SESSION 2, Continued…
GOD’S
SECRET
1)
Paul says God’s MYSTERY Gospel
(Grk. mysterion, secret gospel)
– is NOW REVEALED & Dispensed
Ephes.
3:1-4, 11
For this cause I Paul, the
prisoner of Jesus Christ for
you GENTILES, 2If
ye have heard of the dispensation
(oikonomia, household administration) of
the grace of God which is given
me (Paul) to youward
(the members of the body of Christ): 3How that by
revelation he (the
ascended Christ) made known unto me
(Paul) THE MYSTERY; as I
wrote afore in few words, 4Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand
my knowledge in the mystery
of Christ … 11According
to the
eternal purpose which he purposed
in Christ…
Romans
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,
2)
Jesus no doubt knew “the mystery”
– but God’s secret plan that was “kept
secret.”
John
16:12-13 I
have yet many things to say unto you, but
ye cannot bear them now. 13 Howbeit
when he, the Spirit of truth, is come,
he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but
whatsoever he shall hear, that
shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
John
16:15
… he (the Spirit of
truth) shall take of mine, and
shall shew it unto you.
Peter and “the
twelve” did not know of “the
Mystery” at the time of
Pentecost because Paul had not yet been converted to receive that “Gospel
for the Gentiles.” Rather, Peter preached “the
gospel of the kingdom” that had “been
spoken by the mouth of all…. (the) prophets since the world began”
(Act 3:21b). Peter spoke
only of the Messianic kingdom of heaven
to come to
Israel
on earth.
But in his final
epistle, Peter points
Israel
“in the ages to come” to; “THE
WISDOM GIVEN UNTO HIM (Paul.)”
2
Peter 3:12-16 Looking
for and hasting unto the coming of the
day of God (for
Israel
), wherein the heavens being on fire
shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? 13
Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens
and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. 14
Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye
look for such things, be diligent
that ye may be found of him in peace, without
spot (Titus 3:5), and blameless (see also Eph 1:4). 15
And account that
the longsuffering of our Lord is
salvation; even as our BELOVED
BROTHER PAUL also according to THE
WISDOM GIVEN UNTO HIM hath written unto
you;
16 As also in
all HIS (PAUL’S) EPISTLES,
speaking in them of these things;
in which are some things HARD
TO BE UNDERSTOOD,
which THEY
THAT ARE UNLEARNED AND UNSTABLE WREST (TWIST),
AS THEY
DO ALSO THE OTHER SCRIPTURES, UNTO THEIR OWN DESTRUCTION.
3)
Paul’s “MYSTERY” GOSPEL had been “KEPT
SECRET since the World Began.”
EPH
3:2-4
If ye have heard of the dispensation
(oikonomia, administration) of the
grace of God which is given
me (Paul) to youward: 3How that by
revelation he
(Jesus Christ) made known unto me
THE MYSTERY; (as I wrote afore
in few words, 4Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my
knowledge in the mystery of Christ) …
Romans
16:25
…according to the revelation
of
THE MYSTERY, which was KEPT
SECRET SINCE THE WORLD BEGAN, 1
Cor. 2:7
But we speak the wisdom of God in a MYSTERY,
even the hidden
(apokrupto, concealed) wisdom,
which God ordained before the world
unto our glory: Col.
1:26a THE MYSTERY which hath been
hid (apokrupto,
kept concealed) from ages and
from generations …
4)
The Ascended Lord Revealed the Mystery to Paul. Paul calls this Secret Gospel
“My Gospel.”
Acts
9:15
… he (Paul) is
a chosen (ekloge,
divinely selected) vessel unto me…
Gal
1:12
I (Paul) neither
RECEIVED IT (the secret gospel) of
man, neither was I taught it,
but BY THE REVELATION OF JESUS
CHRIST
Col.
1:25
Whereof I (Paul) am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God
which is given to me for you, TO
FULFIL (pleroo, finish, make
replete) THE WORD OF GOD;
1
Cor. 14:37
If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him
acknowledge that the things
that I (Paul) write unto you are the commandments of the Lord.
