Gospel of John [Joh 16:1]. The Mystery of the Church part 3. NT documentation of the wordTitle: Gospel of John [Joh 16:1]. The Mystery of the Church part 3. NT documentation of the word "mystery."
NT documentation of the word mystery:
This mystery is great. Nothing has ever existed like this before. The Church, including every member of the body, would be organically part of Christ and Christ would love the Church as Himself since she is in Him, a part of Him, and the fulness of Him.
Eph 6:19 and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness [fearless, confident freedom in speaking] the mystery of the gospel,
Eph 6:20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.
Under the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus, an ambassador in chains takes on a beautiful dynamic in relation to the honor of Christ.
Col 1:24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body (which is the church) in filling up that which is lacking in Christ's afflictions.
"Now" means even now in prison. If ever Paul's cross became too heavy to bear it was this time in his life, but the contemplation of the lavish wealth of God's great mercy, and the witness of how his circumstance of suffering was all towards God's glory, his sorrow is turned to joy.
Flowing from Paul is a sudden burst of thanksgiving. The greatest sinner is experiencing the sufferings of Christ.
The one who was the greatest sinner is now sharing in the sufferings of Christ and in use of Christ's very assets has found tremendous joy in the midst of a situation of great suffering.
Php 3:10-11 that I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.
1Pe 4:13 but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing; so that also at the revelation of His glory, you may rejoice with exultation.
1Pe 5:10-11 And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you. To Him be dominion forever and ever. Amen.
We are not to rejoice over the suffering itself, but we are to rejoice in the midst of suffering as we endure.
The "afflictions of Christ" in Col 1:24 do not refer to His expiatory sufferings on the Cross. We do not ever share in the sufferings of the cross, rather we share in the result of its victory. This refers to His sufferings endured in His humiliation prior to that event, sufferings for righteousness' sake, sufferings incurred through exhausting service, heart-sufferings due to the opposition of sinners, sufferings which were the result of persecution, all of which was undeserved.
Since we are part of Christ and the Christ must suffer all things then His suffering during the incarnation is carried over to the Church and unto every member who follows Him.
Luk 17:20 "But first He must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.
Act 9:16 for I will show him [Paul] how much he must suffer for My name's sake.
Php 1:29 For to you it has been granted for Christ's sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake
2Ti 3:9 And indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.
Joh 16:1 "These things I have spoken to you, that you may be kept from stumbling.
Joh 16:2 "They will make you outcasts from the synagogue, but an hour is coming for everyone who kills you to think that he is offering service to God.
Joh 16:3 "And these things they will do, because they have not known the Father, or Me.
Joh 16:4 "But these things I have spoken to you, that when their hour comes, you may remember that I told you of them. And these things I did not say to you at the beginning, because I was with you.
Joh 16:5 "But now I am going to Him who sent Me; and none of you asks Me, 'Where are You going?'
Joh 16:6 "But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart.
Joh 16:7 "But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper shall not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you.
While Jesus was with them He was their protector and could deflect to himself attacks aimed at them; in fact, he continued to do so to the moment of His arrest.
Joh 18:8 Jesus answered, "I told you that I am He; if therefore you seek Me, let these go their way,"
It was therefore not necessary to warn them of impending persecution earlier. Now, however, things would be different: He Himself would no longer be with them in the way to which they had grown accustomed, that they would be direct targets for the attacks of God's opponents. The coming of the Helper, God the Holy Spirit, will compensate them for the loss of His own visible presence, and will in addition equip them with all the resources they will need in the new way of life on which they are about to enter.
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