On Sunday we began a new journey in the Book of Ephesians. So, we took some time to affirm Paul's Gospel/Mystery body of truth by looking at 1 Cor. 15:3-4, which will be very important for our study in Ephesians. Is 1 Cor. 15:3-4 just the “Gospel?” Or, is it the “Mystery” as well?

IS 1 COR. 15:3-4 THE FULL GOSPEL?

One of the biggest errors we can make when reading Paul's Epistles is to think of his writings as being made up of two distinct bodies of truth: 1. Something called the Gospel; and 2. Something called the Mystery. I want to push back a little on this common assumption. We have been deceived by the “good” words and “fair” speeches of historical Christianity to think that one can receive Paul's Gospel while rejecting what God is doing today through Paul's distinct apostleship (ie., the Mystery). But can you really separate the Gospel from the Mystery? Did Paul ever separate them? In Paul's earliest epistle Paul talks about preaching the Gospel (1 Thess. 1:5; 2:2, 4, 8-9; 3:2), and it was always in the context of the Mystery (Paul taking God's blessings to the world, especially the Gentiles APART FROM ISRAEL AND THROUGH HER FALL— 1 Thess. 1:5; 2:14-20). And we can add to that Paul's teaching to the Thessalonians at the very beginning the great Mystery Truth of the Rapture (1 Thess. 4:14-18)!

Let's look at another early epistle of Paul's, 1 Corinthians. Paul's told the Corinthians that he was sent to preach the Gospel (1 Cor. 1:17), which in the very next verse becomes the preaching of the Cross (1:18), which in the very next verses becomes the preaching of the wisdom of God (1:21). And when we remember that Paul already taught us in Romans that the wisdom of God is the Mystery (Rom. 11:25-34), we see that the preaching of the Gospel is the preaching of the Cross, which is the preaching of the wisdom of God, which is the preaching of the Mystery, and Paul confirms that explicitly in 1 Cor. 2:7-8!

Let's look at another common example that many think of as THE GOSPEL, and that is 1 Cor. 15:3-4: For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures. One person said, “See, that is the Gospel and the Mystery isn't mentioned. But is this true? Is the Mystery not in 1 Cor. 15:3-4? Most people who used these verses don't know anything about its context. We have been trained to have a “memory card mentality.” In such a system, we are told to treat God's Word with less respect than we would even a trashy romance novel. It teaches us to take God's verses out of their divinely given context and make them mean whatever we think they ought to mean. You wouldn't do this with any other written material, but we do it with God's Book and worse still think we are being spiritual in doing so! Now, there is nothing wrong with memorizing Bible verses, but it should be done anchored to the context, not free-floating on thin air.

So, let's look at the context of 1 Cor. 15. Generally, it has to do with the topic of resurrection, and specifically with a false teaching that had entered the church that said there was no resurrection from the dead (1 Cor. 15:12). Either it had already led some astray, or it was about to do so. He goes on to explain the danger they were in. If such a thing were true it would mean everything he taught to them was vanity for if there is no resurrection, than Christ was not raised from the dead, and you are all still dead in your sins (1 Cor. 15:14-17)! And this explains why Paul reminds them in vv. 3-4 that Christ died for their sins, was buried and rose again the third day as witnessed not only by the Scriptures (15:3-4) but by eye witnesses as well, beginning with Peter and the 12 (15:5-7).

Now let's add to the context by looking at vv. 1-2: Brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also you have received, and wherein ye stand; by which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain (1 Cor. 15:1-2). This has all the key code words: Gospel, Preaching, Salvation, followed by the death and resurrection of Christ. But is this just about something called the Gospel? Or, is it the Mystery as well? Let's see:

1. Gospel means Good News. So, we should ask: When did the death of Christ become Good News? We might be able to find the death of Christ in the Old Testament in passages like Ps. 22 and Is. 53, but I defy anyone to suggest it is presented there as Good News! No, it is horribly bad news! Well, what about in the earthly ministry of Christ? Was it Good News then? Not according to the Gospel writers, who recorded it in all its horror. In fact, when Christ mentioned his death to His disciples late in His ministry, Peter rebuked Him and said: Be it far from you, Lord! This shall not be unto you (Mat. 16:22). This horrible thing won't be on my watch!! No, Christ's death was not Good News in the Gospel Accounts.
   
