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"administration" (v. 2, 9): "oikonomia" in Greek. Many words are used for it in different translations, such as: "administration" or "plan." "Oikonomia" etymologically is "house-law," meaning "house agenda," "household management," or "family administration." It is the word from which comes our word "economy." The idea is "God's overall strategy." The way we see it portrayed contextually in Ephesians includes 1) God's plan of redemption for all nations, whether Jew or Gentile, to be united in Christ, through the Gospel, and 2) God's plan for the Body of Christ to be the fullest expression of Christ (the revelation of "the fullness of Christ") on Earth—the embodiment of the Messiah. Paul calls this oikonomia "the mystery made known to me ["for you" (v. 2)] by revelation" (v. 3) and defines it: "This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise of Christ Jesus" (v. 6). Paul explains that his role—the role of an apostle—is to further this Gospel globally: "to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ, and," he says, "to illuminate," to illustrate, "to everyone the strategy [oikonomia] of this mystery" (v. 8-9). Thus, we see that the role of an apostle is stewardship of God's overall plan of redemption, which is two-fold: 1) furthering the Gospel in the hearts and lives of all people of all ethnic groups, which includes 2) constructively correcting and pushing onward the practical strategies of the Kingdom to the furtherance of that Gospel. We might summarize the "oikonomia" in this way: "the DNA of the Body of Christ." The role of the apostle is to protect that DNA from genetic corruption, thus promoting the healthy, organic growth of the Body. The most central element of the DNA of the Body of Christ is the truth of Christ and how He unites us. As the Gospel unites individuals with Christ, it unites those individuals with each other. This understanding of being "in Christ" or "united with Christ" is where christology (the study of Christ), soteriology (the study of salvation), missiology (the study of the mission of God's people), and ecclesiology (the study of the church) meet and themselves unite into one. "All peoples one in Christ" might be said to be the theme here in Ephesians, and adeptly presents a unified theology for the church. Finally, in this discussion of the role of an apostle, Paul ties it up with "In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence." This is how Christ unites us. As we now, in freedom and confidence, approach God because we know we are in Christ, we meet each other at His throne. This what the Gospel is. It is the good news that we are united with Christ, and, if we are united with Christ, we are united with all those who are also united with Him. This is why the term "the Body of Christ" is the perfect, succinct analogy. If I am a part of the Body of Christ, then I am intimately and inseparably connected with Christ, who is the Head of the Body, and if I am a part of the Body of Christ, then I am intimately and inseparably connected with all the other parts under that Head.