“This is a GREAT 1MYSTERY, but I speak concerning Christ and the church.” (Eph. 5:32) 1mustérion: the secret counsels of God in dealing with the righteous, which are hidden from ungodly and wicked men but plain to the godly. “…without controversy great is the 1MYSTERY of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Preached among the Gentiles, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory.” (1 Tim. 3:16) This is a powerful but short ex-pose of Jesus Christ being MADE FLESH and revealing His plan and how we become a part of it! But what is the previous scripture to (Eph. 5:32)? The prior verse says, “…we are members of His body, of HIS FLESH, and of His bones. For this cause a man shall leave his father and mother and shall be JOINED to his wife, and the two of them shall be ONE FLESH.” (Eph. 5:30-31)
Let’s take a moment an examine this, “He who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH’? So they are no longer two but one flesh. WHAT therefore God has joined together, LET NO MAN SEPARATE.” (Matt. 19:4-6) Notice Jesus says “What” not “who” God has joined, “What” means this is a new entity.
This is speaking of the MYSTERY of how we are JOINED TOGETHER with Christ and become bone of His bones and flesh of His flesh, a new entity with Christ, “members of HIS BODY.” Just like marriage this is done with a “covenant” “They shall ask the way to Zion saying, ‘Come, let us JOIN OURSELVES to the LORD in an EVERLASTING COVENANT that will never be forgotten.’” (Jer. 50:5)
-Bill Stockham