Scripture Reading: Col. 1:25-29
In this message we come to the mystery of God’s economy, the mystery that is actually Christ Himself.
In 1:25 Paul speaks of the stewardship of God. The Greek word rendered stewardship, oikonomia, may also be rendered economy or administration. The stewardship is the economy, and God’s economy is His dispensation. God’s intention in His economy is to dispense Himself — the Father, the Son, and the Spirit — into His chosen people.
Christ is the mystery, the secret, and the crucial focus, of the divine economy. This means that the secret of the dispensation of the Triune God into God’s chosen people is Christ Himself. Christ is the focal point of God’s dispensation. God’s dispensation is altogether related to Christ and focused on Him.
For centuries, Christians have been reading the Epistles of Paul, but very few have seen the matter of God’s economy and Christ as the mystery of this economy. I can testify that I read Ephesians and Colossians for years before I began to see that Christ is the mystery of God’s economy. Early in my Christian life, I did not see that Christ is the secret of God’s dispensation. This matter is hidden and is not according to our natural concept. In order to see it we need to pray and to exercise our spirit as we study the Epistle of Colossians in a detailed way. Let us now consider 1:25-29 in some detail.
Verse 25 says, “Of which I became a minister according to the stewardship of God, which was given to me for you, to complete the word of God.” The word “which” refers to the church in verse 24. This indicates that Paul became a minister, not of a certain mission work or of a particular work of teaching and preaching, but of the church. The word minister describes one who serves. Paul became such a minister of the church according to the stewardship, the economy, the dispensation, of God. This stewardship was given to Paul for the church. The goal of God’s stewardship for the church was to complete the word of God.
Notice that verse 25 does not end with a period, but with a comma. Then in verse 26 Paul continues, “The mystery which has been hidden from the ages and from the generations, but now has been manifested to His saints.” According to grammar, the mystery in verse 26 is in apposition to the word of God in verse 25. This means that the word of God is the very mystery which has been hidden from the ages and generations, but is now made manifest to the saints. The ages here denote eternity, whereas the generations denote the times. The mystery concerning Christ and the church had been hidden from eternity and from all times until the New Testament age, when it was manifested to the saints, the believers in Christ.
It is important that in verse 26 Paul does not say that the mystery has been manifested to the apostles; he says that it has been manifested to the saints. Due to the influence of religious tradition, many believe that such things as God’s economy cannot be understood by the so-called laymen. How we thank the Lord that the mystery has been manifested to the saints, to all those who believe in Christ! Even the youngest ones among us have both the position to see this mystery and the privilege of seeing it. We have the privilege of seeing something that was not revealed to Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, or to the prophets such as Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Zechariah. Praise the Lord that we can know the completion of the word of God! We can know Christ as the mystery of God’s economy and the Body as Christ’s fullness. Furthermore, we can know that the church is the new man with Christ as the content and constituent. None of these things was made known to God’s people in the Old Testament age.
Today we focus our attention upon Christ as the mystery of God and upon the church as the mystery of Christ. As the mystery of God, the all-inclusive Christ is the embodiment of God and also the life-giving Spirit. As the mystery of Christ, the church is the Body of Christ, His fullness, and the new man to be the full expression of Christ as well. This is the mystery that has been made manifest to the saints.
Paul’s writing in this Epistle is quite complex. He uses many long sentences with various clauses and relative pronouns. Actually, verses 24 through 29 should be regarded as a single sentence. In verse 27, the continuation of verse 26, Paul says, “To whom God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the nations, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” The word “whom” at the beginning of this verse refers to the saints mentioned in the preceding verse. To us God has willed to make known the riches of the glory of this mystery. This mystery, which is Christ in us as the hope of glory, is made known among the nations. The word “which” in verse 27 refers to the mystery. This mystery full of glory among the nations is Christ in us. Christ in us is mysterious and glorious as well. Because Paul was dealing with matters deep and profound, his writing was complex, and his sentences were long.
Let us now pay closer attention to the riches of the glory of the mystery spoken of in verse 27. The riches of this mystery among the nations are the riches of all that Christ is to the Gentile believers (Eph. 3:8). At the time Paul wrote to the Colossians, the Jews regarded the Gentiles, the nations, as swine. Nevertheless, Paul says that God has willed to make known the riches of the glory of this mystery among the nations, that is, among the Gentile “swine.” Various terms could be used to describe the Gentiles: sinners, rebels, enemies of God, sons of disobedience, sons of wrath. Before we were saved, we were in this category. But even among such people God has willed to make known the riches of the glory of this mystery.
After you were saved, did you not have the sense that you had entered into glory? Many of us had this kind of experience. Although we were sinners, enemies, and rebels, we have become sons of God. We are also heirs of God, joint partakers of Christ, and even the members of Christ. Furthermore, the New Testament reveals that we are priests and kings. As heirs of God, we shall inherit not only God Himself, but all things. We are sons of God, heirs of God, partners of Christ, and priests and kings. What a glory this is!
If we see this glory, we shall also know the riches of the glory, even though we lack the language to utter these riches adequately. These riches include the divine life, the divine nature, the anointing, and the all-inclusive Spirit. Other aspects of the riches are righteousness, justification, holiness, sanctification, transformation, glorification, comfort, and the divine Presence. It is impossible to list all the riches. They are beyond counting. These are the riches of the unique glory, the glory that is ours because we are sons and heirs of God, partners of Christ, and priests and kings.
