Doctrine of the mystery part 8: God decreed the mystery doctrine and gave the gift of pastor/teacher to communicate it. 1Co 2:7; 4:1; Eph 4:11-16

No class July 3^rd.

 

/5. The mystery as Church Age doctrine was a part of the divine decrees in eternity past - 1 Corinthians 2:7. \

 

1 Cor 2:6 Yet we do speak wisdom among those who are mature; a wisdom, however, not of this age [world = the social gospel or collective salvation], nor of the rulers of this age [Christianity does not need human sponsors], who are passing away;

 

1 Cor 2:7 but we speak God's wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom, which God predestined before the ages [divine decrees] to our glory [our glory is union with TLJC];

 

/Because Christ has been glorified, each believer has been glorified. The mystery is that the baptism of the HS enters every believer into union with Christ.\

 

1 Cor 2:8 the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age [referring to Roman and Jewish rulers during the first advent] has understood; for if they had understood it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory;

 

1 Cor 2:9 but just as it is written [ISA 64:4],

"Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard,

And which have not entered the heart of man,

All that God has prepared for those who love Him."

 

 

Please notice what God has prepared for those who love Him.

 

/What is beyond what you have seen, beyond what you have heard, and beyond anything you’ve ever dreamed and it is nothing material. It is the mystery doctrine of the Church-age. \

 

This mystery is hid with Christ.

 

/COL 3:1 If then you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. \

 

The things above are the mystery doctrines of the Church-age.

 

/COL 3:2 Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. \

 

You will never discover these things on the earth because they are not here amidst earthly things, rather they are hidden with Christ.

 

/COL 3:3 For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. \

 

Christ is seated at the right hand of God at the throne of God. We are commanded to approach that throne boldly. We do so when concentrating on doctrine under the filling of the HS, communicated by your assigned PT.

 

The throne of grace is fully approachable by the believer priest and he does so when perceiving doctrine and in prayer where he uses his doctrine as a weapon in petition and supplication.

 

Don’t let this life remain hidden with Christ, but discover what eye has not seen, ear has not heard, nor has entered into the heart of man.

 

And notice how it is revealed.

 

1 Cor 2:10 For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God.

 

People don’t want God’s wisdom. Instead they want stuff, approbation, human promotion, sexual and social prosperity, etc. and what is sad is that this is the attitude of many born-again believers. These things are earthly.

 

These things provide temporary happiness or distraction. Sharing the happiness of God comes from the accumulation of the wisdom of the mystery in the right lobe of the soul through the GAP process.

 

This above and beyond blessing was provided by God in EP through the divine decree. This was settled in the mind of God in EP and therefore there now remains no other way to attain true happiness and subsequently glorify God.

           

/6. The pastor is responsible for communicating Church Age doctrine. This is called the stewardship of the mysteries, 1 Cor 4:1.\

 

/1 Cor 4:1

Let a man regard us [communicators of doctrine] in this manner, as servants of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God.\

 

/ “servants” - ‘uperetaj[huperetas] = a messenger of God, a willing assistant in contrast to a slave.\

 

It is important to go back to the original Greek to distinguish this office from that of a slave.

 

The word for slave is not used here because the communicator must be willing and not under compulsion. This word was used in the ancient world for the messengers and assistants to the gods, shield and weapon bearers for higher ranking army officers, assistants to doctors, etc.  

 

The willing assistant who is a communicator of doctrine must also be a steward.

 

/ “steward” - oikonomoj[oikonomos] - the manager of a household, superintendent, steward. One who manages something as an agent of another.\

 

The steward is under the authority of the owner of the house, but has authority over the servants of the house as long as he executes his authority according to the owner’s wishes.

 

This word speaks of the authority of the pastor over the congregation as he manages the communication of the word of God according to the wishes of the owner, who is God.

 

When he no longer executes his authority properly he will fall under divine discipline to the end that he may be removed by God. 

 

EPH 3:3 that by revelation there was made known to me the mystery, as I wrote before in brief.

 

Paul received personal revelation from God since none of the mystery doctrine was yet recorded.

 

However, the mystery is no longer revealed by direct revelation from God, but from personal revelation through the canon of scripture under the power of the filling of the Holy Spirit.

 

In our initial passage:

 

/1 Cor 2:10 For to us God revealed them through the Spirit [personal revelation of the believer priest]; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God.\

 

This doesn’t speak of the entire revelation to the Church in the NT, but more personally to the individual priest who through inculcation receives personal revelation through his true teacher, God the Holy Spirit.

 

EPH 3:3 that by revelation there was made known to me the mystery, as I wrote before in brief.

