Calling
A Written compostion of the Heavenly Calling Network Study Group

Chapter 17
Mystery. Mystery. This is equivalent to our modern word secret. Not something puzzling. Not something difficult necessarily to understand. But something that is hidden. Something that is secret. And has to be made known, or told, before it can be understood. In this 3rd chapter of the epistle to the Ephesians we see that there is not just one secret there, but actually there is two. Paul talks about a revelation, in verse 3, that the risen Saviour had made know unto him, the secret. And then he goes on to talk about, in verse 4, the secret concerning Christ. Now if you cast your mind back to the first chapter, remembering how it ends with the ascended and glorified Saviour, raised, seated, at the right hand of the Father far above all principalities, power, and might. He is said to be head over all things to the church which is His body. You have a figure there of a head and body.

Now what the opening verses of chapter 3 are telling us is that there is a secret attached to each. There is a secret attached to Christ. The Mystery of Christ. The head. And there is a secret attached to His body. The church. And we must not confuse these two things. Because, in one case, the mystery of Christ was not made known in other ages as it is now made known. That is to say, it wasn't made know to the degree that is now made known. In other words, it was known in some extent. But not as now to the degree that it is at the time of the Apostles writing. We look back in to the Old Testament and we find that this mystery, the place that the Lord Jesus Christ, God willed, shall occupy in His glorious purpose of redemption was known in some measure of the Old Testament. It was something like a river. Starting as a small way at its source. And gradually widening as it goes on. And at last when you come to this revelation given to the Apostle Paul in his Roman prison, oh it has widened right out in all its fullness. Because there the Apostle Paul could pack, as it were, all the revelation of the glories of the Lord Jesus made known in the Old Testament, as far as one could study the Old Testament, you'll see Him there as the predominant one over the earth. When the Kingdom comes upon this earth there He will be ruling and reigning. Psalm 8.

But, we find that Ephesians 1 takes Him far above the earth. Far above all heavenly beings. Going farther than the Old Testament ever brought out. Far above all principalities, powers, might, dominion, and every name that is named. So the Apostle could truthfully say, this secret concerning His exaltation and the position that He occupies as being the preeminent one, the first place as Colossians says He must have, in all things He must have the first place. All things. You see, He was able to give this revelation as it was never given before.

But the other mystery, which we are now going to consider, concerning the church was hid in God. That was not made known. Hid in God. Now, both Colossians 1 and Ephesians make that perfectly clear. Look at it picked up in this verse, Ephesians 3:9. The Apostle's object was to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, ... or secret ... which from the beginning of the world ... from the very beginning of creation ... has been hid in God ... Now he couldn't say concerning that one, as it has been made known to sons of men in other dispensations. It never was. Because God hid it in Himself. ... hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: ... But this secret is hidden no longer. It is made known. And the Apostle says, my aim is to make all see and to understand what it is. That was a tremendous goal wasn't it.

Don't let us misunderstand him. Paul wasn't meaning every literal person that was alive in his day when there was millions of people, that he wanted every one to understand. That couldn't be, because in any case, it was certainly a truth, as it is today, that not all are saved. Not all have life in Christ. What about chapter 2 in this very letter, that talks about being dead in trespasses and sins. How could he expect men who were dead in trespasses and in sins to understand this great secret. No, no, he is referring, when he says all, to what he has written back in chapter 1. He reminds us that we were chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world. Nobody can say how many. God has never told us. We don't know whether it is thousands, millions, or trillions. We don't know. But we are told this that every member that constitutes this company of glory were elected or chosen, marked off before hand, in Christ, before time began. That is what this man is saying, all those whom ever come my way, that is my aim to make all see. He obviously couldn't go more than God had chosen could he. He would be wasting his time. And he certainly couldn't go less then what God has chosen. And so he was out now to make this truth known, given to me, he said in my Roman prison, by special revelation. Now He has commissioned me to tell this secret which is a secret no longer to make it known. To make all see what it is.