   What about after the resurrection in Peter's preaching at Pentecost? Surely, the Good News of the death of Christ was revealed there! But that wasn't the case. For Peter, it was very very bad news indeed. Speaking to the men of Israel, he said: Look what you have done! You murdered your King and Messiah! Well, I hate to tell you but the man you thought you got rid of by putting Him to death, God raised from the dead, and He's coming back for you (Acts 2-3)!!
   
   No, it is not until God raised up the Apostle Paul that the death of Christ was revealed as GOOD NEWS! It was something God had kept secret. And you know what another word for “secret” is? MYSTERY. Preaching the Good News of the death of Christ IS preaching Jesus Christ according to the revelation of the Mystery (Rom. 16:25)! You can't have one without the other.
2. And what about Paul's “preaching?” We have already seen that when Paul preached the Gospel, he was preaching the Cross, the Wisdom of God and the Mystery (1 Cor. 1-2; Rom. 16:25). Again, you can't have one without the other.

3. The Corinthians received Paul's Gospel, but from where did Paul receive it? Most commentators say he received it from Peter and the 12, who are mentioned in v. 5. But where do God and Paul say he received it from? But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ. Paul insists four times in two short verses that he did not receive his Gospel from men. He received it as a direct revelation from the Risen Lord Jesus Christ! And it is of great interest to note that he says the very same thing about the Mystery: If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: 3 how that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery (Eph. 3:2-3). Once again, the Gospel and the Mystery aren't separate; they are united as one.
4. Finally, ye are saved if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless you believed in vain (15:2). Ouch! What's that all about? Commentators explain this verse usually in one of two ways. Some say that the Corinthians could lose their salvation. Others say: No, believers can't lose their salvation, so these Corinthians must have never really been saved to begin with! But neither of these options work. The second option cannot be right because Paul described the Corinthian believers in 1 Cor. 1:2-9 as saints; ones sanctified in Christ Jesus; ones who were given the grace of God through Christ; ones waiting for the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall confirm them to the end; and all this would occur not because of the Corinthian's faithfulness but because of God's faithfulness (1 Cor. 1:9)!
   
   And the first option cannot be right either because Paul just told them in 1 Cor. 15:1 that they were already saved from sin, death and Hell, and, therefore, were eternally secure. When Paul was with them in person years before, he preached (past tense) the Gospel unto them and they received (past tense) it in faith, which put them in a right standing (perfect tense—something that happened in the past but has ongoing results in the present and into the future) before God.
   
   So then, what is the right answer? It is obvious if we remember one little thing. The word “save” or “salvation” doesn't always refer to salvation from sin, death and everlasting perdition in Hell. We can be saved from many things. Paul, sitting in a jail cell, talks about his salvation (Phil. 1:19). Of course, he is not sitting there waiting for salvation from sin, death and Hell (he already had that!). He is sitting there waiting for salvation from being in jail. Like Paul, these Corinthians weren't needing to be saved from sin, death, and Hell (they already had that!). Rather, at that time they needed to be saved from the plight of being entrapped by the false teachers. Paul was instructing them that if they remembered his teachings, and in this case especially those aspects of his teaching that revealed Christ died for our sins and was raised from the dead (since that is what the false teachers were calling into question), as witnessed to by the Scriptures and numerous eye witnesses (1 Cor 15:5-7), they would be saved from falling prey to the snares of these false teaching wolves.
   
   My point here is not to suggest that these verses are not good verses to use to evangelize the lost with. Absolutely not. I use them all the time. I just wanted to demonstrate that even though the word “mystery” isn't used here, it is the source of everything Paul talks about here. The Gospel and the Mystery are not separate things. They are one. Also, when we read it within its context, we see that Paul's Mystery/Gospel truths not only save us from sin, death and Hell but from every other plight and predicament, trial and tribulation, error and confusion as well.
   
