Part 3 - The Pauline “FELLOWSHIP OF THE MYSTERY”

This Article is part of a multi-part Study Series called The Old and New Covenants and ‘The Fellowship of the Mystery’.
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Comparing the New Covenant and the Fellowship of the Mystery

Because the New Covenant described God’s performance on behalf of Israel, many confuse the difference between the New Covenant and the “fellowship of the mystery,” thinking they both require God’s grace and work In and Through His people, so they must be talking about the same thing. But this is not true, for Paul says “fellowship of the mystery… from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God,” it was a secret.

9 And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: Ephesians 3:9 (KJV)

The difference here is critical.

  • The New Covenant is God’s blessing of grace to and through Israel, their Covenants, and The Law Written In Their Hearts.
  • The “fellowship of the mystery” is God’s grace freely given to ALL believers of all races during this age of grace, without Israel and its earthly covenants and promises, and without having the Law written in our hearts.

Rather we are called to “study” the “word of truth” (2Tim. 2:15), offer ourselves (Rom. 12:2), and “learn Christ” (Eph. 4:30). We learn to live faithfully by His grace and the deposit of the indwelling “Spirit of life in Christ” who is ever-present and willing to guide, teach and empower us in righteous living… as we co-operate in knowledge and by faith

The Law’s Involvement or Not

  • Under the Old Covenant God was the law giver.
  • Under the New Covenant God in Christ is the ‘law keeper.’
  • Under the “Fellowship of The Mystery” God by Christ is the ‘Law Remover’;

14 … for ye are not under the law, but under grace. Romans 6:14b
14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; Colossians 2:14 (KJV)  

We must distinguish between being a Jew racially as individuals and the Nation Israel as we continue in this study.

  • The Old Covenant was given to the ‘Nation Israel,’ and the New Covenant is to be given only to believers of the ‘Nation of Israel’ with its laws.
  • By contrast, the “fellowship of the mystery” is for ALL men who will believe “the gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:24); both Jews or Gentiles without racial distinction… at all.

17 Therefore if Any Man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 2 Corinthians 5:17 (KJV)

15  Having abolished in his [Christ’s] flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to Make In Himself of Twain [two] One New Man, so making peace; Ephesians 2:15 (KJV)
11  Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision [Jew] nor uncircumcision [Gentile], Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ Is All, And In [you] All [Jew and Gentile in the one “body of Christ”]. Colossians 3:11 (KJV)

There is NO Separation between Jew and Gentile in the “one body” of “the fellowship of mystery.”

The Old and New Covenants are the subject of Prophecy of God’s often repeated promise of blessings to come to the world through Israel.

But the “fellowship of the mystery” was “kept secret” … never revealed to the Prophets, nor in any of God’s Promises to Israel “since the world began” (Acts 3:21). These are two different programs for two different people groups of God ... unto two different eternal destinies; one on earth, the other in “the Heavenly places”

The “fellowship of the mystery” is not the fulfillment of any Covenant, Prophecy, or Promise given to Israel. Today’s age of “the dispensation of the grace of God” was “hid in God” until Jesus from heaven revealed it to the apostle Paul … for “the church, which is His body” today (Eph 3:1-2; Eph 3:9-11; Gal 1:12).

The New Covenant

The Fellowship of the Mystery

God’s grace for Israel to perform by the Spirit

God’s Pure 100% grace to All men without Israel

Israel is a Nation separate from the Gentiles

Israel is “fallen!” Today, believing Jews and Gentiles are equally one in “the Body of Christ”

The law written on their hearts and caused to obey His Messianic Law/Sermon on the Mt. Mat. 5:17-48.

We are Blessed without Israel and the law. We must choose to walk in accord with the indwelling Spirit’s leading.

New Covenant is to fulfill God’s promise for Israel to be God’s ‘channel of blessing to the world’ – in the Millennium.

Today we have All spiritual blessings in the Heavenly Places “in Christ” … without Israel or its Covenants or promises as related to a kingdom, nation, circumcision, or priesthood.

 

 

A Word about Misinterpreting Paul’s writing of 2 Cor 3:6: :

 

6 [Christ] Who also hath made us able ministers of the new TESTAMENT; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life. 2 Corinthians 3:6 (KJV)

 

Many confuse ‘Testament’ with ‘Covenant,’ but they are different. A “testament” is not a “covenant.” A ‘covenant,’ in general context, can be defined as a formal agreement between two or more parties where they agree to do or not to do something. A ‘Covenant in the religious context refers to the promise made by God to the ‘Nation Israel.’

 

By contrast, a ‘testament’ relates to a ‘last will and testament’ of a dead “testator” who has left an “inheritance.” Below, Hebrews 9:16-17 refers to Jesus Christ’s death and “testament.’

16 For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. 17 For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth. Hebrews 9:16-17 (KJV)

 

Now, in further parsing 2 Corinthians 3:6, we need to note what E.W.  Bullinger offers:

  • “fellowheirs” = “joint-heirs.”
  • Greek ‘sunkleronomos’; and “of the same body” = “members-of-a-joint-body.” Greek. ‘sussomos,’ only here. The “body of Christ” is Not joined ONTO an existing Jewish body, but both together form the entirely “new creation” called “body of Christ,” consisting "of the twain [two]."

 

Second Corinthians 3:6 was written during the Acts period. Recall how Paul was instructed to go to the “Jew first” during the Acts period with his explanation of Jesus’s redemption and the worth of the Christ’s cross for Israel under the Prophetic Kingdom Program as well as the Gentiles under the Grace program. So, it makes perfect sense, then, that Paul, the apostle of grace, would be an able minister of the New Covenant, since grace is what sets the New Covenant apart from the Old, and it is the pure 100% grace which sets “the mystery” apart from them both. But the verse uses the word Testament, NOT Covenant.

Despite the clear differences between the Old and New Covenants and the Pauline “fellowship of the Mystery,” Paul’s statement in 2 Cor. 3:6 is often mistakenly used to place the grace believing new creatures in Christ under Israel’s New Covenant. We of “His body” today are NOT New Covenant people. There is no reason to do so, especially since doing so would rob the church today of spiritual blessings that we enjoy, and they are NOT found in Israel’s Old or New Covenants.

When Paul says he is an “able minister of the new testament,” it is because of what the “New Testament” and “the Fellowship of The Mystery” have in common is the Cross, they both concern God’s gracious provision of the Cross-work of Christ and the ALL sufficiency of Christ indwelling All believers.

CONCLUSION: Once the differences between the Old Covenant, the New Covenant, and “The Fellowship of The Mystery” are understood, then the riches of God’s grace according to “the revelation of the mystery” will be better appreciated.

Grace and faith were always necessary to receive blessings from God, but today Grace Stands Alone in the “fellowship of the mystery” without Israel, the law, Covenants and Promises of God to the nations Israel. 

Pure Grace stands alone because of “the fellowship of the mystery” of Christ in all the members of “His body.”

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