At the opening of this message we would like to consider several key verses from the New Testament. Ephesians 1:9-10 says, “Making known to us the mystery of His will according to His good pleasure, which He purposed in Himself, unto the economy of the fullness of the times, to head up all things in Christ, the things in the heavens and the things on the earth, in Him.” This verse contains the phrase the mystery of His will. The mystery of God’s will is according to His good pleasure, which He purposed in Himself. In addition, this purpose is unto the economy of the fullness of the times, to head up all things in Christ.
Chapter three verses 9 through 11 say, “And to enlighten all that they may see what the economy of the mystery is, which throughout the ages has been hidden in God, who created all things, in order that now to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenlies the multifarious wisdom of God might be made known through the church, according to the eternal purpose which He made in Christ Jesus our Lord.” These verses repeat three words that were used in 1:9-10—mystery, economy, and purpose.
Chapter five verse 32 also uses the word mystery. This verse says, “This mystery is great, but I speak with regard to Christ and the church.” In this universe there is a great mystery. This great mystery is the mystery regarding Christ and the church.
Colossians 2:2 also speaks of a mystery—the mystery of God. This verse says, “That their hearts may be comforted, they being knit together in love and unto all the riches of the full assurance of understanding, unto the full knowledge of the mystery of God, Christ.” In this verse we see that God has a mystery and that this mystery is Christ.
Chapter one verse 27 states that there is a mystery among the Gentiles: “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.” What is this mystery that is among the Gentiles? It is Christ in you. Christ within us is a mystery.
First Timothy 3:15-16 mentions yet another mystery—the mystery of godliness: “But if I delay, I write that you may know how one ought to conduct himself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and base of the truth. And confessedly, great is the mystery of godliness: He who was manifested in the flesh, / Justified in the Spirit, / Seen by angels, / Preached among the nations, / Believed on in the world, / Taken up in glory.” Verse 15 speaks of the church as the house of God and the pillar and base of the truth. What is the truth? The truth is God Himself. God in Christ is the truth (John 14:6). Christ is the truth and the church is the pillar and base of the truth. The mystery of godliness spoken of in verse 16 is related to the church mentioned in verse 15. What is the great mystery of godliness? It is God manifested in the flesh.
There are several words and phrases in these verses that are of particular importance. The first is the word purpose. This word can also be translated plan. God has an eternal purpose, an eternal plan. In eternity past, before anything existed other than God, God made a plan. Thus, this plan begins with God. This is the view presented in the books of Ephesians and Colossians. Romans begins with sinful man on the earth, but Ephesians and Colossians begin with God and present a view from eternity, from the heavens, and from another realm. Ephesians reveals that God made a plan in eternity past for eternity future. This is the plan of the ages, the eternal plan. Do we know what this plan is? Do we know what God planned in eternity for eternity?
Another key word in the verses mentioned above is mystery. Again and again, these verses speak of a mystery. In particular, they refer to the mystery of God and to the mystery of Christ. What is the mystery of God, and what is the mystery of Christ? Moreover, what is the difference between the two? Are these two mysteries or one mystery? Are these simply synonymous terms?
Another important word mentioned in the verses above is economy. This word, which is often translated as dispensation, is difficult to define. The word economy, or dispensation, refers to an arrangement, an administration, or some sort of business. What do the Scriptures mean by the expression the economy of God?
The final phrase that we will highlight from these verses is the expression head up all things in Christ. This expression can also be translated sum up all things in Christ. What does it mean to sum up or head up all things in Christ?
All of these key words and phrases, and the answers to all these questions, reveal what God planned to do in eternity past. In this message we will focus on one of these critical phrases—the mystery of God.