You may have heard it said that we preach ‘Jesus Christ according to the revelation of the mystery’ as we quote Romans 16:25. Although the Mystery has been revealed in the Bible, it remains hidden to many people even today nearly two thousand years after its revelation.
Paul tells us that the information contained in the Mystery was ‘kept secret since the world began’ and ‘had been hid from ages and generations’ (Rom 16:25, Col 1:26). It was the hidden wisdom of God kept a mystery until it was revealed to Paul in a new dispensation.
God ‘out of due time’ saved Paul, the chief of all sinners and chief persecutor of the Pentecostal believers, by grace and not because of anything Paul had done – not of works (Titus 3:5-7, 1 Cor 15:8).
Jesus appeared to Paul on the road to Damascus and many times after that to reveal to Paul what was ‘from the beginning of the world… hid in God’ – that is, the fellowship of the mystery (Eph 3:9).
This body of knowledge called also the ‘dispensation of the grace of God’ include facets that make it distinct from what ‘was spoken of by the mouth of the prophets since the world began’ (Eph 3:1-3, Acts 3:21). This distinction was deliberate by God as he was revealing to Paul a separate plan and purpose for salvation in this age of grace.
Some basic facets of the Mystery include:
- Israel is blinded until a future time. God has cast aside his purpose with the nation Israel until a future time, instead revealing a new purpose (Romans 11:11-25).
- A new creature is being formed. Instead of noticing a distinction between Jew and Gentile, God does not see the distinction today. Saved people are all members of the same body – the Body of Christ (1 Cor 12:13, 2 Cor 5:17, Col 1:27).
- God’s eternal purpose for heaven is revealed. Ever since creation, God has revealed his purpose for the earth. But to Paul and to us he has finally revealed his eternal purpose and plan for heaven (Ephesians 1:9-10, 2:6)
- A new channel of God’s blessing. God has chosen to reveal his manifold wisdom to the universe through his ambassadors and those who take part in the fellowship of the mystery (Eph 3:9-10, 2 Cor 5:19-20).
- Salvation by grace through faith alone not of works. God is not imputing sins to anyone today, and saves all men who put their trust in the blood of Christ on the cross for their sins. He saves by grace, not by works (Eph 2:8-9, Rom 3:24).
- Deliverance from the wrath to come. God’s new creature, the Body of Christ, will not take part in the prophesied wrath and tribulation spoken by the prophets. Instead they will be secretly removed from the earth caught up with Christ in the air (1 Thessalonians 1:10, 4:13-18).
These are only the most prominent of the distinctions that are made between what God has revealed about what is happening now, and how God was dealing with mankind in time past. There are many more distinctions between God’s plan for dominion over the earth through his nation Israel, and His plan for dominion over the heaven through his heavenly people – the Body of Christ.
The most important delineation the serious Bible student can make in their Bible is to discern between what is prophecy and mystery. What God had spoken of by the mouth of His prophets since the world began is not what he kept secret since the world began.
What was kept secret until revealed to Paul to be dispensed to us is the subject of what was the Mystery.
< Question Page Published: August 24, 2005
Last Modified: November 18, 2010
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