1st Corinthians 4:1-2, “Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.”
The Bible speaks about several mysteries in the New Testament. These truths
were concealed in the Old Testament, but now have been revealed in the New
Testament to the saints. Colossians 1:26-27, “Even the mystery which hath been hid
from ages and from generations, but now is made
manifest to his saints: 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.” What an awesome truth! The Bible says that
these doctrines were hidden from Old Testament saints, but now they are no
longer “a mystery” and are being taught to New Testament saints. This is a
fascinating Bible study that you've likely never heard before.
Romans 16:25-26, “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, 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.” Praise God that we are blessed to live in the New Testament and have these mysteries revealed to us.
2nd Timothy 2:2, “And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.” The apostle Paul had been entrusted by God with THE TRUTH. Now Paul is handing the mantle to the next runner in the race so-to-speak. Paul is faithfully passing on the truth that he has been given to the next generation, so that they can teach others also. My website ministry is here so I can share with others the same Biblical truths which have been entrusted to me by godly men. It is my pray and hope that you will benefit from these truths, and then pass them along to others so that God can work in their life too. This is the will of God, as we just read in 2nd Timothy 2:2.
The Old Testament is the New
Testament concealed; the New Testament is the Old Testament revealed. There
are many mysteries in the New Testament which are revealed to the saints...
Here are SEVEN MYSTERIES which are revealed to us in the New Testament...
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THE MYSTERY OF GOD IN THE FLESH (God's Spirit inside of human flesh, the Virgin Birth) - 1st Timothy 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.” The mystery of the Godhead (that is, God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit) was revealed in the New Testament. Colossians 2:2-3 and 9, “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; In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. ... For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.”
The false religious cults deny the Godhead. A person who denies the Godhead (Trinity) is not saved. Deuteronomy 6:4 proclaims that there is only ONE true and living God, that is, the God of Israel. Albeit, God exists in three distinct, individual Persons; namely, God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19-20). This was a big mystery to Old Testament saints, but is revealed today. That's not to say that we understand all there is to know about God. Certainly, God is a mystery to humanity and works in mysterious ways in our limited eyes. Faith is required. This is why Hebrews 11:6 says that without faith no man can please God. The unsaved world doubts, scoffs and places God on trial; but we blindly trust Him as Christians because we trust and love Him. Jesus is precious!!!
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THE MYSTERY OF GOD IN YOU (God is a glorified, divine, being inside a human body. This is being indwelt with the Holy Spirit, “the hope of glory.” Colossians 1:25-27, “Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God; Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: 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.” The Holy Spirit of God lives inside the body of every born-again Christian. It is Christ in us that makes us born again (or born from above by the Spirit of God).
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THE MYSTERY OF ONE BODY IN CHRIST (Jews and Gentiles, equally together, are one inside of Christ's spiritual body. We are in Christ and He is in us) - The Gentiles became one with the Jews in the Body of Christ - Ephesians 3:1: “For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ). 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 fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel: Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power. 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.”
Ephesians 2:12-22, “That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us. Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace. And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.” This is great stuff! Talk about a peace treaty between Jews and Gentiles! All believers will be one in Christ Jesus! We all share in the wealth of Israel if we are at peace with the God of Israel. Amen and amen!
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THE MYSTERY OF THE CHURCH (Christ's body is the Church). We're not only in that body, that is, the Church; but we're also bone of His bone, and flesh of His flesh, grafted into Him. Ephesians 5:30, “For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. ... This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.” This is one of the best Scriptures you'll ever find on eternal security. We are inside of Christ's body and together we are one body. That body is the Church.
The marriage relationship is a picture of our relationship with Christ. We're connected to our spouse and are one. Ephesians 5:28-29 and 31, “So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the 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.” Isn't that interesting? Christ's body is called THE CHURCH. This is the mystery of the Invisible Church, which is composed of all believers. The Church is not equal with Jesus Christ; but rather, is weaker. That's why the wife is the weaker vessel, that is, because she pictures the Church. The husband pictures Jesus Christ. Just as we're a part of Christ and He is a part of us, so also are a husband and wife ONE flesh.
Ephesians 5:21-32, “Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God. Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. 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.” This is very interesting. Jews and Gentiles will be united as husband and wife in Christ.
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THE MYSTERY OF THE RESTORATION OF ISRAEL. There is a false teaching called “Replacement Theology,” which says that the Church replaced Israel. Biblically, the Church was brought in as a temporary substitute, but the Church never replaced Israel. After the Rapture, the 7 year tribulation follows. Half-way through the Tribulation (3 1/2 years), God will pour out His wrath upon the world. The last 3 1/2 years is known as the “Great Tribulation” (Matthew 24:21). This will also be a time of purging Israel and preparing the Jews to receive her Messiah and King. Romans 11:26, “And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob.”
All of the promises made to Israel in the Old Testament apply to the REMNANT of born-again Jews. To teach otherwise is to claim that God has a special plan of salvation just for the Jews, which is NOT the truth. There has always and only will be, one plan of salvation. Acts 10:43, “To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.” Acts 10:43 plainly teaches that people in the Old Testament were saved the same way as New Testament saints, which is, by grace through faith plus or minus nothing. Salvation is only found in the precious name of Jesus Christ (Acts 4:10-12).
