Have You Heard?

"For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, if ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: how that by revelation 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 a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of His power."

Ephesians 3:1-7

Have you heard? Have you heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given to you? There is much confusion today within the world, and also within the Body of Christ about who God is, but more specifically about what God is doing TODAY. How are we to find out the will of God or what He is doing today? Is He doing the same thing that He was doing all along or that He will do in the future? These are questions all Christians must ask God and seek out His answers through studying His Word.

Although the Godhead made up of God the Father, Christ the Son, and the Holy Spirit never changes and is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Heb. 13:8), their dealings with mankind have changed and will change. Today however, God's dealings with mankind do not change on a day to day basis. These changes in detail are clearly recognized throughout the Scriptures.

Paul, the apostle, talks about the dispensation of God in order to build the household of God which is built upon the foundation of Christ. However he goes on to explain Christ not according to the flesh, but Christ according to the revelation of the mystery. There are two preachings of Christ.

Briefly, let's take a look at Christ according to the flesh and Christ according to the revelation of the mystery. Christ according to the flesh would obviously be when Christ came in the flesh as a man. We find Christ as man in the gospel accounts (Matthew, Mark, Luke, & John), however when Christ was in the flesh He had a very specific ministry. Not only do we find these things in the gospel accounts, but we also see them in the prophecies about the Messiah or the Christ. An easy definition for prophecy is what God has made known since the world began. In prophecy we see what God will do in and on the earth. Some of these prophecies have been fulfilled, yet some prophecies are still to be fulfilled in the future. Christ's ministry in the flesh (on earth), although not limited to was to fulfill prophecy. His ministry in the flesh was also to fulfill the old covenant and bring Israel to better promises, the new covenant. The new covenant is yet to take place. Christ at His first coming fulfilled the old and purchased the new covenant which He will dispense to Israel at His second coming. What is happening now? Let’s continue to look at what Paul says about Christ according to the flesh.

Romans 9:3-5, "For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh: who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory , and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises; whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen."

Romans 15:8-10, "Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers: and that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy; as it is written, for this cause I will confess to thee among the Gentiles, and sing unto thy name. And again He saith, Rejoice, ye Gentiles, with His people."

2 Corinthians 5:16-17, "Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we Him no more. Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."

In Romans, Paul explains Christ according to the flesh, that He was an Israelite, who ministered to Israel, to confirm the promises of the fathers (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob), a minister of the circumcision, but also that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy. This last part of Christ’s ministry is yet to be fulfilled, where the Gentiles would praise God with God's people, the Jews. In that time their will still be a distinction, yet peace. Today God is forming the Body of Christ where there is no Jew or Gentile. In Corinthians Paul says we regard Christ no longer according to the flesh, to confirm the promises to the fathers, as a minister to the circumcision, and as a Jew. But how then do we regard Christ, according to what? Paul tells us the answer to this question in our main text of study for today: Ephesians 3 and also Romans 16:25-26.

Romans 16:25-26, "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:"

Paul preaches Christ not according to the flesh, not according to prophecy either, but Christ according to the revelation of the mystery. This brings us to our main text.

This revelation of Christ was specifically given to the apostle Paul. Ephesians 3. "I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ FOR YOU GENTILES". Herein lies Paul's ministry. Christ according to the flesh was a minister of the circumcision to confirm the promises of the fathers to Israel which took place at His first coming (at His second coming they will no longer be promises but the reality of those promises). Christ according to the flesh also contains Him being King of the Jews as well as over the Gentiles on this earth with their distinctions. This however has not taken place and is yet to be fulfilled, but will at Christ's second coming. TODAY, however God is taking Jew and Gentile without their distinctions and forming the Body of Christ where there is no Jew or Gentile, to be in the heavenly places and not on the earth. Paul here reveals this and that he is a prisoner of Jesus Christ "FOR YOU (US) GENTILES".

