Les mystères de la Bible

L'Évangile, parfois appelé mystère, contient les mystères du Royaume de Dieu. Dans cet article, nous allons passer en revue quelques-uns des mystères de la Bible. Chacun d'entre eux pourrait faire l'objet d'un article à part entière, voire d'un livre, pour être expliqué en détail. Mais pour les besoins de cet article, certains d'entre eux sont abordés de manière sommaire, avec une discussion sur les raisons pour lesquelles ils ont été découverts dans la Bible. la Bible elle-même est un mystère pour la plupart des gens.

L'évangile, la parole de Dieu, la Bible, est en effet un mystère. Bien qu'il s'agisse du livre le plus diffusé de l'histoire selon guinnessworldrecords.com, ses enseignements ne sont correctement compris, relativement parlant, que par une poignée de personnes. De nombreuses vérités spécifiques sont révélées dans la Bible, qui sont elles-mêmes des mystères, même si, ironiquement, elles sont expliquées clairement dans la Bible.

Pourquoi le livre le plus publié au monde est-il un mystère ? Pourquoi ses enseignements sont-ils des mystères ? Pour nous aider à comprendre, examinons le mot "mystère" lui-même, tel qu'il est utilisé dans la Bible, et discutons de sa signification.

The word “mystery” used in its singular or plural form twenty-seven times in the New King James translation of the New Testament, is translated from the Greek word musterion. In essence, the word means that which is understood only by initiates, or a select group.

Some of the comments explaining the word musterion from Vines’ Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words are as follows:

“In the NT it denotes, not the mysterious (as with the Eng. word), but that which, being outside the range of unassisted natural apprehension, can be made known only by Divine revelation, and is made known in a manner and at a time appointed by God, and to those only who are illumined by His Spirit. In the ordinary sense a ‘mystery’ implies knowledge withheld; its Scriptural significance is truth revealed. Hence the terms especially associated with the subject are ‘made known,’ ‘manifested,’ ‘revealed,’ ‘preached,’ ‘understand,’ ‘dispensation.’ The definition given above may be best illustrated by the following passage: ‘the mystery which hath been hid from all ages and generations: but now hath it been manifested to His saints’ (Col. 1:26, RV). It is used of: (a) spiritual truth generally, as revealed in the gospel, 1Cor. 13:2; 14:2 (cp. 1Tim. 3:9).”

The “mystery” of the gospel has been described as an “open secret.” It is a “secret” that has been openly proclaimed, yet few believe it, and even fewer take the time or put in the effort to actually understand it.

The “mysteries” of the gospel, or God’s word, the Bible, are the spiritual truths contained therein.

“Likewise deacons must be reverent, not double-tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy for money, holding the mystery of the faith with a pure conscience” (1 Timothy 3:8-9).

Note the reference to the “mystery of the faith.” Faith simply means belief. “The faith” of which Paul speaks is the system of belief contained in God’s word. The “mystery of the faith” is everything encompassed in the teachings of God’s word, because that’s what comprises the true faith.

Jesus said, quoting Scripture, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4).

Included in the mysteries of the Bible is, among other things, knowledge concerning the nature of God as a family; God’s eternal purpose for mankind, including both Israelites and Gentiles; calling, election and salvation by grace through faith; conversion through the indwelling of the Father and Jesus Christ by repentance and obedience through faith; the resurrection from the dead; the Church in the eras of the Old Testament and the New Testament; the mystery of iniquity; the mystery of the harlot empire. A number of other specific doctrines could be referenced as well.

The mystery of the gospel is revealed through the word of God, preserved in the Bible. But, as noted earlier, it and its various features are not understood by most people in this age. It is not that God does not want people to understand his word. He does want mankind to understand, but there are prerequisites to understanding.

Notice what Moses said to the Israelites as they were about to enter the promised land:

“Surely I have taught you statutes and judgments, just as the Lord my God commanded me, that you should act according to them in the land which you go to possess. Therefore be careful to observe them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples who will hear all these statutes, and say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and comprendre people’” (Deuteronomy 4:5-6).