 

EPH 3:4 And by referring to this, when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ,

 

Please notice that you can understand the mystery of Christ just as much as a pastor or even the apostle Paul.

 

EPH 3:5 which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit;

 

 

COL 1:25 Of this church I was made a minister according to the stewardship from God bestowed on me for your benefit, that I might fully carry out the preaching of the word of God,

 

COL 1:26that is, the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations; but has now been manifested to His saints,

 

COL 1:27to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

 

Therefore, the pastor is not to be emphasizing the Mosaic Law or the Tribulation or the Millennium in his teaching. These things must be taught, but his ministry must emphasize the times of the Gentiles and God’s unique plan for that/this age.

 

/Therefore, the pastor teacher becomes a necessary gift for the building up of the church, EPH 4:11-16. \

 

EPH 4:11 And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers,

 

/“pastors” - poimen[poimen] means shepherd. Under this title the pastor teacher is a protector of his assigned flock.\

 

/“teachers” - didaskaloj[didaskalos] (close to “did ask a lot”) means a prepared and skilled teacher.\

 

So the spiritual gift of pastor teacher is given to a male believer to protect and teach his flock.

 

He is to be aware of any dangers that enter the local assembly that are present to cause division, distraction, or disorder.

 

He delegates authority but he is ultimately responsible for the proper function of the local assembly.

 

He is to prepare himself by studying to point of exhaustion so that his congregation is skillfully taught with major emphasis on the mystery doctrine of the Church-age.

 

His is to pray continually for his flock through intercessory prayer.

 

You know your PT is doing his job when every message is packed with pertinent knowledge of the spiritual life and that your local assembly functions smoothly and orderly.

 

His life is a life of sacrifice for his congregation and as a leader he is the ultimate servant. This does not mean that he is at your beck and call to answer all your questions and to counsel your life. He knows that the word of God will answer all questions and that the Lord, the living word, is the one and only counselor.  

 

Now we see the mission of the PT:

 

EPH 4:12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ;

 

/ “building up” - oikodome[oikodome] - a completed or finished building = the edification complex of the soul.\

 

The word of God taught by the prepared PT edifies your soul to the building up of a structure that has the foundation of Jesus Christ upon which sit the stones of the structure. The stones are the individual doctrines that you metabolize and through application become wisdom in the heart. When this structure is nearing completion the believer shares the happiness of God and begins the life of the invisible hero. To him, the mysteries of Christ are no longer hidden and while basking in the light of these things that go beyond normal thinking, hearing, or desiring, he glorifies God during his last days/weeks/months/years on earth.

 

EPH 4:13until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fulness of Christ.

 

Going back to verse 11, the apostles are complete in Paul, the prophet was a temporary gift in the early church, the evangelist is a gift to the unbeliever, and so the PT is given as a gift to the church for the equipping of the saints.

 

/You cannot be properly equipped for the work of service, or build a completed edification complex in your soul, or attain unity with other members of the body of Christ, or become a mature believer in the image of Christ without your pastor teacher. \

 

I’m not teaching this for job security. I’m teaching this because it is doctrinal and the will of God.

 

Because of this he is to be honored, respected, and supported. He is the link between the written word and the living word residing in your heart.

 

/1 Tim 5:17

Let the elders [presbuteros = pastor-guardians] who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching.\

 

You don’t always have to like you PT. It is not his personality or charisma or looks that are important. It is his preparation under his supernatural gift that is important.

 

He is a servant of Christ and therefore a servant of you by preparing the doctrine categorically by means of the HS. He gives up a normal life so that he may fulfill his calling of studying and teaching doctrine.

 

EPH 4:14As a result [your teachability under your PT], we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves, and carried about by every wind of doctrine [social gospel; Christianity light; secular doctrines], by the trickery of men [false doctrines made to look true on the surface], by craftiness in deceitful scheming [calling card of satan and the KOD];

 

Sound doctrine on a daily basis, or inculcation, protects your soul from false doctrine and stabilizes you in a world full of lies and half-truths.

 

EPH 4:15but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him, who is the head, even Christ,

 

EPH 4:16 from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by that which every joint supplies [the joint is the PT], according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.

 

The Church is the body of Christ on earth. Not a representation of His body or another body like His body, but the actual body of Christ made up of all born-again believers. But the body doesn’t function without the Head, and the Head communicates the instructions for the body through the word of God which every joint supplies.

 

/The doctrine taught by the PT brings unity to the body of Christ. The absolutes of doctrine raise us above the normal world of competitions and comparisons.\

 

The great virtue of virtue love is the result of the PT’s preparation and exhaustive study and the result of the doctrinal student’s inculcation.