The Great Mystery of Christ and the Church
THROUGHOUT the writings of the apostle Paul he again and again refers to a wondrous secret, which he designates in a special way as “the mystery,” or the great mystery.” Other mysteries he treats of, as we have seen, and shall notice later; but there is one that is preeminently such. It occupies much of his ministry, and is clearly the chief gem in the diadem of the truth of Christianity; yet for centuries it was almost entirely lost sight of. In fact, until brought to the fore through the writings and the preaching and teaching of a distinguished ex-clergyman, Mr. J. N. Darby, in the early part of the last century, it is scarcely to be found in a single book or sermon throughout a period of sixteen hundred years 1 If any doubt this statement, let them search, as the writer has in measure done, the remarks of the so-called Fathers, both pre-and post-Nicene; the theological treatises of the scholastic divines; Roman Catholic writers of all shades of thought; the literature of the Reformation; the sermons and expositions of the Puritans; and the general theological works of the day. He will find “the mystery” conspicuous by its absence. Of ordinances exalted to the place of mysteries, as in heathen rites, he will find much; but as to the mystery, which to the apostle was so unspeakably precious, rarely a reference!
That a doctrine so clearly revealed in the Scriptures could have become so utterly lost is only to be accounted for by the Judaizing of the Church, and the consequent minding of earthly things that beclouded the heavenly ones.
In seeking to point out the truth of the great mystery, I purpose looking at the various passages in which it is referred to, or explained, in the order in which they come in our English Bibles. The first passage is Romans 16:25-27: “Now to Him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, but now is made manifest, and by the Scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith: to God only wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen.”
In the epistle to the Romans the mystery is not developed. We must turn to Ephesians especially for that. But in Romans he refers to what was his special line of ministry without expounding it. He speaks of the unveiling of the mystery which had previously been kept in silence. Now it is made known—not through the Old Testament—but “through prophetic writings” (which is a better translation than “the scriptures of the prophets”; that is, the mystery is made known in the prophetic writings of the apostle himself). He was the chosen vessel to whom alone it was given to set it forth “for the obedience of faith.” Now if the mystery be for those who have faith to obey, it is certainly of vast importance that every child of God be instructed as to its true character.
Before passing on, let me press the chief point here declared. The mystery formed no part of the revelation of the previous dispensations. Had it been otherwise, Paul could not rightly have written that it was “kept secret since the world began.” It was part of the good news he was commissioned to publish abroad, but he learned it not from the former Scriptures, but by direct revelation from the Lord Jesus Christ in glory.
In 1 Corinthians 2:6, 7,6Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought: 7But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: (1 Corinthians 2:6‑7) after refusing the wisdom of the world, he writes: “Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect (or, full-grown): yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to naught: but we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory; which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.”
Here, I take it, he does not clearly speak of the mystery of the Assembly, but he implies that some great and hitherto unrevealed secret was the burden of his ministry to those already established in the gospel; hence it evidently includes that which we are now considering. The crucifixion of the Lord of glory made way for the declaration of this great secret, which had never previously been made known. While Messiah is on the Father’s throne, and the people of Israel are rejected because of their refusal of their King, God is displaying the hidden purpose of His heart in the bringing in of “a new thing in the earth,” even the mystical body of His Son, to share with Him all the glories He is yet to enter upon, when the regular line of prophecy is again taken up.
It is to the epistles to the Ephesians and Colossians we must turn for the further unfolding of this mystery. Its full fruition is declared in Ephesians 1:9, 10: “Having made known unto us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He hath purposed in Himself; that in the dispensation of the Fullness of times (or, the administration of the Fullness of seasons) He might gather together (or, head up) in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in Him.”
This is God’s wondrous purpose. Jesus has been set aside by man, and with every indignity the wickedness of his heart could devise has been crucified and slain. Because of this the prophetic clock stopped at Calvary. Not one tick has been heard since. From the moment Jesus bowed His head and yielded up His Spirit to the Father, all the glories of the kingdom spoken of by Old Testament seers and prophets have been in abeyance. God has not altered His plan, but He now makes known the fact that when all are fulfilled, and
“Jesus shall reign where’er the sun
Doth his successive journeys run,
His kingdom spread from shore to shore,
Till moons shall wax and wane no more,”
He shall not enter upon His glories alone! In the administration of the Fullness of the seasons, the final dispensation of all, when the liberty of grace shall be succeeded by the liberty of the glory, the last Adam shall not be without one to share His throne and the glories of His kingdom. The Church is that bride, as the fifth chapter shows. In the Millennium it will share with Christ His scepter and power when He will be manifested as the Head of all things, the first-born, or preeminent one, of all creation.
