Page 92 - Jesus is coming - Class version

THE CHURCH AND THE KINGDOM.

The Mystery.
Thus the Church came in as a mystery, and was but
rarely, if at all, spoken of in the Old Testament prophe-
cies. For we read in Rom. 16:25 that it is a "mystery,
which was kept secret since the world began," and in Eph.
3:3-6, "The mystery . . . which in other ages was
' '
not made known unto the sons of men, and in Col. 1 :24-
27 ..." Even the mystery which hath been hid from
ages and from generations, but now is made manifest
. . . the riches of the glory of this mystery among the
Gentiles."
It was this mystery of the Church which so puzzled the
prophets and caused them to inquire and search diligently
what the Spirit meant when it testified beforehand the
23
sufferings of Christ. See 1 Pet. 1 :10-12. They could un-
13. Till we all come in the isheth and cherisheth it, even
unity of the faith, and of the as the Lord the church:
knowledge of the Son of God, 30. For w are memfbers of
unto a perfect man, unto the his body. .
measure of the stature of the 31. For this cause shall a man
fulness of Christ: leave his father and mother,
and shall be joined unto his
Eph. 5 :23. For the husband wife, and they two shall be one
is the head of the wife, even as
Christ is the head of the flesh.
Church ; and he is the Saviour 32. This is' a great mystery :
of the body. but I speak concerning Christ
24. Therefore as the Church and the church.
is subject unto Christ, so let the (23) 1 Pet. 1:10. Of which
wives be to their own husbands salvation the prophets have in-
in everything. quired and searched diligently,
25. Husbands, love your wives, who prophesied of the grace that
even as Christ also loved the should come unto you :
church, and gave himself for it ; 11. Searching what, or what
manner of time the
26. That be might sanctify Spirit of
Christ which was in them did
and cleanse it with the washing signify, when
of water by the word. it testified before-
hand the
27. That he might present it sufferings of Christ,
and the glory that should
to himself a glorious church, fol-
not having spot, or wrinkle, or low.
any such thing ; but that it 12. Unto whom it was re-
should be holy and without vealed, that not unto themselves,
blemish. but unto us they did minister
28. So ought men to love the things, which are now re-
their wives as their own bodies. ported unto you by them that
He that loveth his wife loveth have preached the gospel unto
himself. you with the Holy Ghost sent
29. For no man ever yet down from heaven ; which things
bated his own flesh : but nour- the angels desire to look into.