The Economy of the Mystery

In this section of our site, under this heading of “Mystery Economy,” we will examine this unique aspect of the gospel that Paul referred to as: “my gospel.” It is the gospel of grace, the gospel of peace, the gospel of love, the gospel of the uncircumcision (Gal. 2:7) which was committed to Paul, and it is set out within the freedom that comes of having Christ dwell in our hearts through faith, so we are rooted and grounded in love (Eph. 3:17). We will look at just how that economy is to work out, so the focus of this part of our site will be on the Pauline epistles, which contain this “gospel of the uncircumcision.” In the lower section of this header page, you will find an overview of this administration, taught through Paul’s later epistles which show the fruit of ongoing revelation from Christ as to the real work of this teaching and Paul’s completion of the Word of God, committed to Him by God. NOTE: It is perhaps a function of the failure of Christian teachers to distinguish the gospel of the circumcision from the gospel of the uncircumcision, which has led to so much disagreement on the future timing and destination of the body of Christ. Further, we can see in Christendom a general mood of lawlessness which is anathema to “the obedience of the gospel” (2Thess.1:10), a great cause for the lack of unity in teaching in the Church, and a clear sign of the coming one whom Paul called ‘the man of lawlessness.’ We hope to help our readers refine their understanding on these questions, and to be more prepared to receive the glory which He has reserved for His Holy Ones, those who adhere to the obedience of the gospel.

And directly under this menu item the next level down will be Our Blog page with occasional writings that focus on important developments in our world in so far as they pertain to the administration of this secret, Christ in you, the hope of glory (Col. 1:27). In this way we will keep “The Chronicles of the Days” in terms of our daily world events, relevant within God’s plan of Salvation and His appointed times for the allotments of Christ’s inheritance among the nations to come into His Kingdom. The Blog is a Daily Bread Log, so one may humorously think of it as a B-Log, or Bread Log. And just as the scrolls of Chronicles revealed the earthly events from a heavenly perspective under the kings of Judah and Israel, so we hope these “Chronicles” will help in the discernment of good and evil and just how God is working all of these things in our time according to the counsel of His will (Eph. 1:11). This makes for a very advanced understanding of God’s ways and knowledge of Him and of His Christ.

The Mystery Among the Nations

In so far as those who were foreknown, created in Christ for good works prepared from the foundation of the world (Eph. 1:10), understood within the key realization that we are God’s achievement, His workmanship [poiema], the body of Christ needs to understand that the whole body must work according to an economy as does the human body, i.e. an oikonomia, or administration. That administration is what is preparing the holy ones for the work of service, i.e. the building up of the body of Christ (Eph. 4:12) in love, according to the proper working of each individual part (v.16). There must be a fervent love for one another and a concerted effort to grow into unity.

This entire administration was a secret that was not disclosed to the Hebrew prophets, but was disclosed to Paul by revelation, this secret of Christ (Eph. 3:2-5). In other generations it was completely unknown that members of the nations would be “fellow heirs and fellow members of the body and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus” (v. 6). It was to this particular administration of the secret, or mysterion, of Christ among the nations, that Paul was called by the Lord Himself. And so, we who are the inheritors of that mission and that promise, understand clearly that Paul received a new revelation and thus he was able to speak of his tribulations as in service to the ecclesia:

His body which is the ekklesia of which I became a servant according to the administration of God, which is granted to me for you, to complete the word of God. Col. 1:25

In this regard, we will do better to grow into the unity of the faith (Eph. 4:13) if we understand well the order or taxis of the administration as Paul delineated it in Ephesians 4, with apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. But all of these offices are not active any more, with the first two completed by the 12 and Paul, and the other three offices being the primary order of the Ecclesia, or Congregation of the body of Christ.

