533
THE KING’S BUSINESS
sound sense is by “having made known unto us the mystery of His will.” A “mystery” in the New Testament usage of; the word does not mean something inexplicable and perplexing and bewildering (as it does in our modern usage of the word), it means a fact of truth not before known, and which could not be discovered by merely human investigation and reasoning, but which God has now revealed; in other words, spmething once hidden, now revealed, a divinely revealed secret. Wednesday, June 12 . Eph. i:ió. The “mystery" or revealed secret in this case is the Gospel, God’s purpose and plan and method of redeeming the Gentile as well as the Jew, heading up (rather than “gathering together in one” as in the Authorized Version, or “summing up all things,” as in the Revised Version) the whole body of the redeemed under the one head, Christ (cf. ch. 6:19; Rom. 16:25, 26; Col. 1:26, 27; Eph. 3:3, 5, 6 , 9, 10; 2 Tim. 1:10;. Rom. 3:21). The reason why God made known this mystery of His will was “His (own) good pleasure”—i. e., His kindly intention (see v. 9). The time of making known was also according to “His good pleasure.” This “good pleasure” of His own God purposed “IN HIM” (R. V.), i, e., in Christ; every thought and pur pose of grace on Gods part is purposed and carried out in Jesus Christ. The ultimate goal of this purpose was “a dispensation” (rather, “stewardship”—Christ is the Great Steward of th e ' infinite riches of God’s grace) of the “fullness of the seasons” (see R. V. margin); There have been many preliminary and preparatory signs of God’s grace/ but “the stewardship” where the fullness of His grace will be admin istered by Christ, and fully manifested to us, lies still in the future, and that will be “the fullness of the seasons,” and it is to that goal that God’s purpose is ever press ing on (cf. ch. 2:7, R. V.). God’s pur pose in that “stewardship” is at that time to head up in the Christ this now chaotic world (cf. v. 22): to head up in“Him “all things, the things in the heavens (i. e.,
thing to get, it is 'something we already have, "we have our redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our tres passes.” We do not hope to be forgiven, we are forgiven. All this is “according to the riches Of His grace.” “Riches,” is a favorite word with Paul, especially in this epistle and the epistle 'to. the Romans (cf. v. 18; ch. 2 : 0 ; 3:8, 16; Rom. 2:4; 9:23; 10:12; 11:12, 33; 1 Cor. 1:5; 2 Cor. 8:9; 9:11; Phil. 4:19; Col. 1:27; 2:2), There are no greater “riches” than “the riches of His grace;” they lead to and involve “the riches of His glory” (cf. Phil. 4:19). Moule’s final comment on this verse is : “Observe in this verse the contrasted but harmonious aspects of the gift of redemption; it flows from a divine wealth of love and goodness; it flows through, not any 1 channel, but the death of Christ.” Tuesday, June ix. Eph. i: 8 , p. Verses 8-10 take us into very deep water, but the water is clear and we can see the meaning though we cannot exhaust it even by long meditation and reflection. In verse 7 Paul has just spoken of “the riches of His grace.” He now goes on to say that God made this .grace “to abound toward us.” God has prQvided for us no trickling rivulets of grace, but great rivers—yes, an infinite ocean out of the riches of God’s grace. This grace has already been placed at our disposal (“He 'made to abound toward us”), all we have to do is to appropriate it to ourselves. God has made it to abound “in all wisdom and prudence,” i. e., God’s abounding grace imparts abounding wisdom and prudence to us (cf. James 1:5). The grace of God imparts to the naturally foolish the boundless and pure wisdom of God (v. 9; 1 Cor. 3:18, 19; 2:6, '7; Col. 2:3). The word rendered “prudence” occurs nowhere else in the New Testament except in Luke 1:17, where it is translated “wisdom” ( “the wisdom of the just,” see R. V.). It means practical wis dom in the conduct of life. The grace of God imparts the highest form of good sense (cf. 1 Tim. 1:7). The way in which God has imparted to us this, wisdom and
Made with FlippingBook - Online catalogs