   Perhaps one way all this could be expressed succinctly is to recognize that the Gospel/Mystery is one package of truth. Romans ends with the Gospel that consists of the Mystery (Rom. 16:25), and Ephesians ends with the Mystery that consists of the Gospel (Eph. 6:19). They are inseparable. Maybe we should just leave it there.

The world asks a lot of questions and claims to have a lot of answers. Just listen to all the talking heads on TV, radio, internet, podcasts, YouTube, etc. It is an unending flow. But very few of them indeed ask the four most important questions of all. Yet these four questions apply to every single person born into the world and have everlasting consequences. Until we answer them nothing else really matters. You can only get the answers to these questions from God's Word and especially Paul's epistles, and specifically Romans and Ephesians.

QUESTION #1: How Can I (A Sinner!) Have a Right Standing Before The Infinitely Holy God (Be Justified) (Rom. 1-4)?

Job asked this question thousands of years ago, but it wasn't answered fully or manifested in all its glory until God revealed it to and through the Apostle Paul in Romans 1-4. Job recognized the problem: How can we, as members of a fallen, sinful humanity in Adam, born into the world as ungodly sinners on enemy status before God, stuck in the quicksand of sin and death and powerless to do anything about it; how can we be declared right by a holy God? Everyone knows that the worst thing a person can do when they are caught in quicksand is to do anything at all! Any and every effort at escape just results in their being dragged in and under the surface faster and deeper. On their own it is utterly hopeless.

And that is the problem with man-made religious and man-centered theological systems. They tell those who are stuck in the quicksand of sin and death to do something! Fix yourself up, put forth all effort, clean yourself up, and then God will save you. They tell us to do their religious rites and rituals, follow their theological rules and regulations, and then God will make use of us. But if “doing something” is the wrong advice for someone caught in literal quicksand, it is even worse advice for someone caught in the quicksand of sin and death. It doesn't help resolve the person's hopeless predicament; it just makes it worse!

God, however, answers in Rom. 5:6-10: There we learn that God doesn't save us after we have fixed and cleaned ourselves up! He saves us while we were not just weak, but ungodly. And not just weak and ungodly, but weak and ungodly sinners. And not just weak, ungodly sinners but weak ungodly enemies on enemy status before Him! No, the only answer for someone trapped in the quicksand of sin and death is to stay as still as possible and appreciate the hopelessness of their condition. They need to set aside all reliance on their own work and effort so that they can rely solely on the work and effort of Someone else, Someone who is not caught in the quicksand. Someone on solid ground, who could throw a rope over their shoulders and powerfully drag them out, transferring them from Satan's quicksand realm of sin and death and into God's glorious realm of righteousness and eternal life. And that is exactly what God did! He sent the Someone else, His Son the Lord Jesus Christ, to go down to the quicksand of fallen sinful humanity to pull them out through His Own Work, effort and performance on the Cross. There, He set us free from sin and death and reconciled us to Himself. Our part is just to rely on Christ and His Work, receiving it as a gracious free gift of righteousness and eternal life by faith.

QUESTION #2: Today, What Does God Do With Those He Has Justified (Rom. 5-8)?

One of Satan's most clever and effective deceptions is convincing most of historic Christianity, even most of believing Christianity, that when God saves people today, He places them into the Nation of Israel. Now, it is self-evident to any and all that when they got saved, they were most certainly NOT placed into the Nation of Israel, a nation in the Middle East, some 6,000 plus miles and a half world away. In order to persist in this vain human imagination, Satan did what he always does. He used and still uses man-made religious and man-centered theological systems to generate “good” words and “fair” speeches to deceive the hearts of the simple ... which is contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned (from the Apostle Paul--Rom. 16:17-18; 2 Cor. 11:13-15). They come up with false teachings like this that sound good but are, in fact, dead wrong. They turn everything upside down by explaining: Oh, it's not literal Israel in the Middle East, God's all done with that Nation of Israel. It's a replaced Israel, a spiritual Israel, the new Israel and true Israel. Did you just hear the hearts of the simple crashing? What nonsense.