The key to the riches of glory is Christ Himself. Although the Jews in ancient times were the people of God and not Gentile “swine,” they did not recognize the Lord Jesus as their Messiah. To many Jews today, the term Messiah has no reality. When their Messiah comes and they recognize Him, He will only be among them. But 1:27 indicates that Christ is not merely among us; He is in us. To us Christ is not only the objective One, but also the subjective One dwelling in us. We need to tell the Jews that instead of waiting for their Messiah to come only in an outward way, they too can have Christ, the true Messiah, dwelling in them right now and thereby become sons of God. The Jews who receive Christ into them will not only be the people of God chosen by Him, but also the sons of God regenerated by Him. What a glory it is to be indwelt by Christ!
As believers in Christ, we know the riches of the glory of this mystery. We cannot exhaust the items of the riches of such a glory. All the blessings in the Bible are included in the riches of this glory, which is our portion. This glory is the glory of the mystery among the nations, and this mystery is Christ in us. The Christ who dwells within us is the mystery full of glory, with countless riches. This is the key point in the book of Colossians.
Those in Colosse, however, had lost the vision of this mystery and had become distracted by philosophy, observances, ordinances, and practices. They had been defrauded and carried away as spoil from their prize, the enjoyment of the all-inclusive Christ. Like the Colossians, today’s Christians have also lost the vision of the glory of Christ as the mystery of God’s economy. The vast majority of genuine Christians have been distracted and carried away to things other than Christ Himself. Because the Colossians had been distracted, Paul wrote to say that the mystery hidden from the ages and from the generations has been made manifest to the saints. This mystery is the all-inclusive Christ who indwells us. Because we have the One who is all in all, we have no need to turn to philosophies, ordinances, observances, and practices. How I look to the Lord that we all may be brought back to this mystery! Let us forget everything other than Christ and care only for Him. Christ, the mystery among the Gentiles, has a glory filled with riches.
In verse 27 Paul says that Christ in us is the hope of glory. Christ is the mystery which is full of glory now. This glory will be manifested to its fullest extent when Christ returns to glorify His saints (Rom. 8:30). Hence, it is a hope, the hope of glory. Christ Himself is also this hope of glory.
Today we may live in Christ, by Christ, and with Christ. We may live Him, grow Him, and produce Him. At the same time, He is our hope of glory. If we see the vision that the all-inclusive Christ who indwells us is our hope of glory, our living will be revolutionized. We shall say, “Lord, from now on I won’t care for anything other than You. I won’t care for doctrines, ordinances, regulations, or traditions. I don’t care for religion, philosophy, or the elements of the world. Lord, I care only for You as the embodiment of God and as the life-giving Spirit in my spirit. Because You are so real, living, and practical in my spirit, I can live by You and with You. Lord, my only desire is to experience You in this way.”
Eventually, the New Testament charges us to walk according to the mingled spirit (Gal. 5:16, 25; Rom. 8:4). We need to walk according to the Christ who is the very glory filled with riches. Oh, may we all see this vision! Once we have seen this vision, it will control every aspect of our daily walk.
If we see this vision, we shall also realize how much Christians today have been distracted to things other than Christ. They may pay their attention to good things, scriptural things, fundamental things, even spiritual things. Nevertheless, these things are not Christ Himself. It is crucial that we see the Christ who is the mystery hidden from eternity but now made manifest to the saints in the New Testament age. God has willed to make known among the nations the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in us as the hope of glory. This mystery is the key to our Christian life and also to the church life.
In verse 28 Paul says that he announced Christ. Here Paul does not say that he taught Christ or preached Christ, but that he announced Christ. As he announced Him, he was “warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom” in order to “present every man full-grown in Christ.” Paul’s ministry, whether in announcing Christ or in warning and teaching every man in all wisdom, was to minister Christ to others so that they could be perfect and complete by maturing with Christ unto full growth.
To become full-grown in Christ is a matter of life. Christ must be added into us. Then we need to grow in Christ and gradually gain more of the stature of Christ. Eventually, as Christ is wrought into us, we shall become full-grown in Christ.
The goal of Paul’s ministry was to present every man full-grown in Christ. Whenever I consider this phrase, “present every man full-grown,” as used in this verse, I sense how short I am. I am warned by the Spirit within me regarding my ministry. I am concerned about how many I shall be able to present full-grown in Christ. The burden of this responsibility weighs upon me greatly. Inwardly I am charged to announce Christ and to warn others and teach them regarding Christ so that I may present them full-grown in Christ.
Paul’s concept in 1:28 is completely different from that held by Christian ministers and pastors today. Paul’s concept concerning his ministry was that of dispensing Christ into others so that they may grow in Christ to maturity. He knew that Christ had to be added into the believers until they became full-grown in Christ. We need to have the same concept as Paul. As the elders care for the saints in the churches, they should seek to present all the dear ones full-grown in Christ.
In verse 29 Paul goes on to say, “For which also I labor, struggling according to His operation which operates in me in power.” I believe that the words “for which” refer to the matter of presenting every man full-grown in Christ. For such a presentation Paul labored, struggled, fought, and wrestled. Paul’s struggling, however, was according to Christ’s operation within him. Hallelujah, the indwelling Christ is operating within us! This operating is His energizing. As He energizes us from within, we need to labor in cooperation with His operating.
The operation of Christ operates in power. The Greek word for power is the source of the English word dynamo. This power is no doubt the power of the resurrection life (Phil. 3:10), which operates within the apostle and all the believers (Eph. 1:19; 3:7, 20). By such an inward operating power of life Christ operates within us. This power is different from God’s creating power. God’s creating power is the source of the material things in our environment, whereas God’s resurrection power accomplishes the spiritual things for the church within our being. Paul labored, struggled, wrestled, and fought according to this resurrection power. By means of the operation in this power he carried out his ministry to present every saint full-grown in Christ.
May our eyes be opened to see that the goal of our work and ministry must be to minister Christ to others so that they may grow with the measure of Christ, who is the mystery of God’s economy.
