MYSTERY

OF THE

2. Its special sphere of blessing.

This church has a unique sphere of blessing. Israel's inheritance is the land of promise; Abraham and those who

walk in the steps of his overcoming faith look forward to the Heavenly City; it is reserved for the church of the One

Body to be blessed in heavenly places. These heavenly places are at the right hand of God, far above all (Eph.

1:20,21); the church of the One Body is spoken of, not merely as attaining that high place, of standing there, or

serving there - unspeakable blessings as these would be - but of actually being `seated together' there at the right

hand of God. Nothing like this had ever been made known before.

3. The time of its election is unique.

Three times in Scripture do we read the words, `Before the foundation of the world'. Two of these passages

speak of Christ, viz., John 17:24 and 1 Peter 1:20. The other reference speaks of the election of the church of the

One Body `before the foundation of the world'.

The etymology of the word `foundation', katabole, and its usage elsewhere (e.g., 2 Cor. 4:9; 2 Sam. 20:15 etc.,

etc.) lead us to adopt the rendering, `Before the overthrow of the world'. Linking this passage with Genesis 1:1 and

2, and, by the analogy of faith, with Ezekiel 28, we discover that before the judgment upon Satan and his angels

which involved the original earth in chaos, this church with its heavenly destiny was chosen.

4. The time of its manifestation was deferred.

This dispensation is called the dispensation of the mystery. We are told that it was `hidden in God' from the

ages and the generations, and was only made known when Israel failed and were temporarily set aside. This

revelation completes the Word of God. Nothing further is to be expected, but from now until the end what has been

promised shall in due time and order come to pass. Judged from the record of the rest of Scripture this dispensation

of the mystery is a parenthesis in the outworking of the purpose of the ages, but from the standpoint of Him Who

knows the end from the beginning, and worketh all things after the counsel of His will, the church of the One Body

and its dispensation fall into their predestined place, and complete the whole.

5. Its constitution is unique.

The Gentile members of this church were told to remember that once they were hopeless, Christless, Godless and

aliens from the commonwealth of Israel. This church was no development, adjustment, or evolution of the company

that was formed during the Acts (though, of course, many of the individuals who composed the early church passed

over by faith into the other), but was a new creation.

` ... for to create in himself of the two, one new man, so making peace' (Eph. 2:15, Author's translation ).

In this new company there is an equality of membership never known before. Even when writing the epistle to the

Romans, Paul speaks of `the Jew first'. But in the new company we have an entirely new constitution:

`Fellow-citizens with the saints' (Eph. 2:19).

`That the Gentiles should be fellow-heirs, fellow-members of the body, and fellow-partakers of his promise in

Christ by that gospel, whereof I (Paul) was made a minister' (Eph. 3:6, Author's translation).

6. It is characterised by the supremacy of Christ Himself; the substance eclipsing and removing all shadows.

In this dispensation there are no `healings', `tongues' and other supernatural sign-gifts. They ceased with the

setting aside of the people of Israel. There is only one baptism in this church, that of the Spirit - not that of water.

The baptism of the Spirit must not be confused with the earlier manifestation of spiritual gifts, but associated with

the identification of the believer with His Lord in His death, burial and resurrection, which is not necessarily set

forth typically by immersion in water. Water baptism is closely connected with Israel. Peter could never have said

as did Paul, `Christ sent me not to baptise, but to preach the gospel' (l Cor. 1:17), for Peter's gospel and baptism are