Ephesians 3

I would like to begin with a poem in the holy name of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is my truth that we are people of a great class by default. We think of the holy plan we had this morning, scriptural simplicity, sitting according to the desires of the Lord's own heart, to remember him.

And we believe that much praise and worship is sent upon to thee, that I know you love it so. We thank you too for ministering the word of God, we thank you especially for the Bible readings that have taken place yesterday, we thank you for the good spirit that prevailed, for the help of brethren in conversation one with another, and we pray that this will continue in the Bible reading that is about to commence. We meet thee under the directed the spirit of God with thee, and then thanks to the mind of our brethren that he would have us bring out in this meeting.

Above all we might see the practical application of these lovely truths that we have learned, and as a result would be that the Lord Jesus would have a preeminent place in our lives day by day. We've been reminded during the readings of some who maybe would be with us if they could, and others who are already aside at this time, we thank our sister Stanitha, ask you God to remember her among us again, Julie Dennison over there in Detroit, and we thank our Doris Dixford family in New Mexico, we would also remember the Bitt family, the reason we believe in their father, husband. We ask you God to graciously draw near, and we do thank you for the health and strength that we ourselves enjoy, and we have to say those who have emboldened the lions have fallen under us in pleasant places, and the Lord has done great things for us, so we give thee our grateful thanks and ask thy blessing, and we would not forget the gospel proclaimed last night, and all who were in under the sound of the word.

Grant that we may still, of course, rejoice over sinners repented, and then we think of the meetings in Blue River, we thank thee for gearing up some blessing, we pray that there may be more of you tonight, as those meetings are drawn to a close, and we will also remember the meetings in West Union, and we thank thee for many unsaved people present, and we pray that there may be those who would be stirred up by this prayer, and that as a result of all these gospel efforts, souls will be saved, and not only saved, but regularly baptized, and as well as that, they'll build up the assembly and bring joy and give blessings to thy people. Now we commit ourselves to thee for this Bible reading here this afternoon. We ask thee, O God, to remember us in thy mercy and in thy goodness, and give help to all who participate, and help to all of us who listen as well.

I'd love to learn more of God's word and of God's ways, and of God's well-beloved Son. So we commit all to thee, trust thee to meet in thee, and to do so in the worthy name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Now most of you are aware of a point that we, in Ephesians chapter 3. Now our brother has thanked all who came along, and I think it's only right that we should thank the brethren and sisters here for the hospitality and the good news that we have enjoyed in the time of fellowship, together with here in this world and in their homes. And I'm sure God will bless them for this exercise. Now Ephesians 3 and verse number 1. For this cause I call the prisoner of Jesus Christ, or of Christ Jesus, for you Gentiles, if you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God, which is given me to you all.

How that by revelation they may know unto me the mystery, as I wrote afore in few words. Whereby will you read and may understand my knowledge and 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 unto the same body, and partakers of this promise in Christ by the gospel.

Whereof I am made a 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 hath been fit in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ.

To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers and heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, according to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him. Wherefore I desire that you think not of my tribulations for you, which is your glory. For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named.

That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with all might by his Spirit in the inner man. That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith, that he, being wounded and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is of breadth and length and depth and height. And to know the love of Christ, which God has acknowledged, that he might be filled with all the fullness of God.

That unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that work within us, unto him be glory in the church, by Christ Jesus, throughout all ages and without end. Amen. Now we know that God was blessed through the reading of his precious Word.

I don't think we can make a very long introduction, I don't think. But we remember that in chapter 1, at the beginning of the chapter, the main thought was chosen in him for the foundation of the world. And then in chapter 2, we have the fact that we are constructed into God's building.

And that's really a marvel. What a contrast there is, and that was brought out beautifully in the other readings, a contrast between chapter 1, all that God was doing, and then the things of the materials that God was working with. I'm sure these saints would be glad to hear that, because you know, some of them were Jews, and some were Gentiles.

And the Jews had a temple that was in Jerusalem. And now they've been saved by the grace of God, and they don't have any temple or any sacred priesthood or anything like that. And then there were those in the Ephesus who were associated with the temple there, the temple of the Anne of the Ephesians.

These were beautiful buildings. And now God has saved them and taken them out of these places. And here they are.

And while that's not the local assembly truth that's here, at the same time, they would say, well, you seem to have lost a lot. That is in a natural way. But in showing them, they have something far better.

Not only do they have a temple, but they said, you are the temple of the Holy Spirit. And the Holy Spirit dwells in you. And I would think that that would be true throughout all eternity.

Now then, you'd be wondering, where did Paul get all this truth that he's unfolding to them? And here, just to get another scene, I get a commission. Paul is given a commission, or a stewardship is a better word, or administration, and he's going to show us in this chapter how that God had brought him in, and the truth that he's unfolding. And so, it's a parenthesis, this chapter.

If you want to know the meaning of chapter 4, you just add it on to the end of chapter 2. The great subject, of course, is Jew and Gentile in A1. And when you come to chapter 4, that's where he's talking about the unity, that they would be unified, that this would be worked out in their lives. It was also mentioned, and we have it here in chapter 3 and verse 1, I call a prisoner of Christ Jesus.

And it was brought out that in the first three chapters, the main expression is in Christ. And that's positional truth, that's what we enjoy, this is what God has done for himself. And that gives us great confidence in our God.

But then, in chapter 4 and verse 1, I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord. And it was brought out that in the Lord, that's an expression that belongs in one of the chief expressions in the last verses. So that's the practical application of the truth that is being taught.

So, we can bear that in mind. So there's a depression here, from the main subject. And then, I have to remember the position of the Jew in the Old Testament.

When we read the word of God, it's good if we could just enter into their feelings all about it. Remember that God had given them their religion. So God given religion, and now they're wondering, God is setting that all aside.

He doesn't add Christianity onto Judaism, it's not a sect of Judaism, but he's showing it's something altogether different. Something that was not revealed in Old Testament times, and it would be very difficult for the Jew just to embrace that truth. You see, they thought they were superior.

They were God's people, superior to the nations. And not only are they superior, but of course the other side of the point is that the Gentiles are very much inferior. And now they've been told that God has made out of two, one new man thus proclaiming peace.

He made peace between Jew and Gentile, and then reconciled it to God, peace between God, and then another all brought in as mangroves or stones in God's building or part of that temple. So, it shows that while there was a distinction in the Old Testament times, there's no distinction now. What else do I need to say? The institution of the body of Christ.

And you have Adam and Eve as the illustration of that. I think that's going to be what we have at the end of chapter one. Where Eve was the complement of Adam, and of going to a room, and of crying.

That wasn't seen in Old Testament times. Now sometimes we speak from the bright of the Old Testament, and we apply that in this beautiful truth, but this isn't the truth really here. There's none of this in Old Testament times.

Now in this chapter, the first five verses I call for false stewardship. What was given to him to administer. The next verse is 6 to 12, maybe this isn't a good heading, but I want to give another answer, I call it false secret.

It was a secret that he unfolded, or a mystery that he unfolded, and then we have the sufferings in verse number 15, and then we have a supplication. We mentioned, it was mentioned in the prayers, and it's an epistle, the first prayer for enlightenment, that the eyes of your understanding, the eyes of your heart be enlightened, in chapter one. A prayer for enlightenment.

And then we have here a prayer for enthronement. For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, that Christ may dwell richly in your hearts by faith, and so on. And then later, it's mentioned, I think I got these labels from Mr. Sidney Maxwell.

It's good that you can remember something really sticks with you that's good, something that's good at least, and there was a prayer for enablement that he used to preach about in the last chapter, that God would give him power and help. So that's all I'm going to say, and again, we have Abel Brevin with us, and it's my little work here to keep the thing going, and make sure we all understand, and I also ask other brethren, if you have something to say, we'd be glad. We're not going to be hard on anybody.

They're treating us very nicely. Don't have big long questions, but that's supposed to keep them, so just questions or any comments, we'd be glad of them all. We're all here, we're all men.

Brethren, someone asked me when I was coming, they said, do you have your sword with you? I said, no, I don't have my Bible. The sword's not for the brethren. I hope nobody brought their sword with them.