God, however, answers this question in Rom. 5-8: When sinners are saved today in the Dispensation of Grace, God does NOT sanctify them by placing them into the Nation of Israel in any real or imagined form or shape. Rather, He places them into Christ, making them members of a new group of redeemed humanity under the headship of Christ called the Body of Christ (Rom. 5:12-6:6; Rom 12:4; 1 Cor. 12:12-27).

QUESTION #3: Why Did God Create A New Group Of Redeemed Humanity, The Body of Christ (Rom. 9-11)?

Paul answers this question in Rom. 9-11. God needed a new group of redeemed humanity because He began a new, previously unrevealed program, called His Mystery Program that He had kept secret since the world began (Rom. 16:25). When the Nation of Israel continued to rebel against God and reject Christ in unbelief, she stumbled and fell, and God cast her away (temporarily), thereby putting His Prophetic Program with her on hold. While this Prophetic Program was diminishing, He simultaneously began another program that He revealed and made known through the distinct apostleship of Paul, called His Mystery Program with the Body of Christ.

QUESTION #4: Why Did God Need A New Program (Eph. 1-3)?

And that generates our 4th most important question of all: Ok, Paul. When I got saved by faith, God placed me into a newly created group of redeemed humanity called the Body of Christ, which is participating in His newly revealed Mystery Program. But why did God need a new Program? This question is not answered explicitly in Romans. But it is in Ephesians. Ephesians explains that God created His Mystery Program for the Body of Christ to accomplish a new Purpose that He had never revealed before. While He had revealed in the Old Testament that He would re-establish His Glory on Earth through a redeemed humanity called the Nation of Israel, what He had never revealed before was that HE IS ALSO GOING TO RE-ESTABLISH HIS GLORY IN THE HEAVENLIES! NOT WITH THE ANGELS BUT WITH THE REDEEMED HUMANITY CALLED THE BODY OF CHRIST!

These are the most important questions of all. If you haven't answered these yet, stop everything and do it now. In comparison, nothing else is as important; nothing else really matters. (#1) If you're an unbeliever, believe in the Person and Work of the Lord Jesus Christ, who loved you so much that He died for you while you were yet an ungodly sinner on enemy status before Him (Rom. 5:6-10). (#2) Once saved, appreciate that when God saved you He placed you into the Body of Christ, (#3) making you a participant in His Mystery Program (#4) for the re-establishment of His Glory in the Heavenlies. God revealed all of this to and through the distinct apostleship of Paul. And now, armed with this divine perspective and walking in accord with the Spirit, we can confidently go out and answer all the lesser questions in life!

Sunday, we continued our introduction to Ephesians by looking at its overall structure. We found that once we get through Ephesians there is no more excuse for not knowing what God is doing today. Too often we are told that there is no way to know what God is doing today. All we can do is wait to hopefully understand in the bye and bye, after we die and go to heaven. But such a notion is to be fully rejected because we not only CAN know what God is doing today, we SHOULD know it. It is inexcusable and shameful for us to not know what He is doing today because He has given us the FULL-knowledge of His councils and will (Eph. 1:9, 3:9): That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the (full) knowledge of Him. The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of His calling, and what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power (Eph. 1:17‑19). Such is God's and Paul's view of what we ought to know and understand and appreciate and enjoy fully! If we are in the dark and don't understand, it is not because of God! It's because we have followed the deceptions of the devil, who has tricked us into throwing away Pauline Grace Mystery Truth. God's light for today (Acts 13:47). And the only answer to that is to put on the whole armor of God: Paul's Roman's and Ephesian's Truths (Eph. 6:10‑17).

