(9) And to make all men see
what is the fellowship of
[or association to]
the mystery,
which from the beginning of the world
hath been hid in God,
who created all things
by Jesus Christ:
(10) To the intent
that now
unto the principalities and powers
in heavenly places
might be known by the church
the manifold
[variegated, complex]
wisdom of God.
-Ephesians 3:9-10
Even though Paul feels unqualified to preach about Christ, he knows that God is going to use him to define the fellowship of the mystery and reveal the manifold wisdom of God to the Church.
We will eventually see how the Mystery of Fellowship and the Mystery of the First Love Lost both relate in some way to fellowship or to an association of some sort (#2842 in the Greek).
In this case it is God's desire to have all men see the association or connection that the mystery has with the wisdom of God. When we see this connection, we will then be better equipped to identify and understand both mysteries.
This fellowship or association is a secret that has been hidden in God since the beginning of the world, when He created all things by Jesus Christ. We are now privileged to be living in these end times when God intends to reveal the mystery, making this complex (manifold #G4183) wisdom of God known to all true believers.
(41) Then they
that gladly received his word
were baptized:
and the same day
there were added unto them
about three thousand souls
[people - followers].
(42) And they continued steadfastly
in the apostles' doctrine
and fellowship,
and in breaking of bread,
and in prayers.
-Acts 2:41-42
Acts 2:41-42 describes true believers. They became believers when they embraced the Word of God and then continued steadfastly, or adhered to it, as the word, "steadfastly," comes from the Greek #4314.
In other words, once those who were called by the Father received the Word of God, they stuck like glue to the doctrine (or interpretation of the Word) Christ had personally handed down to the apostles. As a result they experienced true "fellowship," the same fellowship (close association #G2842) that connects the mystery to the wisdom of God.
Why is it so important to mention this type of fellowship and how it has an identical connection to the mystery?
The definition of genuine fellowship in this passage in Acts, is telling us that wherever true believers gather, we will witness true fellowship.
It is our responsibility to be able to accurately identify the churches that are marked for removal by Christ and to either be instrumental in their repentance or avoid being guilty by association.
The type of fellowship one believer has with another believer will identify true believers and help us correctly discern the condition of the church and whether it is marked for removal. This ability to discern will be given to us by the Spirit of God through our own fellowship, or our own mutual association, with the wisdom of God.
It is this association with the wisdom of God that reveals whether our relationship with God is genuine. This relationship is not determined by accomplishment or ecstatic spiritual experiences, but depends on whether our heart is in harmony with the Word of God.
In this way even the new Christian who is just beginning to receive the wisdom of God can participate in true fellowship with other believers.
It is very possible that our association with the mystery of fellowship may not be clear to the reader yet. Remember we were warned that the wisdom God wants to reveal is "manifold" meaning complex. Therefore we may not be able to identify the specific connection fellowship has with the wisdom of God until all of the pieces of the puzzle come together.
While each piece of the Word of God is simple to understand, we need to assemble all of the pieces in order to be able to see the entire picture.
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