All of the Old Testament promises of enjoying the Promised Land DO NOT apply to unsaved Jews. If we look at Biblical principles and NO MORE, then we can only come to the conclusion that no unsaved person who dies in their sins will ever enjoy the blessings of God. To teach otherwise is to claim that there are two plans of salvation, one for Jews and another for Gentiles. John Hagee foolishly teaches that garbage. Jesus told Nicodemus (a Jewish ruler) that except a man is born again he cannot enter into the kingdom of God (John 3:5-7). Clearly all people must be born anew by the Spirit of God to be a part of the kingdom of God.
The true remnant of Jews today are scattered around the world. They will be caught up and removed from the world at the Rapture. However, a large group of unbelieving Jews will repent and turn to the Lord to be saved following the Rapture. The Times Of The Gentiles will have been fulfilled and God will once again deal directly with Israel (the new remnant of Jews saved during the Tribulation).
God won't defend a Godless nation today, nor did He in the Old Testament. One of the purposes of the Tribulation will be to purge Israel to prepare to meet her King, Who will reign from the throne of David in Jerusalem during the Millennium.
Romans 11:13-32, “For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office: If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them. For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead? For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches. And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree; Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee. Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in. Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear: For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee. Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off. And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed in: for God is able to graff them in again. For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert graffed contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be graffed into their own olive tree? 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 fulness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins. As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sakes. For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance. For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief: Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy. For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.”
Carefully notice in Romans 11:25 that blindness is only partial blindness (not many Jews get saved, but some DO). The key word is “UNTIL” (until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in). Every believer has three synonyms by which they are called: The Church, the Bride and the Body. There's the local New Testament Church. There's the Body of Christ, which is composed of all believers. And then there's the Bride of Christ, which will assemble for the first time at the Rapture of the saints. All three of these terms apply to all believers. There is no universal church. The Body of Christ congregates in local New Testament churches around the world, even meeting in people's homes. There were no church buildings until the first century AD.
Romans 7:1-4 teaches that we were married to the Law, but Jesus killed the Law and now we are married to Jesus Christ. Romans 7:4, “Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.”
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THE MYSTERY OF INIQUITY (The Antichrist will be revealed immediately after the Rapture). I believe that the MYSTERY OF INIQUITY refers to the “New World Order,” which we see evidence of in Genesis 11:7-9 at the tower and city of Babel. It wasn't called a New World Order throughout history, but the plot for world government has been ongoing by Satan since the beginning of mankind. We see clearly in Genesis chapter 6 what happens to the world when mankind all unite together against God. The Lord destroyed the world because it has already destroyed itself beyond remedy. God scattered men across the face of the earth and confounded them by changing their languages. There are several THOUSAND different, unique, and established earthly languages (which is also strong evidence against evolution). If mankind had evolved, then new languages should be in the development process; but in fact, another language disappears every 2-weeks because of the modernization of the world.
Revelation 17:5 and 7, “And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. ... 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.” Revelation 17:18 and Revelation 11:8 clearly teach that Jerusalem is the city that is the woman riding the beast. “The beast” refers to the militaries of the nations, which are controlled by the woman riding the beast. The Bible is NOT indicting Jews; but rather, false Marxist professed Jews who control Israel today. It was the Rothschilds-led international banking cartel who put Israel back on the map in 1946. The Bible exposes the New World Order.
2nd Thessalonians 2:3-12, “Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”
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THE MYSTERY OF THE GOSPEL. People were saved in the Old Testament the same EXACT way that we are today, that is, by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Dr. Peter Ruckman is a popular preacher in America, recognized for his strong defense of the King James Bible (for which I commend him). However, Dr. Ruckman is a false prophet who teaches that people in the Old Testament were required to do good works to get saved. That's heresy! Acts 10:43, “To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.” Clearly, Acts 10:43 teaches that the Old Testament prophets preached faith in Christ to be saved. There has always been ONLY ONE way of salvation, which is by faith in the Messiah! Dr. Ruckman also teaches that people will be required during the Tribulation to do good works to be saved. ADDING anything to simple faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ is a guaranteed road to Hell forever.
In the Old Testament, people were saved by looking forward to the coming Messiah. Genesis 15:6 says that Abram (Abraham) believed the Lord and it was counted unto him for righteousness. Romans 4:3-6 confirms this wonderful truth. We are saved by Christ's righteousness, and not our own. Abraham was saved by the Lord's righteousness, and was king David (Romans 4:6). People in the Old Testament didn't know in what manner the Messiah would be sacrificed for their sins. They had never heard of the precious name of Jesus. They didn't know that Jesus would die, be buried and rise up three days later. This was all a big MYSTERY. But thanks be to God our Savior, today we understand the gospel. We see the revelation of what the Old Testament saints couldn't see. Yet, they were saved by simply believing on the coming Messiah of Israel.
Romans 16:24-27, “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. 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, 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: To God only wise, be glory through Jesus Christ for ever. Amen.”
There
are many mysteries mentioned in the New Testament concerning this
intervening age between the Lord's first coming and His second coming. That is the period of time during which the King is absent from the
kingdom and His kingdom people, Israel, are in rejection also. Everything which happens during that absence is called a mystery...