The joint -body (sussoma) is as unique as is the word used to express

it.  The word occurs nowhere else in the New Testament or in the LXX.  Words

arise in response to needs, and never before in all the varied ways of God

with man had there been the necessity for such a term.  Kingdom, Firstborn,

Church, Bride, Wife, Flock, these and other terms had been necessitated by

the unfolding of the purpose of the ages, but not until the revelation of the

Mystery was there necessity to use such an expression as `joint -body'.  The

equality in the Body is opened up in Ephesians 4:16.  There is but One Head

and the rest of the Body are members one of another on these equal terms.

The third item is `joint -partakers', but such an expression does not

convey the truth until the statement is completed:

`Joint -partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus, through the gospel of

which I became minister'.

The better readings omit the words `of His', and give the title `Christ

Jesus'.  (`His promise' in the A.V.).

`The promise in Christ Jesus'.-- Paul, when writing to Timothy his last

`prison epistle', calls himself:

`An apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, according to the

promise of life which is in Christ Jesus' (2 Tim. 1:1).

Writing to Titus between the two imprisonments he speaks of the:

`... hope of aionion life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before

age times; but hath in due times (or, its own peculiar seasons)

manifested His word through a proclamation with which I (ego) was

entrusted' (Titus 1:2,3).

The Gentiles, here called and blessed, may indeed have been `strangers

from the covenants of promise' while `in flesh', but `in spirit' they are

`joint -partakers' of a promise which goes back before the age times, and

before the overthrow of the world.

Such is the sphere and character of the unity created by the Lord

during this time of Israel's blindness.

We rejoice at the testimony of `All Scripture' to the joys and

blessings which are stored up for all Israel, the nations, the groaning

creation, and the Church of God.  Nevertheless, we, according to His promise,

look for higher things than Abraham hoped or the Prophets dreamed.

`There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and

another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in

glory' (1 Cor. 15:41).

The Mystery that was manifested to the saints through the ministry of the

apostle Paul had been `hid from ages and from generations'.  This we saw in