A wedding ring is a multifaceted reflection of its designer. The pattern of the band, the type of stone, any inscription, the cut of the stone, even the composition of the band all testify to the intelligence and wisdom of the designer.
In Ephesians 3:10, the apostle Paul writes: “through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.” This is not an evangelism statement. Paul is not saying the church is to make known the wisdom of God. This is an ecclesiological statement. He is saying the church, by its existence and its nature, reflects the manifold or multi-faceted wisdom of God.
The church, Paul writes in verse 11, “was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord.” So the church sits right in the middle of God’s eternal purpose. Backing up to verses 8 & 9, Paul writes: “To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things.”
The word translated “plan” in the ESV, verse 9, is oikonomia which means “management; plan.” It gives us our word economy. Paul was to reveal, to bring to light, the economy, the plan, the management of salvation which had been hidden before.
God deals with man on the principle of a pattern. He did that with Noah (Genesis 6:14; 7:5). If Noah had not made the ark according to God’s pattern, He would not have been on the ark with Noah.
God did the same with Moses and the tabernacle (Exodus 39:1, 5, 7, 21, 26, 29, 31, 32, 42, 43; 40:16, 19, 21, 23, 25, 27, 29, 32). After Moses built the tabernacle according to God’s pattern, God’s glory dwelt in the tabernacle – Exodus 40:34.
Some males also avoid lovemaking due to fatigue, hormonal adjustments, pressure, growing old, cialis 20mg generika or inadequate diet or if there’s just a disparity between the female’s and the man’s sex drive in your relationship due to erectile dysfunction. For many women, the symptoms of menopause or PMS are cialis 20mg price difficult to control. Since the condition relates buy cialis brand to the humiliation in the bed, so it breaks the men from inside. The effects and side effects of the medicine are almost similar. levitra viagra online God did the same with David and Solomon and the building of the temple (1 Chronicles 28:11, 12, 19; 2 Chronicles 4:7). Once Solomon built the temple based on the pattern revealed by God to David, the glory of God came and dwelt in the temple (2 Chronicles 5:13-14; 7:1-3).
Man must have God’s pattern in order to come into God’s presence in worship, through the church, in heaven. The church also has a plan. It is not the Jerusalem church that is the pattern. It is the Gospel revealed in Jerusalem through the Holy Spirit (Isa. 2:1-3; Amos 9:11-12; Dan. 2:44; Jer. 31:31ff).
The Son of David, Jesus Christ, pointed to the Day of Pentecost as the time when the spiritual kingdom would be established (Matt. 16:17-19, 28). That’s when the new, spiritual covenant would be established (Matt. 26:26-29). Jerusalem is when and where forgiveness of sins would be made available (Luke 24:46-47).
To follow the pattern for the church of Christ today, we must go back to the pattern that was revealed by the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost in Jerusalem, recorded in the book of Acts.
The apostle Paul encourages us: “Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 1:13). Then, he tells Timothy in 2:2: “what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.”
Clearly there is a pattern to follow. God cannot dwell in us unless and until we follow the pattern. The book of Acts will guide the way.
–Paul Holland
