INTRODUCTION

Definition

We must begin this lengthy study with a clear definition of what the term “mystery” means in the context of the New Testament. The Greek word that is used is very much like the English word: musteirion is the Greek word from which the English word “mystery” comes. The etymology of the word is from the Greek root, mueo, which means “to shut,” normally a reference to shutting the eyes. So, the root meaning has the concept of “one who shuts his eyes.” As he shuts his eyes, he begins to meditate, and things are revealed to him. Thus, the derived meaning is one who is initiated into the mysteries. Now, in Classical Greek – which preceded the Greek of the New Testament – it had the following basic meanings: a hidden thing, a secret ceremony, a secret teaching, a mystery, secret rites or instruments of the teaching connected with them. And that is its meaning in Classical Greek. As we move into New Testament Greek, the New Testament meaning is very simple: It refers to something that was totally unrevealed in the Old Testament, only now to be revealed in the New Testament. So, for something to really qualify as a New Testament mystery, in its New Testament usage, it must be something that has absolutely not been revealed anywhere in the Old Testament.

Scripture

Some basic Scriptures pertaining to this definition would include the following:

In Romans 16:25-26, Paul writes, according to the revelation of the mystery which had been kept in silence through times eternal but has now been manifested. First, the mystery has been kept in silence through all eternity past; and, second, it has only now been revealed, “now” referring to the apostolic period.

Another passage is Colossians 1:26, where Paul writes, the mystery that has been hid for ages and generations, but now has been manifested to his saints. Here, again, two things are evident: First, the mystery has been hid for ages and for generations; but, second, it is now being revealed unto the saints.

Together with four other passages – Matthew 13:11, 35; I Corinthians 2:7; Ephesians 3:4-5 and 3:9 – these Scriptures give us a definition of a mystery as something that was unrevealed in the Old Testament and now revealed for the first time in the New Testament. To summarize what the word “mystery” means, then, it is the secret thoughts, plans, and dispensations of God which are hidden from humanity and must be revealed by divine revelation. The word “mystery” in the New Testament does not carry our modern English meaning, i.e., something that is inexplicable. That is not its New Testament meaning. In the New Testament, the word “mystery” is something unrevealed until now, being revealed only now – “now” meaning New Testament times.

Observations

One of six specific observations [contained in the full study] is the fact that the word “mystery” in the New Testament is not a casual or loosely used term, but a carefully chosen term that is important for biblical theology, which, in turn, affects many areas of systematic theology. For example, in regard to Bibliology, the doctrine of Scripture, the mystery involves new revelation that came through the New Testament prophets. Second, with Theology Proper, the mystery includes the providence and the decrees of God. Third, concerning Christology, the doctrine of the Son, part of the mystery is the present-day indwelling of the Messiah. Fourth, in Pneumatology, the doctrine of the Holy Spirit, we are told that the Holy Spirit is the key to understanding the mystery. Fifth, Satanology, the doctrine of Satan, includes the fact that Satan has his counterfeit mystery. Sixth, Israelology, the doctrine of Israel, includes the mystery of the Kingdom of God Program in this age, as well as Israel’s present hardening. Seventh, in terms of Ecclesiology, the doctrine of the Church, five of the eight mysteries apply to the Church. And, eighth, Eschatology, the doctrine of the Last Days, includes the prophecy of the Translation of the saints and the destruction of the satanic mystery. We can see, then, that the “mystery” of the New Testament is a very carefully chosen, theological term.

Usage

The word “mystery” is found 28 times in the New Testament. It is found once in each of the Synoptic Gospels: once in Matthew; once in Mark; once in Luke. Paul used the word 21 times, and is, in fact, the major user of the word. Finally, it is used four times in the Book of Revelation. Looking at all 28 usages, there are three basic categories:  First, the major way the word “mystery” is used is to describe the divine plan of God in the Messiah, and this would include things like the Mystery Kingdom, the Gentile role and the Church. A second category is secrets revealed to individuals, which is used only twice (I Cor. 13:2; 14:2). The third category is the hidden meaning found in symbols and types. It was a mystery because it was hidden typologically in specific symbols. That would include, for example, the seven stars and seven lampstands (Rev. 1:20) and Mystery Babylon (Rev. 17:5, 7).