Scripture reveals, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; A good comprendre have all those who do His commandments. His praise endures forever” (Psalms 111:10).

Note that understanding would come for the Israelites with obeying the laws God had given them. The principle that spiritual understanding depends on obedience to God’s word, his laws, is confirmed many times in Scripture:

“My son, if you receive my words, And chérit mes commandements within you, So that you incline your ear to wisdom, And apply your heart to comprendre; Yes, if you cry out for discernment, And lift up your voice for comprendre, If you seek her as silver, And search for her as for hidden treasures; Then you will comprendre the fear of the Lord, And find the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and comprendre; He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk uprightly; He guards the paths of justice, And preserves the way of His saints. Then you will comprendre righteousness and justice, Equity and every good path” (Proverbs 2:1-9).

“My son, n'oublie pas ma loi, But let your heart keep my commands; For length of days and long life And peace they will add to you. [Note that peace results from keeping God’s commands, his law.] Let not mercy and truth forsake you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart, And so find favor and high esteem In the sight of God and man. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths” (Proverbs 3:1-6).

“Hear, my children, the instruction of a father, And give attention to know understanding; For I give you good doctrine: Do not forsake my law. When I was my father’s son, Tender and the only one in the sight of my mother, He also taught me, and said to me: ‘Let your heart retain my words; Keep my commands, and live. Get wisdom! Get understanding! Do not forget, nor turn away from the words of my mouth. Do not forsake her, and she will preserve you; Love her, and she will keep you. Wisdom is the principal thing; Therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding’” (Proverbs 4:1-7).

“My son, keep my words, And treasure my commands within you. Keep my commands and live, And my law as the apple of your eye. Bind them on your fingers; Write them on the tablet of your heart. Say to wisdom, ‘You are my sister,’ And call comprendre your nearest kin” (Proverbs 7:1-4).

“Does not wisdom cry out, And comprendre lift up her voice? She takes her stand on the top of the high hill, Beside the way, where the paths meet. She cries out by the gates, at the entry of the city, At the entrance of the doors: ‘To you, O men, I call, And my voice is to the sons of men. O you simple ones, understand prudence, And you fools, be of an comprendre heart. Listen, for I will speak of excellent things, And from the opening of my lips will come right things; For my mouth will speak truth; Wickedness is an abomination to my lips. All the words of my mouth are with righteousness; Nothing crooked or perverse is in them. They are all plain to him who understands, And right to those who find knowledge. Receive my instruction, and not silver, And knowledge rather than choice gold; For wisdom is better than rubies, And all the things one may desire cannot be compared with her. I, wisdom, dwell with prudence, And find out knowledge and discretion. The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way And the perverse mouth I hate. Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom; I am understanding, I have strength. By me kings reign, And rulers decree justice. By me princes rule, and nobles, All the judges of the earth. I love those who love meEt those who seek me diligently will find me’” (Proverbs 8:1-17).

“Wisdom has built her house, She has hewn out her seven pillars; She has slaughtered her meat, She has mixed her wine, She has also furnished her table. She has sent out her maidens, She cries out from the highest places of the city, ‘Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!’ As for him who lacks comprendre, she says to him, ‘Come, eat of my bread And drink of the wine I have mixed. Forsake foolishness and live, And go in the way of understanding’” (Proverbs 9:1-6).

Note there is a way of understanding. Obeying God’s commandments leads to understanding. Understanding requires a willingness to meet the requirements that will enable one to have understanding of the mysteries of the Bible. And most people who have been exposed to the word of God have not demonstrated such a willingness in this age.

Nevertheless, it is God’s will that you, and all people, understand these mysteries.

“…we …do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual comprendre…” (Colossians 1:9).

“For I want you to know what a great conflict I have for you and those in Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh, that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:1-3).

It is our responsibility as God’s Church to come to understand the mysteries of the gospel, and proclaim them, making the Bible plain, so that anyone who is willing may believe, understand and obey the gospel.

“Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God” (1 Corinthians 4:1).

Paul asked that those he served pray for him: “…that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel” (Ephesians 6:19).