If you read the revised version you will find a slight change of wording. Instead of the word fellowship you have the word dispensation. And that is the correct reading. and to (1) make all men see what is the dispensation of the mystery which for ages hath been hid in God who created all things; (1) Some ancient authorities read bring to light what is ) ... The dispensation of the mystery. Now how often do we here this proclaimed among the people of God today? Who has caught this great aim of the Apostle. Do we say, oh yes I am out to make all see, all the chosen ones whom ever they may be, what this dispensation of the mystery is. But you never hear it. What a strange thing. And here is something that this man of God, the sent one, the Apostle of the Gentiles, being the very call of his ministry. We ought to then give it the importance that he gave it. Or otherwise we may be missing something tremendous. Because this is taking us to the very heart of God. A revelation of this secret that He now wants to make known. Do you know the language in Colossians 1, to whom God would ... or wishes ... to make know what is the riches of the glory of this secret. ... God is ready to tell. How many are ready to listen?

How many want to know? It is so easy to be taken up with other things. And even taken up with other places of truth and say, well I am quite satisfied. I'm not interested. Of course people wouldn't talk as bluntly as that, would they. But, in effect, their actions are just like that. We are going to try and get clear, relying on the Holy Spirit, for He is the only one, the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, that chapter 1 of Ephesians talks about that takes away the veil. He is the one on whom we depend to get a conception of what this glorious secret is.

Don't be frightened of the word dispensation. Because it is a scriptural word used again and again. Dispensation. You have heard quite a number of addresses concerning this word. Sometimes you will address given in the Old Testament and they will talk about the dispensation of innocence. They are referring, of course, to our first parents in Eden before sin took place. Then after they fell there was as they term the dispensation of conscience. And then you might here a bible address saying when they came in to the land and God gave them the Law through Moses, the dispensation of Law. And they will tell you today we are in the dispensation of Grace. Well, that is perfectly true because that is an expression in chapter 3. Ephesians 3:1 For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, ... A special message to us who know we are Gentiles, not Jews ... 2 If you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to... or For ... you-ward: ... So you've got two dispensations in this chapter then. You've got a dispensation of grace. And a dispensation of this secret.

Now this is the strange fact. Where as a good many bible teachers wont hesitate to talk about the dispensation of innocence, the dispensation of conscience, the dispensation of Law, and mark you, those are not scriptural terms. They never occur in scriptures. They may represent truth, mind you. But they don't occur in scriptures. But the one phrase that does occur in scriptures you never hear. The dispensation of the mystery. What an extraordinary thing. Something seems to have gone wrong somewhere. Instead of saying, well what is it that God has said He has hid and now has made known, or wanted to tell His children. Well lets read further because the Apostle now begins to explain. Ephesians 3:6 That the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel: ... If you have opportunity and you have commentary's that you value just out of interest turn up what they say on this verse. Nearly all of them go along these lines. That the Gentiles shall be fellow heirs, this means that the gospel is going to be preached to the Gentiles as well as the Jews. But friends, that is absolutely wrong. That was no secret or mystery. Right from the very start God said to Abraham, in thee through your seed shall all families of the earth be blessed. That is the Gentile world. It was never a mystery that the Gentiles were going to be blessed and as a matter of fact it was God's will that they should be blessed. And is clearly revealed in the Old Testament.

So it can't be that. Don't be put off by the statement of even Godly men. And at the same time, frankly, don't except what this says either. You check all that you read in here by God's word and compare spiritual things with spiritual. That is the way to get on the rock ground of truth. And you won't be standing on any man's opinion. You will be standing on the truth of God and it will be the basis that will never ever let you down. Well what does it mean then that the Gentiles will be fellow heirs if it doesn't mean that their going to share the gospel equally with the Jew? It is very difficult to bring over exactly what the original Greek is saying. Because three times over we have the repetition of a little word which comes over in many English words. That is syn. Now any word in English that has syn in it is really a Greek word. Synthetic. Synthesis. You see? We say these words without realizing that were speaking Greek. They are all Greek words. And this word syn means together with. On a perfect equality with.

