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In this message we shall cover two further matters related to the revelation of the mystery of Christ, the church, by the Holy Spirit.
In Ephesians 3:9 Paul indicates that his teaching brought to light the hidden mystery of God’s economy. “To bring to light what is the dispensation of the mystery, which from the ages has been hidden in God, who created all things.” God wants to bring to light to all His creation the economy of His mystery which before the creation of the world was known only by Himself. This economy was hidden in God as a mystery. But now God wants to bring to light this economy to the intent that His manifold wisdom might be made known to the principalities and powers through the church (v. 10). This is according to the eternal purpose, the eternal plan, which God purposed and planned in Christ.
God’s mystery is His hidden purpose. His purpose is to dispense Himself into His chosen people. Hence, there is the dispensation of the mystery of God. This mystery was hidden in God from the ages (that is, from eternity) and through all past ages, but now it has been brought to light to the New Testament believers.
The revelation of the church as the mystery of Christ by the Holy Spirit is to be known (apprehended) not only by the apostles and prophets but by all the saints. This is indicated by Paul’s prayer for the saints concerning revelation in Ephesians 1:17-23.
In this prayer Paul refers to God as “the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory.” In incarnation the Lord Jesus Christ, God Himself, became a man. As a man, He is related to God’s creation; therefore, God the Creator is His God.
The title “the God of our Lord Jesus Christ” implies that God the Creator has come into man. Whenever we speak of God in this way, we imply that God is no longer merely the Creator outside His creature, man, but that He has been brought into humanity. The incarnation brought God the Creator into man, God’s creature.
This title implies creation, incarnation, and redemption. God is the Creator; yet He is the God of Jesus Christ, who is God incarnate. Jesus Christ is not only God in creation but also God in incarnation and redemption. In referring to God as the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, we are saying that we have been created, that the creating God has come into humanity, and that we have been redeemed.
In 1:17 Paul also uses the term “the Father of glory.” Glory is God expressed. Hence, the Father of glory is God expressed through His many sons. The title “Father” implies regeneration, and the word “glory” implies expression. Therefore, the title “Father of glory” implies regeneration and expression. We have been regenerated by God, and we are His expression.
In this one title, “the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory,” five important things are implied: creation, incarnation, redemption, regeneration, and expression. The regeneration of many sons and the expression of God are for the consummation of the divine economy. Before creation there was nothing in existence except God. God had neither generation nor expression. Then God created the universe and everything in it. By His work of creation He became the Creator. After creation He took the step of incarnation, thereby coming into His creature, man. Furthermore, through crucifixion the Lord Jesus accomplished redemption. As a result, we, the fallen creatures, were redeemed. Then we were regenerated to become sons of God the Father so that we may express Him. On the day we are glorified God will be fully expressed from within us. In this way we shall become His expression. All these important steps — creation, incarnation, redemption, regeneration, and expression — are implied by the title “the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory.” Paul prayed to such a divine Person.
Paul’s prayer to the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, was for revelation. The Greek word translated “revelation” in verse 17 means the opening of a veil. Hence, revelation is a lifting of a veil.
In order to have revelation, we need “a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the full knowledge of Him” (v. 17b). Such a spirit is the regenerated human spirit indwelt by the Spirit of God. This spirit has been given to us by God so that we may have wisdom and revelation to know Him and His economy.
In relation to the church, we need a spirit of wisdom and revelation. As far as the church is concerned, a naturally keen mind is of no avail. Rather, the spirit is of primary importance. Just as we must use the proper organs to see, hear, and taste, so we must use the proper organ — the spirit — to see the church as the mystery of Christ.
Furthermore, our spirit must be a spirit of wisdom and revelation. Wisdom is in our spirit so that we may know the mystery of God, whereas revelation is of God’s Spirit to show us the vision by opening the veil. First we have the wisdom, the ability to understand, that we may know spiritual things. Then the Spirit of God reveals the spiritual things to our spiritual understanding. Knowing that the spirit is of crucial importance in relation to the church, Paul prayed that the Father of glory would grant us such a spirit of wisdom and revelation. Although the spirit in 1:17 is the mingled spirit, the regenerated human spirit indwelt by the Holy Spirit, the emphasis here is on our regenerated spirit, not on the Holy Spirit.
In addition to having a spirit of wisdom and revelation, we also need the enlightening of the eyes of our heart. For this reason, in his prayer for revelation Paul continues by saying, “The eyes of your heart having been enlightened” (v. 18a). These are eyes to see spiritual things. We have wisdom, the ability to know, and revelation, the unveiling of spiritual things. However, we still need eyes to see the things. Furthermore, though we have wisdom, revelation, and eyes to see, we still need light to enlighten the things which are open to us that we may have a vision.
