Ephesians 3:4
4 Whereby [pros], [hos] when ye read, [anaginosko]
ye may [dunamai] understand [noeo] my [mou] knowledge [sunesis] in [en] the mystery [musterion] of Christ [Christos]) KJV-Interlinear
4 And
by referring to this, when you read you can understand my insight into the
mystery of Christ, NASB
Our dispensation is
commonly referred to as the Church Age, the Age of the Royal Family, or the
Bride of Christ.
And it is also sometimes
referred to as the Age of the Gentiles, wherein the privileges that the Jewish
people once had, were lost to and transferred to the gentiles.
Paul is making reference
to the gentiles, in general with regard to his ministry to them, but the
mystery doctrine which was not revealed to the Old Testament generations,
covered multiple events.
One of those events was
that loss of biblical custodial privilege by the Jews. They are no longer the principle custodians
of the scriptures, but simply number among all of the nations, that may benefit
from the scriptures.
Of the many principles
taught in the New Testament, among them are the various blessings and
privileges that will belong to all believers from all ages, when eternity
begins.
The Jewish people hoarded
the scriptures and tried to make them their own, and tried to restrict them
from all outsiders. However, books like
Job, Daniel, Ruth, and Jonah make it very clear that the scriptures apply to
all people, even to gentile types, that existed before the Jewish race was even
started.
And so, Paul wants to
make it very clear that the scriptures, salvation, doctrine, the spiritual
life, and so forth belong not only to the Jews, but to the Gentiles. But more than that, the whole process of disseminating
and teaching the scriptures has been changed.
And, with these changes, the whole concept of dispensations has led
history into a totally different era. One in which we now call the Church Age.
John refers to our entire
dispensation, as the ‘end times.’ This
is a period that has lasted 1,982 years and still counting. Our dispensation began with the universal
indwelling of the Holy Spirit during Pentecost, which was fifty days after
Passover (the Cross), of which that indwelling did not previously exist since
the time of Adam.
Ours is an era of
historical trends, not prophecies, wherein the world stage is being set for the
completion of the last dispensation (the Age of Israel) which was interrupted by
our era.
Nevertheless, Paul states
here, that these principles are available to all who wish to learn them, and as
for those who reject them, then the mysteries of the scriptures will remain
closed to them due to their own stubborn refusal to open their eyes.
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