Three times over the Holy Spirit repeated it. But you see, it is very difficult to bring it over into English. Once our Authorized version has done it by translated it, fellow. And they try to do it by translating it, same. But in the case of partakers they have given it up as a bad job. But its there. The nearest that you can get to it, or one of the best ways is the Revised version. They translated by the word joint. In three cases, on a perfect equality. Joint, Jew and Gentile in this body. Joint. That they should be joint heirs. And of the joint body. And joint partakers of His promise in Christ by the good news: where I was made a minister, says Paul. And don't stop reading verse 6 at the word gospel. The word gospel goes on to verse 7, Whereof I was made a minister, ... Something which the Lord laid hold of Paul and made him to be the minister. And in this calling there is a perfect equality in every way between Jews and Gentiles who have been chosen in Christ, saved, and redeemed.

Now before you say, well now I always thought that was so, try to see the implications that lie behind this. Because up to this point that was never true. And because it hasn't been seen, the wonder of the secret has just gone over people's heads. Up to this point that was never true. Going back to the Old Testament. What was the position of Israel, the Jew, and the Gentile nations? What was the position then? Well the position then was that they were a chosen people that were brought near to God by covenant relationship and the Gentiles were left to walk in their darkness. To them God gave His truth. To them He gave His light. To them He gave His word. He said He hadn't dealt so with any nation. He left the others go. Seemingly it looked as though God didn't care about the Gentile world. But He did. This is only the working of the plan that He told Abraham, that He was going to take his seed and use it as a channel to bless the whole world. But look at the time God took, and had to take to get the channel ready. That is what the Old Testament is about. Preparing the channel so that, as Paul is going to quote in his first speech at Antioch in Acts 13, they might be a light to the ends of the earth. Israel.

In that case they must be first. They must be the premier nation. They are the channel that God picked out, and is equipping, and is going to use, and while that is so the Gentile nations are subservient. In importance it regards God, and God's purpose. So Moses said to them, if you read Deuteronomy 28 some time with all its blessings, and its curses to, because there are two sides to this, but in regards to its blessing God said to Israel, you shall be the head, you shall not be the tail. You shall be above. You shall not be beneath. And if you read Exodus chapter 19 where He made that covenant of the Law, He said, you shall be a peculiar people on to me above all people, all nations. Peculiar. Specially Mine. Now that is the position that God ordained Israel to have. They didn't arrogate themselves to that position. If they did that would have been sheer presumption. God said, this is the position that I have put you in.

It was to that chosen nation, that first nation, that channel that God was going to use to bless the whole world that Christ came in to the flesh. He said, I am only sent to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And when a poor Gentile woman comes to Him look at what He says to her. And she wasn't trifling. She really was in need. It was a genuine case. And up to then you never read of one case where the Lord Jesus Christ ever turned away. So startling is this exception that it ought to put us all out and think why did He do that. Some have tried to get out of it by saying, the woman wasn't genuine. Oh, but she was genuine. Finally she gets the blessing, but not until she learned an important dispensational lesson. Thou son of David have mercy on me. But she wasn't a daughter of David. She was a Gentile. She had no claim on the Lord as the son of David. And when she dropped that and used the all embracing title, Lord, because a Gentile could use that, she gets an answer. Even then it wasn't to encouraging was it. Oh she said, just let me be like a little dog that can eat the crumbs that fall from the masters table. Who are the masters? Israel. The Gentiles were just like the dogs. Could just snap up the crumbs. So much was Israel first.