Our heart is a combination of the conscience of our spirit with the mind, emotion, and will of our soul. To have the eyes of our heart enlightened requires a thorough dealing with our conscience, mind, emotion, and will.
In order to have eyes to see, we need an open spirit with a purified conscience (Matt. 5:3; Heb. 9:14; 10:22). Do not close your spirit — keep it open. Furthermore, our conscience, which is the main part of our spirit, needs to be purified. If our conscience is opaque, our spirit will not be able to see.
We also need a pure heart. The Lord Jesus says, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Matt. 5:8). Many believers cannot see God or receive the revelation of the church as the mystery of Christ because their heart is not pure. If we would have a pure heart, we must deal with our whole heart, that is, with all the parts that compose our heart.
In order to have a pure heart, we need a sober mind (2 Tim. 1:7), that is, a cold mind. Although our mind should be cold, the colder the better, our emotion should be hot. In order to have seeing eyes, we need a loving emotion (John 14:21). Moreover, a pure heart requires a submissive will (John 7:17). If our will is to be submissive, it must be soft.
If we have a pure heart with a sober mind, a loving emotion, a submissive will, and if we have an open spirit with a pure conscience, our eyes will be able to see. Our spirit must be open, and our conscience void of offense. Along with this, our heart must have a cold and sober mind, a hot and loving emotion, and a soft and submissive will. When we have such a spirit and heart, the eyes of our heart will be able to see the church as the mystery of Christ.
In Ephesians 1:19 Paul prays that we would know “what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the operation of the might of His strength.” This power is toward us who believe according to the operation of the might of God’s strength which He wrought in Christ. This is more than subjective and experiential to us today. God’s power toward us is surpassingly great. We need to know it and experience it.
God’s surpassingly great power toward the believers may be compared to electrical power that is continually being transmitted from the power plant to our homes for our daily life. In the same principle, the divine power is being transmitted into us continually for the fulfillment of God’s eternal purpose.
Verse 19 speaks of the greatness of God’s power “according to the operation of the might of His strength.” Here Paul speaks of power, operation, might, and strength, using different words to convey something of the vastness of God’s power to us.
The surpassingly great power of God toward us is according to the operation of the might of His strength which He wrought in Christ. God’s power toward us is the same power that operated in Christ. As the Body we participate in the power that operates in the Head.
Ephesians 1:20a speaks of God’s power which “He wrought in Christ in raising Him from among the dead.” The great power that operated in Christ first raised Him from among the dead. This power has overcome death, the grave, and Hades, the place where the dead are held. Because of God’s resurrection power, death and Hades could not hold Christ (Acts 2:24).
The surpassing greatness of God’s power has also seated Christ at God’s “right hand in the heavenlies, far above all rule and authority and power and lordship, and every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in that which is coming” (vv. 20b-21). God’s right hand, where Christ has been seated by the surpassingly great power of God, is the most honorable place, the place with supreme authority. The heavenlies here refer not only to the third heaven, the highest place in the universe, where God dwells, but also to the state and atmosphere of the heavens, in which Christ was seated by God’s power.
In verse 21 Paul tells us that Christ has been seated above all rule, authority, power, and lordship and above every name that is named. Rule refers to the highest office; authority, to every kind of official power; power, to the might of authority; and lordship, to the preeminence which power establishes. The authorities here include not only the angelic, heavenly authorities, good or bad, but also the human, earthly ones. The ascended Christ has been seated far above all rule, authority, power, and lordship in the entire universe. Every name that is named refers not only to titles of honor but also to everything that has a name. Christ has been seated far above everything, both in this age and in the coming age.
Ephesians 1:22a says, “And He subjected all things under His feet.” The surpassing greatness of God’s power not only raised Christ from among the dead and seated Him at God’s right hand in the heavenlies but also subjected all things under the Lord’s feet. For Christ to be far above all is one thing; for all things to be subjected under His feet is another. The former is Christ’s transcendency; the latter is the subjection of all things to Him. Here in 1:22a we see the subduing power, the power to subdue all things.
In 1:22b Paul goes on to say, “And gave Him to be Head over all things to the church.” Fourth, God’s great power that operated in Christ gave Him to be the Head over all things to the church. The headship of Christ over all things is a gift from God to Him. It was through God’s surpassingly great power that Christ received the headship in the universe. As a man, in His humanity with His divinity, Christ was raised up from the dead, was seated in the heavenlies, had all things subjected to Him, and was given to be the Head over all things.
