The Secret Administration of Grace

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When Paul wrote Ephesians, after the heralding of the Kingdom as recorded in the book of Acts had closed, God once more changed His way of dealing, continuing the trend in the era of Readjustment. Then the nations were blessed through Israel, in their defection. Now the character and place of blessing is changed from physical and earthly to spiritual and celestial, hence it cannot come through that nation, but is independent of them. From being guests at Israel’s board the nations become fellow members of God’s family. From being aliens in God’s Kingdom they become fellow citizens. From being split into two bodies by fleshly rites, they become joint members of One Body.

A.E. Knoch (1874-1965)
The Problem of Evil

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The Readjustment Administration

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The call of Saul of Tarsus was itself a new departure in the ways of God, and the indication of a new administration. Through him God gradually changed His method of dealing both with the nations and with Israel. Instead of heralding the Kingdom to the Jews among the nations as the Twelve had done in the land, in order to demonstrate their apostasy, he reaches the devout among the nations in order to provoke them to jealousy, as Moses had foretold (Deuteronomy 32:21). In this administration, which is dealt with in Paul’s earlier epistles, the nations are blessed with Israel and receive their spiritual things while they themselves are still apostate. God had not dealt with the nations so before, nor did He even foretell such blessing in the prophets. As it was only a preparatory arrangement, leading up to the next administration, we have called it the Readjustment Administration.

A.E. Knoch (1874-1965)
The Problem of Evil

“To the Jew First”

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One of the most important principles of “correctly partitioning the Word of Truth” (II Timothy 2:15) is the recognition of the removal of the Barrier Wall mentioned in Ephesians 2:14, and asking ourselves as we read any passage of Scripture, “Is this wall of distinction between Jew and Gentile up, or down?” This distinction is completely removed during the Secret Administration.

For example, “to the Jew first” in Romans 1:16; 2:9-10 makes a clear distinction between Jew and Gentile for it even to be possible that the Jews are “first.” This dispensational distinction and administrative advantage have been completely removed today by the revelation found in Ephesians.

Clyde L. Pilkington, Jr.
Daily Email Goodies

Why the Ascension Gifts Were Listed in Ephesians

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In Ephesians 4 Paul is reviewing the history of the Body of Christ – from its prior infancy, under the auspices of Israel, to its positional maturity as the “Perfect Man.” He is showing how the Body functioned in the previous Acts Administration. These Ascension Gifts had to do with the Body’s childhood phase, while it was under the parental guardianship of Israel (with Abraham as father and Jerusalem as mother) and has nothing to do with its mature sonship position as the “One New MAN” (Ephesians 2:15).

Among other things, the Secret Administration has no “offices” or “gifts” – no “bishops,” no “deacons,” no “apostles,” no “prophets,” no “evangelists,” and no “shepherd-teachers.”

The “Perfect Man,” having left childhood behind, has become “the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” This “Perfect Man” (4:13) is the “One New Man” (2:15). This “One Body” (2:16; Colossians 3:15) is the leading component of the “unity of the Spirit” to which we have been brought and are to endeavor to “keep” (Ephesians 4:3-6).

Thus, the “Perfect Man” is a positional unit in which we now have standing, rather than an individual state that we have achieved.

Clyde L. Pilkington, Jr.
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The Descendants of Abraham Are Now Reckoned as Gentiles

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During the Dispensation of the Mystery, the Jews, whether in today’s so-called “Israel,”[1] or scattered all over the world, are divinely reckoned as being “of the nations.” For now, they have simply been absorbed into the nations. They have no identity other than being an “American,” or an “Argentinean,” or an “Australian,” or “German,” “Russian,” “Canadian,” etc. They may adhere to some form of “the Jews’ religion,” but, in plainer words, they are reckoned as being Gentiles (i.e., of the nations) and are dealt with accordingly.

Tom L. Ballinger
Plainer Words

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[1] [Editor:] See the author’s work:

• “The Present State of Israel: A Grand Hoax,” Bible Student’s Notebook #492.

The Ascension Gifts Are Not Operative Today

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According to Paul, the gifts of Ephesians 4:8-11 – “apostles, prophets, evangelists, and shepherd-teachers” – were prophetically a part of Israel’s Old Testament promises. In :8 when Paul states “Wherefore He saith,” he is referencing the fulfillment of the prophecy of Psalm 68:18.

Thou hast ascended on high, Thou hast led captivity captive: Thou hast received gifts for men.

Thus, these gifts were prophetically a part of Israel’s “spiritual things” for which the Gentiles were made partakers during the Acts Administration [or Pentecost Administration] (Romans 15:27). These gifts have no place within the Secret Administration.

Clyde L. Pilkington, Jr.
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The Ascension Gifts Were Prophetic Gifts

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According to Paul, the gifts of Ephesians 4:8-11 – “apostles, prophets, evangelists, and shepherd-teachers” – were prophetically a part of Israel’s Old Testament promises. In :8 when Paul states “Wherefore He saith,” he is referencing the fulfillment of the prophecy of Psalm 68:18.

Thou hast ascended on high, Thou hast led captivity captive: Thou hast received gifts for men.

Thus, these gifts were prophetically a part of Israel’s “spiritual things” for which the Gentiles were made partakers during the Acts Administration [or Pentecost Administration] (Romans 15:27). These gifts have no place within the Secret Administration.

Clyde L. Pilkington, Jr.
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New Divine Revelations Given to Paul

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There are some who question the need to “rightly divide” Paul’s Epistles, yet his change in allotments is a reflection of Father’s change in administrations (dispensations) which had to result also in new divine revelations given to Paul to share with Christ’s Body for their spiritual growth and maturity, eventually culminating in the revelation of Christ as Father’s Pleroma (fullness, or completion), and the revelation of the Body of Christ as Christ’s Pleroma for the eventual reconciliation of the Celestial Beings in the entire Universe (Ephesians 3:10).

Mark Peters

Alone Revealed by Paul

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Do not regard the church [which is His Body] as the subject of Old Testament Prophecy. [Its] unique origin, heavenly character, and eternal destiny – all in closer association with Christ – is a New Testament mystery, alone revealed by Paul in two of his prison epistles: Ephesians and Colossians.

A.C. Gaebelein (1861-1945)
Our Hope, January 1936, page 458

A Miserable Misconception

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The miserable method of applying promises made to God’s earthly people Israel to the Church [which is His Body], and forcing the fulfillment of them into the present age, has its starting point from the same misconception. … When at last all is to be brought out and that mystery hidden in former ages is to be made known, the Lord does not commit these truths at all to Peter, but He chooses another instrument to whom He entrusts His secrets, Paul the Apostle of the Gentiles. Through Paul the full revelation of the assembly, the one body, is given.

A.C. Gaebelein (1861-1945)
The Gospel of Matthew, Vol 2, pages 48-49