By: John Krug
There's a story about a poor mariner who was stranded on a uninhabited island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Many years later a rescue ship landed at the island and the man was of course overjoyed to see them. They noticed that he had built three substantial huts and they asked if there were other people on the island. He said "no" and was then asked the reason for the huts. He said the first was his place of residence. The second was his need for a place of worship that he called a church to remind him of home. They then quizzed him concerning the need for the third hut? He replied: "that was where I used to go to church". When thinking about the idea of "church" many thoughts might come to mind. We could look at church like the island dweller as a place where we could go for religious and other purposes until we find something or someone we don't like and then go elsewhere. It could also be a building used for many purposes such as worship, fellowship, teaching, community service, recreation, etc. which is probably people's most common concept of church. Or, it could be to designate a group of people who gather together for a common purpose.
The Greek word for church, ekklesia, is used in the New Testament some seventy-seven times. It is a compound word using the preposition "from" with the noun "called", which when combined simply means that the church includes ones who are "called from" or "called out". In the Greek society the word was used to describe a group brought together for governmental purposes. The word also can be used to describe a meeting place for religious purposes. However, the early New Testament believers adopted the word to describe those who were the redeemed body of believers in Jesus Christ. That is the meaning that we want to assign for "church" in discussing the next mystery. It is commonly known as the "Church of Jesus Christ" and includes believers of all cultures, races and nations who have placed their faith in the grace that is available through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross.
In this session we will look at number three in our list that was obtained from Unger's Bible Dictionary.
3. The mystery of the Church as the Body of Christ, composed of saved Jews and Gentiles of this age (Eph. 3:1-11; 6:19; Col 4:3.4)
Notice first the passage in Ephesians where the apostle Paul relates his commitment to spreading the message of the grace of God to the Gentiles.
Eph. 3:1 For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles–2 if indeed you have heard of the stewardship of God's grace which was given to me for you; 3 that by revelation there was made known to me the mystery, as I wrote before in brief. 4 And by referring to this, when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5 which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit; 6 to be specific, that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel, 7 of which I was made a minister, according to the gift of God's grace which was given to me according to the working of His power. 8 To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ, 9 and to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God, who created all things; 10 in order that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places. 11 This was in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, 6:19 and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel,
Some observations should be made of this passage before analyzing the mystery.
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Paul recognizes his calling and importance of his ministry to preach the gospel to the Gentiles.
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The knowledge that Gentiles were to be "fellow heirs and fellow members of the body" came by way of revelation to Paul and the apostles and prophets of his day. This indicates that this truth was not taught in any distinct way in the Old Testament. He reinforced this fact by stating that this truth was not known in previous generations.
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Paul is describing the church where believing Jews and Gentiles are on an equal status before God.
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The concept of the gospel expanding to include both Jews and Gentiles was all a part of God's eternal purpose.
It was stated previously in this series that the mysteries of the New Testament were truths that were hidden previously, but not revealed. The Scriptures will be examined and as diligent detectives we will ask the probing questions about the mystery.
First — What was hidden in the past? From the Ephesian passage above we note that what was hidden was the fact that Gentiles are now "fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel." This might lead us to believe that prior to the New Testament, Gentiles were excluded from any relationship with God. This is not the case.
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There were a number of Gentiles that are cited in the Old Testament that were a part of the household of God. Two of the most notable were women: Rahab and Ruth (Matt. 1:5) who figured in the lineage of Jesus Christ.
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When Abraham was given the covenant by God which included among other promises that he would be the father of a great nation, the blessing was not only to be for Israel. Gen. 18:18 since Abraham will surely become a great and mighty nation, and in him all the nations of the earth will be blessed? Gen. 22:18 "And in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice." Gen. 26:4 "And I will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven, and will give your descendants all these lands; and by your descendants all the nations of the earth shall be blessed; The blessing to all nations would come through the "seed" which was the Messiah, Jesus Christ. Paul later uses Abraham as an example to expound this truth. Gal. 3:8 And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, " All the nations shall be blessed in you." 9 So then those who are of faith are blessed with Abraham, the believer. Gal. 3:13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us– for it is written, " Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree"– 14 in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith
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Israel was never to exclude any Gentiles from becoming a member of God's family. The glory of the Israel's God was to be spread abroad! 1 Chr. 16:23 Sing to the Lord, all the earth; Proclaim good tidings of His salvation from day to day. 24 Tell of His glory among the nations, His wonderful deeds among all the peoples.