Romans
2:16 In
the day when God shall judge the
secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to MY GOSPEL.
5)
Paul says, today “Any
Other Gospel” Is
To Be “Accursed” (Greek,
anathema, banned)
Gal
1:8-9
though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any
other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you,
let him be accursed. 9As
we said before, so say I now again, If any man
preach ANY OTHER GOSPEL unto you
than that ye have received, let him BE
ACCURSED.
6)
Paul here REVEALS the “Mystery”
Gospel?
Col.
1:26-28
Even the
mystery which hath been HID
from ages and from generations, but now
is made manifest to his saints (believers): 27To
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
(eternal) glory: 28aWhom
we preach…
Thus, Paul preached Christ in
the believer!
7)
How can Christ actually Indwell Every Believing Child of God? It is as “The
Spirit” in our spirit.
Zech.
12:1
… saith the Lord,
which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the
earth, and formeth THE SPIRIT OF
MAN WITHIN HIM.
2
Cor. 3:17
NOW
the Lord
(JESUS) is that Spirit: …
1
Cor. 15:45
… The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last
Adam (Christ) was
made (became) a
quickening (life-giving) spirit.
1 Jn 4:13 Hereby know we that WE DWELL
IN HIM, and HE IN US,
because HE HATH GIVEN US OF HIS
SPIRIT.
1Cor.
6:17
But he that is joined unto the Lord
is one spirit.
Jn
3:6…that
which is born of the Spirit,
is spirit
Rom
8:9-10
But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit
of God dwell in you. Now if
any man have not the SPIRIT OF CHRIST, he is none of his.
8)
Now you might ask; “WHY
WAS CHRIST’S INDWELLING KEPT SECRET?”
1
Cor. 2:7-8
we speak the wisdom of God in a
MYSTERY, even the hidden
wisdom, which GOD
ORDAINED BEFORE THE WORLD UNTO OUR GLORY: 8Which none
of the princes of this world knew: for had
they known it, THEY WOULD NOT
HAVE CRUCIFIED THE LORD…
Satan
and his “princes
of this world” did
NOT know the mystery of the
indwelling Christ in Gentiles. So in retrospect, Satan would rather have a
still living Jesus on earth than a crucified risen Lord, whose eternal “Spirit
of life”
would dwell WITHIN every
believer!
It
had been long prophesied by Ezekiel in 37:14 that the Lord would place His
Spirit into the believers of
Israel
. While it was prophesied that the Gentiles nations would be blessed though
Abraham’s seed, it was never prophesied that the “whosoever”
of John 3:16 would include the Gentiles.
9)
Christ Living IN the Members of the Joint body of Christ
(Jew & Gentile, Gal 3:28), is the
essence of the Pauline Mystery Gospel!
Gal
2:20-21
I am crucified with Christ:
nevertheless I live; yet not
I, but CHRIST LIVETH IN ME:
and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith (that
is) OF the Son of God,
who loved me, and gave himself for me.
Col.
3:4
CHRIST, WHO
IS OUR LIFE,…
Col.
2:9-10
For in him dwelleth all the
fulness of the Godhead bodily.
10YE
ARE COMPLETE IN HIM,
which is the head of all principality and power:
10)
Now We Walk “In Christ,” as
subject and led by His Indwelling “Spirit
of Life.”
Romans
8:2
the law (inner working) of
the Spirit of LIFE in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the
law (working of) of sin and death
(in my flesh).
Gal
5:16
I say then, Walk in (in
accord with) the Spirit,
and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
Galatians
5:25
If (Since) we live in the Spirit, let us also walk
in the
Spirit.
Romans
8:16 The Spirit itself
beareth witness with our spirit, that WE
ARE THE CHILDREN OF GOD:
Romans
8:14 For as many as are LED
BY THE SPIRIT of God, they are the sons of God.