First Pass Overview of Ephesians

1. THE MYSTERY PROGRAM WITH THE BODY OF CHRIST IN THE HEAVENLIES REQUIRED THE WORK OF THE WHOLE TRIUNE GODHEAD
1. THE COUNCILS OF GOD AND HIS PURPOSE IN HIS MYSTERY PROGRAM FOR THE BODY OF CHRIST—OUR ADULT SONSHIP INVITATION TO BE INVOLVED IN THE FATHER'S BUSINESS (1:1‑14).
2. PRAYER: GOD'S POWER TOWARD US (ON THE OUTSIDE) AS REVEALED IN THE FULL-KNOWLEDGE OF PAULINE GRACE MYSTERY TRUTH (1:15‑19):
1. WHAT GOD DID WITH CHRIST: POWERFULLY RAISED HIM FAR ABOVE ALL POWERS AND PRINCIPALITIES IN THE HEAVENLIES, AND THERE MADE HIM THE HEAD OF A NEW REDEEMED HUMANITY CALLED THE BODY OF CHRIST (1:20‑23).
2. WHAT GOD DID WITH INDIVIDUAL SINNERS: POWERFULLY RAISED THEM AND SEATED THEM TOGETHER WITH CHRIST IN THE HEAVENLIES IN CHRIST TO BE THE GLORIOUS TROPHIES OF HIS GRACE FOREVERMORE (2:1‑10).
3. WHAT GOD DID WITH THE BODY OF CHRIST: POWERFULLY TORE DOWN ALL BARRIERS BETWEEN JEW AND GENTILE AND CREATED OF THE TWO ONE NEW REDEMED HUMANITY THROUGH CHRIST CALLED THE BODY OF CHRIST, AND BUILT IT UP TO BE HIS OWN HOLY TEMPLE IN THE LORD (2:11‑22).
2. THE MYSTERY PROGRAM WITH THE BODY OF CHRIST IN THE HEAVENLIES AND THE APOSTLESHIP OF PAUL.
1. GOD'S DISPENSATION OF GRACE AND CHRIST'S REVELATION OF THE MYSTERY WAS GIVEN TO THE APOSTLE PAUL, WHO WAS TO MAKE IT KNOWN TO ALL (3:1‑12).
2. PRAYER: GOD'S POWER TOWARD US (ON THE INSIDE) AS REVEALED IN THE FULL- KNOWLEDGE OF PAULINE GRACE MYSTERY TRUTH (3:13‑21).
1. WHAT GOD DID THROUGH GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT—PROVIDED THE BASIS FOR UNITY IN THE BODY OF CHRIST—THE UNITY OF THE SPIRIT (4:1‑6).
2. WHAT GOD DID THROUGH INDIVIDUAL BELIEVERS—PROVIDED SPIRITUAL GIFTS OF PEOPLE UNTIL PAUL'S SCRIPTURES WERE AVAILABLE EVERYWHERE (4:7‑12a).
3. WHAT GOD DID THROUGH THE BODY OF CHRIST: PROVDED WHAT IT NEEDED TO BRING IT TO FULL EDIFICATION AND MATURITY (4:12b‑16).
3. THE MYSTERY PROGRAM WITH THE BODY OF CHRIST IN THE HEAVENLIES AND ITS MINISTRY DOWN HERE ON EARTH (4:17‑6:9).
1. THE WALK IN CHIRST: PUT ON THE NEW PERSON (4:17‑29).
2. THE WALK IN THE SPIRIT: DON'T GRIEVE THE ONE WHO SEALED YOU FOR ALL ETERNITY (4:30-32).
3. THE WALK AS CHILDREN OF GOD THE FATHER: FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT, BRING ALL THE LOVE (AGAPE) OF GOD AT THE CROSS OF CHRIST INTO OUR RELATIONSHIPS ON EARTH (5:1‑6:9).
4. THE MYSTERY PROGRAM WITH THE BODY OF CHRIST IN THE HEAVENLIES PROVISION FOR STANDING IN SPITE OF THE ATTACKS BY EVIL POWERS IN THE HEAVENLIES (6:10‑14).
1. PUT ON THE WHOLE ARMOR OF GOD (6:15‑17).
2. PRAYER: THAT GOD'S ULTIMATE GOAL FOR LEAVING BELIEVERS TO MINISTER ON EARTH: SUPPLICATING THAT WE, LIKE PAUL, MIGHT PERSEVERE IN BOLDLY SPEAKING THE MYSTERY OF THE GOSPEL (6:18‑20).
3. THE WALK OF THE APOSTLE PAUL, RESULTING IN COMFORTED HEARTS AND PEACE AND LOVE WITH FAITH FROM THE WHOLE TRIUNE GODHEAD (6:21‑24)!