But we brought our Bibles with us, so that we would be a help and a blessing to one another. So that's all I'm going to say. We'll start with verse number one, and we'll go down the chapter.

We're trying to go into every verse. If you skip a few, we'll take you back, but we're not making a tender if you would do that. So we'll start with verse number one.

For this cause, I call the prisoner of Christ Jesus, for you Gentiles. So, have you any thoughts of why we make reference to being a prisoner of Christ Jesus? Because, you know, he was a prisoner of Nero. He was in a Roman dungeon.

Why would he ignore that and speak about Christ Jesus? Well, of course, that's why he was in prison, because he preached Christ to the Gentiles. But I've also thought it's nice to think that he was captivated by Christ. That he wasn't just a captive of Rome, but he was captivated, his whole heart was captivated with Christ.

Isn't it nice that he's in the lowest place probably he could be in the prison, and he's writing the most lofty truth we have, likely, in our Bibles. That's what I thought. Even though he's abolished circumstances.

Yes. People ask me, under the circumstances, I like to say we're talking, we should be. Also, I was thinking, as far as the prison is concerned, Joseph was in prison.

When God gave him revelation, didn't he? I don't remember that place where he was. It certainly didn't seem so hopeless, but of course, the jokes of God that told him certain things that were going to happen, and he knew they were, to his dependent upon God. How would you differentiate that reportage on what makes a person outlawed? You mentioned a little bit about him, didn't you? Yeah, well, you're able to do that.

Why not? Well, I think, well, I just would say what I said. It's the lordship of Christ that he's bringing in in the last chapter. The practical part, but here's something else.

No, really, just to emphasize that here he's looking upon his imprisonment. It's in Christ Jesus. And that gives character and quality to it.

It's not something that's to be frowned on and say, oh, woe is me, what misery am I in? It's there, and it's in Christ Jesus. He elevates it to a lofty claim. But in chapter four, he's looking at his subjection to the Lord, and he's there because of his activity, because he's service to the Lord Jesus.

And so it's not so much looking at the quality of it, it's looking at the reason why he's there, because it's the presence of the Lord, his subject to that. Brother Duncan, it's been alluded to before, but maybe you'll sit down for a minute, say what the difference is in Christ Jesus and Jesus Christ. Why does Paul, when he writes the epistles, really say Christ Jesus? Now, one of you guys at work told me that you're going to be getting another batch of Newberry Bible time.

Now, I commend every brother and sister who likes to sell their Bible to buy a Newberry Bible. I noticed it for around $70. That's, you spend that on hamburgers in a month.

Oh, Lord. I don't know. Just look at us, I'm wondering.

Think of my argument. No, but we can judge a person by a Newberry Bible. It's really going to appreciate that for a minute.

Mr. Newberry very kindly objects to all the theological fragments. And he also explains the difference between Jesus, Christ Jesus, Jesus Christ. And the Lord Jesus Christ.

And all these are there. And you'll notice that if you have a revised version, that many times you get Jesus Christ exchanged to Christ Jesus. The emphasis is that Christ Jesus is the one who is risen.

He's exalted to walk on earth. The thought of Jesus is the humanity of the Lord Jesus. And the thought of his lordship is our ownership and subjection unto him.

And so the titles, and let me say this. This verse has been mentioned. There's no spurious titles in your Bible.

They're all there for a reason. I don't think the spirit of God is just thrown around different titles of God and of the Lord Jesus for no reason. So when you see a title of the Lord Jesus, in the Old Testament, even when you see a title of God, think of it, and you'll learn something from it.

Well, can I just supplement that by saying, when Peter writes, he usually says, Jesus Christ. Peter knew Christ. The man down here has gone back to heaven.

Paul had never met him. He's talking about the man who's up there who works down here. Christ Jesus.

Well, that's funny. And similar for the Gentiles, this verse indicates, we recognize that it's a result of his suffering and imprisonment, that it was beneficial, that it was for the sin of the Gentiles, that through that experience, God used it, that they would receive these remarkable epistles, and be so beneficial to them. Not only that, but it's because of his preaching to the Gentiles that he was suffering in prison.

Actually, initially, Eddie Dunn told me, it's all part of the reason for his suffering, the fact that Jesus and Gentiles had been brought together. I thought maybe that's why he uses the title then, Christ Jesus, because that really is a title that is at the beginning of his letter that is characteristic of an exalted Christ and all the blessings that are ours in him. And therefore, that is actually the reason for his imprisonment, which will then greatly awake the truth of the gospel.

So really, in a way, he's showing the greatness of this man who was down here, but he's up there now, you know, and there's three kindred and we have all these blessings. I would say that, that to me seems to be exact. Yeah, no, when you come to verse 2, there's so much, there's so many other contributions, contributions.

If you look at the fact that he introduced the thought of Jesus and Gentiles being brought together, this is a new truth. Could it be that some might think that, well, look at him, he, you know, this is their only speaking and therefore God has overruled children and a lot of them have been taken into prison. But, he's under Christ's control.

He's a prisoner of Christ Jesus. That's very good. I think there's another thought and it's a question.

You think a prisoner of Christ Jesus elevates, you know, above a certain category. Question is, do we have, should we use the term secular, or do we have a secular requirement? For example, in that, in philosophy chapter 3, that the most abject are menial servants, considerable in Christ. So I think what you're saying is they might be a prisoner as far as the circumstances in a secular world, yet everything in our Christian living, in this epistle, is resulted through a connection with the living Christ.

And, whether you're talking about marriage, or whether you're talking about how you talk to someone else, or whether you're talking about the relationships you enjoy with other people, everything is related to the eternal. And therefore, no, we need to live above the secular world in the spiritual eternal. So is that what you had in mind? Did you have something else? I just think that, you know, whatever we are, that's what we're doing for the Lord.

We serve the Lord with that. Whatever it is, factory, or what I do, or what anybody else does, it isn't secular, it's for the Lord. and it's done unto the Lord, that always is.

So that makes a big difference. As I said, it made a big difference to Paul. He knows why he's there, and he knows it's for Christ.

And it's amazing how Paul, or maybe it's not, but how God chose a man like Paul that persecuted the Christians, and now he's in jail. Now it's his turn to be persecuted, and that's the kind of a vessel that God used to spread the message. As far as Paul is concerned, the suffering, the stress of time, there's nothing.

Because there's something else going on. You're looking at something other. Paul was occupied with the might of the same Lord.

So the suffering of the stress of time, no reason to be compared with the glory of Christ. If we could have our eyes fixed on the future glory, the day after, day to day, and I thank you, God. In the same time, the day after, day to day.

That's boring sometimes, but we have to do it. It's in Christ. We know that it's all for Christ.

We think it's pretty lovely. Paul, in Galatians, when he speaks about the firm body and marks of the Lord Jesus, all the sufferings and the marks of the life, and whatever it was, he said, that only shows that I belong to him. Like you're a brand, Pamela, a really branded slave.

He said, that only shows that I belong to the Lord Jesus. I know you all have already alluded to the fact that he mentions further down in the chapter that these tribulations, these sufferings, are for their glory. We are suffering on their behalf.

He says that in verse 15. I don't think I can come to it. How would you, at this level, a grammatical person, but, first of all, start with the sentence.

Where does the sentence end? Where? What's the competing of what he says? To this God, I call on the person of Jesus Christ to be on behalf of me, that God. He said, gentlemen, in verse 7. I never really looked, never thought about it. In verse 7, in verse 7. Well, of course, I already thought about it in the first period.

In verse 7, I thought about it in the first period. It inspired me. It inspired you? But none of the point of view is as inspiring.

I've often wondered about other people with greater and all of this in between. I just said, I'm not going to doubt this. I'm going to explain this.

And so, it's like when you're preaching sometimes. My problem is I can't go back to verse 14 because I've got it. And so, I just have to deal with the 13 verses.

But I think these 13 verses are probably are probably are really add on to go back again to his main exercise in verse 14. I don't know about it. I'm not sure what the answer to the question is and that could be a possibility.

But I've wondered if that actually could work. the meaning of this is that grace is given to preach and to make known. It's a prisoner who is preaching and making known.

But that may not be of any relevance. All that is here and no risk of distinction in those verses from verse 1 to verse 2 down to at least verse 8 is hypothetical. I think the thought is the answer.

