Brief Exposition of Galatians and Ephesians, Exposition 2 · Chapter 3 · Verse and explication 8
Vers. 9. And to make all men see, what is the fellowship of the mysterie, which from the beginning of the world, hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ.
HE doth here, first, more fully expresse what he presently spoke of his preaching among the Gentiles, as also extoll and magnifie his office, fifthly, from the great good and benefit, which was by his conscientious discharge thereof to accresce unto men, even the making evident unto all men, without any such distinction of nations or persons, as was keeped under the Ministery of the Old Testament, (Gal. 3. 28.) what that mysterie of the union and association of Jews and Gentiles in one body was, whereby they have joynt interest in the Covenant of Grace, in Christ the Cautioner, and in all those spirituall blessings purchased by Him. Next, he giveth a reason why he called this communion and fellowship a mysterie, and secret; because it was a thing hid, untill the times of the Apostles, in Gods decree, and not revealed, at least, so fully and clearly, as then it was, (See, ver. 5. doct. 4) and having made mention of God, he describeth Him from His work of creating all things by Jesus Christ, the eternal word of the Father, Joh. 1. 1. and this most appositly to the present purpose, to wit, the calling of the Gentiles; as intending hereby to shew, that none hath reason to wonder, why God should save the Gentiles as well as the Jews by Christ; seing He hath equal interest in them, as having created them both, and that by Christ. Doct. …. Though the Lords Ministers ought mainly to labour upon the affections of people, endeavouring to work them up to such a frame and temper, as the Word of God doth call for, 2 Tim. 4. 2. yet, this also is a considerable part of the ministerial task, which they would endeavour in the first place, and in order to their more effectuall and orderly moving of the affections, even to make the Lords people understand the mind of God revealed in Scripture, as well concerning their sin and misery, as the remedy thereof held forth in the Gospel, Act. 2. 22, 23, 38, 39. and therefore they would affect great plainnesse of speech, dimitting themselves, so far as is possible, unto the capacity of the meanest: For, Paul sheweth that the information of the judgement, was that which he endeavoured with the first in the discharge of his Ministery; And to make all men see, faith he. 2. The Word preached by sent Ministers, is the Lords ordinary mean and instrument, by which he conveyeth the saving knowledge of Gospel-truths unto the Elect: and that both by making these truths evident and plain; that so they may be known, being otherwise hid, Col. 4. 4. and by opening the eyes of their understanding, that they may see, being otherwise blind, Act. 26. 18. for, the Lord imployed Paul in the ministeriall calling, To make all men see, what is the fellowship, &c. The word signifieth both to make a thing evident, that it may be seen, and to give an inward principle of knowledge unto men, by vertue whereof they may see. 3. The commission given by Christ unto His Servants to preach the Gospel under the New Testament, is not astricted unto the Jews only, as it was before Christ came in the flesh, yea and after His incarnation before the midle-wall of partion between Jew and Gentile was removed by His death, Matth. 10. 5. But it is extended indifferently to all nations under heaven, and to all persons without exception, as God by His providence shall open a door unto His Servants to go unto them: for, so is Paul's commission here to be understood, even, to make all men see. 4. That sinners, lost by nature, may attain to fellowship and communion with the true Church of God, by sharing with them in all their priviledges and good things purchased by Christ, and in Christ Himself, the Covenant of Grace, and in all the prayers, gifts and graces of all Believers through the world, is the gladest tydings that ever sounded in their ears: for, Paul, having shown (ver. 8.) that his office was to preach (or, as it is in the Original, to declare good tydings) to the Gentiles, he sheweth here what those glad tydings are, even, to make them see, what is the fellowship of the mysterie, that is, what that fellowship is, which they were now admitted unto with the true Church of God in all her priviledges, and formerly was an hid secret. 5. The written Word of God is such a depth, that the quickest wits cannot find the bottom of it; there being many things contained in it, at least by just consequence, which even they, who have their senses exercised in it, cannot throughly discern or collect from it: for, even this mysterie, that the Gentiles should have fellowship with the Church, without entring by the door of Circumcision, was revealed, though obscurely, in the Scriptures of the Old Testament, as Paul doth gather by consequence from the time of Abraham's Circumcision, Rom. 4. 10, 11. and from Melchisedeck's Priesthood, Heb. 7. 11. and yet, saith the Apostle, this was a mysterie, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God. So that even the Prophets did not fully understand it, nor the Apostles themselves untill it was more clearly revealed, Acts 10. 10. 6. Jesus Christ is true God, equal with the Father in power and glory, having an eternal being before the world was made: for, the Father created all things by Jesus Christ., to wit, not as by one instrument, but as one working with Him, and from Him, Heb. 1. 2. Joh. 1. 3. 7. Though the grace of Redemption be not of equal extent with the work of Creation, there being many created, whom God will never save, Matth. 7. 21. yet, Gods equal interest in all by creation, doth abundantly plead His liberty to save whom He pleaseth, and to save one as well as another, whatever a spirit of envy in some may say to the contrary: for, the Apostle's scope in saying God created all things by Jesus Christ, is, to shew, that none could justly stumble at God's saving the Gentiles, as well as the Jews, seing He had equal interest in both by creation. 8. The consideration of Christ's God-head, and of His creating all things, doth contribute much to the faith and right understanding of His discharging the mediatory Office, in uniting all the Elect to God, and among themselves; in so far as this consideration doth hold Him forth to be one fitted and enabled to do what is undertaken, and speaketh His interest in them as His creatures, and right to save them, if He please: for, that Paul may further clear this purpose of uniting Jew and Gentile in one by Christ, he mentioneth God's creating all things by Christ as God equall with Himself.