When you read the 9th chapter of Romans you find just the same teaching. Romans 9:3 For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh: 4 Who are Israelites; ... So here is Israel. There can't be any doubt about it. We can't spiritualize it. We can't say this is the church. It is my kinsmen according to the flesh. And Paul's kinsmen according to the flesh was the Jewish nation who are Israelites. What is their position then that God has given them? Well, to whom pertains the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, ... Every covenant in the bible, but one, pertains to this nation. The exception being the covenant that was given before they ever existed. The covenant with Noah and all flesh. ... and the giving of the law, ... God gave it to the people of Israel. ... and the service of God, and the promises; 5 Whose are the fathers, ... Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And note ... and of whom as concerning the flesh ... As regard to humanity ... Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen. ... You still have got Israel first. The Lord in His flesh, born in Bethlehem, comes to Israel. And He says so publicly.

What is the position during the Acts after His crucifixion and resurrection? Perhaps it maybe true that some people say, I will agree that Israel had the first position up to the Lords coming. But you see when they rejected Him, when they crucified Him, God cast them off and they had the first position no longer. Some teach that. Well is that true? Lets see what Peter says. And remember this man is filled with the Holy Spirit. The day of Pentecost has come. And we are told, Peter Filled with the Holy Ghost, so we can't talk about Peter giving his opinions here can we. Here is a man that the Spirit filled speaking the very words of God in Acts 3:19, Repent ye therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, that so there may come seasons of refreshing from the presence of the Lord; ... Then this most remarkable and wonderful promise that is so easily passed over and not understood, or taken at its full value ... 20 And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached to you: ... The second coming was a possibility in the Acts.

Oh the number of Christians who haven't gripped that yet. Because it is still future to us. You mustn't think that thousands of years have got to go in between, when Peter spoke those words. No, if you will repent, and if you will turn back to God, God will forgive and blot our your sins and He will send back Jesus Christ. 21 Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution ... The Revised is clearer. Restoration. Remember the question that they ask Him. Will thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel. These eleven disciples have been taught by the Lord for forty days out of the Old Testament scriptures. Acts 1, after forty days bible reading by the risen Christ, the first question that they ask Him is this. Lord are going to restore the kingdom to Israel now?

You see. Some say, no they should have forgotten all that and what they ought to have been asking Him is, Lord tell us something about the church. But they didn't no anything about the church at that point. IT was Israel's place still. And where Israel was coming in. And there isn't a slightest doubt that after those forty days of bible instruction they really understood what the Lord was teaching. Well some times, and mostly very often, we in our poor way we try to expound in God's word, very often those that hear don't understand which is possibly our fault because we haven't said the word clearly or we are not clear in our own minds even. But you can't lay that against the blessed God. If He can't handle His own word, well then no body else can. If He can't give understanding to those that listen then no body else can.

And that is what they asked Him. The time of restoration. Can you see it? Restoration of all things which has been promised by the Old Testament prophets. He quotes Moses. He quotes Samuel. And he says, Verse 25, You are the children of the prophets, ... And then he comes back to Abraham and his covenant. The covenant of blessing to Abraham's seed to the end of the earth is still in view here. ... and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying to Abraham, And in your seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed. ... So God did have the Gentiles in mind for blessing all the time. Yes. But in this way, now note, 26 unto you first ... That is what you need to see. Unto you, he is talking to Jews isn't he. He is talking to his own nation. You must have the message first. Why? Because they are still the chosen channel. They haven't cast off yet.

Later on in the last epistle that Paul wrote in the Acts, which was the epistle to the Romans, what does he say, God hath not cast away His people which He foreknew. Look, I am an Israelite, he said. He hasn't cast me away. So right down to the end of the Acts, 35 years after this, Israel was still not cast away. Only some of the branches were knocked off. But the tree was still standing. So as long as their there in covenant relationship they must have it first. Because the plan is still, as you just have read, to bless all families of the earth in thy seed.

