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Father, I thank you for your Word which is the blueprint on how to live the great mystery. I thank you for giving us an understanding of your Word, so that we can believe it and manifest the result in our lives. Thank you for the authority and power you have given us in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.

The December 2018 teaching focused on the Love (agapao) of God in the Renewed Mind, Masters of God's Word. Because of our love for God, our Father, we must become Masters of His Word which is His Will. If we love God, our Father, we keep His Word! And we can't keep God's Word if we don't "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needed not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth" (2 Timothy 2:15).

I can't tell you how important it is for us to go to God's Word, study it and rightly divide it. 2 Corinthians 3:18, says:

But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

So, what you look at and read you become! The things you put in your mind are the images you will be! God's Word says:

Keep thy heart [the inner most part of your being] with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life - Proverbs 4:23.

For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation - Romans 10:10.

We must study God's Word and become the image of His Word. When people see us, they see Christ! When people see the love we manifest, they know we are Christ's disciples indeed!

The 2019 teaching subject will be on Living the Great Mystery. Each month, we will discuss the Great Mystery that is put forth in God's Word. In the Bible, the time period of the Great Mystery begins with the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:4) and ends with the gathering together of the believers (1 Thessalonians 4:17).

The January 2019 teaching will focus on answering the question What is the Great Mystery?

The word "mystery" means hidden, secret, or concealed. In the Bible, the word "mystery" is the Greek word musterion. The Hebrew word for "mystery" is ratz. Let's explore this topic by doing a word study on the Greek word musterion, which is translated "mystery" or "mysteries" in the New Testament. The word "mystery" (musterion) in the Bible means something that is kept secret yet can be understood when revealed.

According to Deuteronomy 29:29:

The secret things belong unto the Lord our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.

Using Young's Analytical Concordance to the Bible, New Revised and Corrected (1982. Nelson, T.) to find all the places where the word mystery occurs, we can read each verse to see what God's Word says about the Great Mystery. There are three occurrences of musterion in the Gospels (Matthew 13:11, Mark 4:11, and Luke 8:10). There are four occurrences in the Book of Revelation (1:20, 10:7, 17:5 and 7). And there are 21 occurrences of the word musterion in the Church Epistles (Romans through Thessalonians) which was revelation given to the Apostle Paul. Of those 21 occurrences, three refer to "mysteries" in the plural (1 Corinthians 4:1, 13:2, 14:2), and one refers to "the mystery of iniquity" (II Thessalonians 2:7). There remaining 17 verses are all pertinent to our study of the great mystery. These are the verses we will focus on this month.

We will start with the first of these 17 verses in order of appearance in the Bible. The first occurrence of musterion in the Pauline Epistles is in the Book of Romans. Romans 11:25 states:

For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery [musterion], 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.

The first thing we notice is that God does not want us ignorant of "this mystery." God want us to know and understand this mystery. The second thing we notice is that Israel and the Gentiles are involved in "this mystery." Look at Romans 16:25:

Now to him [God] that is of power to establish you according to my gospel [the Church Epistles], and the preaching of Jesus Christ [the humbled one now glorified], according to the revelation of the mystery [musterion], which was kept secret since the world began.

We see this mystery is the power of God to establish you according the Church Epistles, Romans through Thessalonians, and the preaching of Jesus Christ. This mystery "was kept secret since the world began." The next verse tells us this mystery is now made manifest, Romans 16:26:

But now [bold added] 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.

The word "Now" means we can know the Great Mystery right now! It's no longer a secret. How?

. . by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith [family].

The text "by the scriptures of the prophets" refers to the Grace Administration prophets. There are seven Administrations in the Bible. The Grace Administration begins on the day of Pentecost.

Let's look at the next occurrence of the word musterion in I Corinthians 2:7:

But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery [musterion], even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory.

Again, we see that this is the wisdom of God. This mystery had been a secret, here called "the hidden wisdom." God kept the mystery hidden which God ordained before the world for our glory. Continuing with I Corinthians 2:8:

Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

The prince of this world is Satan. God's Word says had Satan and his chief devil spirits known about the great mystery [musterion] "they would not have crucified the Lord of glory." This Great Mystery is so glorious, magnificent, and brilliant that had the devil known it, he would not have crucified the Lord of glory! This is why it was kept secret.

Turning to the next occurrence, I Corinthians 15:51-54:

Behold, I shew you a mystery [musterion]; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So, when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.

Part of the Great Mystery is the hope of Christ's return. The Bible tells us in I Thessalians 4, the dead in Christ shall rise first, and then those who are living shall meet them in the air. At that time, we shall all be changed. We shall receive new spiritual bodies and live with God forever.

Now, let's turn to Ephesians 1:9:

Having made known unto us the mystery [musterion] of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself.

Again, we see that God has "made known unto us the mystery." And that it was "his good pleasure" to do so. This mystery was God's Will that He "purposed" or decided upon Himself. No one knew about the Great Mystery, but God. It was God's Will to keep the Great Mystery a secret or hidden so that Satan would not know.

In Ephesians 3, the word musterion occurs three times. Let's look at Ephesians 3:1-2 to set the context:

For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, if ye have heard of the dispensation [oikonomia - Greek word which means administration] of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward.

The great truths of this Grace Administration were given to the Apostle Paul to make known for all believers living in this time period. Here in Ephesians, we are reading about this time characterized by God's Grace. The word "Grace" is defined as God's unmerited divine favor.

Let's continue with Ephesians 3:3-4:

How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery [musterion]; (as I wrote afore in few words, whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of [pertaining to] Christ).

See how magnificent this fits with what we've have already learned? God made known the mystery to Paul by revelation (word of knowledge). Word of knowledge is one of the nine manifestations of the gift of holy spirit that was in Paul, and when told to him, he wrote it down.

Now we can read this Word of God that Paul wrote and begin to know the Great Mystery. Ephesians 3:5:

Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now [bold added] revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit.

We see in other times this mystery was not made known, but now is revealed to the Apostle Paul. The word "spirit" in this verse references the gift of holy spirit in manifestation. Paul received knowledge of the Great Mystery by the revelation manifestation (word of knowledge, word of wisdom and discerning of spirit). Paul shared the Great Mystery with the born again believers.

By going through each occurrence of the word musterion verse by verse, we finally get to what the Great Mystery is. Ephesians 3:6:

That the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his [God's] promise in Christ by the gospel [bold added].

Here, in Ephesians 3:6, is the Great Mystery. All prior verses lead up to this verse by telling us it's importance and how it was kept by God so that Satan would not know. God made both Judean and Gentile believers to be fellow heirs and part of one new spiritual body, which is referred to as the "Church of the body" or "the body of Christ." All born again believers in that body are fellow heirs of all that God made available in Christ!

Now let's continue with Ephesians 3:7 and 8:

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.

The truths of the Great Mystery were "unsearchable." These truths cannot be found in the Old Testament or the Gospels. These truths were hiding in God before the foundation of the world. But once God revealed this Great Mystery to Paul, he made it known by his preaching and teaching.

Continue with Ephesians 3:9:

And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery [musterion], which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ.

The word "fellowship" in most critical Greek texts is translated oikonomia (Administration). Now we see the connection between the administration of "the grace of God" (Ephesians 3:2) and the administration of the Great Mystery (Ephesians 3:9). God wants all to see what the administration of the Great Mystery is. This administration we are now living in is the Grace Administration of the Great Mystery!

Now let's go to Ephesians 5:32:

This is a great mystery [musterion]: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.

The background of this verse is the marriage relationship. God makes it clear here He wants us to see the great mystery of Christ and the Church. Christ is the head of the church and the church is his body. The marriage relationship is an illustration of how the mystery works, and is explained in Ephesians 5:23:

For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church.

The next occurrence of the word musterionis in Ephesians 6:18-20:

Praying always with all prayer and supplication in [by way of] the Spirit [the gift in manifestation] and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints. And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery [musterion] of the gospel [good news of the Great Mystery], for which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

Again, we see that Paul made known the mystery, and he asked for the believers' prayers so that he could speak it boldly. This is a very important topic. God called Paul to make known the Great Mystery. Now that we, the saints, know the Great Mystery, we must make it known! It is the authority and power we have in the name of Jesus Christ! We are to open our mouth boldly, to make known the mystery.

The next occurrence of the word musterion is in Colossians 1:26:

Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now [bold added] is made manifest to his saints.

God's Word reiterates, from Romans 16:25 and I Corinthians 2:7, that the mystery was hidden or secret. This mystery is revealed to the saints, starting with the Apostle Paul, and continues with us as we read His Word.

Colossians 1:27 tells us:

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.

Prior to revealing the Great Mystery to Paul, God was the only one who knew about it. It was hidden for ages, kept from Satan, and finally shared that "the riches of the glory of this mystery which is Christ in you, the hope of glory!"

When we do as is told in Romans 10:9 - confess with our mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in our hearts that God hath raised Jesus him from the dead - we are saved; we are made whole; we are born-again (see January 2016 teaching on the New Birth).

The Great Mystery, as revealed to the Apostle Paul, tells us that every born-again believer has Christ within. When we received the gift of the holy spirit, we received the ability to operate all nine manifestations of the holy spirit (see 1 Corinthians 12:7-11). This marvelous reality was kept secret since the world began. This is the power of the Church! The Great Mystery tells us that Judean and Gentile are fellow heirs and in the same spiritual body. We know Christ is in each of us, the born-again believer! Philippians 4:13 takes on new meaning, for I can truly do all things through Christ which strengthens me because of the Great Mystery.

We took the occurrences of the word mystery or musterion as presented in the Church Epistles to understand the Great Mystery. We learned that God does not want us to be ignorant of the mystery. God tells us the Great Mystery was hidden so that the Prince of this world - Satan - would not know about it. We saw how the Great Mystery is part of the Grace Administration and is revealed to us so that we speak boldly of it.

In this teaching, the Great Mystery is that the "Gentiles should be fellow heirs, and of the same spiritual body" (Ephesians 3:6). We learned that it is "Christ in you" which is "the riches of the glory of this mystery" (Colossians 1:27). This is the Church, the called out from both Judeans and Gentiles, making one new spiritual man, a new body in Christ. The period of the Great Mystery begins with the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:4) and ends with the gathering together of the believers (1 Thessalonians 4:17).

Father, thank you for your Word which is your Will. Thank you for opening our understanding of the Great Mystery - Judeans and Gentiles as fellow heirs and in the same spiritual body. Thank you that it is Christ in us, the hope of glory, which is the riches of the glory of this Great Mystery. Thank you for this word study of musterion so that we can know all born-again believers are in one new spiritual body, with Christ as the head in this administration of grace. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen

Next month's teaching will be on Acts 2: 42-47 as we continue to learn about Living the Great Mystery.

In the Lord,

Ministry of Reconciliation
Son of God through Jesus Christ
Ambassador for Christ

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