But in a world where everyone is a teacher, how can there be anything but a tower of Babel? Where are the bona fides for these self-appointed teachers? Did Christ send them? Or do they fulfill His own words:

From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and violent men take it by force. (Matt. 11:12)

Isn’t it an act of violence to mentally and verbally assault the servants of Christ when one is not sent by Christ? Why is the Church not looking to the humility and love for enemies that really exhibits the Spirit of Christ which is the defining quality that makes one belong to Him? We must be willing to expose those who are teaching what is not in accord with the doctrine of Christ which is healthy. Paul says we must correct them (1 Tim. 6) they must be silenced (Titus 1:10-11), and we should even expose them:

Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not become partners with them; for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. And do not participate in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead even expose them. (Eph. 5:6-13)

Perhaps the best way to complete this overview of the administration of the secret of Christ would be to read the scripture that lays it out so carefully, and from there we can look ahead to unfold the revelations of the late work of Paul the apostle, as he wrote from prison to the Ephesians, the Philippians, and the Colossians, and his writings to Timothy and Titus, give us a guide to the mature teachings of Christ which He entrusted to Paul for the building up of the body of Christ in love. We do this from the third chapter of Ephesians

To me, the very least of all the holy ones, this grace was given, to herald to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ, and to bring to light what is the administration of the secret [mystery] which for ages has been concealed in God, the one creating all things; in order that now may be made known to the rulers and the authorities in the celestials, through the ekklesia [the called out], the greatly diversified wisdom of God, in accord with the purpose of the aeons [the ages] which He made in Christ Jesus, our Lord . . . of this grace I am bowing my knees to the Father, out of whom every family in the heavens and on earth is being named, that He may give to you the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power, in the Spirit in the man within, Christ to dwell in your hearts through faith, that you having been rooted and grounded in love, should be strong to comprehend with all the holy ones what is the breadth and length and depth and height — to know as well the love of Christ that transcends knowledge, that you may be filled up to the extent of all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do beyond all measure far more than we ask or think, according to the power operating in us, to Him be the glory in the Ecclesia and in Christ Jesus for all the generations of the aeon of the aeons! Amen!

Yes, to God the glory! And so we must have an administration from Him, one we see expounded in chapter 4 and beyond, for Ephesians is really the definitive text on the Soma Christou, the body of Christ, a glorious tribute to God’s economy or administration among the nations, par excellence. It is an administration that cuts across all gender lines, all national lines, all racial lines, all denominational lines, to truly witness to the truth that in Christ their is no male or female, no Jew or Greek, no Scythian or slave, but Christ is all and is in all (Gal. 3:28, Col. 3:11).

Thus the body of Christ must be seen as a spiritual reality defined by the presence of the Spirit of Christ (cf. Rom. 8:9-10), and present as an interpenetrating kingdom in the world. It is beyond the jurisdiction of darkness and it is a gift and a grace that calls us to walk worthily of it:

For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we do not cease praying for you and requesting that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, to walk worthily of the Lord unto all pleasing, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the realization of God; being endued with all power, according to the might of His glory, unto all endurance and patience, joyfully thanking the Father who makes you fit for a part in the allotment of the Holy Ones in the Light, who delivered us out of the authority of the darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have the redemption, the forgiveness of sins, Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature. (Col. 1:9-15)

And such is the administration of the mystery, the shepherding and the teaching that results in love out of a pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere faith (1 Tim. 1:5).

What an exposition of the glorious fruits of the Evangel, the power of God’s Salvation to those who believe. And the administration of this body of Christ must remain attuned to this goal, of walking worthily of this kingdom of His beloved Son, that is the “obedience of the Evangel,” to love out of a pure heart, loving even one’s enemies, for that is a clear sign of the presence of Christ’s spirit. But to be filled with the knowledge of God’s will, isn’t that a marvelous prospect so we can properly give God the Glory, not bearing false witness about Him, but increasing in the realization of God so that we truly know our Creator as a loving Father who wills all to be saved and to come to knowledge of Him. (1 Tim. 2:4)

Thus it is that Christ Jesus gives some for different roles to equip the Holy Ones for the work of service, to the building up the body of Christ (Eph. 4:11-12). And within this administration, our goal will be to provide words that build up, not tear down, the body, but which may in the process also expose deceivers — namely, those who claim they were sent but are not heralds of Christ, but enemies of the cross. For we cannot build up the body while tolerating the teaching of those who betray the Master who purchased them. To that end, our prayer will be like that of Paul, that you may walk according to those words he proclaimed to the Colossians, “bearing fruit in every good work, and increasing in the realization of God.” Amen.