Notice the verse 2, "if ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God". Folks this is what Twin Cities Grace Fellowship desires to preach and teach. This is why I am blogging that we all may hear of the "dispensation of the grace of God". Have you heard of the dispensation of the grace of God? Have you heard? It is a hearing of God's Word as Paul would reveal it from the Lord Jesus Christ from heaven's glory. Notice who is it given to, Paul first, but then to you, "given me (Paul) TO YOU-WARD". Remember Christ according to the flesh as a minister of the circumcision, well Paul was chosen by Christ to be sent to YOU, to minister Christ not according to the flesh, but according to the revelation of the mystery.

Dispensation simply means a set of instruction that God dispenses to whom He chooses at a certain time. God dispensed the law to Moses to the nation of Israel in time past. God dispensed grace to Paul, to all people who will believe, for today. God will dispense His kingdom and the new covenant to the believing remnant of Israel and Gentiles through them in ages to come. Although we know what God has done, is doing, and will do all of these things are not in operation at one time. This is a common fallacy today under the umbrella of Christendom resulting in mass confusion within the Body of Christ.

In Ephesians Paul talks about the dispensation of the grace of God. Notice in verse 3, how Paul received this information. "How that by revelation He (Christ, Acts 9) 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,)" It is only by Paul that we may know the mystery of Christ to us Gentiles today. 1 Cor. 12:1, Paul says he will come to visions and revelations of the Lord. Paul did not receive the mystery of Christ all at once, it was progressive throughout his ministry. Hence as we progress in Paul's epistles we will understand, "whereby when ye read" this mystery of Christ that God desires for us to know, believe, stand, and walk in. Paul writes about this all over his epistles, because it was his ministry to make known. Paul wants us to have his knowledge in the mystery of Christ. But what is this mystery?

If we look at the secular meaning of a mystery, such as a murder mystery, we might actually get a good understanding of mystery. I think of the show unsolved mysteries. The murderer is unknown, or a mystery is unknown until it is revealed, then it is no longer a mystery. This is what Paul says in Ephesians as he describes the dispensation of the grace of God and the mystery of Christ. Verse 5, "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;", God through Christ by Paul is now making known what was not made known in other ages about Christ. This mystery of Christ is not a fulfillment of prophecy in any sense and if we think so, we must examine the Scriptures closely. For example the Body of Christ made up of Jew and Gentile without distinction is not the fulfillment of Christ as King of the Jews and the Gentiles through that on this earth. Christ as the King of kings and Lord of lords is prophetic and will be fulfilled when He reigns on earth, over all the earth. The Body of Christ is not this; but instead the Body of Christ is predestined for the heavenly places and will take the position of Christ as He reigns on this earth in the ages to come. The mystery is now being revealed and has been revealed in its fulness, however most have not heard of the dispensation of the grace of God, nor of the mystery of Christ that is in accordance with this dispensation.

Quickly note, verse 8 of Ephesians 3, "Unto me (Paul), 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;".

Paul preached the unsearchable riches of Christ. They are unsearchable in that we cannot find these riches of Christ in the; Old Testament, gospel accounts, early Acts, or Hebrews through Revelation. These unsearchable riches can only be found in Paul's writings because unto him were they revealed. Gentiles have become beneficiaries of these riches of Christ as Christ through Paul by the Holy Spirit teaches them.

This brief study serves as an introduction into the Word of truth rightly divided. I pray that we all may be Bereans, workman of God approved and not ashamed. Next time we will continue to look at Christ according to the revelation of the mystery in comparison to Christ according to the flesh and prophecy. Remember the Body of Christ is not the fulfillment of any prophecies in the Bible, the Body of Christ has a distinct and separate purpose within the Word of truth from that of prophecy. We will look at the finer details of the Body and the ministry, apostleship, and gospel that are used to save, inform, edify, and educate all people but specially those that believe in God's dealings with mankind.

Until next time.....
In Him,
Joshua Strelecki