How suited it is that He who suffered so humbly should be exalted so gloriously! But how amazing the grace that leads Him to say of His redeemed, “The glory Thou hast given Me, I have given them”! He richly deserves His honors. We deserve only judgment and wrath eternal. But He takes out from Jew and Gentile, who united to crucify Him, a people who shall be so near to Him forever as to be called His body and His bride!
This Paul further unfolds in chapters 3. “By revelation (not by the study of the Old Testament, be it noted) He made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words; whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ,) which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto His holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ by the gospel: whereof I was made minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of His power.
Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; and to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world path been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: to the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the Church the manifold wisdom of God” (vers. 3-10). This is the fullest declaration, or unfolding, of this precious and wondrous mystery that we have in all the Bible. It is so plain that one would suppose that every spiritual mind must see at once to what it refers. Yet the commentators and expositors generally are content to make it mean that in the present age God is extending to the Gentile the same grace He offers the Jew, so that the former, by closing with His offer of grace, becomes a sharer in the kingdom promised to Israel.
But this is to lose sight altogether of that which Paul was the chosen vessel to make known. Israel’s blessings are earthly, and for time. When they enter upon them, the Gentile world shall bow before the Jew, and own his superior place. He who has been for so long the tail, will become the head. This is the universal testimony of the prophets.
The mystery, on the other hand, is spiritual, and belongs to heaven. A break in God’s ways having come in, He now makes known his hidden purpose to take out of Jew and Gentile a people for heaven, who are to be one with Christ for eternity. They are baptized by the Holy Spirit into one body (1 Cor. 12:1313For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. (1 Corinthians 12:13)), and united by the same Spirit to the Head in heaven; thus indissolubly linked up with Himself. Their sphere of blessing is heavenly; hence, during the present time they are pilgrims on earth. When “the dispensation of the Fullness of times “has come in, all God’s promises to Israel will be fulfilled. They will be blessed on earth. The Church will be blessed in heaven. Christ will be the center of a redeemed universe, and His bride the sharer of all His acquired glories.
This is the mystery; glorious, inconceivably grand, and transcendently wonderful!
It is what the marriage union on earth sets forth. “Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the Head of the Church: and He is the Saviour of the body. Therefore as the Church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the Church, and gave Himself for it; that He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that He might present it to Himself a glorious Church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.... for we are members of His body, of His flesh, and of His bones. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the Church” (Eph. 5:22-3222Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. 23For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. 24Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. 25Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; 26That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 27That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. 28So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. 29For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: 30For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. 31For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. 32This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. (Ephesians 5:22‑32)).
Precious it is to realize that every happy Christian home, where the husband and wife dwell together according to knowledge, is a beautiful picture of this mystery—no longer hidden, but now fully revealed.
When we turn to the companion-letter to the saints at Colosse, we find the same weighty and blessed theme introduced. After the twofold headship of the Lord Jesus has been set forth (chs. 1:15-19), and the twofold aspect of reconciliation unfolded (present for the individual, future for “all things,” vers. 20-22), we are told of Paul’s twofold ministry (vers. 23-29). As in Ephesians, so here; he is minister both of the gospel and of the Church. He writes: “Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for His body’s sake, which is the Church: whereof I am made minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfill (or, to complete) the word of God; even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to His saints: to whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in (or, amongst, see margin) you, the hope of glory: whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus: whereunto I also labor, striving according to His working, which worketh in me mightily” (vers. 24-29). This, with the opening verses of chapters 2, concludes the testimony as to this wondrous mystery, so far as the actual use of the word is concerned; but every earnest student must observe, once his eyes are opened to it, that it forms the bulk of the instruction left for our edification by the apostle to the nations. What is especially insisted on here is that the mystery is the great truth that completes the word of God. It is the capstone of Scripture teaching, as the Cross is the foundation-stone of the gospel. Christ is now working among the Gentiles, while rejected by Israel. This, the Old Testament did not contemplate. That the nations would be brought to own His sway through Israel, is clearly taught; but that He would be doing a special work among them, while the Jew is set aside, was a secret hid in God. To understand it is to enter into the truth for the present dispensation. Therefore the Lord’s servant labors devotedly that those already saved might be taught what was of such great importance to all who would be, not dwarfs, but fully developed or perfect men in Christ Jesus.
Hence he goes on to say, “I would that ye knew what great conflict I have for you, and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh; that their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgment of the mystery of God, even Christ; in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (chs. 2:1-3).
The mystery of God is Christ; — Christ mystical, Head and Body! As man He sits on God’s throne, the Head of the Church. His members on earth are those redeemed by His blood and baptized by the Holy Spirit into one Body. Thus the great secret has two parts; one, relating to the Head; the other, to the Body.
It was undreamed of in past ages that Man would sit on the throne of the universe. It was unthinkable to a Jew that the middle wall of partition should ever be broken down, and the saved of those both inside and outside formed into one new man. But God has brought to pass what to all but Himself would have been impossible. May we more fully enter into what is so precious to His great heart of love!