Thesis 11/36: Twelve Mysteries of the New Testament

DOCTRINES OF FAITH
Doctrine 11 / 36: The 12 Mysteries of the New Testament and how they relate to the Christian

A mystery in the Bible is something that is not previously known, but has been or is being revealed. The common connotation of the word is that something is a mystery if a person can not understand it, however in the Bible, a mystery is something that, though often it can not fully be grasped, is something that is being revealed.

1) The Mystery of God: The mystery of God speaks of His hidden wisdom. The natural man can not understand the things of God, and through the Bible, God reveals these things unto the Christian by the power of the Holy Spirit. "...To the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ; In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge" (Colossians 2:2-3).

2) The Mystery of the Kingdom of God: When Jesus came and preached to His disciples, He preached to them the mystery of the kingdom of God (Mark 4:11; Luke 8:10). Romans 14 explains that the kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but righteousness, joy and peace in the Holy Ghost. What is revealed here is that God has a kingdom, a place for His rule, in the spiritual realm, not only in the physical. Jesus came and preached this message.

3) The Mystery of Godliness: "God was manifest in the flesh" (1 Timothy 3:16). That truly is a great mystery. For God to fully reveal the mystery of His kingdom, He determined to clothe Himself in human flesh. The Son of God became the Son of man. Without Christ, there is no kingdom of God possible for a Christian.

4) The Mystery of the Gospel: This phrase speaks of the new message that Paul and the other apostles were preaching during the early days of the church. The gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ, was something that until the life and death on the cross was something unknown to man. Paul asked for prayer that he would be able to boldly make known that mystery (Ephesians 6:19). It is the job of every Christian today as well to make known the truths of the gospel to all men.

5) The Mystery of God's Will: As was already stated, a mystery in the Bible is something that is revealed. It is not something that is left hidden. When Paul speaks of the mystery of God's will in Ephesians 1:9, he is speaking of that fact that God has chosen to save those whom exercise faith in Christ's work on the cross. God purposed to save only those that come by faith, and no others. He did not choose to save those that did any good work, or that were born in a particular country, but rather He chose to save those that had faith in the finished work of Christ. This will of God is revealed to the Christian.

6) The Mystery of Faith: One of the requirements of a deacon, found in 1 Timothy 3:9, is that he holds "the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience." This mystery of the faith may refer to the whole set of Christian doctrine, that is, the faith of Christianity. However, it also can refer to the mystery that only by faith, is a man justified. Many stumbled in the Old Testament times, and they failed to see that only by faith in God could they be justified, not in fulfilling the law (Romans 9:31-32).

7) The Mystery of Iniquity: The context of 2 Thessalonians 2:7 is speaking of the Antichrist, the son of perdition. It says, while referring to things about him, "For the mystery of iniquity doth already work." It seems that Paul is saying that this iniquity of the son of perdition is already alive in the world. And though the immediate context is referring to the iniquity associated with the Antichrist, it truly is a mystery that a Christian would commit iniquity. The revelation is that the old nature is still with man, and it still causes the person to stumble.

8) The Mystery of Israel's Blindness: "Blindness in part is happened to Israel" (Romans 11:25). Paul desires that Christians would not be ignorant of that fact. The Old Testament's emphasis was almost exclusively on the nation of Israel. However, when they rejected Christ, they went into a state of national blindness. This blindness is only for a time, and their sight will be restored. God is not done with Israel yet.

9) The Mystery of the Gentiles: When Israel was blinded, their falling away allowed the Gentiles the opportunity to partake in the riches of God's grace. Paul was given special revelation of this mystery, and was charged to share it: "How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, (4) Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) (5) 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; (6) That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel" (Ephesians 3:3-6).

10) The Mystery of the Marriage of Christ and the Church: When a husband and wife are married, they are said to become one flesh. Paul uses the same analogy when writing about the relationship between Christ and His church. "For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church" (Ephesians 5:31-32). The church is actually the body of Christ. A believer is baptized into and becomes a part of Christ.

11) The Mystery of the Indwelling Christ: Not only does a believer get put into the body of Christ when he is saved, but at the same time, Christ gets put into the believer. The Bible says that this is the Spirit of Christ that is put in the believer (Romans 8:9), as Christ is sitting on the right hand of God. This idea of God dwelling inside of a man, so that he becomes the temple of God, was not a concept understood in the Old Testament (Colossians 1:26-27). But this indwelling Christ is the only hope of glory that the Christian has.

12) The Mystery of the Final Sanctification at the Rapture: 1 Corinthians 15:51 says, "Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed." This principle is also found in 1 John 3:2, "...We know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him." When Jesus comes to call His saints at the rapture, the Bible reveals the mystery that they will not keep the same bodies as they had during their earthly lives. Their bodies will be changed; their mortality will put on immortality. The sinful flesh which so long plagued them, will be put off, and they will be changed and become like Christ.

"Now is made manifest, and by the scriptures..."