What was hidden in the Old Testament was the fact that the Gentiles were going to be given a status of relationship with God that hitherto had only been reserved for Israel. This leads us to our next question concerning the mystery.
Second –Why was the mystery hidden in the past? It was hidden in the Old Testament because God was dealing specifically with the nation of Israel. A revelation about Jews and Gentiles being part of the same spiritual family would have had no meaning to the ancients. There were however a few clues in the Old Testament that the Jews would not always have an exclusive position with God. The prophet Isaiah predicts the following: Is. 49:6 He says, "It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant To raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also make You a light of the nations So that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth." Here we see that Israel will eventually serve as evangelists of the world! Also if we view the Jewish feast days being fulfilled in the work of Jesus Christ, the feast of weeks (feast of Pentecost) is significant. The blessing of the gospel reaching eventually to Gentiles started on the Day of Pentecost as described in Acts 2, In Peter's sermon he quotes from the prophet Joel about the great event of God pouring out His "Spirit upon all mankind." (Acts 2:17). In the actual Jewish feast there were two loaves offered before the Lord. It is possible that one loaf represented the Jews and the other the Gentiles as a prediction of gospel's expansion to all people. (Leviticus 23:15-21)
This then brings us to the third question: Why is the truth of the mystery now revealed? The answer is that the mystery is now revealed to launch the birth of the church, the body of Christ that includes all believing Jews and Gentiles.
In the Old Testament God dealt primarily with the Jewish nation. Deut. 14:2 "For you are a holy people to the Lord your God; and the Lord has chosen you to be a people for His own possession out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth." Did God then discard and reject the nation of Israel? No, in a future mystery in this series God's dealings with Israel will be examined. What occurred was that Israel rejected their Messiah and God allowing the gospel to expand to the Gentiles. John 1:11 He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name,
In the New Testament era, God is now dealing with the church as His chosen people. 1 Pet. 2:9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10 for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. In this passage Peter is speaking to the church, which are now God's chosen people. These chosen people include both Jews and Gentiles who have placed their faith in the redemptive work of Jesus Christ. Eph. 1:22 And He put all things in subjection under His (Jesus) feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is His body, the fulness of Him who fills all in all.
In the final analysis, what does this mystery of the church that includes both Jews and Gentiles mean to us? First, people regardless of race, color, creed, background or culture now have an open invitation to become members of God's family. The apostle Paul in another passage in to the church at Ephesus relates this great blessing to us. Eph. 2:11 Therefore remember, that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called "Uncircumcision" by the so-called "Circumcision," which is performed in the flesh by human hands– 12 remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one, and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, 15 by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, 16 and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity. Additionally, Paul's epistle to the Romans repeats this thought. Rom. 3:28 For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law. 29 Or is God the God of Jews only? Is He not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, 30 since indeed God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith is one. If you have never come to the cross for salvation that is offered by the blood of Christ, you can have forgiveness of your sins by placing your faith in the grace that is provided in Him. You too can then become a member of the body of Christ, the church.
Second, with the advent of Jesus Christ providing salvation through His shed blood on the cross, the old rituals and traditions of Judaism are now obsolete. Jesus has fulfilled all the requirement of the ancient Law and we now live in the age of grace. Gal. 2:16 nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we may be justified by faith in Christ, and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law shall no flesh be justified.
Third, because of this universal call of the gospel to all people, we who are the members of the universal church should be actively involved in the ministry of proclaiming the gospel message to a lost and dying world. This is our commission that was left to us by Christ immediately before His ascension. Matt. 28:18 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. " The church of Jesus Christ is a living, vibrant organism, not an organization and certainly not a building. It is not a mystery anymore.
Finally, considering the church and our Savior who made it possible, a wonderful old hymn of the faith states: "The church's one foundation is Jesus Christ, our Lord;
She is His new creation by water and the Word ….. Elect from every nation, Yet one o'er all the earth, Her charter of salvation One Lord, one faith, one birth…."
TO BE CONTINUED…..
All Scripture from The New American Standard Bible, The Lockman Foundation.