The first student of the lab re-indicated and recognized that that stewardship that had been entrusted to him in relation to this mystery was part of the cause of his suffering. Yes. But because of what had been entrusted that the Jews needed and the Gentiles implored that he was being impressed by hope and it shows in fact that one that is carrying such deep mysteries of God can suffer persecution and likely will from both aspects from both sides of these two communities to give you a part.

Yes. And what about the word dispensation? We look at that in a different way. But it's an administration that was submitted unto Paul and I don't think there's any doubt about it if you've heard I think you have heard the New Testament although I read somewhere there was some but maybe it was a circular matter and some haven't heard but I think they've heard of the dispensation the administration of the grace of God the grace of God that's quite a statement isn't it? We think about it but I wonder if he's not thinking about the grace of God that was given that all these graces wouldn't it but would it especially be to the Gentiles that God would bring in the Gentiles by his grace which is given to you or it would likely occur to them or it would occur to them all Jesus said in verse 7 that the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power wouldn't the grace of God be equally applicable to the Jews or to the Gentiles they're not just being brought into something better they're lifted far above in fellowship and relationship with the Lord Jesus it can't limit the grace of God Bill I don't know why we have is there any question about whether or not they heard isn't that where the argument is not satisfied I think that's your favorite all that I like the thought of stewardship because Paul tells us it's required in a steward to become faithful and here's an example of a faithful steward he received it from God and he's passed it on to the recipients who he's been told to pass it on to and there's something associated with that exercise that he's willing to give because he's a faithful steward that he suffered from his brother because of his secrets and he did because of what he was telling him about the future and the census relates to that doesn't it and he suffered from the Egyptians too of the Gentiles is the grace of God here that in verse two actually the content of what he has had entrusted to him what he is to administer to God in other words it's a stewardship of this grace which he's given to Paul that is the message of this grace that reaches to them that's what I was talking to you about so there's grace in this mystery in this stewardship that he has and he's administering it for the benefit of the Gentiles but now he's unable to do that by the same grace of God but the grace of God is a broad subject it's the content of what God given him and it's the supply of grace for grace so what you have here is both the supply of grace for him and the substance of the mystery the grace that reaches the Jew and Gentile the greater commission text of the activity of the activity of the activity of the activity of the activity of the activity of the activity of the activity of the of the of the activity of the activity activity of the activity of the activity of the activity of the activity know, what do we look at, how do we look at this mystery? But all would be involved in that.

In chapter 5, it's a mystery of Christ and of the Church. So these are things that were not expected in Old Testament times. And of course I think the mystery here is the Jew and Gentile are brought into one body.

But also they wouldn't understand that the Messiah had been crucified and exalted and in heaven, they were looking for a kingdom to be settled in. So this is something altogether foreign to what they were expecting. Is there a distinction in the Revelation to the Apostles in verse 3 against the Apostles and Prophets in verse 5? Because the Revelation to them is to despair.

In this one, if you have the right to look, that's a difference. So verse 5, things that are in sequence, verse 5 is defining for us what this mystery is, what he's talking about, or the nature of the mystery. So there's another reason it's not made known under this contemplation, but it's already there.

So when we're talking about a revelation, it's probably something related to Zerubbabel, Paul, mentioned in 2 Corinthians chapter 12, taken up to heaven. And balancing with that then, you mentioned about, later on you said, I'm going to name a lesson, at least of all saints, of this grace given. But at that point, I take it that the thorn in the flesh was likewise a balance of future war.

And you see the great things that have been revealed to him, which is dealing with fear. And yet, the Lord is in the heaven, that he might pretend now, my grace, and again, it's related to the content of what was revealed to him, and now what is related to that grace is sustained. My grace is sufficient for him.

It's amazing, I think, I find it amazing that in the scripture referring to that he's caught up in the spirit of heaven, before that, he was let down in a basket, and the fruit of it was a fossil ship, wasn't a great revelation that was given to him, but it was his sufferings. And how many were shipwrecked and beaten and so on. And then, who would ever say, I was let down in a window in a basket? That wouldn't be something to be proud of.

But that's how you'd be intelligent. Not like these other apostles, the super apostles that they had. There were 12 other apostles that weren't suffering, but he said, I know a man in Christ that was caught up.

So you have him in a lowly place, and that's a person that gets the revelation. And why he got it direct from the risen Lord, our brother has already brought out, that he was revealed unto the holy apostles and the prophets by the spirit. And why we don't have time to read to us today, is when we can be enlightened by the word, and it's those that are holy that get the enlightenment.

That's what you would expect. So it's not just the apostles and prophets, and New Testament prophets as has been brought out in the previous chapter. Apostles are mentioned first, I think we all know that it's New Testament prophets.

But it shows that we're all in agreement. It wasn't just something that Paul was given, and the others didn't embrace it. As we say in the same veil, in 1 Corinthians 11, it's arguing that he remembers the Lord Jesus.

I received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you. Paul wasn't there on that occasion. He received it by divine revelation.

Same thing there. This is their emphasis, brotherhood. The truth of the church, one body, Jew and Gentile, is a totally New Testament revelation.

Some would try to indicate that there's a church in the Old Testament, and later Israel was the church, and they'd have been confused, but this is what is mentioned in chapter 16, where Peter confesses Christ, he says, that flesh and blood have not been healed of sin of the evil. It wasn't known by the teacher, the father, his relative, or the direct revelation, as to the foundation of the church, if you're exploring yourself as the composition of the church. Yeah, and as you know, it's what the Scripture says, my will does my church.

And you're right, you know, and I read some of the old commentaries, they talk about the church in the Old Testament, and why we have that expression in the Acts, it's really a complication. It's not really to do with the church as we know it, but this is something new that began on the death pen of Christ. And it all falls on hold in the truth of the New Testament.

There's no more revelations. Luke tells us that faith has been delivered once for all. We have various types of systems in North America, but someone comes up with a new revelation, a new doctrinal teaching, that the ghetto is a wonderful thing to go through their mind.

Oh, that's not of God. We have the Word of God. As it pointed out yesterday, 1 Corinthians chapter 2, the Spirit of God will lead us to the Word of God, and by the servants of God, the truth of God.

But all of the Word of God is contained within the book of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It's contained in the Word of God, the Word of God. Nobody can answer that.

It's not just the Word of God, but some other things, not just the Word of God. Phil, I don't know whether that's a prophet or not, but you mentioned about the mystery in various ways in which you have the mystery described. Personally, I would take it that that's the degree, it's all one mystery, with different emphases and different expressions.

The whole scope of what he is dealing with in these first two chapters really seems to embody the entire truth of the mystery, so that the mystery of God, the mystery of Christ, the mystery of the Church, and the mystery relative to the Jesus Gentile, it's all one. I think it was given at one time, and it's all one related entity. Yes.

It's in this expression, the mystery of the Christ, which is the whole title of the Church. It's not Christ personally, it's a Christ situation, the Church itself. So, they're all related in terms of the Church and the mystery of this.

We have been in Romans, and in Romans 9, I think, it was alluded to, Paul goes back, and of course, it's in the Scripture, that the Gentiles would be blessed and not the Church, but in the aspect that we want. Indeed, in Abraham, shall all musical heirs be blessed, and that will be true in the millennial day, but there is a special case in which that is true at the present time, not because of the promise to Abraham, but because of God's purpose for himself, Christ. No, that's what follows on here, and you can see, of course, that they should be fellow heirs of the received body.

Ezra, like I say, they all believed that the Gentiles would be blessed, but it would be through Ezra, that Ezra would be the head of the nations, and they would be blessed through Ezra. And those chapters in Romans, and of course, dealing with Ezra, really, in the past, and then chapter 10, in the present, and then in the future. But with the Gentile nations that were brought into the goodness, I think you mentioned some of the fullness of the Gentiles, some of these may be one of the reasons, but it wasn't without.

So there's a little wall of partition broken down, and the fellow heirs of the same body were takers of this promise in Christ. And it's all about the gospel. The same gospel that reached these believers, reached the Gentiles.