Yesterday we finished up our 40,000 mile high overview of the Book of Ephesians. Now that we have this overview, we are ready to enter the forest of Ephesians and walk among its trees, beginning with the apostleship of Paul in Eph. 1:1.

Paul, the Righteousness of God and Love (Agape)

One of the most important things we need to appreciate about the raising up of the Apostle Paul was that when God saved Saul, His arch-enemy and the leader of the persecution of Christ and His People, the Believing Remnant of Israel, and made him our Apostle Paul, He began a new manifestation of His Righteousness that He had never manifested before: The Righteousness of God in saving His ENEMIES because He has no friends (Rom. 1-5; 1 Tim. 1:15-16)). In His Prophetic Program with the Nation of Israel as recorded in the non-Pauline Scriptures, God was manifesting His Righteousness in saving His FRIENDS and destroying His ENEMIES. Just open to almost any of Psalm, and you will see the psalmist praying for this.

But this isn't what God is manifesting today in the Dispensation of Grace. Today God is manifesting the Righteousness of God in saving His ENEMIES because He has NO FRIENDS (Rom. 3:24-26; 5:5-11)! Today God is using the salvation of Saul/Paul to manifest how He can save sinful enemies while at the same time remain holy, just and righteous; while at the same time remain GOD! He can do this because it is all based on the Person and Work of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, who went to the Cross to die for us while we were ungodly sinners on enemy status before Him, thereby providing us with redemption and reconciliation we could not obtain ourselves. Our only part, therefore, is to simply receive this divinely originated gracious gift by faith unto eternal life (Eph. 2:1-11).

But the story doesn't end there. This amazing revelation and display of the Righteousness of God is the doorway to a related and equally amazing revelation and display of God's Love, a Love that He had not manifested in full before. In devising a plan whereby the Creator God of the Universe, the Lord Jesus Christ, would go to the Cross to not only die for His friends (John talks about that—Jn. 15:13) but to die for His ENEMIES, for ungodly sinners on enemy status before Him, manifesting the infinite depth and greatness of His Love for us (Rom. 5:5-11)!

Think about this. The Love God is manifesting today could not have been displayed in the Trinity and was not displayed in God's Prophetic Program with Israel. In the Triune Godhead, every member—Father, Son and Holy Spirit—are “fellows,” FRIENDS (Zech. 13:7; Jn. 10:30)! The exceeding greatness of God's Love could NOT be fully manifested in the Triune Godhead!

And we are told explicitly by the Apostle John that the Love of God displayed in the Cross of Christ in His earthly ministry only extended to His FRIENDS: Christ died for His FRIENDS (Jn. 15:13)! In addition, the Love of God that Christ brought His disciples into was the same Love shared among the members of the Triune Godhead: Love among FRIENDS (Jn. 17:23, 26).

So, if God was going to manifest the complete fullness, immeasurable depth and exceeding greatness of His Love, He would need another way of doing it. And that is exactly what He did through Paul's distinct apostleship as recorded in Paul's Scriptures, especially the Book of Ephesians. Today, God is manifesting the greatness of His Love wherewith He loved us (Eph. 2:4) that surpasses knowledge and that fills with all the FULLNESS OF GOD (Eph. 3:19). The Love of God that Jesus shared with His disciples in His earthly ministry in accord with God's Prophetic Program consisted of the Love of God shared in the Trinity, which was a GREAT display of God's Love indeed (Rom. 5:7). But it wasn't the GREATEST display of His Love!! That didn't come until the revelation of His Righteousness whereby God saved His enemies, which threw open the shades to the Light of the full manifestation of the Love of God, proclaiming that at the Cross of Christ, Christ also DIED FOR HIS ENEMIES in accord with His Mystery Program for the Body of Christ!!!

