truth - for His saints - Today, for we all need to know that His Word of Truth, which was given to the world of dying men in Adam, is and can only be found in that one message of life in the Gospel of John. This is the one message out of God that all men have been given “hearing to hear.”
However, the Word of Truth for “the Saints of God in Christ Jesus” - for today is highlighted in the words "unsearchable riches of the Christ." This message cannot be found in any other part of the Bible, only in “Paul's book” can it be found; only in Paul's seven post-Acts epistles: Ephesians,Philippians, Colossians, I and 2 Timothy, Titus and Philemon. The saints should LIVE in these seven, and visit all the others.
Let us now retrace Eph. 3:6-11, using our own word for word rendering:
“being the Gentiles joint-heirs and joint-body and joint-partakers of the promise of Him in the Christ by the gospel (good news)” (v. 6).
The good news here is the same good news of Eph. 1:13 - the gospel of the salvation of you. Here, as in Eph. 3:6, the good news has in view the faithing one’s hope, not his life in Christ Jesus as a child, but his position as a Son of God. It holds in view the faithing one's calling, his hope.
In the old Acts-times hope of the Kingdom, the Gentiles had been allowed to share in the Hope of Israel, the Messianic Kingdom. They had no hope of their own, only “life” in God in the coming resurrection (Eph. 2:12). But here in this new message of hope, the believing Gentiles, and the believing Jews, are declared to be one-body, joint heirs, and joint-partakers of the One Hope today.
This new message, or Divine Calling -
“which (Paul) became minister according to the gift of the grace of the God, the one given to me according to the working of the power of Him.” (v. 7).
This is the message that Paul calls the Gift of the Grace of the One God. Yes, this is the one great gospel message given to me (Paul) according to the Working of the Power of God. Think on this and read Job 37:14-16: “standstill and consider the wondrous works of God, the wondrous works of Him Which is perfect in knowledge.”
Yes, Paul was given the gift, this message of His Grace for the all-wise creator in His perfect wisdom “knew” this faithful servant, and He was blessed in his true humility. Paul was charged with the great responsibility of setting forth in his book of letters this new dispensation, this new divine message given to him in divine power. It was not given to him to “learn” or to get to know, this message came to him in and by the power of the Creator of All by Divine Revelation, and he was the only man that this gift was made known to. This great message was a gift of God
“Tome the least of all the saints (was) given of the grace, this (message) in the nations proclaiming - the unsearchable riches of the Christ” (v. 9)
Yes, this divine message cannot be found in any other portion of Holy Scripture, only in the seven letters that together comprise what we have come to view as Paul'sbook. Here alone do we find the Word of God concerning “the unsearchable riches” of the Christ of God. Paul says,
“Even enlighten all (saints) what (is) the message of the musterion (truth) the one hidden from the ages in the God, the One all created” (v. 9).
Paul is here led of the Spirit to further identify this one great “musterion dispensation” from all other messages in saying “the One” hidden from the ages in God. Now, think on this, hidden from the ages in God - what ages are in view here? It is my thinking that it must be the Ages of Revelation, the ages in which the all-wise Creator was making known the rest of His book of truth - this One Message He never let leak out, even though this one great message filled to the full His heart, yet He succeeded in keeping it hid in Himself.
Yes, we can find, and we can identify, many other musterion messages in God's written word, but this is the only one that is said to have been hidden from all other divine revelations. The others He had no concern in keeping hid unto Himself. But this “one message” is very, very special unto Him. It is most unique, it has to do with HisOwn Personal Purpose, His Own Purpose of the Ages, - it has to do with His Heaven, yes, it has to do with His Personal Portion in Creation. It has to do with His Inheritance, yes, even “the Glory of - HIS OWN PERSONAL INHERITANCE.”
jlw