And Paul is saying, this mystery that was hidden in all times, now it's being drawn by the New Testament prophets and kings, political translation agents, joined heirs, joined body, and joined sharers of the promise. And it's through the gospel, it's in Christ, and it's through the gospel. So Christ is the subject that covers it all up, and it's the vehicle of the gospel.

This is about Christ. Would we agree that the gospel may be broader than what we preach in our gospel meetings? I think that the gospel embraces the humanity, the truth, the faith. So it's a broad good news from having all of it to this age.

Just a question, and then we'll go back. Paul says about this Revelation verse 3, Revelation he made, or actually I think the word is passive, so the Revelation was made known, unto me. Did we have any direct statement as to who imparted this Revelation to Paul? Did we distinguish it from the spirit imparting it to the apostles and the prophets? I think the Lord has shown.

We thought so, but I don't know how. We don't have this passive statement from him. I think it's a passive.

First Corinthians 11. I receive it from the Lord. I take it from the Lord.

I love it since we've been there. Yeah. When I was growing up, I saw what Paul says that God will reveal to them under what stripes we live.

So he's a man of God. He's a man of God. Yeah.

He'll reveal to them under the apostles' stripes. Yeah. In 1 Corinthians 1, 1 Corinthians 1, it says, For I have sacrificed the bread of the gospel which is preached of me, not after man, for I neither received it of man, neither was I a prophet.

That's an interesting one. But by the revelation of Jesus Christ. So what does it mean by which he received it? It's probably the Lord himself that spoke to them.

Quite a teaching. Quite a teaching. So what else? Huh? Something else in mind? No, no.

I was interested in it because I don't think it's supported here. I said, no, it came from God rather than from Christ. And we have figures of whether it did not come by an instant of God or the Spirit of God.

It's not interesting. I don't know what he said. Romans 15, then, it says, According to the revelation of the mystery, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, which had been kept secret until the work of the world began, so was through the preaching of the gospel.

So, that the skin-type should be fellow-ears and fellow-partake-of-sorts in body by the gospel. Thereof I was made a minister of a sermon according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power. So Paul, again, he's not elevating himself or exalting himself.

He said, I'm just a servant. I'm sure they would question and wonder, where did you get this? You know, who do you think you are that I'm just a servant? I'm a person. So, there's always that lowly place.

And he said, it was a gift of the grace of God that was given unto me. He didn't receive it from man. He didn't know that much.

But he said, it was a gift of the grace of God here that was given unto me by the effectual working of his power. So I think I've just mentioned that God not only gave him what he was to preach, but he gave him the power and the ability as a preacher. Do we see anything else in these verses? I wonder if I should say something about verse 6. The three inscriptions there.

Paul there was in the peace of Gentiles and Jews that Paul had enjoined on the inheritance. Spoken of inheritance earlier. And he speaks about them being fellow members so that they have equal privilege and participation that seems to be even more intimate than their share.

And then their fellow partakers in terms of the blessing for the spirit of God himself was given. The verse suggests very strongly that Gentiles had not been raised to the level of the Jews. The Jews brought down to the level of Gentiles.

But then Paul came in with something very far higher and far greater in God's purposes than what they could enjoy getting one another. Now, Paul didn't talk about the saints there. I think.

Right, further away it's been said something about the sheep being let down for Peter. God is showing them that nations weren't unclean. I just want to teach you the convenience.

So I don't know if it's brought out to the revelation of the body. At least it's showing them that the Gentiles are a little bit un-inferior to the Jews. Well, maybe it's some other thought process, but, you know.

At least in that vision that he got, there's at least the beginning of what we're looking at here. That is, that God is removing the distinction between Jew and Gentile. As the lifting of that remains from the revelation of the mystery of prophecy.

Well, that's what Peter indicates to be understood in the Council of Acts chapter 15. That God made choice among us and the Gentiles by our knowledge. To hear the word of the gospel.

And to hear the witness giving unto the Holy Ghost, even as underlines. And then of course, James goes on and picks up from his head. And there was an inkling, there was a scarring of the understanding of what prophecy was.

It went beyond the bounds of the nation of Israel. Is there a link between 1 Corinthians 14? I give thanks that I speak the tongue of the Jews and the Gentiles. Well, I'm not really seeing that connection.

Is there a connection between 1 Corinthians 14? I give thanks that I speak the tongue of more than ye all. In the sense that the effect of working of the power is a signed gift that was given specifically to show that the Gentiles were also brought in for the same gift, the same gospel. If I understand your question, I don't think that this effectual working of this power has to do with a special gift of coming, a special manifestation of the Spirit of God.

I think this is a statement. He uses the same thing down in verse 16. To be strengthened by the power, the might, by His Spirit.

In terms of Christians and their individual fellowship, which we'll get to. So I don't think that this means that there is some special evidence of God's miraculous work of God. Phil, Paul seems to be growing here, doesn't he, in Christian experience? Remember when he writes to Timothy, he says, I'm the king of sinners.

Then he writes to Corinthians, he says, I'm the least of the apostles. Now he seems to make more progress. He's near the end of his Christian experience.

But he's saying, I'm less than the least of all saints. Some say that it's a lot of luck with English because it's more recent. And I would think that the reason for that is that the more he gets into the searchable riches of Christ, the lesser he himself becomes.

He shall not regret his wrongdoings. He shall become more and more. I shall become less and less.

He's growing downward. But in Christian experience, it's upward. This is a word coined by Paul.

It's not really a word. I made it up. The literal translation is, I'm the least of it.

We don't speak about that. That's obvious, actually. No, no, let's say Mr. Nestle gets us that remark.

But it's the least of it. And that's Paul's use of his own privilege of flogging us. And we do that sometimes.

And there's a couple of others. Let's just explain it. I wouldn't like to be a scrubber with this going on.

I wouldn't like to be obsessed with this expression, though, that the effect of the revelation of God to an individual is not to exalt him, but to humble him. That's the idea. It's really more on there.

Then you go back to 1 Timothy. He believes what he had done before God saved him. And yet, with the mercy of God, he's done it.

Paul never lost sight of that. He never forgot what he had done and what God had been trusted with so kindly. That's what I'm saying.

The alteration of the grace of God requires the power of God. Not the adepts of mind. Not the knowledge of mind.

But the power of God. And if we're going to do anything in our ministry for God, it's not going to be in our knowledge and adeptness. If the Lord had not taught us, we really don't have to do anything.

Because it won't be effective. That's a principle even in the Old Testament. That God gives you a weak vessel.

But you have to go extra thin. And if you go through the Book of Judges and all those little things and maybe remind us of other things and we get a file and we have to get it that's a beginning. You know, I can't do it.

I'm the littlest in the father's house. That's a man that God knows himself. It would be good for us to be like that even though we're not going to get special revelations from God.

Yet, God can enlighten us, can't he? I don't know the word. If we've got a group of the disciples together and Paul alongside them then we've got a revelation of the brother that says, choose one to be an apostle to the Gentiles. Did he choose Paul? Not really.

He's a listener. He would look for someone else. Because he's telling us as well as we're in here of the nature of his apostleship when he speaks about the least of all things in that he wasn't an apostle to the rulers of the Jewish nation to preach the unsearchable riches of Christ.

He didn't preach to the Gentiles. Did the Jews find out as they always did? Paul never had a high opinion of himself. And I think behind Paul's writings, it comes out on the people of sinners, Paul could never forget what he'd done in his unsafe days.

He'd never leave them. But he could never forget the wonder of the grace of God that had given him a service, a commission to those of the Gentiles. Or you're going to die, you're going to suffer.

He was told that, when he crossed you that it was just a delight. And he says next to me that I'm going to feel all my joy. That's what it was to him.

It was a joy to preach the gospel. He was not proud. He was a servant of the gospel.

Does that aspect of things explain why he says is this grace given? But this stewardship he found it as a gift that God would have trusted in him. He didn't deserve it. He hadn't done anything.

God had graciously entrusted it to him. He found it very precious. Something to do with why he handled it very carefully.

Or did he sense that he had the power to carry out his work by himself? That's why in the previous verse it's according to the given to me by the effective or according to the working of his power. It's the energy of the dynamic power of God that would enable him. It might be a good point, Bill, to bring in what Joel has already suggested that gift is God giving.

Gift is not natural ability. God can make natural ability, but gift is what God bestows. It's not the miracle of man.

