Answer: It was God's intent that His
manifold wisdom should be made known THROUGH THE CHURCH, (verse
10). This was God's eternal purpose, and He
accomplished His intent in Christ Jesus our Lord (verse 11),
Whose body IS the church.
MORE INFORMATION AND/OR OTHER SCRIPTURE REFERENCES:
It was God's intent that the Gospel should be
taught/preached to all the world (every nation) BY and THROUGH
those who had accepted that Gospel, and were members of
Christ's body, His church. The church is, as one
commentator stated, His placard display, the perfect means of
displaying God's wisdom, which is manifold (meaning,
"variegated," "with many colors,"
"multifaceted--in a way that many facets of a diamond
reflect and enhance its beauty"):
Matthew 28:18-20: "Then Jesus came
to them and said, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has
been given to Me. Therefore go and make disciples of all
nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son
and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have
commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of
the age.'"
Mark 16:15: "He [Jesus] said to
them, 'Go into all the world and preach the Good News to all
creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but
whoever does not believe will be condemned.'"
Luke 24:45-49: "Then He [Jesus]
opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. He told
them, 'This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and
rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness
of sins will be preached in His Name to all nations, beginning at
Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. I am
going to send you what My Father has promised; but stay in the city
until you have been clothed with power from on
high.'"
Acts 5:42: "Day after day, in the
temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching
and proclaiming the Good News that Jesus is the
Christ."
Acts 8:1-4: "And Saul was there,
giving approval to his [Stephen's] death. On that day a
great persecution broke out against the church at Jerusalem, and
all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and
Samaria. Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for
him. But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house
to house, he dragged off men and women and put them in
prison. Those who had been scattered preached the Word
wherever they went."
Acts 20:20-21: "You know that I
[Paul] have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful
to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house.
I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God
in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus."
1 Corinthians 2:6-10: "We do,
however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the
wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to
nothing. No, we speak of God's secret wisdom, a wisdom that
has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time
began. None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if
they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
However, as it is written: 'No eye has seen, no ear has
heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who
love Him'--but God has revealed it to us by His
Spirit."
1 Corinthians 9:16b: "Woe to me if
I do not preach the Gospel!"
1 Timothy 3:14-15: "Although I hope
to come to you soon, I am writing you these instructions so that,
if I am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct
themselves in God's household, which is the church of the living
God, the pillar and foundation of the Truth."
1 Peter 1:1-2, 10-12: "To God's
elect, strangers in the world, scattered throughout Pontus,
Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, who have been chosen
according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the
sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and
sprinkling by His blood: Grace and peace be yours in
abundance...Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke
of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with
the greatest care, trying to find out the time and circumstances to
which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when He predicted
the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow.
It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but
you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by
those who have preached the Gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent
from heaven. Even angels long to look into these
things."