The Mystery of the Seven Stars and Seven Golden Lampstands (Revelation 1:20)

The first of the five mysteries involving the Church is the mystery of the seven stars and seven golden lampstands, as found in Revelation 1:20. This verse tells us two things. First, the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches. When the word “stars” is used symbolically, it refers to angels. As this was already known from the Old Testament, this cannot be the mystery. The mystery is the fact that each local church has a guardian angel, a truth not contained in the Old Testament. Again, the mystery must always be an element not revealed in the Old Testament. The second facet of verse 20 is that the seven lampstands are seven churches. Because a seven-branch lampstand (menorah) was a symbol of Israel in the Old Testament, neither could this be a mystery. However, the fact that each local church is an individual lampstand is something unrevealed in the Old Testament. The mystery here, then, is the fact that the seven individual lampstands symbolize the seven local churches.

The Mystery of the Body (Ephesians 3:1-12)

The second mystery pertaining to the Church is that of the Body, found in Ephesians 3:1-12. In 3:1, Paul says that he has become a prisoner on behalf of the Gentiles. And the background to 3:1 is his earlier writing in chapter two. In 2:11-12, he wrote that the Gentiles had not been enjoying the spiritual blessings of the Jewish covenants because of the Mosaic Law, which served as a middle wall of partition to keep Gentiles as Gentiles away from enjoying the spiritual blessings of the Jewish covenants. But, in 2:13-15, Paul described how the Messiah, in His death, broke down this wall of partition and brought the Gentiles near. In 2:16-18, the Messiah has now united Jews and Gentiles into one Body. And, in verses 19-22, this one Body is the Church. In 2:19, the Gentiles are fellow citizens with the Jewish believers of the household of God. In verse 20, the foundation of this household, the foundation of the Church, is the Apostles and Prophets, with Jesus being the foundation stone. In verses 21-22, this Church is now the Temple of God. And Paul’s calling was to expound upon the place of the Gentiles in the Body. All this is the background to his statement in 3:1, that he has become a prisoner on behalf of the Gentiles. Now, in 3:2, he adds that the knowledge of the Dispensation of the Grace of God was given to Paul on behalf of the Gentiles. In verse three, he re-emphasizes the fact that the revelation of the mystery was made to Paul. This is why Paul has a special and unique understanding of the mystery (v. 4). And so, for this reason, Paul felt constrained to proclaim the mystery (I Cor. 2:1). Paul considered himself the steward of the mysteries of God (I Cor. 4:1). He wished to proclaim the mystery of the gospel in boldness, for which he was willing to suffer physically (Eph. 6:19-20; Col. 4:2-4). Now, in 3:5, he states that this mystery had not been revealed in the past, but only now to His holy Apostles and New Testament Prophets, which makes it a mystery. But what exactly is this mystery? The content of the mystery is that Jewish and Gentile believers are united in one Body (v. 6), and this is the one new man of 2:15. Now, the fact of Gentile salvation is not the mystery. The fact that the Messiah would save Gentiles was revealed in the Old Testament. The mystery which was previously unrevealed was the fact that Jewish and Gentile believers will make up one entity, the Body of the Messiah, the Church. Thus, the position of the Gentiles, he says, is that of three things: first, they are fellow heirs, set to share with Israel in the inheritance of the Kingdom; second, they are fellow members of the Body, the Church; and, third, they are fellow partakers of the promise. The promise is the covenantal promise of spiritual blessings; the position is in Christ Jesus; and the means is through the gospel.