The smaller the vessel, the greater glory God gives from it. I think that's all. And everybody has a gift.

I don't know if you want to go into it. God has given everyone a gift. That's something that's given as conversion.

It's not for me to think to judge what gift I have. I would think if the spiritual people encourage it, then you may think of some of the spark that may be developed. First Corinthians 14.

Let the others judge. I like to think of it this way. God has given us all a service at hand.

And he'll give us the ability to carry out that service. Whether it be spiritual gift, whether it be material needs, or whether it be scholarship or diploma, God will provide to carry out the service that he wants us to do. He won't just call everyone and give them a free check.

It's a big problem. You can't win it. You can't win it.

So what are the unsearchable, what does that word mean? Untraceable? That I am an actual man who is incapable of comprehending these deep and blessed truths that sort of get rid of me. As you pointed out earlier, there's also here a free price. So there are personal riches that Christ has.

This probably is now bestowed riches relative to the church. So the richness of what we've been looking at before is that searchable riches that Christ leaves there. So it's a evangelization among the Gentiles in search of the riches of Christ.

And to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world has been hidden in God. Again, I was just going to ask, what was he talking about? He's all things, all things. I would take it he's doing Gentile.

We want to make all see and to choose again what the mystery really is. It's something that was hidden in God. Some agreement hidden in the heart of God.

It was a great thing that God kept in his heart. I don't know when it was there, before the foundation of the world, we can't find it now, but that was what was in God's heart. And this was what motivated Paul.

This great message he had was tremendous. And to think that it had been given to him, he marveled that he was the instrument that God would use in spreading the gospel and the mystery. It's not the best translation to make all man see.

Because Paul was not going to make all man see. The word man is not there. It's a dog.

He's going to bring it to life. He's going to bring it to life. Now, the function of making man see is the work of the Spirit of God.

Paul was going to bring to life the ancestral message of Christ. So this word, stewardship of the mystery, ended the not the impartation and the revelation of the mystery, but the outworking, the development of it, the way it's going to be handled, the way it's going to be displayed. In terms of God bringing it all to pass and making it effectual.

And you're thinking of the word fellowship here, which is really stewardship. Stewardship is the word, or administration. Yeah.

Would this last part of verse 8 be a great commandment? In which? Do you mean that we should preach Christ? Or serve him? Yeah. Well, we preach the gospel. We certainly should preach Christ.

We preach heaven and hell. Really, it's a background to the gospel, but the gospel itself is about a person. A glorious person.

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... I think it's too... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... And I wondered, what are the MC's getting from this? It's not lecturing. It's the simple unfolding of the book of Christ to meet the sinner's needs. Look at the example of the Lord Jesus.

We hardly ever get to work with him more than what he can tell you as you tell him. So we can't be too simple. Because it's amazing how little a non-believer takes away from a believer.

Maybe just one phrase. In other words, what I'm saying is sometimes we're a fear and the sinner's not a fear. Am I right? There's something I'm very pleased to do.

Because I just came from work. I'm circular. I got down on the first night.

It was the 18th. They gave me a comprehensive introduction. It sounded unfathomable.

And then I went to church Friday. And speaking of that, it was inexhaustible. That's the highest, simplest possible way to put it.

Winston Churchill was a great artist. I've read a lot of his stuff. He said that he would never use a word that he had to define.

Just for me to tear that out. He couldn't define it. Doesn't this too, I think that would be a good fall.

Isn't it just a good fall? He's rejoicing in it. Isn't it a stewardship? It's a different way in which he falls. Well, but here it's a special thing for Paul.

It's a truth that was revealed to him. And the fact that it's a stewardship that shows that he didn't, it wasn't of his own making. This is something that was given to him, whether by God or by the Lord.

And now he carries it out. Well, you may have a stewardship in a different way, but not this one. All of us have a stewardship.

And we need to explore more of the truth, to grasp it, and to hold it more firmly. But he's explaining here that he has the stewardship by direct revelation. So it's something unique to him.

And then the verse 5, in which the Holy Apostles and Prophets received an additional form of the Savior, that is through the study. So in the study of God, also revealed it to others. So Paul is a direct revelation.

Same truth. And we have the same truth now, recorded in the Word of God. And our stewardship is to preach the Word of God.

And his stewardship, it seems to be unique in this. If the Apostles and Prophets had a grasp of the entirety of the mystery of Paul, and I'm not sure they did. In other words, they may have had more partial revelations of it.

But apart from that, Paul has a wider scope of his work. He's going throughout all the Gentiles in a sense that neither the Apostles nor the Prophets did. So there is something unique in his responsibility.

So, you can see the problem that we have on the left flank. Paul is there. So the viewpoint of that is, I'm certain there was a huge and a big bang.

And so there were reservations in the accepting of that truth. Probably among the Apostles. Partially.

But Paul could have pulled that. He had no problem. He was right into the Gentiles.

He had full understanding. And not only that, but he was fully active in the exercise. Because one thing they know, some other people didn't have that.

It's a matter of being enlightened. Beginning in verse 9. By the meeting home of the Gospel. The mystery of Christ.

Verse 10. Now, unto the principalities of hearts and heavenly places. That's been known by the Church.

So it's the Gospel of the priest. It is true to say then that there are realms that are being instructed as to the purpose of God. By what God is doing here on earth.

Through the work of the Gospel. Well, again, you can go to verse 3. I think we should decide to look into that as well. And maybe that's why he has here a hidden God who created all things through Jesus Christ.

Why does he bring in the creation? Isn't that the sphere? That this thing is working all toward this eventual millennium maybe the eternal state. All the creation is going to be brought back. And angels they would certainly wonder how God is going to do this.

They saw the fall. They saw God bringing out certain individuals like Noah and Abraham. Everything seemed to be a failure.

Each dispensation ended in a failure. But God is going to bring it all through according to his great divine plan. So the stage is being set.

Isn't that what we have according to the eternal ages? Isn't it? I saw, Bill, that verse 10 is what's taking place presently. The church now is an object like the angels. And we were looking at yesterday and the ages to come.

It makes it sound like the millennium of the event. Well, I thought that in the presence of someone working toward that God's plan is centered on the church before the creation. So that he created the world as a stage, so to say, upon which he would work out these tremendously vital essential purposes of his life.

So do we understand then that the revelation of verse 3 was prior to the understanding of angelic beings of this message? Do you understand me? That if it had been God, they didn't have to see it. So, angelic beings in heaven are not cognizant of all that God's plan is and that we're going to give to the church. They understood the wisdom of God in creation.

They saw what God was doing by his mighty power. Tremendous wisdom. By wisdom, God established the earth.

But this is a greater extent of wisdom, a greater display of what God's creatorial work is. Do you think that Paul deserved all of this? That here am I, this is what I get for it. I'm the least of it.

And he's revealed all this unto me. And he has not yet revealed it unto all these beings in heaven that he's revealed it unto me. What am I saying? The principalities and powers in the heavenly is that exclusively holding angels? Or is it also in true form? That question needs to be repeated.

Question was, the reference to the principalities and powers in the heavenly, is that exclusively holding beings? Or would it include fallen angels? I thought we'll simply, as Paul is saying here, what's taking place today, now, he said now, through the activities of the spirit of God using the gospel, and just beings are learning from this presently. So we go back to the chapter before to get what will take place in the ages of time. But the principalities and powers of chapter 6, the rules of darkness, are they of the same understanding as the youth? I don't know what's going on in the subject question.

To me it is doubtful that that's the case. I couldn't absolutely say no, but it does not seem to me that God's purpose is to inform that, or to have that authorized wisdom. So then I'm going to enter into the mind of God.

So let's go back a little bit to where we were just on the connection with which created all things. In the book of Hebrews, chapter 9, once in a culmination of the age that we appear, so this present age is the culmination of what the Old Testament was looking forward to. The Ephesian that God has said, this present age is something distinct and grander.

I think I'm making up a lesser word. A better word, you know. Something supreme.

It's good to do that. Something different and then transcendent beyond what was before. So there is a sense in which this world is made as a theater for God to culminate all that was coming, and in this age the chapter is something uniquely different.