In 1:20-22 we see four aspects of the power that operated in Christ: resurrection power, transcending power, subjecting power, and heading-up power. This fourfold power is to the church. The words “to the church” in verse 22 imply a transmission. Whatever Christ, the Head, has attained and obtained is now being transmitted to the church, His Body. In this transmission the church shares with Christ all His attainments: the resurrection from among the dead, His being transcendent over all, the subjecting of all things under His feet, and the headship over all things.
The church comes out of this power. The little word “to” indicates the source of the church. The power that operated in Christ in raising Him from the dead, in seating Him at the right hand of God in the heavenlies, in subjecting all things under His feet, and in giving Him to be Head over all things operated once for all. Nevertheless, Christ is Head of all things to the church, and the surpassing greatness of the power that operated in Him is toward us who believe (v. 19). This divine power is not transmitted to the church once for all; on the contrary, it is transmitted continually. This transmission began on the day of Pentecost, and it is still continuing today. Even now this transmission is to the church. All that Christ has accomplished as the Head is continually being transmitted to the church. The divine power will continue to be transmitted to the church for eternity; it will never cease.
The last part of verse 22 and the beginning of verse 23 speak of “the church, which is His Body.” The Body is not an organization but an organism constituted of all the regenerated believers for the expression and activities of the head.
Whatever Christ, the Head, has attained and obtained is now being transmitted to His Body, the church. By means of this transmission the church shares with Christ all His attainments. The church shares in His resurrection from among the dead, His being seated in His transcendency, the subjection of all things under His feet, and His headship over all things. As the element of Christ is transmitted into the church, all that He has accomplished, attained, and obtained is transmitted into the church as well. Through this marvelous transmission we become the Body of Christ.
The Body is the issue of the incarnated, crucified, resurrected, and ascended Christ who is continually being transmitted into us. According to our natural life, we are not qualified to be part of the Body. On the contrary, we are qualified only to be terminated and buried so that we can be resurrected. By nature, not even our spirit is qualified to be part of the Body. Before Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection, the Body of Christ was not in existence. He had a number of followers, but He did not have the Body. The Body of Christ could not come forth from the incarnated Christ until He had been crucified to terminate the flesh, the natural man, and the entire old creation. After terminating all these things through His crucifixion, Christ entered into resurrection to germinate something new. Therefore, it was after His resurrection that the Body of Christ came into being. In our natural life and in the old creation we are not the Body. But we are the Body in the new creation germinated by Christ’s resurrection life. On the day of Pentecost, the crucified, resurrected, and ascended Christ, who was given to be Head over all things, began to transmit all that He had accomplished, attained, and obtained to the church. Since that day, this transmission has not ceased. This indicates that this transmission has a beginning but that it has no ending.
After all the wonderful steps taken by the Triune God — creation, incarnation, crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension — He came into the church with all His accomplishments. Thus, the church, the Body, is an entity altogether in resurrection and ascension with both the natural element and the old creation terminated. The Body, an organism in resurrection and ascension, is wholly in the new creation and has nothing to do with the old creation. Every part of the Body is of the new creation.
We all need to see that the Body has come into existence through the divine transmission from the resurrected and ascended Christ. Having ascended to the right hand of God, Christ continually transmits all that He is and all that He has obtained and attained into the church. It is in this way that the church, the Body, comes into existence. The Body comes from the transmission of the ascended Christ.
When Christ is transmitted into us, the transmission joins us to Christ and makes us one with Him. It is in this transmission that we have the church life and the Body functions. The heavenly transmission is to the church, which is His Body. By means of this transmission the Body is real, genuine, living, and aggressive.
In 1:23 Paul tells us that the Body is “the fullness of the One who fills all in all.” The Body of Christ is His fullness. The fullness of Christ issues from the enjoyment of the riches of Christ (3:8). Through the enjoyment of Christ’s riches, we become His fullness to express Him. This is the fullness of the One who fills all in all.
Christ, who is the infinite God without limitation, is so great that He fills all things in all things. Such a great Christ needs the church to be His fullness for His complete expression.
It is in the transmission that the Body of Christ is the fullness of the One who fills all in all, because the Christ who fills all in all is in the transmission. The transmission connects us to the all-filling Christ. In this way the church becomes the fullness of the all-filling Christ. By means of such a transmission, we are the Body, the fullness of the One who fills all in all.
The Body comes from the transmission of the all-inclusive Christ. To enjoy this transmission we need a sober mind, a fervent emotion, a submissive will, and a pure conscience. Through the experience of this transmission we become the Body. What we need today is more of this all-inclusive transmission.
Having considered Paul’s prayer for revelation in Ephesians 1:17-23, we can see why he considers the church the mystery of Christ. Paul entered into the full and completed revelation of this mystery of Christ, which is His mystical Body, the fullness of the One who fills all in all. May we all be enlightened to see this mysterious aspect of the church.