In 3:7, then, Paul says, I was made a minister, a minister of the mystery, according to the gift of that grace of God which was given me. He was using his spiritual gift to proclaim the mystery on the basis of the working of God’s power. In 3:8, Paul is the Apostle of the mystery; unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, was this grace given, and the purpose is to preach unto the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, making His riches the Gentiles’ riches as they become partakers. The goal of it all, according to 3:9, is to make all men see what is the dispensation of the mystery. And the Dispensation of the Mystery is the mystery of the Dispensation of Grace of verse two. This had been hidden in God who created all things, but now has been revealed. In 3:10, he spells out the purpose: the object is that now unto principalities and powers in heavenly places; in other words, the object is that the spirit world might know. And this might even include the wicked angels of 6:12. What is it they might know? Might be made known through the Church the manifold wisdom of God. It will be through the Church, because the mystery here is the union of both Jews and Gentiles, which shows the wisdom of God and His program for this age. The plan of God is all this, then, according to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord, verse 11 tells us. Paul concludes in 3:12, spelling out his confidence in proclaiming the mystery. The mystery here is a union of Jews and Gentiles in one Body, unrevealed in the Old Testament.

The Mystery of the Indwelling Christ (Colossians 1:24-29)

The third mystery relevant to the Church is the mystery of the indwelling Christ, found in Colossians 1:24-29. In verse 24, Paul states that he rejoices in his afflictions, because he was suffering for the readers’ sake. He knows he is suffering for the sake of Messiah’s Body, which is the Church. Again, the Body is the Church made up of Jews and Gentiles, which is the mystery of Ephesians. But here in Colossians, Paul will reveal yet another mystery. In verse 25, Paul describes his ministry: Whereof [meaning for the sake of the Church] I was made a minister, according to the dispensation of God. This is the same as the Dispensation of Grace in Ephesians 2:2, and it is the same as the Dispensation of the Mystery in Ephesians 3:9. The object of the mystery – which was given me to you-ward – is the Gentiles. And the purpose was to fulfill the word of God. He then describes the revelation of the mystery (v. 26), presenting it in two time zones. First, the past: the mystery which had been hid for ages and generations. Second, the present: but now has been manifested to his saints. Again, this is what makes it a mystery, this fact that it was unrevealed in the Old Testament and revealed for the first time in the New. In verse 27, he moves on to discuss the object and the content of the mystery. First, the object is the saints, to whom God was pleased to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles. Here, once again, the Gentiles are in focus, as this mystery involves them. Second, the content is Christ in you, the hope of glory. The fact that the Messiah now indwells every believer is the mystery unrevealed in the Old Testament. The fact that the Holy Spirit indwells believers was not a mystery in and of itself, as this was already well known in the Old Testament. But while the Old Testament revealed many things about the coming of the Messiah, His Person, His message, His program, it never revealed that He would indwell every believer. So, this is now revealed in the New Testament, fulfilling the promise that Jesus made in John 14:20 (I am in you) and John 14:23 (We will abide with him). This, Paul says, is the hope of glory.

Later, in Colossians 2:1-7, he makes two further points about this hope: First, the mystery of God is Christ (2:2); and, second, this includes spiritual growth (2:6-7). Then, in 2:9-10, he states, in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, and He is indwelling us (v. 9); in Him, we are made full (v. 10). This is the hope of glory. Colossians 3:3-4 makes a further point: Paul writes in verse three, For ye died, and your life is hid with Christ in God. In other words, once the mystery was hid in God, but now the believer is hid in God. Then, in verse four, the timing of the manifestation of our glory is: When Christ, who is our life, shall be manifested. That will be the Second Coming. The fact is, as the verse continues: then shall ye also with him be manifested in glory. Thus, just as the mystery was glory manifested, so shall we be manifested to the world in glory, meaning in our glorified state when we return with Him. The final goal is that Christ is all, and in all (3:11).

Finally, Paul’s aim in Colossians 1:28-29 was to proclaim this mystery with the power of the Lord, and the content of this mystery in relation to the Church is the fact that Messiah Himself indwells every believer.