Now Perhaps when Paul comes on the scene he will say something different. Lets look at the first chapter that deals with his public ministry. Here is his first public speech. And you know quite well where ever the Apostle went with the gospel where did he go? He went first of all to the Jewish synagogues. There wasn't a single exception. The Acts made it perfectly clear that when ever he went to a new place he went to the Jew first. Well because he knew the plan of course. It's necessary that you Jews have the word first because your still the chosen channel through whom God is working. Isn't that what he says in Acts 13:43 And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles sought that these words might be preached to them the next sabbath. ...Well, the next sabbath day came, 44 And the next sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God. 45 But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spoke against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming. ... Now note closely what the Apostle says ... 46 Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: ... Necessary this time. You must have it first. Your still the chosen channel. Apart from that, there was no reason why the Jew should have it first. If they have been cast off at the Cross then there is no reason why they would have the message first. They would just have it like anybody else and hear it and either except or reject. But no, I must go to you first. It is necessary. Then you put it from you, very well, I'll turn to the Gentiles.

But that was only local. If you look at chapter 14:1 And it came to pass in Iconium, that they went both together into the synagogue of the Jews, ... So back he is again into the synagogue. At Antioch he said, look, since you Jews here won't have the message, I've given it to you first now, that's the position that God has put you in, I turn to the Gentiles. But don't make the mistake, that doesn't mean he wasn't ever going to go to a Jew again. He still, all the way through the Acts, every new place, he still goes to the Jew first. The turning away was a local one, in Antioch only. Seeing that you, he said, put it from you and show yourselves unworthy of everlasting life. Lo, we turn to the Gentiles. And you find this going on right away through.

Israel, as long as you can find them scripturally established by the word of God, still being in covenant relationship with Him, that is to say He hasn't laid them aside in unbelief like He had done in this present age. They must still come first. Now as long as you have got that you can not have equality. If the Jew is first, then God means it. The Gentile can't be first then. You can't have them joint on the same level. Well you may say, oh but now your talking about things outside of Christ. Once their saved in Christ they can be on the same level. Well lets see exactly what the word says about that.

Looking again at the epistle of the Romans. Now Paul is dealing with Jew and Gentile. He started off with those verse that have been already eluded to prior in this chapter. Has God cast away His people . He is referring to Israel. He answers in 11:2 God has not cast away his people which he foreknew. ... And he quotes Elijah. Elijah thought He cast away His people. Elijah thought, in the day of Apostasy, that he was the only one left. He said so to God. Only I am left. And they seek my life Lord. Oh, said God, you can't see. I have reserved seven thousand men who haven't bowed their knees to Baal. But you can't see them Elijah. You thought you were the only one. No. There is still a faithful remnant. God has not cast away his people which he foreknew. ...

Going down this long chapter of Romans, and only picking up small portions of it because it will be discussed fuller in later chapters of this book, and presently we are dealing with Ephesians chapter 3. Now in Romans chapter 11 Paul is dealing then with the position of Jew and Gentile and he tells why Salvation has come to the Gentiles in verse 11. Romans 11:11 I say then, Have they ... That's Israel ... stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come to the Gentiles, ... Now this is old fashion English ... for to provoke them to jealousy. ... Who is the them? Israel. To provoke Israel to jealousy. Do you believe that? Do you believe that God saved Gentiles in the Acts and brought them into the assemblies to provoke the nation of Israel to jealousy? Have you ever seen that? Well if you haven't, well then there is part of the promise in the Acts purpose that you can't understand.

You see, God was doing something before His time, so to speak. In the ordinary way what would have happened? The Lord comes to Israel in the flesh, doesn't He. He comes as their great king priest. Behold thy King comeths onto thee. He rides into Jerusalem and fulfills their prophecy of Zachariah chapter 9. Now supposing instead of crucifying Him they'd excepted Him. And believed on Him. Alright, the purpose would have gone straight away out. And they would have taken the knowledge of God's truth and the light of His gospel to the end of the earth. The Gentile would have been saved afterward through the mediation of this saved nation. That would have been the order of events wouldn't it. But it wasn't. There were still rejecting during the Acts weren't they. They got harder and harder. And kicked and kicked and kicked. And so God reversed the process and saved some Gentiles and grafted them into Israel to provoke them to jealousy and wake them up. That was the idea.

