LIVING WATERS
For the proclamation of the Gospel and the edification of the Body of Christ
The Manifold Wisdom of God
"That the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 3:10).
The Greek word translated as 'multiform' here can be translated more literally as 'multicolored'. Hendriksen translates it as 'iridescent'. This naturally refers to the infinite variety and resplendent beauty of God's wisdom. Multicolored, like the robe that Jacob had made for Joseph (Gen. 37:3), and which set him apart from his brothers.
Now, the Wisdom of God is Christ. What is made known through the church to the principalities and powers is the mystery of Christ, "a mystery which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men as it is now revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit" (Eph. 3:5). The beauty of the Son of God has diverse manifestations and brilliance, and colors as varied as the colors of the rainbow, or as the sparkles of a precious stone.
One of the most iridescent jewels, and indeed the most precious in the world, is the diamond. One specialist has said: "A diamond captivates by its sparkle. The beauty of its radiance is due to the fact that it possesses a high index of refraction of light and a great dispersive power: as it penetrates, the rays of light undergo innumerable interior reflections and the white light is dispersed, returning to the interior converted into a fan of multiple colors".
So too, in Christ, the light, which is himself, is transformed into 'a fan of many colors,' and is offered through the church to be shown to the principalities and powers. Each member of the body of Christ, as it were, expresses a 'flash' or a 'color' of Christ. And when the church as a whole comes together as a body, coordinately, the beauty of the Jewel shines forth in all its splendor.
No one, as an individual believer, can express the full variety of graces and beauties of the Son of God, however gifted he may be. Only the church can express him in his multicolored beauty; for the church is "the fullness of Him who fills all in all".
Therefore, the focus of our attention must undergo a change. If up to now we have set our eyes on the great ministers, the heroes of the faith, we must turn our gaze to what interests the Lord: the church. It is the church and no apostle, not even the apostle Paul, who makes this iridescent wisdom known to the principalities and powers. They, the apostles and prophets, are the instruments who lay the foundations, who give the 'come on', and unleash the flow of revelation that will then come upon the whole church.
As is clearly demonstrated in Ephesians chapter 4, God's concern is not centered on the gifts or ministries, but on the whole body, that it may become a perfect man, "unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ".