The History or the Mystery.....

In The Antichrist in Man, there was a snappy little phrase that caught my attention. Not only is it a good title for a blog post, but it is something very ponderable….a mystery.

Salmon said:

For there is a History and a Mystery of Christ. The History is Christ for us, The Mystery is Christ In us Col 1:27

Could the HISTORY of Christ be the comings and goings and doings of the real flesh and blood man Jesus? The history would entail the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus. Ah….the resurrection. That is where the history veers into the MYSTERY of Christ. The resurrection…the arrival (or acknowledgement) of the indwelling spirit of Christ. Christ in us….the hope of glory.

They say everyone likes a good mystery.  Hmmmm.  I don’t know about you, but many, many times I've wished that the gospel…the scriptures…theology....was a bit less mysterious and ambiguous and that it was a bit more “tell it like it is” without so much wiggle room for interpretation and conjecture. But alas, it is not a cut and dried thing. Christians see so many things from different paradigms there is not very much that is cut and dried.

I went to blueletter bible to check out the verses in the New Testament that mention the mysteries.  There are a lot of scriptures in this post.  I was not familiar with all the verses that talk about the mysteries...so perhaps others are not either.  So I post them as sort of a reference....mainly for myself. 

It is mostly Paul who talks about the mysteries. But Jesus does as well….

Luk 8:10 And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand.

He says almost the exact same thing in Matthew and Mark. Apparently Jesus did not want the people to know the mysteries of the kingdom….since he hid the explanations in parables. And what’s this about the disciples? It was given to them to know? Do you not think they were a bit slow??  It certainly seemed to take a while for them to catch on….

Paul talks a lot about the mysteries. He tells us that they were a secret for a long time….as in before or around the time the world began.

Rom 16:25 Now to him that is of power to stablish 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,

1Cr 2:7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, [even] the hidden [wisdom], which God ordained before the world unto our glory:

And again he talks about how the mystery was hidden (echoing what Jesus told the disciples....it is not for the people to know) and not only was it been hidden...it had been hidden for a long, long time....

Col 1:26 [Even] the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:

Eph 3:9 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:

Paul declares himself to be a steward of the mysteries of God…that he has been ordained to preach the mysteries. That God has made them known to him...to share and teach.  He asked for prayer to open doors…

1Cr 4:1 Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God.

Col 4:3 Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds:

Eph 1:9 Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:

Eph 3:3 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)

1Cr 15:51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,

Eph 6:19 And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel,

Col 1:26 [Even] the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: 27: To whom God would make known what [is] the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

So the mystery was unfolding then in the early church.…2000 years ago.  Astounding so many that came after Paul did not have a clue about the scope of the great mysteries. How many of us still do not have a clue!!!!

Eph 5:32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.

Yep…it is still a great mystery to most of us…….

And there are other verses I found that talk about the mystery of Christ/God/Godliness

Col 2:2 That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ;

1Ti 3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.

And the mysteries mentioned in Revelation…

Rev 1:20 The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.

Rev 10:7 But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.

Rev 17:5 And upon her forehead [was] a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.

Rev 17:7 And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns.

And that love is more important than than a multitude of spiritual gifts including an understanding of the mysteries….

1Cr 13:2 And though I have [the gift of] prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.

And then there is the mystery of faith…..

1Ti 3:9 Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience.

And the mystery of iniquity (which seems to me to be the very cunning and crafty egoic mind/adamic man who hides his existence and convinces us that we are him/he is us….)

2Th 2:7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth [will let], until he be taken out of the way.

More on this subject in my next post.