“Study to show thyself approved unto God, a work­man that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth,” (2 Tim. 2:15.)

We see right division from the very start of the Bible when in Genesis, the darkness is divided from the light and the waters below and above the firmament are divided.

In studying the Bible today to find our place in God’s purpose, there’s another division that we must observe or know about. We don’t have this division currently since Acts 28:28, but it has been, and that is dividing that which applies to the Jews of the nation Israel from that which applies to the Gentiles.

Israel was and will again be God’s earth People. Abraham was the father of the Nation Israel. And remember that the promise given to Abraham was concerning a land and a purpose for the earth, that he and his seed should be a blessing to all the Nations of the earth. (cf. Gen. 12:1-4.) There is no other way in the Bible that Nations, as such, could ever be blessed excepting through Israel, but Israel as the Nation of God is non-existent today. The Jews are scattered among the Nations, a lost People, waiting the time that they will be called out as they were called out of Egypt. Since they have no blessing, and are no longer His recognized People, there’s no blessing for the Nations today, and there hasn’t been for over 1900 years, since the Acts 15 Jerusalem council meeting and its outcome.

We must make this distinction [between Jew and Gentile] because if we were to associate or identify our­selves with Israel, as does the bulk of Christendom mistakenly do today, we must remember that Israel is an earth People with an earth purpose ordained of God. While addressing Israel (cf. Matt. 15:24) in His earthly ministry Jesus said; “Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth” (Matt. 5:5, 6:10).

The People of Israel have never had any promise of heavenly destiny – nor any idea of ‘going to heaven’ – it was not a part of their promise or purpose. They were to be God’s earth People, as His agent having dominion on the earth, and to be a blessing to the Nations (Gentiles) of the earth. Israel will reign on earth (Rev 5:10, 20:6) throughout the Millennium and beyond. Even in the ultimate time of the New Heavens and New Earth. Israel will occupy the New Jerusalem on earth, and the Nations [Gentiles] will bring their glory unto it. Those Gentile Nations that believe will be saved (Rev. 21) being seen as the ‘sheep nations’ that will be separated from the ‘goat nations’ (Matt. 25:31-46) at His 2^nd coming.

Now “the Church” which is “the Body of Christ,” which was not revealed until after Acts 28:28, after Israel was set aside about AD 64, has its hope of appearing with Christ in the “far above all heavens” where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Now as we start to look at Ephesians we want to keep all this in mind. The word ‘hope’ means a confident expectation in this case of Titus 2:13.

Before we start in on Ephesians, however, another thing that has confused people is that during the last 18 years of the Acts period, there were some Gentiles who were grafted into Israel. They partook of Israel’s blessings, for to provoke Israel to jealousy, so that fallen Israel might turn and be converted (Rom. 11:11-17). Of course, we know from reading Acts and the Epistles written at that time, that this hope was rather a dismal failure.

The People (Israel) were just as strong headed and rebellious about accepting their Messiah as they were of going into the land of Kadesh-Barnea. They wouldn’t have Moses for their leader. But in the book of Acts we have Gentiles who were grafted into Israel’s commonwealth, just as a ‘wild Olive Tree branch’ is graffed to a good Olive Tree and thrives. These believing Gentiles partook of Israel’s blessings.

Remember that both Israel and, the Nations associated with Israel, are blessed through faithful Abraham. You find that in Galatians and over in Romans 4. Those Gentiles that believed at that time were ‘counted as children of Abraham’ (cf. Romans 4).

The Acts 15 Council meeting at Jerusalem is important but not spoken of today by Christendom’s churches, and denomina­tions That Council had a problem, but not any doctrinal problem, not at all. They were all at one as far as doctrine was con­cerned. About Mid-Acts we find Paul coming forth along with the 12, all for “the hope of Israel” and its promised earth kingdom. Jesus’ “gospel of the Kingdom of Heaven” was being preached by the 12 Apostles and by Paul also during Acts (cf. Acts 28:20). The Gentiles were being added ‘to provoke Israel to jealousy,’ to provoke the Nation of Israel to repent and turn to Him. But the question came up at this Council as to what to do with these Gentiles.

Concerning the Gentile converts, it was mentioned that when Peter went to the house of Cornelius, the Gentiles be­lieved and received the Holy Spirit, speaking with tongues and had all the evidences that they had at Pentecost (yet without becoming circumcised) coming under the Jews Jesus. This was contrary to all former laws that were given to Israel. The same thing happens in Paul’s ministry. In Acts 13:12 Paul gets his first Gentile convert, Sergius Paulus, of the Island of Cyprus, a Roman governor. Only a matter of weeks or months later in Antioch, Paul starts preaching to the Gentiles in the synagogue, and after the Jews there had refused Paul’s message, Paul said; “lo we turn to the Gentiles” (Acts 13:46).

Then you see all these Gentile converts with “the gifts of the spirit.” These Gentiles had all the benefits that the Jews had but the Gentiles were not required to keep the things that the law required the Jews to do. A few examples of this were; the rite of circumcision was no longer required, the observation of feasts, of Passover, Pentecost, and Feasts of Tabernacles to name a few. (But Gentiles were not allowed to enter into the temple area under penalty of death if they dared to try).

So the question of the Jerusalem council concerned what rules should apply to the Gentile believers during this time frame? The result was decided; the Gentile converts did not need to obey any of the Jewish rituals and ordinances… excepting the 4 things that they had to observe as seen in Acts 15:20.

