Questions for today’s Christians to consider.

• Why is the present Biblical dispensation still a mystery to most Christians today?
• Why are man’s Chrisian churches today preaching Jesus’ “gospel of the kingdom” that was intended for Israel (cf. Matt. 15:25, 10:5-6)?

In Paul’s POST-ACTS ministry and his 2^nd set of seven epistles, “the Apostle to the GENTILES,” Paul, Revealed God’s Formerly Secreted Knowledge Of “THE Mystery,” which came into operation only after the close of the book of Acts and its 35-year Acts period.

Yet today few Christians realize anything about “How that by revelation he [Christ] made known unto me [Paul] THE MYSTERY [the secret plan of God for the Gentiles]” (Eph. 3:3).

“For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, ² If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace [free gift] of God which is given me to you-ward: 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) 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;” Ephesians 3:1-5 (KJV)

The word “mystery” in the Bible comes from the Greek form ‘musterion’ from the root ‘muo’ which means “to shut the mouth.” In the Bible it is used by God to withhold some plan or truth from Satan in the sense of spiritually revealing something only to whom and when it serves God’s eternal purpose.

The Greek ‘Musterion’ in the NT does not denote the mysterious, odd or strange, but rather knowledge that is outside the range of unassisted natural apprehension, which can be made known only by divine revelation. It is made known in a manner and in a time appointed by God, and only by His Holy Spirit. Such hidden truth in the Bible is not revealed to just anyone. (Mark 4:9-12, 1 Cor 2:9-11, 13-15)

Obviously, a Biblical “Mystery [secret]” which has been revealed is no longer a mystery to those to whom it has been revealed. It then becomes a Biblical truth. It is a mystery only to whom and so long as it has not been revealed. To them it is still hidden truth: a ‘mystery.’

Satan’s foremost method of veiling (hiding) God’s truth is called “religion” and “tradition.” These traditions of religion, including those seen among Christendom today. They are the binding agents to Satan’s lies which create all the confusion and divisions in and among man’s religion. Jesus, speaking of “the tradition of the elders” of Israel, said you are “Making the word of God of none effect through your TRADITION, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.” (Mk. 7:13 (KJV)

The “Mystery” of “the body of Christ” is of God’s choice. The knowledge of the called-out, which is “His body,” is found in Paul’s post-Acts (prison) epistles: primarily in Eph. (1:1-23) and Col. (1:21-29, 2:11-15, 3:1-4). This “faithful” company is of a HEAVENLY calling and a different Eternal HOPE that is totally apart from Israel’s earthly kingdom gospel and Israel’s calling and hope of a restored kingdom ON EARTH, as found in Paul’s epistles written during the Acts Period of 35 years.

The dispensation of “THE Mystery” seen in Paul’s Ephesians and Colossians epistles is not found in the Bible’s Old Testament, the four Gospels, the Acts of the Apostles, the epistles of James, Jude, John, or Peter, nor Paul’s Acts Period epistles, or John’s Revelation!

During this present 2,000-year age, Israel is set aside as LO-Ammi, meaning “Not My People”) while the “salvation of God is sent to the Gentiles, and that they will hear it” (Acts 28:28). John’s Gospel contains the message of “everlasting life” to “WHOSOEVER” (Jn. 3:16); but this does not mean all saved believers have been chosen for that separate higher calling and hope of today’s “Mystery Gospel.”

During this age God is calling out those of his chosen “body” (ekklesia, a gathered body of individuals) by revealing to those whom He chose… the truth of “THE MYSTERY (Secret, Grk. musterion)” through the Holy Spirt and the rightly divided “word of truth.”

This ekklesia which is “His body” is a ‘spiritual body’ (Eph 2:22), invisible to the world, and based upon Scriptural truth that sets us free from bondage to man’s religion (Latin, re-ligio = to bind anew).

This company of believers consists of the called-out of God (Eph 1:4) who are given “the spirit of wisdom and revelation” to acknowledge Him, those whose ‘eyes of understanding are enlightened to know what is the hope of His calling (cf. Ephesians 1:17-18). This Mystery that was the secret God hid from Satan’s princes (1Cor 2:7-8), which now has been unveiled by God… for us to see and understand.

Below are a few key verses concerning the truth of “the Mystery” for us to relish as we look for His and our “appearing” with him.

• He has blessed us with every blessing that is spiritual (Eph 1:3)
• He has chosen us in Him before the overthrow of the world (Eph 1:4)
• That we should be holy and without blame before Him (Eph 1:4)
• He predestinated us unto the adoption as sons (Eph 1:5)
• He made us accepted in the beloved (Eph 1:6)
• He redeemed us through His blood, the forgiveness of sins (Eph 1:7)
• He abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence (Eph 1:8)
• He made known to us the mystery of His will (Eph 1:9)
• He obtained us as an inheritance (Eph 1:11)
• He sealed us with the Holy Spirit of promise (Eph 1:13)
• He quickened us together with Christ (Eph 2:5)
• He raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus where Christ sits on the right hand of God (Eph 2:6, Col 3:1)
• We died and our life is hid with Christ in God (Col 3:3)
• When Christ who is our life shall appear (epiphaneia), then shall we also appear with Him in glory (Col 3:4)

By Contrast;

1. The POST-ACTS “faithful” of the called-out Gentile “body of Christ” today are looking for Christ’s “appearing [epiphaneia]” (cf. Col 3:4) and they have the expectation of their “out resurrection,” out from among the dead. (cf. Phil 3:11);
   • This concerns a people of God going UP to Dwell in Heaven.
2. The inter-Acts Judeo-Christian church (ekklesia) during the Acts period was looking for Christ’s ‘coming’ (His return) and ‘presence’ (parousia) (cf. 1 Thes 4:17) by a so-called “rapture” into Christ’s Millennial Kingdom on earth.
   • This concerns a people of God who will Return with Christ to Dwell On Earth.

  These above concern two distinctly separate events.

I believe God’s next move is the “manifestation [appearing]” of Christ in the heavens, complete with this His body; “the fulness of Him that filleth all in all.”  Christ cannot be manifest in Heaven until “His body” is filled full … after which He will come again to fulfill Israel’s hope of the Kingdom ON EARTH.

Paul here writes of today’s Gentile age that will last until the Gentile “body of Christ” is filled to the full, when the ‘out-resurrection’ and ‘appearing in heaven’ will occur.

“For I would not, brethren, that ye [Israel] should be ignorant of THIS MYSTERY, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is [temporarily] happened to Israel, until the fulness of the GENTILES be come in.” Romans 11:25 (KJV)

“If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection [out-resurrection] of the dead.” Philippians 3:11

“I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:14 (KJV)

(Adapted by Arthur J Licursi as largely taken from Alan Naas)