But there's a sense that this is a time after age. Yes, in terms of creation, this is one of the main reasons why God created a theater. That's a good display of what's taking place in this age right here.

One thought I had in my mind that fits in with that, I was thinking about an age and how we fail. And the other thing, you can see this, but now God was looking right to the dispensation of God and he's going to show them how he's going to do it. There's going to be a bridegroom, there's going to be a bride, there's going to be a church, there's going to be those Christ-ness churches that will reign over the earth.

So that's what I had in mind. It's all working toward that end. And all those previous dispensations were taken away from that.

When nothing else, God does a grand plan in every conceivable way and he failed, but now he's going to show them how he's going to do it. So God's ultimate purpose is his first purpose. Yes.

Even though man failed in this part, God is still going to carry out that purpose. I don't think God brings in something and then throws it away. He always brings in something better.

The Old Testament priesthood and so on brings in a better priesthood. And I think that's what I enjoy here. Anyhow.

So to know the manifold wisdom of God is amazing. Who would have thought this was the way to do it? Man could never conceive this. This could be... I would have maybe put the word in here, the manifold grace of God, because this is a tremendous display of grace.

But there's something different than what we have been looking at before in this expression, the manifold wisdom of God. I think we may be capturing what I am trying to do. The marvelous grace of God is one piece of God.

The twists and turns of the ages, it looked like they were bouncing like a party. Amen. We're all working for this masterpiece of God.

Tune to me. When things seem to be very dark in the world, God's still in control. He's working out of his hands.

It's like the psychology you have at the end of Romans 11. I'll think through them and do them all the time. Some will say it's God's grace, some will say it's his grace.

When we came over to Canada, we came over on the 10th of September, and we were on the ship and all around was sea. But up to the captain's cabin was a tug. The captain was privileged to always be built on that tug.

And he knew the beginning and he knew the ending. Now we have an idea of where we're going. How we're going to land on the rock.

And we know we're going to land in heaven. We know that. And we know a little bit about what we have about the land of blessing and glory.

We don't know the details. The manifold wisdom of God. It's his child.

It's his plan. It's his purpose. And every detail of the way for him along the way is what it marks.

He knows it's going to happen. According to his wisdom, sometimes it's not our thinking we should be, but it's his wisdom. And tell him, God, in the path of life that he and I are on, God has a plan for us.

And it's according to his wisdom. And we may not be happy with some of the circumstances, but for his glory, he's got his own land. He has a mind.

He's flying. He's got it. So the glory of God.

He's got it for the land. He has another. And it's for the works of God, not for my affairs.

So it's the wisdom of God in all things. Why would God be interested in teaching angels wisdom? This is the only one. For his glory.

For the works of God. Will they not become all the more intelligent? Does God not wish to enrich all his creatures? And so that they will become more intelligent in his ways and his wisdom. I wonder how far you take that.

That's true for us, but is that not true for all creation? Israel was a lesson book for us in Israel. For our admonition and our admonition. We're a lesson book.

Is he saying, well, to answer David's question, is he saying, or the answer, is he saying that the angels are going to increase in wisdom or they're going to see a manifestation of God's wisdom? Is that what you're saying? Well, I mean, obviously they're going to see God's wisdom, but why does God want them to see that wisdom? And why, you know, it brings glory to him, doesn't it? But I wonder if there's not some thought of enriching them as well. They will at least be able to more intelligently worship him. They're marveling.

They're wondering how it's going to take place. And he's going to show them in wisdom. Now, we need to get to the next section, but we have a couple of verses here.

in whom we have boldness and accents, and they call this liberty, addressing God, and access, or being brought here without personal merit, any confidence, by the faith, in him, or of him, or of him. Whom I desire, for I spoke to you. Wherefore, I desire, that they claim not of my tribulations for you, which is for your glory.

Don't be despondent at my tribulations, at the pressure of persecution, and prison. But, he said, you're going to be incorporated in this glory. Remember the idea? Summarize that verse.

In fact, that word being introduced to the Father was, you know, access. So, he was in prison, and because, one reason, because he preached to these Gentiles, he said, don't be despondent, because, he said, this is for your glory. This would bring an end to the, the fullness, incorporation in the church, and so on.

Now, but there's nothing else in that verse. Verse 13 verses, we must go to verse number 14. For this cause, I bow my knees unto the Father, of our Lord Jesus Christ, for the revenge of the full title, of the Lord, the Father, of our Lord Jesus Christ.

That would speak, Father would speak of relationship, I think that's what we, talked about in the, in the first chapter. As far as God is concerned, it would be, that Christ, looked at as a man. But here, it's the Father, of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom, the whole family, or again, Mr. Newberry, and Mr. Darby, has said, every family, in the earth, is named.

What's every family, in the, in the earth? Well, I know there's different, different ideas. We know there's families, in heaven, we've talked about, these principalities, and powers. I, I thought, I'm not sure, this would be linked with, again, with Adam, naming all the, the animals, and so on, all brought before him.

I think, I look at it this way, there's every family, from each distant city. We're not really told, are we? But it's every family. Would you look at it that way? The Father, of the church, is different from the, Israel, you know.

So, a couple of, a couple of ways to look at it, and, the one I prefer, but I'm not sure, that I can have consensus on it, but I, I would take it, that the, the one from whom all fatherhood, is named. So, that actually, the very character of God, defines what fatherhood is to be. Okay? I, I appreciate that, in light of the rest of the epistle, and the fullness of what's in the epistle, about the father.

But, there is also the idea, that some would, hold to, that there are various families, and all names, relative to the father. I just take it, that fatherhood, in whatever realm it's found, is defined by, by the father. So, God, God is the outspoken father.

He's the, source of all fatherhood. What fatherhood, is just very, difficult, is in your mind. But, what fatherhood, makes it more simple.

The source of all fatherhood, then, God's creation, is God. Which, is a very practical reminder, that comes out in chapter six. Those of us who are fathers, our responsibility, is to, replicate, the model, of our typical fatherhood.

How, has the father dealt with me? How do I deal with those, who have not dealt with me? And Paul, extends that further, than to the care for saints, and the Thessalonians, he had cared for as a father, he had cared for as a son. What we know of God's care, sir, what we know of God's care, defines how we care for others. I think you would agree, too, that, he has been dealing with different families, here as well.

He is the one that designates them all. There's a family of the angels, there's a family of the Jews, there's a family of the church. And so, I don't know if you know, how difficult, to deal with that.

You don't know where to start with that, you know? That's why I think, it's fatherhood, it's fatherhood of the leader, and it's a generic thing. Without going into the details, under this costume of care, I don't know. But as the first prayer is addressed to the God, of our Lord Jesus Christ, there is a distinction here, it's either addressed to the father, or the father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and then it's just different.

But, to me, you're looking at now, a different character, of him as father, not as, the God of our Lord Jesus, upon whom he is dependent, but now the father of all, is the devil to his own. So it's a relationship, that's going on. Actually, in these two prayers, the other prayer, in chapter six, is a request for prayer, but these are Paul's prayers themselves.

And these two prayers, I've wondered if there's a connection, between what the priest, in the Old Testament, enjoys, in terms of the peace offering. If there was the priest, who offered the peace offering, who had a, a heave offering, and there was, for the family of that priest, a wave offering, that actually could be, brought into participation. I see the heave offering, in chapter one, and I see the, the shared wave offering, of all these blessings, the residence of Christ, within the heart and love of Christ, this enjoyment, of fellowship together.

Right now, I'm looking for a magazine, and I have somebody questioning. I'm looking for the, the heave offering. We're not, maybe not talking about it.

You can see, the heave is toward the heaven, I don't know. The God of creation, the greatness of God, the power and the might of God. We're not talking about the wave offering, but I, I thought maybe we could, toward the offering.

It's the redemption, the affection, and so on. But you have strength in the one, obviously, in the shoulder, and you have affection in the other. You've also been, and for this cause, it may go back into the previous verses, but also, fits well into, then in chapter two.

Because it's speaking about kingdom, it's speaking about household, it's, it's the relationship that's in there, and so here we are, now he wants us to, to be, to be fitted, for that, and it's, it's again, it's something of the Lord Jesus, that it would be, strength in the spirit, in the inner mind, and things of the signality, all related to the building, all related to the kingdom. So we can easily go back to chapter two. That's nice.

