CHAPTER THIRTEEN

THE DIVINE DISPENSING OF GOD’S PLAN IN HIS ECONOMY AND OF THE APOSTLE’S STEWARDSHIP MINISTERING THE RICHES OF CHRIST TO THE BELIEVERS AND BRINGING IN THE CHURCH FOR THE MANIFESTATION OF GOD’S MULTIFARIOUS WISDOM

OUTLINE AND SCRIPTURE READING

1. The divine dispensing of God’s plan in His economy (dispensation) preaching to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ as the gospel:
   1. To bring to light what is the economy (dispensation) of the mystery, which from the ages has been hidden in God, who created all things.
   2. To bring in the church for the manifestation of God’s multifarious wisdom to the rulers and authorities in the heavenlies-Eph. 3:8-10.
      
      Ephesians 3:8-10
      To me, less than the least of all saints, was this grace given, to preach to the nations the unsearchable riches of Christ as the gospel, (9) and to bring to light what is the dispensation of the mystery, which from the ages has been hidden in God, who created all things; (10) in order that now to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenlies might be made known through the church the multifarious wisdom of God.
2. The divine dispensing of the apostle’s stewardship ministering to the Gentile believers the riches of Christ as God’s grace, that:
   1. The mystery of Christ-the church-may be manifested.
   2. The Gentile believers may become joint heirs and a joint Body and joint partakers of God’s promise in Christ-Eph. 3:2-6.
      
      Ephesians 3:2-6
      If indeed you have heard of the stewardship of the grace of God which was given to me for you, (3) that by revelation the mystery was made known to me, as I have written previously in brief, (4) by which, in reading it, you can perceive my understanding in the mystery of Christ, (5) which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in spirit, (6) that the nations are to be joint heirs and a joint Body and joint partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.
3. The apostle’s stewardship perfecting the saints unto the work of the New Testament ministry-the building up of the Body of Christ-Eph. 4:11-12.
   
   Ephesians 4:11-12
   And He gave some apostles, and some prophets, and some evangelists, and some shepherds and teachers, (12) for the perfecting of the saints unto the work of ministry, unto the building up of the Body of Christ.