According to Paul, Jesus said to him when he was struck blind and led to conversion: “I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I will yet reveal to you. I will deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you, to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me” (Acts 26:16-18).

Paul’s writings, and other Scriptures, are preserved in the Bible so we may continue the commission to preach the gospel, and make it known plainly to mankind, that their eyes may be opened to the truth. We know that, as in ancient Israel and Judah, most will not be willing to receive the message of the gospel in this age (cf. Jeremiah 6:17; 44:16; Ezekiel 3:7; Matthew 7:13-14). One openly proclaimed secret, however, that few understand, is that God will rectify the circumstance of the spiritual blindness of the vast bulk of mankind in another age.

The word mystery tends to evoke a certain kind of wonder, perhaps awe. Someone who claims to be able to explain a mystery, if he is believed, is likely to be looked up to. Many impostors and religious frauds have come along claiming to have knowledge of spiritual or religious mysteries, including mysteries of the Bible. And they have come up with fanciful explanations of various mysteries. Many have followed them. But they are their own explanations, their own interpretations of the Bible’s secrets. And many have been deceived by them.

No Scripture of the Bible is of any private interpretation. Men should not be reading their own ideas into Scripture. “…no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation” (1 Peter 1:20). The Bible explains its own mysteries. Sometimes historical information is needed as a supplement. But any explanation of Biblical truth that runs counter to or is inconsistent with the Bible’s own explanation, is false, and fraudulent. Do not be fooled by impostors who teach falsehoods fabricated by themselves about the doctrines of the Bible.

The purpose and plan of God is revealed in outline form in the annual festivals and holy days God himself ordained and commanded (cf. Leviticus 23), but few have kept them or understand their meaning. Many of those who did keep them in the Old Testament era understood salvation in a general sense.

For example, the Jews understood the seventy bulls offered during the Feast of Tabernacles as representative of the seventy original nations of the world, as enumerated in Genesis 10. It’s likely that the Jews and Israelites who kept the feast understood the calling and conversion of the Gentiles that was to occur in the Messianic age, and their inclusion among God’s people at that time. But they did not generally foresee the calling of Gentiles in this age, the age of the New Testament Church beginning with Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection and leading up to his second coming.

Indeed, while they expected the coming of the Messiah, they did not expect the Messiah to come in the manner of his first coming. They did not expect a Messiah who would come, rebuke them, and be crucified, although prophecies of the Old Testament predicted these things.

Many of the details of God’s purpose and how he is working it out are revealed in the New Testament, details that had not been plainly revealed prior to Christ’s coming. Paul refers to this in Ephesians:

“For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles—if indeed you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which was given to me for you, how that by revelation He made known to me the mystery (as I have briefly written already, by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ), which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets: that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel, of which I became a minister according to the gift of the grace of God given to me by the effective working of His power. To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ; to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, according to the but éternel which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord“ (Ephesians 3:1-11).

Adam Clarke states in his commentary on “dispensation” (verse 2, above): “The word οικονομια [oikonomia], which is the same as our word économie, signifies…, ‘the plan which the master of a family, or his steward, has established for the management of the family;’ it signifies, also, a plan for the management of any sort of business: and here it means the dispensation of the Gospel, that plan by which God has provided salvation for a lost world; and according to which he intends to gather all believers, both Jews and Gentiles, into one Church under Jesus Christ, their head and governor” (Commentaire de Clarke on Ephesians 1:10).

Note that the “dispensation” given to Paul for their benefit, was the knowledge of God’s plan of salvation, which he shared with them, and which they could understand by reading what he had written about it. Paul was sent preaching to the Gentiles that all might see, or understand, the eternal purpose of God which was accomplished first in Jesus Christ, who was resurrected into divine glory.

Note that the conversion of the Gentiles and the eternal purpose of God are associated with a mystery that had been hidden, but was now to be made known by the Church for all to see. This knowledge, as revealed to an extent in the Old Testament, and explained in greater detail in the New Testament, is available for anyone to see who is willing to see and believe.

The mystery of the gospel had been revealed so it could be known par all nations! “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 kept secret since the world began but now has been made manifest, and by the prophetic Scriptures has been made known to all nations, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, for obedience to the faith — to God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen” (Romans 16:25-27).