To enforce this Paul says, now I give you an example in gardening which you know. Now most of us don't know so much because we don't grow olives. They only grow in warm parts. And some people, very cleaver people that always think that they can go one better than God's word, tell us that Paul doesn't know what he is talking about when he talks about grafting of the wild olive into the true. They say, obviously he doesn't understand gardening. Because you know in the ordinary way the grafting is done the other way around. It isn't the wild that is grafted into the choice. It is the choice that is grafted into the wild. Every Rose tree that you buy, that's what happened. The choice has been grafted into the wild stock. We must make allowances for this guy for you see he doesn't understand gardening. And its them that are ignorant.

In Olive culture that is exactly what you do. That when after along time, because some of these Olive trees are of great age, they want to promote new life into the tree so they graft a slip into the old tree and it wakes it up and gives it new life. It makes it bare fruit again. Now you see that was a lovely example for Paul to quote to show you the condition of things during the Acts. Israel, the nation, were dying spiritually. They were like an Olive tree. It is one of their figures that God gives concerning Israel. They are likened in the scriptures as the fig tree. Also to a vine. And to the Olive. Jeremiah likens them to an Olive. The Psalms and Isaiah liken them to a vine. And the fig tree, the Lord uses Himself in Matthew chapter 24. All of them giving some picture of Israel the chosen Nation.

Now Paul says, just as you see that often done, a choice is grafted into the old stock in the garden and wakes it up, so God is taking the Gentiles and grafting them into the old stock of Israel's Olive tree to provoke you to jealousy and to wake you up. But, it didn't happen. Even that failed. They still rejected. And it is at the end of the Acts you have the last occurrence of this most terrible statement. In Acts 28:25 ... Well spoke the Holy Ghost ... That is God speaking ... Well spoke the Holy Ghost by Esaias the prophet to our fathers, 26 Saying, Go to this people, and say, Hearing you shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing you shall see, and not perceive: 27 For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. ... You heart is waxed so hard that you can't receive it. Their cast off and that is how they have been ever since. That was not at the Cross, it was at the end of the Acts. People will put it at the Cross. They are preaching out of time where God has placed it. You see you can't afford to upset God's time table. If we do that, then we are going to lack understanding of His purposes.

Lets look down this chapter and get some of it clear. Romans 11:13 For I speak to you Gentiles, ... There is no doubt about it. I am speaking to you Gentiles. ... inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, ... I am the sent one to the Gentiles. ... I magnify my office: ... Never magnifying himself. Less than the least of all saints, says the 3rd chapter of Ephesians. But the office which the risen Christ has given him, oh I magnify that. That would have been false modesty on his part not to magnify that, wouldn't it. It was Christ who made him the sent one to the Gentiles. So he says, that is what I magnify. ... 14 If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, ... He is still thinking about Israel. ... and might save some of them. ... Then he starts to use this figure of the Olive tree.

And he says in verse 16, For if the first fruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches. 17 And if some of the branches be broken off, and you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, ... That is Israel. This is Gentiles he is talking to. I am speaking to you Gentiles, he said. ... and you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and with them partake of the root and fatness of the olive tree; ... Your sharing in all the covenant blessings that Israel's got. Your partaking of the root and fatness all their covenant blessings. And that is what was happening. Romans later on tells you that the Gentiles were partakers of Israel's spiritual things.

So what does he say, 18 Boast not against the branches. But if you boast, ... Now note, you can't have equality here. Look ... you bore not the root, but the root you. ... In other words, the Jews is the root and you are only a wild Olive grafted in. Your not equal with them. God is simply letting you in now to wake them up and provoke them to jealousy. Now that is not a perfect equality. Other wise you will have to say that the root and the branches are all on a perfect level. But you are receiving blessing from the root and not the other way around.