Yeah, you saw that big sentence at the beginning, chapter one being completed here, and there, at the very least, you have the expression of peace, for this cause, for this cause, so, you have one paragraph for this cause, and when they're back, probably they go back, right back to the very same thing. That's all I have, I just want to, go over this. Mm-hmm.

Well I would always, if I take your definition, and it actually, I don't, that the fatherhood of God, or the all fatherhood is the right, I've always enjoyed reading this, and I enjoyed the fact that I'm in the family of God. So I can enjoy that too. So you enjoyed it from chapter two, Right, And I think that the, I think that the point here is, And I'll tell you, that this one who is the arch savior, the father, has riches for his children, and now the prayer is for the enjoyment of those riches.

Okay? That summarizes the story. It's okay. You're always going to be blessed, good, and anyhow.

Right. So, the 50 riches, the riches of his race, are these untraceable riches that he's been talking about earlier in the chapter, in verse 8. The untraceable, the untraceable riches. Now he talks about the riches of his glory.

I think that's the same riches he's talking about. But behold, all that wonderful revelation, isn't it, the riches of his glory? And I think that I would link it with the last chapter as well, where you have a presumed Gentile, all built together, a habitation of God, full of strength. And this is what he appreciates, all that is involved in it.

Would he say, I don't? Well, it's according to the riches of his glory. So it's the same nature in which he is expressing that which is for his glory, and that which manifests as only perfections. He wants the believer to rise in their appreciation and ability to enjoy that and participate in it, that Christ would settle down and dwell in their hearts by faith.

And there should be a spiritual development. As he's all the more in the spirit of God within. He's talking about something that there's no other.

But he comes to a limit on the riches of his glory. And we're not going to talk about that in this talk. How would you define glory? It's difficult to define glory.

The simplest understanding of it that I have is it's displayed excellence. Something that we can hardly grasp. It's associated with them, he displays it.

That's what he is in himself. Glory has to do with what you need to belong to him to do so. It's unique.

It's meaning to him. I meditated on that for a week this morning. And I came up with a very simple thing.

God is a God of glory, and glory with God. And I don't have language to define what God is in the light of his glory. So we can come up with all these words, wonderful words, that would baffle the mind.

But when it finishes, Isaiah says this. Isaiah saw him. He saw the Lord's Kingdom.

He saw Jehovah. He saw his glory. He saw his perfection.

He saw his glory. And I just, I couldn't come up with language. Very low on that.

I just can't come up with language to define glory. It's beyond glory. The context would maybe give you some kind of a clue.

Displayed excellence is good. Distinction. But there's other words that could be used.

You give glory to God. You're not really added as glory because you're appreciating him until he ends and so on. So according to the riches of his glory, Paul's prayer is that they might be strengthened with his light by his spirit in the inner man.

So we've got to handle first of all on what is meant by the inner man. When do we get it? What is it? How is it strengthened? Well the inner man I think is a work of God in us. But the outer man would be more linked with Adam.

We are thinking of what I am in Christ, what I was in Adam. So if I hear you right, we've got the inner man and what do we say? Yes. So why does it mean strengthened? Well it's a work of God that's done in us I suppose.

Anybody from the inner man? Might be strengthened. In 2 Corinthians 4 we read before, Out of man perisheth the inner man as he came to be by day. The inner man is what I've heard again, spiritual.

As contrasted, shall we say, differentiated from the bodily, the physical aspect. So what God has said to his development is not the physical being but the spiritual being. That makes it so.

Then in human life, the result is spirit. Yes, the outer man, like in the wine skin, that the spirit is like the wine and fruits. Outer man perishes but the inner man is renewed day by day.

What was firm in chapter 1 is we develop the power to work for us. He's given us life. Now it's the power that's working in us.

Strengthened with all might by his spirit. It's a development of that. So it says to enjoy spiritual growth, there's an emphasis on that rather than physical growth and development.

Young men like to grow physically and develop themselves physically. And that's OK. Moral exercise profits, I know.

But spiritual exercise, spiritual development is vital. So this is very stimulating. I just wanted to, I don't think the new man is a new entity that's part of salvation.

As you said, the outer man and the inner man. So the outer man is perishing. The inner man has been given a life that he never had before.

So it's the revitalized or regenerated, in other words, spirit and soul of the individual. So this is what we're dealing with here. It only came into being upon regeneration.

It only came into life upon regeneration. OK. It's a spirit.

The spirit is dead to the spirit. The man is dead. In a sinner, there's a spirit.

But it's dead to God. And from that moment on, from being regenerated, then the light and the law of God have to be in this man, that's all he said. But it needs to be developed.

It's a quick, yeah. It's a quickened spirit within. And yeah, that needs to be developed.

It needs to be straightened. Except the two in verse 1. You would be quickened. It's not the outer man or the physical that's quickened.

That's been alive all the time. It's the inner man that's been quickened. That's it.

Well, I think the first step is Christ loving us. Paul said, Christ loves in me. Is Christ being at home? Isn't that the answer? It's not now positional.

I don't think that it's. I mean, Christ indwells us by the spirit of God. The Father and the Son have made a mansion in us, according to John chapter 14.

So positionally, we have Christ in us, the spirit of God indwelling us, as part of a Godhead. But what's here is that Christ made the Son of Man. He was home.

That's Mr. Maxwell's classic today, that's very powerful. Most of us, some of us are living with some folks, some very kind folks, opened up their homes to us. But you know, the children in the home, they've got to go in the rooms and open up the doors, do all sorts of things.

I don't do that. I've got dresses, old dresses in my room. Wait a minute, I haven't been in them yet.

I don't know what's in them. I've no idea what they are. But in my heart, there shouldn't be a hidden corner.

There shouldn't be a dresser that says, no Lord, don't open. The Lord should make himself, particularly a home. When I go home, it's not a bed in my house I can't go into.

But when I'm against someone else's home, I'm going to leave home then, and I'm not leaving my house. That's how I do it. Well, the strength of the work of the spirit of God is so that this will be accomplished.

Right. So it really is a definition of spirituality, of spiritual development. That Christ increasingly lives, settles down, and completely holds it in us.

It starts with our salvation, and will finish when we go down to the deep development. In his former life as a Pharisee, we know him very much more than I know Scripture. And I think that the spirit of God has been part of him when he was a priest.

So much of the Old Testament is the plan of all the ages. Even if you think that if you know Joseph, and you know Christ, then you would understand that Joseph had his wife, and he had his genital, found the man, all these truths. Actually, the Old Testament became a life.

But it wasn't through the Old Testament that he found out about the church on the left-hand side. Sure. But this truth of Christ lies in our hearts, settles down in our hearts.

By faith, in other words, we enter into this. It involves, By faith it involves communion with Christ, it involves conformity with Christ. The more we are conformed to Christ, the more He is settled in our hearts.

And to me, I think in this prayer that Paul has, that is a central point. And everything else in the prayer is going to flow out of that. Wherever Christ is at home, it will be in order that, in order that.

The word, the specific Greek word for in order that, now comes down following Christ being at home in our hearts. So, in Christian living, let's be practical. This brings us right to the very essence of what Christian living is.

That we enjoy the residence of Christ in our heart. Bringing our own life into conformity to the fact. Christ is residing within me.

Using my body in conformity to the fact. Christ is residing within me. In every aspect of life, just preparing a comfortable place for the Lord Jesus.

And find rest. He loves to enjoy His home. He wants to enjoy His home.

There is a home in the house of Mary in Bethlehem. I thought about the days of David. Had a knight who was sworn to be on the throne.

And David was cold at heart. Didn't seem to care. But then, of course, you know it was Solomon that was put on the throne.

And who was it that really put him on the throne? Well, it's linked with Nathan, isn't it? Nathan was a prophet. A man that got word from God. And I think that should encourage us to study the word of God.

We've got to know the Lord. We've got to be at home. We have to know Him.

And then there was Zedek the priest. The worshipper. A man that spent time in the Lord's presence.

And then there was Benaiah the warrior. That was willing to put the word of God. To put the thing into practice.

