LESSON ONE – A GREAT MYSTERY— CHRIST AND THE CHURCH

Eph. 5:32 — This mystery is great, but I speak with regard to Christ and the church.

A GREAT MYSTERY— CHRIST AND THE CHURCH

In Colossians 2:2 Paul speaks of the mystery of God, which is Christ, and in Ephesians 3:4, of the mystery of Christ, which is the church. In Ephesians 5:32 Paul says, “This mystery is great, but I speak with regard to Christ and the church.” The fact that Christ and the church are one spirit (1 Cor. 6:17), as typified by the husband and wife being one flesh, is the great mystery. It surely is a great mystery that the church as Christ’s counterpart comes out of Christ, has the same life and nature as Christ, and is one with Christ. (The Conclusion of the New Testament, p. 2276)

THE MYSTERY OF GOD—CHRIST

In God’s economy revealed in the New Testament there are mainly two mysteries. The first mystery, revealed in the book of Colossians, is Christ as the mystery of God. In Colossians 2:2 Paul speaks of the “full knowledge of the mystery of God, Christ.” Christ is God’s mystery. In Himself God is a mystery. He is real, living, and almighty; however, He is invisible. Because no one has ever seen God, He is a mystery. This mysterious God is embodied in Christ. Hence, Christ is the mystery of God. Christ is not only God, but He is God embodied, God defined, God explained, and God expressed. Therefore, Christ is God made visible. The Lord Jesus said, “He who has seen Me has seen the Father” (John 14:9). The first mystery in God’s economy is Christ, God expressed, as the mystery of God.

THE MYSTERY OF CHRIST— THE CHURCH

The second mystery, revealed in the book of Ephesians and explained in it, especially in chapter 3, is the mystery of Christ. Christ also is a mystery. In Ephesians 3:4 Paul uses the expression the mystery of Christ. Furthermore, Colossians 1:27 says, “To whom God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” As believers, we have Christ dwelling in us. But this Christ whom we have is a mystery. Although Christ lives in us, worldly people do not realize that He is in us. To them, this is a mystery. But although Christ is mysterious, the church is the manifestation of Christ. As the Body of Christ, the church is the expression of Christ. When we see the church, we see Christ. When we come into the church, we come into Christ. When we contact the church, we contact Christ. The church is truly the mystery of Christ. (The Conclusion of the New Testament, p. 2054)

ADAM AND EVE— A COMPLETE PICTURE OF CHRIST AND THE CHURCH

The first couple in the Bible, Adam and Eve, present a significant and complete picture of Christ and the church. According to the book of Genesis, God did not create man and woman at the same time and in the same way. First, God formed man’s body from the dust of the ground. Then He breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul (Gen. 2:7). After God created man, He said, “It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper as his counterpart” (v. 18). The animals and the birds were brought to Adam, and Adam named them. But for Adam “there was not found a  helper as his counterpart” (v. 20). Within Adam there was the desire to have a counterpart, to have someone to match him. Among the cattle, the beasts, and the birds, there was no counterpart to Adam. In order to produce such a counterpart, “Jehovah God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man” (v. 21). While Adam slept, the Lord took one of Adam’s ribs and used it for the building of a woman (v. 22). In life, nature, and form the woman was the same as the man. Therefore, when God brought the woman to Adam, Adam exclaimed, “This time this is bone of my bones / And flesh of my flesh” (v. 23). Adam knew that at last he had found his counterpart. Genesis 2:24 indicates that a man and his wife are one flesh. We should regard a husband and wife not as two separate persons but as one complete person, as two halves of a whole unit. A husband and a wife as a complete unit are a marvelous picture of Christ and the church as one entity. (Life-study of Ephesians, pp. 445-446)

THE FOUNDATION OF THE CHURCH— THE REVELATION OF CHRIST

In Matthew 16 the Lord Jesus brought His disciples into the district of Caesarea Philippi and there asked them, “Who do men say that the Son of Man is?” (Matt. 16:13). After they responded, the Lord went on to ask, “But you, who do you say that    I am?” (v. 15). Receiving a revelation from the Father, Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (v. 16).

According to Ephesians  5:32, there is a great mystery of two parts, Christ and the church. Because the Father’s revelation concerning Christ is only the first half of this great mystery, the Lord went on to speak concerning the church: “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church” (Matt. 16:18). This indicates strongly that the church must be something of Christ and for Christ. First, Christ was recognized, known, and even possessed. Then the Lord said that on “this rock” He would build His church. This rock refers not only to Christ but also to the revelation of Christ, which Peter received from the Father. The church is built on this revelation concerning Christ. Hence, the “rock” here is not merely Christ Himself; it is also the realization, knowledge, experience, and possession of Christ. (Life-study of Mark, pp. 143-144)

THE COMPLETION OF THE DIVINE REVELATION— CHRIST AND THE CHURCH

In the New Testament the apostles, especially Paul, completed the word of God in the mystery of God, which is Christ, and in the mystery of Christ, which is the church, to give us a full revelation of God’s economy. Paul received the revelation of Christ as the mystery of God. In Colossians 2:2 he speaks of the “full knowledge of the mystery of God, Christ.” In Ephesians 3:4 Paul speaks of the mystery of Christ. The mystery of God in Colossians 2:2 is Christ, whereas the mystery of Christ in Ephesians 3:4 is the church. Paul was also given the revelation concerning the economy of God (2 Cor. 13:14; Eph. 3:14-19). Therefore, the completion of the word of God includes the great mystery of Christ and the church (Eph. 5:32), the full revelation concerning Christ, the Head (Col. 1:26-27; 2:19; 3:11), and the full revelation concerning the church, the Body (Eph. 3:3-6). (The Conclusion of the New Testament, pp. 9-10)

References: The Conclusion of the New Testament, msgs. 1, 190, 213; Life-study of Ephesians, msgs. 29, 53; Life-study of Mark, msg. 16

ONCE BY NATURE WE WERE DEAD IN SIN

The Church—As the One New Man – 1232

• Once by nature we were dead in sin,
  In a world of utter discord;
  But together God has quickened us,
  Raised us up to sit together with the Lord.

Jesus is getting us together,
Come and see the saints in one accord.
His love is knitting us together,
To the stature of the fullness of the Lord.

• Thus with all saints we can apprehend,
  All the vast dimensions of God.
  Knowing Christ’s love passes all we know,
  We’re together filled to fullness with our God.

• Now we know the purpose of our God,
  Visible the mystery became:
  Christ, the church, together now we see,
  And together put the enemy to shame.

• For this cause we pray the Father God —
  Strengthen Thou with might our inner man;
  Make Yourself at home in all our hearts,
  Root us, ground us in Your love and for Your plan.

• In the Body we’ll be fitly framed
  As the many members Christ supply;
  Working in the measure of each part,
  All by growth in love the Body edify.

• Now we’re one His purpose to fulfill,
  As the one new man of His plan.
  Unto Him be glory in the church,
  And in Jesus Christ forevermore — Amen!