Then you get this warning, 20 ... Be not high minded, but fear: 21 For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not you. ... Gentile believers look. This is a problem. Oh this has worried people from the very beginning. It is no wonder that when expositions of the epistle to the Romans are made chapters 9 through 11 are usually glossed over quickly or even just left out. It is the most difficult to interpret. And you can only interpret it if you see the purpose the Acts. If you see the purpose of the Acts of Israel still being the covenant nation, even though they were failing and sinking into unbelief. Gentiles then come in, not to be on equality yet but to bring to life and to provoke them to jealousy and wake them up again. So they can still be the first nation and chosen channel to bless the whole earth.

You see the churches of the Acts were first fruits of the coming Kingdom. The Kingdom is yet to be. When Israel is restored they will be the first nation on the earth and the means of blessing to the whole earth. But in the Acts you have got the thing in miniature happening. And here is the teaching then. They that are the Olive tree are still first and the Gentiles were just wild Olives grafted in by God. And they were warned that if they were not careful they could be knocked out. 22 Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, ... But note ... if you continue in his goodness: otherwise you also shall be cut off. ... And yet he just wrote the glorious 8th chapter, nothing can separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus. To the same people. Now he is saying to the Gentiles section among them, you beware and if you don't keep humble and low, and realize that you are a wild Olive grafted in God will knock you off and cut you off the same way He has done to some of the natural branches.

Puzzling isn't it? Puzzling. It isn't a puzzle once you look at it from a dispensational stand point. It is the only answer. There is no other answer. If you don't do that then you have a flat contradiction between chapter 8 and chapter 11. And of course there are no contradictions at all. It is one thing as sinners saved by grace. Jew and Gentile. It is another thing for this covenant nation still to be in God's plan waiting for them to repent. Waiting for them to still be the channel going out to the end of the earth. And God saving and bringing them in before the time, so to speak, to be a means of provoking and waking them up. They might still be this channel to the ends of the earth. Now you see, as long as you've got that you can't have one company where they are on a perfect level all the time. You can't.

When the Millennium when that is set in it won't be a perfect level. You know it is going back then to what it was in the Old Testament. The redeemed nation of Israel is going to be the first nation on the earth. The Jew. You might not like the idea of the Jew being the first nation but when God's finished with them, saved them, redeemed them, restored them back to their land they are going to be the first nation of the earth. They will be the head. What God said in the Old Testament will be true. Not the least, above. And the Gentile nations are going to be subservient. You read Isaiah chapter 60 to 61. It says the Gentiles shall come to thee. It shows a wonderful picture of that nation being restored. And those who wont give homage in that day, Oh what God is going to do to them. They are going to come cringing, it said, in that day. Oh, what a difference. God is going to turn the tables in that day. The Jew is going to be first.

When you ever think of the earthly purpose of God, that is what you have got to keep in mind. You don't have an equality between Jew and the Gentile as long as this nation comes first. In other words, as long as God is working out His earthly plan the Jew is then number one. And the Gentile is there to receive blessing through the Jew. They are going to take the light of God's blessing to the ends of the earth. What we have been trying to do all through this age by missionary work will then be done by them in a sense that it has never been able to during this age of grace. Because all though we try and try hard we haven't even touched the fringe of the problem yet. Think of the nation of China alone, with its untold billions of people being born and living and dying and they haven't even heard of a bible of Christ yet. And that is two thousand years of preaching the gospel. We haven't even touched the fringe. But when God gets the channel ready. When He starts to work with them, Oh, then your going to see something, if your alive in that day. But maybe if we know our calling we shall be some where better than upon this earth. That is what is going to happen as regard to this earth.

