One Body, And One Spirit

by J. DORRICOTT | Category: The Purpose Of The Ages - Christ And The Church | Oct 1932

(Ephesians 4. 4.)

Our Lord was looking on to the present Church period when He spake to His disciples of His departure to the Father, and the sending of the Holy Spirit, not only to be with His own for ever, but also to be in them-"SHALL BE IN YOU. This indeed was something that had not been known before, the permanent indwelling of the Holy Spirit in the saints of God. This is a distinguishing feature of the new era--the Church period (and observe John 14. 16-18, 25, 26; 15. 26, 27; 16. 7-14).

This promise, the sending of the Holy Spirit from heaven, was fulfilled at Pentecost (Acts 2. 1-5).

The Lord had charged the apostles "not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, said He, ye heard from Me: for John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized in (R.V. marg.) the Holy Spirit not many days hence" (Acts 1. 4,5). The Holy Spirit therefore was sent to make good the counsels, plans, and purposes of the Father, in eternal times.

From the four Gospels we learn that Christ is the Baptizer in the Spirit ; "He (Christ) shall baptize you in the Holy Spirit" (Matthew 3. 11; Mark 1. 8; Luke 3. 16: John 1. 33). And in the power of the Holy Spirit believers are baptized into one Body, even as it is written, "for in One Spirit were we all baptized into one Body" (1. Corinthians 12. 13).

The Spirit also is seen as fulfilling the purpose of the Father, as suggested in figure in Genesis 24.- Eliezer was the true and faithful servant of Abraham in wooing and winning a bride for his only son Isaac. Therefore the sending of the Spirit marked the inauguration of a new dispensation which will continue until the Lord comes for His Church. which will then close this present Church period.

This parenthesis in the chart of time, is the period when the Spirit is working on earth, and the purpose of the Ages is being fulfilled (though not completed) in forming believing Jew and Gentile into one Body. "That He (Christ) might create in Himself of the twain ONE NEW MAN, making peace, and might reconcile them both IN ONE BODY through the Cross" (Ephesians 2. 15, 16). This is something new, entirely new, unique to this present dispensation "Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men," and spoken of as "the Mystery which hath been hid from all ages and generations, but NOW hath it been manifested to His saints" (see Ephesians 3. 5, 9; Colossians 1. 26).

Also from Romans 16. 25-27, we see, that the Gospel in its full and comprehensive sense, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, is that which reveals the Secret, the Secret "which bath been kept in silence through times eternal, but now is manifested, and by the scriptures of the prophets (New Testament prophets), ACCORDING TO THE COMMANDMENT OF THE ETERNAL GOD, IS MADE KNOWN UNTO ALL THE NATIONS UNTO OBEDIENCE OF FAITH."

Therefore Paul says, He was called, "to preach unto the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; and to make all men see (or, to bring to light, R.V.M.) what is the dispensation (or stewardship) of the Mystery which from all ages hath been hid in God who created all things; to the intent that NOW unto the prineipalities and the powers in the heavenlies MIGHT BE MADE KNOWN THROUGH THE CHURCH THE MANIFOLD WISDOM OF GOD, ACCORDING TO THE ETERNAL PURPOSE WHICH HE PURPOSED IN CHRIST JESUS OUR LORD" (Ephesians 3. 8-11). How very wonderful! and yet how humbling from the human side of the matter, when we consider how little, how very little we have entered into this, and in our teaching, character, and conduct, made this manifold wisdom known to the heavenly throng.

May we not only learn that the eternal God hath given commandment to make this secret known to all nations in the testimony proper to this present dispensation, but also that now unto the great throng of principalities and powers in the heavenlies might be made known by the Church the MANIFOLD wisdom of God. (In passing we would say, that the word in Ephesians 3. 10, translated "manifold," only occurs here in the New Testament. In other passages where we find "manifold," and "divers," the word is "poikilos," but in Ephesians 3. 10, it is "polupoikilos," that is, not only manifold, but very manifold, "much variegated.") This wisdom of God now to be known by the heavenly throng, is God's wisdom in very, yea, very many ways. An exhibition of Christ-"The wisdom of God," and what flows out from the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, and our true and loving subjection to the Head.

If this is God's intent, His present intent (Now), should we not ask ourselves what lessons of the wisdom of God are we showing to these heavenly powers? for angels desire (as with outstretched necks) to look into the things that the Gospel reveals, and the wonders of the redemption that is in Christ Jesus (1 Peter 1. 12), and there are also lessons of holy subjection (1 Corinthians 11. 10).

We have mentioned the foregoing, not only to see God's present intent, but also to show that the Spirit of God has been sent as the great energising Power to accomplish these things in and through us, if we are ready vessels to be so used (Acts 1. 8; Romans 15. 16-19)

(To be continued, D.V.)

J. DORRICOTT | Oct 1932
The Purpose Of The Ages - Christ And The Church