Resuming the gospel of John. The Mystery of the Church. Joh 16:1; 14:25-26; NT documentation of the word



Class Outline:

Title: Resuming the gospel of John. The Mystery of the Church. JOH 16:1; 14:25-26; NT documentation of the word "mystery."

 

 

 

JOH 16:1 These things I have spoken to you, that you may be kept from stumbling [the law of Christ; the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus].

 

"These things" are the introductory doctrines of the mystery doctrine that He began to teach from JOH 13:1 up to this point.

 

They are likely in the Garden of Gethsemane at this point. This is the most effective, revealing, and important doctrine in all history.

 

JOH 14:25 "These things I have spoken to you, while abiding with you.

 

JOH 14:26 "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.

 

The Holy Spirit will not only remind them of the things spoken this night, but will also lead them into the full revelation of the mystery.

 

And the replacement of the disciple that was commanded to leave the upper room is going to be His vehicle of revelation of the mystery to the Gentiles, which will become a great multitude in the Church. Saul of Tarsus, at the time, had no clue about his destiny, as none of us had before salvation; who accounts himself as the chief of sinners and would be the one through whom this amazing doctrine that no man or angel had ever seen, would come to the light to most of the known world, and be recorded in perfect Scripture forever.

 

NT documentation of the word mystery:    

 

ROM 11:25 For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery, lest you be wise in your own estimation, that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in;

 

ROM 11:26 and thus all Israel will be saved; just as it is written,

"The Deliverer will come from Zion,

He will remove ungodliness from Jacob."

 

This is obviously not a reference to every Jew born into this world.

 

The reference is to the nation of Israel, already redeemed, who all see Christ and accept His rule at His second coming.

 

ISA 59:20

"And a Redeemer will come to Zion,

And to those who turn from transgression in Jacob," declares the Lord [read chapter 60].

 

Liberal theologians for centuries have been spiritualizing these literal promises to the nation of Israel and applying them to the Church, causing great error and damage to the understanding of the kingdom program of God.

 

In Paul's benediction in the amazing letter to the Romans:

 

ROM 16:25 Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret for long ages past,

 

ROM 16:26 but now is manifested, and by the Scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God, has been made known to all the nations [Paul's ministry to the Gentiles], leading to obedience of faith;

 

ROM 16:27 to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, be the glory forever. Amen.

 

1CO 2:7 but we speak God's wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom, which God predestined before the ages to our glory;

 

1CO 2:8 the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had understood it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory [the source of their destruction];

 

The immanency of the Rapture:

1CO 15:51 Behold, I tell you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,

 

1CO 15:52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.

 

EPH 1:9 He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him

 

God's grace as manifested in redemption is a mystery in virtue of its riches and depth — as the expression of God's very nature.

 

"according to His kind intention" - God has dominion and all that He does is good. His will is divinely good for all saints.

 

"purposed" - God's own free-determination, originating in His gracious mind.

 

EPH 1:10 with a view to an administration suitable to the fulness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things upon the earth.

 

EPH 3:1 For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles — 

 

EPH 3:2 if indeed you have heard of the stewardship [oversight or management] of God's grace which was given to me for you [and they have];