In the Gospel of John, “Agape” Love followed the typical Greek usage. It was a very general word that had little specific meaning of its own and was often used almost interchangeably with Phileo Love, brotherly-love, friendly love. This is the Love of God's Prophetic Program with Israel, which will be fully manifested when Christ returns at His 2nd Coming to save His FRIENDS (believing Israel and friendly Gentiles associated with them) and destroy His ENEMIES (apostate Israel and the enemy Gentile nations). For Paul, however, God took the word “Agape” away from the Greeks and claimed it for His Own purposes, filling it with His Own very specific meaning that revealed the infinite grandeur and immeasurable depths of His Love by manifesting His Righteousness in saving His ENEMIES through the Death of Christ for ungodly sinners on ENEMY status before Him in accord with His Mystery Program for the Body of Christ (Rom. 5:5-11).

This is the key to understanding Paul's distinct apostleship and what the whole Triune Godhead was, is and will be manifesting through it: THE FULL EXCEEDING GREATNESS OF GOD'S LOVE. WOW, if that doesn't make you jump and shout, I don't know what will!

Ephesians is an exciting book because in it the whole Triune Godhead is working to WOW us with the glorious magnitude of His plan and purpose for us as members of the Body of Christ, seated in the Heavenly Places in Christ. It is as though God shows us that however important, great and wonderful we may think our own finite and temporal plans are, His infinite and eternal plan for us is FAR MORE IMPORTANT, EXCEEDINGLY MUCH GREATER AND GLORIOUSLY MORE WONDERFUL than we could ever imagine. He wants us to replace our own plans with His Plan, our own councils with His Councils, our own purposes with His Purpose. He wants us to value what He Values, rejoice in what He Rejoices in, take pleasure in what He takes pleasure in unto the praise of His Glory. As one awe-struck listener put it: When you realize that God powerfully re-organized the whole governmental power structures of the invisible and visible universe to make room for us in Christ ... IT CHANGES YOUR PERSEPCTIVE ON EVERYTHING!

Where Is The Triune God Working Today?

We already know the answer to this question from our study of the Book of Romans. The whole Triune Godhead is now working in and through the distinct apostleship of Paul, dispensing overflowing joy and peace in believing and superabounding hope through the Holy Spirit for the whole world, especially the Gentiles (Rom. 15:13):

Rom. 15:15-16: Nevertheless, brethren, I have written the more boldly unto you in some sort, as putting you in mind, because of the grace that is given to me of God (GOD THE FATHER) that I should be the minister of Jesus Christ (GOD THE SON) to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God (GOD THE FATHER), that the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Spirit (GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT).

And this is still true in Ephesians:

Eph. 1:1-2: Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ (GOD THE SON) by the will of God (GOD THE FATHER), to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus (GOD THE SON): grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father (GOD THE FATHER), and from the Lord Jesus Christ (GOD THE SON). And, of course, GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT ultimately wrote this passage!

Eph. 1:3-14: Blessed be the God and Father (GOD THE FATHER) of our Lord Jesus Christ (GOD THE SON), Who (GOD THE FATHER) hath blessed us with all spiritual (FROM GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT) blessings in heavenly places in Christ (GOD THE SON) ... wherein He (GOD THE FATHER) hath made us accepted in the Beloved (GOD THE SON) ... that in the dispensation of the fulness of times He (GOD THE FATHER) might gather together in one all things in Christ (GOD THE SON) ... even in Him (GOD THE SON) ... in Whom (GOD THE SON) ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in Whom (GOD THE SON) also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise (GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT). And, of course, the GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT wrote this passage of Scripture!