In the apostolic age the gospel was preached to every corner of the earth. “For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross. And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight — if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister” (Colossians 1:19-23).

The gospel was preached to every creature under heaven, in other words, every human being had access in some way to the gospel message at that time. We don’t know all the details about how this was done, but Christ’s commission to his apostles was:

“…Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned [or judged, not necessarily condemned]” (Mark 16:15-16).

The mystery of which Paul wrote in Ephesians 3 includes the knowledge that God is a family, and is preparing the Church, now married to Christ, to be with him in his kingdom. “For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ” (2 Corinthians 11:2).

The word translated “betrothed,” is a form of ἁρμόζω (harmozō), meaning to join, as to join in marriage, or to espouse (KJV) or betroth. As it says in Easton’s Bible Dictionary, “Betroth,” “From the time of betrothal the woman was regarded as the lawful wife of the man to whom she was betrothed.”

Note that the Church is maintenant “married,” by way of analogy, to Jesus Christ. Later, as in Hebrew tradition, will be a “wedding feast,” as it’s referred to symbolically, to celebrate and consummate the marriage.

“For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church” (Ephesians 5:29-32).

Scripture reveals the mystery of godliness. It reveals that we are to become like Christ, like God, as Christ dwells in us through his Spirit. “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Preached among the Gentiles, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory” (1 Timothy 3:16).

Christ is the first of the firstfruits. The first to attain the resurrection. “But now Christ has risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruit of those who slept [i.e., had died]” (I Corinthians 15:20, Green’s Modern King James Version”). The Greek for “firstfruit” in verse 20 is singular, and is properly translated “firstfruit” as in the version quoted and some other translations. And through Jesus Christ we have the same potential (compare James 1:18; Revelation 14:4). “…the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystère among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:26-27).

The gathering to himself of all things, including all peoples, in the dispensation of time, is a mystery few understand. According to traditional belief among most professing Christian denominations, most people will wind up in “hell,” eternally cut off from God (cf. “Les "perdus" sont-ils prédestinés à l'enfer ?").

But the Bible reveals that all human beings will have the opportunity to know God and that most will ultimately be in his kingdom:

“…just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He has made us accepted in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth–in Him” (Ephesians 1:4-10).

Note that the “predestination” spoken of here is not exclusive, as many have assumed, but is inclusive in the sense that it’s God’s will that he might gather together all things, including all peoples, in Christ. Yet, the Bible makes it plain that not all are being gathered in this age, as they will be, as Paul wrote, “in the dispensation of the fullness of the times.” For now, although God gives the world an opportunity to hear the truth, most are blind to it.

Jesus explained this:

“Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: ‘Behold, a sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them. Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them. But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!’ And the disciples came and said to Him, ‘Why do You speak to them in parables?’ He answered and said to them, ‘Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says: “Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, And seeing you will see and not perceive; For the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, And their eyes they have closed, Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal them.” But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear; for assuredly, I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it. Therefore hear the parable of the sower: When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside. But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles. Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty’” (Matthew 13:3-23).

Note that the problem is not that the word has not been made available. The problem is not that the seed has not been sown. The problem for the world today is not even that the teachings were in parables.

Jesus often taught in parables. A parable is essentially just an analogy, or simile, where one thing is compared to another for sake of illustration. Much of the Bible is written in parable, or symbolic language.

But the Bible interprets its own symbols. Jesus explained the meaning of the parable of the sower and the seed to his disciples. And the explanation of its meaning is recorded in Scripture, just as are the meanings of other parables and symbols used in Scripture.

The problem is that the hearts of the people are dull, or insensitive, unreceptive, to the message, their ears are hard of hearing, they refuse to hear, and they have closed their eyes to the truth. If not for that, they could see, hear and understand the message, and be healed, or converted (cf. “Are ‘Many’ or ‘Few’ Called in this Age?").

