The Mystery of Christ Displayed

There is something about watching out the plane window at the earth while flying over it. Especially by night. And seeing all the lights representing the various areas and buildings. And even more spectacularly the representation of life. In one sense, it is the same thing and feeling David had. When he looked up to the heavens and was amazed that, “The heavens declare the glory of God” (Ps 19:1). I can only imagine the emotions that floods through an astronaut when he or she gets to see the earth from space. Hopefully, they think that the earth displays the glory of God. And if they think theologically. They think the church displays the glory of God.

Although, the apostle Paul was not an astronaut who gets to see the church from space and fixated upon her glory. He understood that the spiritual realm, when looking from above, stands amazed at God’s church. And not only are they amazed, the spiritual realm is taught by the church about God’s mystery in his Son. In other words, as far as God’s mystery is concerned. The church has more than only a human audience.

Last time, we saw in verses 7-9, Paul saw himself as a lowly servant of the powerful gospel of God’s mystery. Making plain to everyone the boundless riches of Christ. Particularly, making clear the Gentiles position in Christ and his church.

Now, in these verses, Paul points to a spiritual audience in verses 10-13. Notice in verse 10, The manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in heavenly realms. Meaning, people and angels (holy and fallen) will know God’s mystery-mission.  Verse 10 also says, this cause belongs not only to Paul, but also to the church. Paul says, His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known…”. Paul now moved from individual to collective. From apostle to all God’s saints. And from first, to him being, one of many. This is why he says in verse 11, that the church was always part of God’s eternal purpose. To preach and to lived out God’s mystery. According to his eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. In verse 12 he says that, the church’s freedom and confidence is evidence of it. In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. And in verse 13, that his sufferings was worth their glory. I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory.

But notice Paul’s thought of the church’s responsibility in the whole context. Paul earlier explained that God made the mystery known to him by grace, revelation, and generation. And here the focus was on himself as the prisoner and servant of the gospel. And on the church as a whole. In verse 2 – grace that was given to me. Verse 3 – the mystery that was made known to me. Verse 4 – my insight into the mystery of Christ. Verse 7 – the gift of God’s grace given me. Verse 8 – This grace given me. Now, he places the focus on the church. Even the last part of verse 9, places the emphasis on the church. Paul says, God who created all things. That is God, who created all things, including the church. He created the church for this very reason – to preach to the spiritual realm the mystery-mission of God. In other words, Paul preached to the church, so that the church can preach to both the lost and to angels. Another way to see this is that, the church as the body of Christ is God’s evangelist and missionary in both the physical and spiritual realm.

Yet, many believers do not comprehend the importance of the church’s responsibility. Believers still do not realize that the church is God’s centerpiece for preaching and proclamation. Even to the spiritual realm. Meaning, that God prepared the church for the task of making God’s mystery plain even to angels. God doesn’t use his angels to proclaim the gospel to angels. He uses the church to do it.

Paul says in 1 Corinthians 6:3 that, believers will judge angels. Meaning, God’s children will someday in the new creation rule over them. And they will serve the church. And so here we already see the importance of the church.

Notice in verse 10. Paul says that the content of the church’s purpose is to teach the angels the manifold wisdom of God. His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms. Here the wisdom of God is not different from God’s mystery. Paul is making the same point. He already used these terms interchangeably in chapter 1. Saying, with all wisdom and understanding, he made known to us the mystery of his will. Now he is saying that the same mystery in not only available to the church. But also through the church as wisdom. Basically, the church presents to the spiritual realm the truth about Jesus. Paul says to the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 2:7, We declare God’s wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory…(Christ Jesus), the Lord of glory. Christ Jesus is the wisdom of God revealed to and through the church to angels. The church, without becoming the Savior, reveals the Savior.

The fact that Paul says in verse 10, to the rulers and authorities in heavenly realms. Says a lot about the wisdom of God in the hands of the church. The church’s role is far more necessary and superior than the angels. Meaning, if the church does not preach the gospel of God’s wisdom of Christ. Neither will the angels because they have not been set apart to do so. God providentially set apart the church. Not only to preach the wisdom of Christ to people, but to angels as well. The church is called and send. To not only proclaim God’s wisdom to the spiritual realm. But by doing so, to invalidate the wisdom of fallen angels. And to affirm the wisdom the holy angels already believe. One theologian says, the church in their wise proclamation exhorts the holy angels. And rebukes the evil ones. It’s what James labels, wisdom that is from heaven, as opposed to wisdom that is earthly, unspiritual and demonic. You possess in the holy Bible a wisdom that is Christ-fulfilled and angel-friendly.

Notice verse 11. Paul says that the church’s preaching of the wisdom of Christ is the accomplishment in Christ Jesus. According to his eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. Christ is more than just the content of wisdom. He is the cause as well. Wisdom is fulfilled, accomplished and embodied in him. In other words, without Christ the divine wisdom of God could not manifest. And now that Christ has come, wisdom is manifesting in ways that are clear, plain, understandable, and communicable to even angels. This means that, the intent and purpose of God for the church involves Jesus as the accomplishment of wisdom. As a human being from Nazareth. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 1:30. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God. Wisdom has found its place in Jesus the human. This means that the church does not only preach wisdom about Christ into the spiritual realm as an idea. But they preach wisdom of Christ as a historical truth. This is why the church’s best witness and therefore best defense is the proclamation of Jesus Christ the human. His incarnation, life, death, resurrection, and ascension. He is the accomplishment of God’s wisdom.

Notice verse 12 and 13. Paul says that, in this way, the church is free and confident before God. Which is something Paul suffered for to see the church’s glory. In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory. The church’s freedom and confidence before the Lord comes from their belief in, and the proclamation of Christ as the wisdom of God. And this is their glory. Not only do the church witness to angels. They also dwell before God as angels’ dwell. In other words, the spiritual realm is not only their audience. It’s also their location. They have a confidence and freedom before God which the holy angels have. And the fallen angels’ loss. Their faithful service of making God’s wisdom known to both the spiritual and earthly realm is also their access to God. This means that, faithful proclamation and witnessing of Christ as God’s wisdom, that makes even angels blush, is the church’s right before God. Not only a right for the church to have. But also for the angels to know they have. Paul understood in verse 13, that proclaiming Christ this way, means having access to God. He says that it’s the reason for his suffering and the church’s glory.

Yet many people still struggle with this. Many still believe in alternative ways of coming before God. That it’s their good works and moral ways. And not the person of Christ alone as the wisdom of God. But can you say that you have confidence and freedom before God? And say that you are part of his glorious church? Basing it on the fact that, as the church, you know Christ and make him known as the wisdom of God. So that even angels look down and see your glory?