Now today demands that are being made by those in positions of leadership in our local man-controlled “churches,” to be baptized in water, or to observe the so-called Passover and a lot of other things should not be applied to the Gentiles. These religious ordinances had been done away. (Col. 2:8-20)!

Now consider; “...the church which is His body, the fulness of Him that filleth all in all” (Eph. 1:22-23).

Note that after the book of Acts, the word ‘church’ is never used in the plural. But there were many churches before the end of Acts while the Kingdom was in view - churches in Rome, Ephesus, Laodicea, Thessalonica, Corinth, and other places. But such assemblies are never mentioned again after Acts 28:28; rather, it is the new “Church” that has no headquarters here on earth. It is spiritually seated with Christ in the heavenlies, where He is “the Head” of “THE CHURCH, which is His body.” THAT IS THE GREAT DIFFERENCE. It has nothing to do with the Kingdom because there He is to be King of kings and Lord of lords. But here Christ has a special title, “Head” of “THE church, which is His Body.” We must be careful that we maintain this title.

The “church which is His Body” is spoken of as “...the fulness of Him that filleth all in all.” Now in one way, this dispensation of the mystery is parenthetical, that is, if you look at it from the earthly program that God has been working out through His people, Israel. But if you look at the plan and purpose of the ages, and from God's standpoint in the heavenlies, we might say that this “dispensation of the mystery” is the central point that leads to the consummation of the ages. So you see, it is a matter of viewpoint.

The church of this dispensation is really “the mystery” [Grk. musterion, the secret]. A secret because it had been hidden from people, from any knowledge of sentient beings such as us humans. This church of the dispensation of the mystery is not only said to be called out of the world, but it is also called out from among those who have believed! You see, all who believe are children of God, but some who believe have also been placed as sons [matured], and that, of course involves inheritance, and special blessings.

And this church is not only, "the church which is His body" (Eph. 1:22b-23a) but it has also a further, wondrous title, which is, “the fullness of Him that filleth all in all.” The FULNESS. But Who is it that fills all in all? Going on to Ephesians 4:10 we read this:

“He [Jesus Christ] that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, ]so] that He might fill all things.”

Well, that means filling to the full all things. He is to “fill all things.” It might be that we should add just a little bit here. You may not really grasp what is to be filled, and what is it to be filled with. Well, all of God's creation someday is to be filled with His glory. Now that part of the meaning should help us a little. But that is parallel with Christ being raised to fill the far above heavenly sphere as seen below.

“Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, ²¹ Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world [age], but also in that which is to come:” Eph. 1:20-21

In these verses Paul is talking about the power that raised Christ from the dead to be seated in the super-heavenlies, far above all, “that He might fill all things” (v22) [the heaven and the earth] with the glory of God. So you can see the basis of His exaltation!

When John the Beloved was writing his gospel, the spoke of grace that was far beyond, and which outshone all that had ever been revealed before that time. He tells us in John 1:14-16:

“And the Word [Christ] was made flesh, and dwelt among us (and we beheld His glory as the only begotten of the Father) Full Of Grace and Truth ... ¹⁶and Of His Fulness Have All We Received and grace for grace.”

Notice, those who received of His fulness were the ones who beheld this peculiar glory of Christ, as the Word made flesh, and the only begotten of the Father. Note the emphasis upon “flesh” and “only begotten,” those are essential! Adam was put here on earth in flesh and blood as a testing, as a trial. That was temporary because we are told that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God. And so our Lord partook of the flesh and blood, too, that He might reveal the glory of the Father, that men might believe, that they might partake of all these blessings. Remember, there is no blessing that anyone can receive except through the “One Mediator between God and man, the Man Christ Jesus.” (1Tim. 2:5)

But how ever rich John may say that they Israel was when they received of His fulness they were not filled with His fulness, but rather they received out of it. By contrast, “The Church, which is His body” is filled with “His fulness.” Now for us today these two aspects of Eph. 1:23 are brought together in Col. 2:9-10. “For in Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in Him."”

Repeating some of the very things we have here in these last verses of chapter one in Ephesians we have the statement that in Christ dwells “all the fullness of the Godhead.” I think the meaning is clear and yet to really get a true concept of it that is just about too much for the human mind to grasp and believe apart from the Holy Spirit. There’s one more item to add to the, “For in Him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead,” and that is, “bodily.” NOW THAT IS REALLY SOMETHING TO THINK ON. John tells us that the Word was made flesh, and the glory was that of the only begotten, … but on resurrection ground; that is, in resurrection the fullness dwells in Him bodily, not while here on earth.

Now the body was necessary, the body in which our Lord lived, for the manifestation of God in man. Whether it was flesh and blood or a spiritual body, He was a manifestation of God before His resurrection and after. And this, of course, links the believer with this glorious fulness, for we are said to be complete or filled full in Him as members of His “church, which is His body.” He Who fills us is the Head of all principality and power, as well as being Head of the church. And of course, both these titles then lift this church into the highest glory. We do find in Ephesians 2 that the church that is Quickened, Raised, And Seated Together With Christ At The Right Hand Of God, is “Complete in Him.”

And the heaven-bound church today while on earth, which is “His body,” which is the fulness of the unseen Christ, is making Him manifest… ‘that is He Who is currently is hid in the heavenlies at the right hand of God.’  One day we will “appear with Him in the heaven’s glory.”

“When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in [heaven’s] glory.” Colossians 3:4 (KJV)

If being a member of His body is glorious, what shall we say to the revelations that the church is His fulness?

Portions Adapted from Oscar M. Baker