February 21, 2008 1 Corinthians 2:7

02/21/2008

1 Corinthians 2:7 - 8 (HCSB)

^… we speak God’s hidden wisdom in a mystery, which God predestined before the ages for our glory. ⁸None of the rulers of this age knew it, for if they had known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

1 Corinthians 2:10 - 12 (HCSB)

¹⁰Now God has revealed [the mystery] to us by the Spirit, for the Spirit searches everything, even the deep things of God. ¹¹For who among men knows the concerns of a man except the spirit of the man that is in him? In the same way, no one knows the concerns of God except the Spirit of God. ¹²Now we have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, in order to know what has been freely given to us by God.

I remember a conversation I once had with a fellow concerning God’s “mystery” and mysticism (read part of that conversation here http://www.cleffpublishing.com/articles/jj033002.htm ). We discussed the idea that the Gospel was presented as a “mystery” and that it was only revealed to some. But both my friend and I were certain that Christianity was never meant to be a “mystic” religion.

A mystic religion is one in which outsiders have no understanding and it is only through initiation and indoctrination that an outsider becomes and insider. In a mystic religion, it is the revelation of truth that saves – unlike the Gospel which clearly states that we are saved by *faith*.

So why all this talk about mystery?

We must remember that the Gospel was given first to the Jew then to the Gentile. The mystery is that of the Messiah. What did the Jews think the messiah would be? They were expecting a king like David to come and re-establish Israel as a political kingdom free from its enemies once and for all. But Paul, in his letter to the Corinthians here states that they had it all wrong. If they really understood the “mystery” of the messiah “They would not have crucified the Lord of glory.”

The mystery was about the Messiah. The full understanding was held from them on purpose. This seems quite counter-intuitive to us. But remember, it was necessary for Jesus to die to pay for our sins once and for all. Had the religious leaders of the day completely understood about the Messiah, they would never have delivered Jesus to Pilate demanding He be executed.

Therefore, Paul and the other apostles set about to reveal the mystery of the Messiah. After the death and resurrection of Jesus, the mystery could be laid open for all to see. Once this mystery is revealed, there is no longer any mystery (except how God could love us in our sinful state). Paul further states that we, as humans, understand humanly things without any problem. But the things of God, we do not understand. Yet God has given us the Holy Spirit which helps us to understand Godly things. They mystery of God is now revealed and we are given the gift of understanding it through the Holy Spirit.

I am a Gentile, and must admit that I didn’t get the “mystery” aspect of the Gospel for a long time. That is, because I had no preconceived idea of the Messiah. Nevertheless, God has chosen to include me as one of those privileged to understand the mystery. If you see Jesus as the Messiah and God’s sacrificial lamb to take away the sins of the world, then you too have been granted this privilege—the mystery revealed.

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