And I think that would be a good illustration for us. And the idea that you have here, of course, is that you would be rooted. How are we going to be rooted in these things? And grounded.

And have a firm basis. Of course, it's enjoying all these things, isn't it? We don't know them fully, but we can enjoy them. And that's what's going to do it.

Because it's all through this wonderful person of the Lord Jesus Christ. Doesn't that indicate, well, there will be fruit. If we're rooted and grounded, there will be evidence of it.

There will be fruit. And what will happen is in love. Having been rooted.

And having been founded. So, being rooted gives you your source of nourishment. And being founded gives you a deliverance from the fear of God.

That we may be able to comprehend with all saints, what is the breadth and length and depth and height. Now, what are we talking about here? This kind of illustrates, I mean, isn't it that we give four dimensions? We usually give three dimensions. That's just something unsearchable.

Okay, that's just four dimensions. Something in the New York Times said it, it's unsearchable. It's just Christ.

So, it's not really linked here with the love. I don't think so. We can't comprehend all this.

I thought too, maybe, I'm kind of in the middle of it. You know, there's a height and a depth. Just swamped by the whole thing.

To be able to enter at least somewhat into it. And, again, I'm going to worry this out. But this word dwells in our hearts in order that we may have this comprehension.

The word is used three times by Paul. Two times in Colossians. It was the good legend of the father that in him should all the fullness settle down.

And in him dwells, settles down all the fullness of the Godhead in the body. There's a richness of this in God. And now that same richness is to be found in us.

In order that we might come into the comprehension of it. It's not something that we're going to be able to get by studying. The good study is, here it's going to be perceived in the power of the spirit of God as Christ is at home in this richness in our hearts.

What is more, can they apprehend or can they hold on? Because it's not good enough to have a knowledge of God's properties and plans. But it's to have a fire in their hearts. And that's the key.

That's our concern in chapter one. That is your heart being enlightened by it. So you can know the things and theoretically, oh wait a minute, you're not going to be able to teach it the way you did.

To really enter into it. That's what we need to do. And that's what Paul, I think, is talking about.

You know, the men out there who study the Bible know it better than you know it. Can I say it? They're learning men. They're students of language.

But they've never enjoyed a moment of these truths. Never enjoyed a word of them. They've enjoyed the intellectual exercise that titillates the mind.

But they've never enjoyed the knowledge of the presence of the Lord Jesus. And of his great plans and purposes. He's talking about a big angel.

So that would mean that they don't really know anything of the love of Christ. Absolutely. And that's what we'll have in the next verse.

And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye may be filled with all the fullness of God. Or into all the fullness of God. Now what do we understand by that? To know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge.

We can't enter into these things in a plural sense. Or we can enter them in a measure. It's beyond us, isn't it? He's talking about here's the beginning of the end.

We can say that Peter, the Lord, shall I love thee. If you look at this backwards, okay, which is where some of us think. But here is what God has in mind.

That ye may be full, filled with the fullness of God. Whatever that means, it sounds good to me. All that God has in mind for us.

All the blessings, all the enjoyment. The completeness that God has for us. Remember how the fullness of God has bodily and not uniquely in Christ.

But there's a fullness in all that God desires for us to enjoy. How will we have that? As we comprehend the mystery and know personally by experience the love of Christ. How will that be the case? As we are enabled by the spirit of the inner man to have Christ at home in our hearts.

So if you work it backwards. If you and I want to know the ultimate of Christian living. The fullness of God.

Filled with the fullness of God. Then it will be as we comprehend and experience the mystery and all its fullness and breadth and length and depth and height. And to appreciate personally the love of Christ.

How will that be? Through communion, through the consciousness of his presence within us. Through conformity with him. This is the idea of God.

It's the same word Paul uses when he relates to the Lord Jesus. In him we are all about the fullness of the Godhead's orderliness. I won't try to repeat what we're doing here.

But it's the overflowing. It's not just, you know, somebody fills up a cup of tea for you and it's half a minute below. And you say, that's a full cup.

Somebody gave it to me. That's overflowing. That's what you're getting here.

It's overflowing. And all that is of God is overflowing in Christ. And all that is of Christ can be overflowing in us.

I was trying to say, Joe, isn't this progressive? He's saying, this is something that should be taking place now. Being filled, as he says, up to the measure of God's fullness. On chapter 4, he goes back to that again.

And he talks about the fullness of the measure of his factor, the fullness of Christ. So it's something that we're to try to apprehend. Being filled.

It's one of the ways he communicates to us. And there's nothing lacking. It's full.

It's a full display of God. And that's what we've been talking about. And this is what we would like to engage in.

Not that we're going to know everything. We'll never know everything. We'll get there.

We'll go to a rock and pile of these things. One of them is the position of the, in chapter 4 to 6, being tactful to their responsibility. You can't take a position of truth where you have to intermingle practical truths.

That's what's happening here. Paul is speaking on doctrinal truths. But it can't be helped to do it and show that in those doctrinal truths, there's practical truths that we have to intermingle.

I'm quite pleased, you might say, the marks of genuine spirituality. And it seems to me that sometimes we think of a spiritual believer as one that knows a lot about the Bible and can speak well or other things of that nature. But the true mark of spirituality is what we ought to be going in for.

To seek to develop that genuine sense of sensitivity, that awareness of Christ at home in my heart. And be strengthened by a power that is in the spirit of God. I'm able to comprehend things that go beyond my ability, naturally.

And to be filled with something that excludes everything else, which is the fullness of God. God's interest is not in what I do as a Christian, but in what I am, as the Lord is saying. The more we get to know Him, the more we'll find Him.

Is the word of obedience to what we know coming at all because I think we take more before the Christ? Spirituality is being led by the spirit, and that's what he's one of these. And we're all enthroned by the spirit, and if any man is not the spirit of Christ, he's none of this. But this is the development of that, isn't it? And the great appreciation of our... How far ago? Drop it back.

Yeah. Unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask, or think according to the power that worketh in us, unto Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. So we're not the humble of old.

And we usually can take this, we usually take this for a sort of context, don't we? But it must be in the context. So what does it mean, the context? We're usually misquoted, too. Say, above all that we can ask.

So we certainly have to link it with what goes before, don't we? And He's the only one that can help us to enter into these things. This is an inscription of praise, actually, to God the Father, going back to what we had at the beginning of this prayer. And it is reflective of the fact that the work of the mighty working in His power in chapter 1 at the end of that prayer, which I agree is Christ from the dead, and see it in His own right hand, and so on, be able to exceed Him abundantly above all we ask or think according to Him, keeping with that power in chapter 1. And now, with all that power of work, this is the bridge to the practical, but with all that power of work, there is going to be glory for this Father in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all ages.

And it's wonderful to think that He is going to have glory, but it's wonderful, more wonderful to think that the church, in a unique sense, and Christ in union with that of the church in union with God the Father too, will be the source of endless glory in the Father. I want you to share a moment here, Phil. It's going on to when the church will be on this day.

Yeah, but we're looking into the future, not only in the coming age, but in the coming ages of the ages. Without a pyramid here, He is able. That's good.

But it says more, He is able to do. And then He's able to do abundantly. And then it's exceeding abundantly.

And then beyond that, it's all that we ask or think. But it's so connected to what it was before. Exactly.

Brother Bill, you would agree with me that my God is limited to this context. No, I'm not. No, there's many times you can get rid of James.

I love that verse. I love this context. And I know that what I ask Him, nothing is impossible.

If I had the faith, I could move mountains. And I've never moved a mountain. So, we have to recognize the wonders, greatness, and majesty of life and love of our God.

What He's done with the human gender, what He's going to do in our future, surely He's going to do another thing in my life. Do you think there's any limiting of God by just putting Him in the context? I'm just talking to myself. Not this context.

Oh, no. Be careful. I think we shouldn't ask for more in this context.

God could not express His power to a greater degree. I agree with what I said. It doesn't matter.

But I don't think there's any limit to our faith in God. Absolutely. But we're not limiting Him.

If we just think of the God as Jesus, I mean, maybe we should have to go somewhere else to get a greater God. He couldn't get a greater God than we have here. But the point is, once we grasp the greatness of God, and it certainly applies in principle to every aspect of life, the context will never weaken the positivity of God.

No.