Paul explains further the blindness in part that pertains to Israël. And he explains that it is in God’s plan to save all Israel eventually, that is, not every single one, but the vast majority, because there will be some incorrigibles who will refuse salvation, and thus suffer the “second death,” utter and permanent destruction (Revelation 20:14-15; 21:7-8; cf. Matthew 10:28).

“For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And so tout Israël [hyperbole—i.e., the vast majority] will be saved, as it is written: ‘The Deliverer will come out of Zion, And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob; For this is My covenant with them, When I take away their sins.’ Concerning the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but concerning the election they are beloved for the sake of the fathers. For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. For as you were once disobedient to God, yet have now obtained mercy through their disobedience, even so these also have now been disobedient, that through the mercy shown you they also may obtain mercy. For God has committed them all to disobedience, that He might have mercy on all. Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! ‘For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has become His counselor?’ ‘Or who has first given to Him And it shall be repaid to him?’ For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen” (Romans 11:25-36).

“Committed” (Romans 11:32) is explained by A. T. Robertson in his commentary Images de mots dans le Nouveau Testament as follows: “Hath shut up (συνεκλεισεν) [sunekleisen]. First aorist active indicative of συνκλειω [sunkleiō], to shut together like a net (Lu 5:6).

...…..

“This is a resultant (effective) aorist because of the disbelief and disobedience of both Gentile (Romans 1:17-32) and Jew (Romans 2:1-3:20).”

God has committed them to unbelief because of their unbelief, but with the idea of later bringing them to repentance and salvation.

“Until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in,” (Romans 11:25) is speaking of the completion of the Gentile era, culminating with the final resurrection of the Beast empire, and the great tribulation, during which they will tread Jerusalem, and the Church, and physical Israel, underfoot for three and a half years (Luke 21:24).

“Then I was given a reed like a measuring rod. And the angel stood, saying, ‘Rise and measure the temple of God, the altar, and those who worship there. But leave out the court which is outside the temple, and do not measure it, for it has been given to the Gentiles. And they will tread the holy city underfoot for forty-two months’” (Revelation 11:1-2).

At the end of that time, Christ will come a second time, and bring the peoples descended from Israel, including those of the “lost” tribes of Israel, out of the tribulation, and they will be converted. “Therefore say, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Although I have cast them far off among the Gentiles, and although I have scattered them among the countries, yet I shall be a little sanctuary for them in the countries where they have gone.”’ Therefore say, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “I will gather you from the peoples, assemble you from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel. And they will go there, and they will take away all its detestable things and all its abominations from there. Then I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within them, and take the stony heart out of their flesh, and give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in My statutes and keep My judgments and do them; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God. But as for those whose hearts follow the desire for their detestable things and their abominations, I will recompense their deeds on their own heads” says the Lord God’” (Ezekiel 11:16-21; cf. “Les États-Unis et la Grande-Bretagne dans la prophétie").

The understanding of the mysteries of God’s word is granted with the help of God’s spirit. The carnal mind is unable, by itself, to understand the mysteries of God’s word.

“However, we speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But as it is written: ‘Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.’ But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who [which] is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one. ‘who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?’ But we have the mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:6-16).

Upon repentance, one can receive the Spirit of God, and begin to have real insight into the mysteries of the Bible.

“Turn at my rebuke; Surely I will pour out my spirit on you; I will make my words known to you” (Proverbs 1:23). “Then Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit’” (Acts 2:38).

Some other featured mysteries of the Bible include the resurrection, the mystery of lawlessness, the mystery of the harlot empire, the mystery of the Church. Details concerning these are discussed to one degree in other material we have published, and more in depth material on these and other little understood doctrines of Scripture may be forthcoming at a later time.

Meanwhile, we be thankful that God has through his word revealed knowledge affecting the life of every human, and made that knowledge available to those willing to meet the conditions for understanding. As a Church, it is our duty to be faithful stewards of the understanding of God’s mysteries. It is our duty to do all in our power to support the preaching of the gospel, so that those mysteries can be made plain to others ready and willing to receive them.

cogmessenger.org

Sauf indication contraire, les citations de la Bible sont tirées de la Sainte Bible, traduction Louis Segond.

Cette œuvre est soumise à une licence Licence internationale Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0.