One final example:

Eph. 3:1-5: For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ (GOD THE SON) for you Gentiles, if ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God (GOD THE FATHER) ... how that by revelation He (GOD THE SON) made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ (GOD THE SON)) ... as it is now revealed unto His holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit (GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT).

In short, today the whole Triune Godhead is accomplishing their plan by working in and through the Apostle Paul's distinct apostleship. Yes, to follow GOD THE FATHER, we must follow the Lord Jesus Christ (GOD THE SON), but it is also true that to follow Christ today we must follow Paul, through whom GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT reveals Jesus Christ according to the Mystery, which had been kept secret since the world began (1 Cor. 4:16; 11:1; Eph. 5:1; Rom. 16:25) . Of course, the corollary of this is that if we are not following Paul--if we are following Peter at Pentecost or Jesus in His earthly ministry or David in the Psalms or Moses in the Law--then we are not following Jesus Christ (GOD THE SON) according to the Revelation of the Mystery as taught by GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT today (Rom. 16:25; Eph. 3:1-12), and are not, therefore, following GOD THE FATHER, whatever we think we are doing. To throw away Paul's distinct apostleship (as most of historic Christianity has done!) is no light thing. It is to throw away the work of the whole Triune Godhead!!

We continue our study in the Book of Ephesians by looking at Paul's ministry to them: Beginning when he founded the church in Ephesus (about 54 AD—Acts 18), then continuing to when He taught them for about 3 years (about 54-57 AD-- longer than he ministered at any other location—Acts 19‑20), and then continuing to when he wrote them the amazing Letter to the Ephesians about 8 years later (about 64 AD). Throughout this time they were an overall faithful assembly (Eph. 1:1-2). Unfortunately, the story doesn't end there. Their story ends with these final horrifying words from a broken-hearted Paul at the end of His life: ALL IN ASIA BE TURNED AWAY FROM ME (2 Tim. 1:15)! Remembering that Ephesus is a city in Asia, this means that just about 10‑12 years after the founding of their assembly and about 2 years after Paul wrote his Letter to them, they went from being an overall faithful assembly to being an unfaithful assembly that turned away from Paul, thereby turning away from Christ, thereby turning away from God the Father; and that has been the condition of a mostly unfaithful historic Christianity ever since.

ALL IN ASIA BE TURNED AWAY FROM ME

The story of the church in Ephesus is a horrifying cautionary tale that ought to send shivers up-and-down our spines. It shows how fast a believer, an assembly or an entire area can fall into the wiles and deceptions of the devil. Satan's sole purpose today is to silence us from proclaiming the Apostle Paul's Mystery Truth; thereby, counteracting God's command for us to BOLDLY SPEAK THE MYSTERY OF THE GOSPEL (Eph. 6:10-20). All it takes to fall into Satan's trap is to add “something”— ANYTHING-- to the purity Pauline Grace Mystery Truth. No matter what it is, it ruins it. Or all it takes to fall into the snare of the devil is to follow “someone”—ANYONE--other than Paul. God tells us to follow Paul, not because Paul is anything, but because he is the one God sent to show us how to follow Christ today (1 Cor. 4:16; 11:1), and once we are following Christ in accord with the Mystery we will be following God the Father as well. Of course, the corollary of this is that if we do add “something” to the purity of Pauline Grace or follow “someone” besides the Apostle Paul—even the Apostle Peter at Pentecost as recorded in early Acts, Jesus in His earthly ministry as recorded in the Gospel Accounts, the Prophets of the Old Testament, David in the Psalms or Moses in the Law—we instantly poison Grace (the Galatians, for instance) and walk contrary to what God is doing today as manifested through Paul's distinct apostleship in the preaching of Jesus Christ according to the Revelation of the Mystery, WHICH WAS KEPT SECRET SINCE THE WORLD BEGAN (Rom. 16:25; Eph. 3:1-11)!

Therefore to not be following Paul's Revelation of the Mystery, is to not be following Christ, and to not be following Christ, is to not be following God the Father (the Corinthians, for instance).