When is the Mystery?

The short answer is the mystery is now.  Unfortunately, in order to use the Bible properly it is important to know when this mystery started.  Unfortunately many people who read the Bible only recognize two main divisions, the Old and New Testaments.  These people say the Old Testament is difficult to understand and has nothing for me so I will not read it.  The New Testament is where it is at and that is all I am going to read.  So, they open their Bible to Matthew and begin reading about Jesus, but before they get too far they start to be confused.  Look at what they run across:

Matthew 5:20, “For I say to you, that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven.”

Matthew 6:15, “But if you do not forgive men, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.”

Matthew10:5-6, “Do not go in the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter any city of the Samaritans; but rather go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

Matthew 15:24, “But He (Jesus) answered and said, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.””

These verses seem to fly in the face of everything they heard at church and Sunday school.  These verses contradict parts of the Bible that state:

Ephesians 2:8-9, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast.”

Romans 3:10, “There is none Righteous, not even one.”

Romans 10:12, “For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call upon Him.”

Galatians 2:16, “nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we may be justified by faith in Christ, and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law shall no flesh be justified.”

So this reader gets discouraged and quits.  Don’t quit there is an answer; the answer is the apostle of the mystery.  Read Acts 9:15, “But the Lord said to him, “God for he is chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel.””  Paul is this apostle and he had a difficult ministry.  He was to go unto a previous unprophesied group of people with an unprophesied message.  Paul, being a Jew, was not winning any popularity contests with his own people. 

Everything done by God up to this point had been part of prophecy, Jews could have known what was going to happen and many recognized the fulfillment of prophecy.  However, here comes Paul with the message of the mystery, which, by its very definition is totally unknown. 

So, it is because of the message of the mystery that Paul can say:

Philippians 3:17, “Brethren, join in following my example…”

I Corinthians 4:16, “I exhort you therefore, be imitators of me.”

I Corinthians 11:1, “Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ.”

It is with the entrance of the apostle Paul that the Mystery begins, and when Paul writes something you can know, believer, that it is TO and FOR you!

What was this message of the mystery that made Paul worthy of following?  This is what I will write about next time.