Issue 1451 – Manifold – May 18, 2024
I was reading in Ephesians this morning about the “great mystery.”
For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles— assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for you,how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly. When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God’s grace, which was given me by the working of his power. To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things, so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him. Ephesians 3:1-12
The mystery, once veiled, is now revealed as the truth of the gospel. The truth of our salvation, a gift of grace through faith, is now proclaimed. It’s not just good news, it’s great news that fills our hearts with joy and gratitude.
Part of God’s plan for the church is to make the “manifold wisdom of God” known. That phrase, “the manifold wisdom of God,” sounds incredibly spiritual, but what does it mean?
Manifold isn’t a word we use often, and if we do, it’s typically in reference to mechanical things. Your vehicle likely has an intake manifold that distributes fuel to the cylinders. A manifold can also be a shape in Euclidian geometry. I have seen the term used that way but have yet to learn what it means. The Scriptures aren’t using those meanings of the word “manifold.”
The English word manifold means “of many types.” The ancient Greek word polupoikilos suggests intricacy, complexity, and great beauty. His wisdom is so dense and multifaceted that it is beyond our full comprehension.
Once we begin to get our heads around His manifold wisdom, goodness and love, the church exists to proclaim it. To whom?
One commentator says, “As believers, we can picture the manifold wisdom of God as a global body of Christ-shaped tapestry. Our individual lives are the various coloured threads woven together in unity of purpose—to display God’s manifold wisdom through the church. We do this by taking the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ to all the world’s people.”
That is true, but there is more. Paul says, “God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.”
Think about that for a moment. The church, that is, God’s people, is to make His wisdom known to the spiritual world. Angels and demons have their powers, but they are not omniscient (all-knowing), and they did not learn the truth until after Christ came and fulfilled His mission and the church began to proclaim it.
God created us to be in a relationship with Him and then gave us the task of making Him known. He could have told the angels and demons Himself, but He gives us the privilege of declaring the truth. What a manifold blessing.
His gift of the gospel truth is not made available to the spiritual realm, but now that they know, they can give even more glory to God.
Take some time today to ponder God’s manifest wisdom, love, and mercy and how they impact your life, then praise His name.
Be blessed
Hallelu Yah / Praise God
Kevin
Gleanings From The Word
Experience an extraordinary God in ordinary life.
Soli Deo Gloria (For the glory of God alone)
Never let the enemy tell you that you are worthless or insignificant. Your value in God’s eyes is so great that it was worth dying for. You are a blessing to the world. You are so precious to God that his plan for heaven will not be complete without you.
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