Now in this course Israel failed at the end of the Acts, Paul is now in his Roman prison. And then the next letter is what we are looking at in Ephesians. Now then God says, I am going to reveal a secret. I have never told you this before. And God couldn't tell it, as long as His purpose was Israel being the first was being carried out. Now they are passed off the scene temporarily. Just like they have been all down this present age. God says now, let me tell you what I am going to do. I am going to take some Jews. And I am going to take some Gentiles. And I am going to take them right out of the earth entirely. They are not going to be blessed down here. They are going to be blessed at the right hand far above all. Blessed with all spiritual blessings in Christ. They are linked with Him. They are crucified with Him. They are buried with Him. They are quickened with Him. They are raised with Him. They are seated with Him in heavenly places far above all. And they are only waiting to be manifested with Him. And in this company there is neither Jew nor Greek. All that has been blotted out and at last this is the first company of redeemed people since Genesis 12 when Israel is taken up that is on a perfect equality.

Now that was part, only part of it mark you, of this secret that was made known. But it is not made known till this nation who God plans to be first is laid aside at the end of the Acts. No wonder this is called, in Ephesians, a new creation. A fresh start. A new man. A new beginning. And God said, now I am going to tell you what I have purposed to do, not with the earthly, because this is a heavenly people. With a heavenly destiny. And a heavenly plan. And presently in this chapter of Ephesians 3 your going to read that the people on the earth on not learning through the building of this church. But the beings in heaven are. What about that? Because this is a heavenly people, heavenly beings are learning. And these heavenly beings are very closely linked with this church because they are going to be in the same dimension. In the highest heavens.

Ephesians 3:9 And to make all men see what is the fellowship ... Or dispensation ... of the mystery, ... Or secret ... which from the beginning of the world has been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: 10 To the intent that now to the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, ... So God is building up this church now, chapter 2 says, for this permanent home for Himself and the world never knew anything about it. What does the world care, do you think, for the building up of this church? They don't know anything about it. They are not interested. You talk to anybody that is outside of Christ. You think they are interested? You know they are not. But these are. These are watching. They are learning.

So the secret is that the Gentiles should be heirs on a equality. And the next thing is, a joint body. This is a very extraordinary phrase. It is the only occurrence of this word in the whole of the bible. Some might be thinking, oh the word body occurs. Oh yes, it does. It does occur. It occurs in Corinthians and Romans. But not this word. This is literally and equal body. A body where all the members are equal. This is so difficult to explain because it is like God almost had to make up a word to try and get it over to us. Because it is something that no one has ever seen. Think it over for a moment. We have never seen a joint body. That is body where all the members are equal. Well it would be ludicrous wouldn't it. You think, if your nose was equal with your toes. It is so unique. Something entirely fresh. There is hardly anything that God can bring before us to describe it.

Think of this. You would agree that the Apostle Paul is certainly going to be there. You can argue about anyone else being there but you know he is there don't you. Would you think that you, by God's grace, are in this company you are on exact equality with that great man. Well you are. He is not above you. Nor would he be. You say, well I am a nobody. I can't compare with the Apostle. No you can't, but God has ordained in this company every member is on a perfect equality. Not only doctrinally as sinners saved by grace. But dispensationally and every way that you can imagine. That can't be so down here on earth, with an earthly purpose. But if He takes a new company and puts it in to a new dimension then there can be. And there is. Oh isn't marvelous to think that in the day when we all get to glory we are all going to stand on the same level as that great man.

That is what it means. A joint body, where all the members are perfectly equal everywhere. And joint partakers. Sharing in equality. Ephesians 3:6 That the Gentiles should be joint heirs , and of a joint body, and joint partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel: 7 Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given to me by the effectual working of his power. ... Oh it is not by my cleverness, he said. This is only by God's power that has made it known to me. And given me the grace to make it known. Even though I am locked up in a Roman prison, God's grace was not stopped.

Chapter 18. Callings