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D W
Supporter
The Mystery! (Romans 16:25) ~ Now to Him that is of power to establish you according to my gospel (the ministry He shared with Paul), and the preaching of Jesus Messiah, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began. Since when? The beginning! What mystery? What secret? After Jesus called Saul to be the Apostle Paul (road to Damascus, Acts 9) He revealed to Him the mystery, the secret that was hitherto unknown. Say that: UNKNOWN. The mystery was the unification of Jew and non-Jew in Christianity without the Law, through the Amazing Grace of God, presented to humankind as a free GIFT which cannot be returned. The secret? The Rapture of all Believers in Jesus as Savior, never again to be settled on earth, never to leave their promised Heavenly Home, eternally secure. 1 Corinthians 1:18-19 ~ For the preaching of the Cross is to them that perish foolishness; but to us who are saved it is the power of God. For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the cleverness of the clever. 1 Corinthians 2:7-8 ~ But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden (Spiritual) wisdom, which God ordained before the (creation of the) world for our glory, which none of the princes of this world knew; for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory. 1 Corinthians 2:14 ~ But unspiritual persons do not accept Spiritual things from God, for they are foolishness to them; they cannot understand them, because they are Spiritually evaluated. (2 Timothy 2:14; 15-16). Ephesians 3:3-5 ~ How that by revelation He made known to me (Paul) the mystery. Ephesians 1:9-11 ~ Having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He Himself set forth: That in the dispensation of the fullness of times He might gather together in one all things in Messiah, both which are in Heaven, and which are on earth; even in Him, in whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who creates and directs all things after the counsel of His own will: What are the "all things?" Colossians 1:16-20 ~ For by Him were all things created, that are in Heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers: all things were created by Him, and for Him, and He is before all things, and by Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church: He the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things He might have the preeminence. For it pleased the Father that in Him should all fullness dwell; And, having made peace through the blood of his Cross, by Him to reconcile all things unto Himself; by Him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in Heaven. The “all things” are positions of Spiritual authority in Heaven and on earth and these will be reconciled unto God. From Genesis 1 to Acts 9, we read about God’s purpose to put His rule and authority on EARTH in an earthly Kingdom of God, with Jesus seated on the Throne of David, ruling with the 12 Apostles, from Jerusalem. That promised Kingdom is "not of this world." It is separate and apart from our eternal Home in Heaven. (Ephesians 2:4-7) ~ But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith He loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Messiah (by grace ye are saved), and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Messiah Jesus: That in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Messiah Jesus. (Ephesians 3:1-11) ~ For this reason, I, Paul, the prisoner of Messiah Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles — you have heard, haven’t you, about the administration of God’s grace that He gave to me for you? The mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have briefly written above. By reading this you are able to understand my insight about the mystery of the Messiah. This was not made known to people in other generations as it is now revealed to His holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit: The Gentiles are co-heirs, members of the same body, and partners of the promise in Messiah Jesus through the gospel. I was made a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace that was given to me by the working of His power. This grace was given to me —the least of all the saints— to proclaim to the Gentiles the incalculable riches of the Messiah, and to shed light for all about the administration of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things. This is so God’s multi-faceted wisdom may now be made known through the church to the rulers and authorities in the heavens. This is according to His eternal purpose accomplished in the Messiah, Jesus our Lord. All this to show that there is only one wise God who is our Savior: Father, Son, Holy Spirit, manifested on earth as Jesus, the Jewish Messiah and Savior of all humankind.
Rod Gill
Supporter
This mystery is God’s eternal purpose to save His fallen creatures in Christ. In short, the mystery that Paul is declaring is God’s redemption plan to save both Jews and Gentiles in Christ. The given laws, sacrifices, and feasts in the Old Testament were only types and shadows of what was planned to come. They were part of God’s bigger plan to show man that they need a redeemer and a mediator between man and God. Job 9:32-33 implies that a mediator between God and man has to be equal to both sides. That was why only a God-man (i.e., Jesus Christ) could fulfill this. So God’s redemption plan to send His son as a mediator between God and man was set before the beginning of the ages, but was not revealed to man. This mystery was hidden from ages and generations, even among the Jews, much more among the Gentiles that sat in darkness and had no notices at all of it. Even the disciples of Christ themselves, before his resurrection and ascension, were very much in the dark about the mystery of redemption, and their notion of it was very much clouded and confused; such a secret was it for many ages. God gave Paul the ministry of making known “the mystery” which had been “kept secret since the world began” (Romans 16:25),—“the mystery of His will” (Ephesians 1:9), “which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto His holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ by the gospel: whereof,” declares Paul, “I was made a minister.… Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; and to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: to the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, according to the eternal purpose which He purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Ephesians 3:5–11. Yours in Christ- RG
Dan Rivers
Supporter
Even with all that was revealed to Paul, he admits that he still didn't know it all. It was all partial and incomplete..."but then" indicates to me that in the future, either at the rapture (1 Thes 4:16,17) or whenever the Lord completes the work in us...(Phil 1:6), then it will become clear to us... 1Cr 13:12 NLT - Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, BUT THEN I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.
Ariel HaNaviy
Supporter
The question does not specify which mystery of Paul’s they are inquiring about; as others have pointed out, Paul used the word mystery (Greek=musterion) to refer to varying topics. Therefore, I only want to single out one of those usages: Eph. 3:1-10 “For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles— assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God's grace that was given to me for you, how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly. When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God's grace, which was given me by the working of his power. 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, so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.” Eph. 6:19, 20 “…and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.” The prevailing view of the sages of the 1st Century held to the common belief that Jewish Isra'el and Jewish Isra'el alone shared a place in the world to come (viz, were saved, were going to heaven). Thus, if a non-Jew wished to enter into God’s blessings and promises, such a person had to convert to Judaism and take on legally recognized Jewish ethnicity first. By contrast, Paul taught most assuredly that Gentiles were grafted into Isra'el the same way that God counted Abraham as righteous in Gen. 15:6, which is faith in the promised Word of the LORD. To be sure, this is one of the primary arguments delineated in the letter to the Galatians. The “mystery of the Gospel” is that Isra'el is actually comprised of both Jews and Gentiles. It was a “mystery” to Jewish Isra'el because for centuries they thought that covenant membership into Isra'el was reserved for Jews only, and that the Torah (Law) was for Jews only. However, Paul was sent by Yeshua (Jesus) to reveal the real truth behind this mystery. To be grafted into the family of God is to join oneself to a Jewish Olive Tree without having to succumb to any kind of man-made proselyte conversion policy whatsoever. To this end, one becomes submissive to the instructions and righteousness of God, and inherits the blessings of God, whether he is of Gentile or Jewish stock.
JD Abshire
Supporter
MYSTERIES REVEALED TO THE APOSTLE PAUL The mystery of Israel’s blindness and the Gentiles being grafted in Romans 11:25 “For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in”. Romans 16:25 “Now to him that is of power to establish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,” (v-26) “But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith:” Mystery of God’s wisdom (1Cor. 2-7) Mystery of the resurrection (1 Cor. 15:51) Mystery of his will (Eph 1:9) Mystery of God’s Grace (Eph 3:1-3) Mystery of Christ by Revelation (Eph 3:3-4) Mystery of the fellowship (Eph 3:9) Mystery of Christ and the Church (Eph. 5:32) Mystery of the Gospel (Eph 6:19) Mystery of the indwelling Christ, the hope of glory (Col. 1:26-27) Mystery of understanding (Col. 2-2)
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