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So the title of this study is why Paul? What is the mystery? And what's so important about dispensational distinctions? The purpose of this study is to influence, actually to correct the thinking of those people in the Christian community who will say that God has given to mankind basically one program, one plan, one gospel message, and that everything going on within the church today is simply a continuation of that which God was trying to accomplish through the nation Israel. They would say that what is referred to as the Body of Christ today is simply now a replacement for the nation of Israel.

And of course, none of that is true. Those of us here at Grace Bible Church of Rolling Meadows are Bible believing Christian people who interpret and teach the Bible dispensationally. So we can appropriately refer to ourselves as dispensationalists. Other people who profess to be part of Christianity would probably also refer to us as dispensationalists. And maybe even sometimes they call us hyper dispensationalists, whatever that is supposed to mean.

I don't know what that means. I'm not sure anyone could consistently define exactly what it means to be a hyper dispensationalist, but that's what they call us at times. Other people who profess to be part of Christianity would probably also refer to us as dispensationalists. And I'm not sure that anyone could consistently define what that means. Still others who profess to be Christians probably don't have any idea what dispensationalism even is. And I would guess that that would account for most of those folks who consider themselves to be members of the Christian community.

Now, if the leaders in those churches have been trained in a seminary somewhere, they would undoubtedly know about dispensationalism. But those folks in their audience every week probably have no clue. Unless perhaps their pastor or their leaders might have taught them something about dispensationalism in the past. And if they did, that teaching would probably have been about why they don't accept and follow dispensational teaching.

As I see it, the critics of dispensationalism will typically focus their criticism on two main areas of doctrine. Number one, that we make too much of the Apostle Paul, that we rely too much on what Paul teaches and too little on what Jesus taught in the Gospel accounts, that we neglect to incorporate those things which Jesus taught in the Gospel accounts which they feel is so important. And the second thing is that we're continually harping on this concept which the Bible refers to as mystery. What is so important about the mystery? Well, both of these criticisms are actually dispensational issues and these are the things that I'm going to be addressing in this two part series.

Now, regarding the importance and authority of the Apostle Paul and what Paul teaches in the Bible, I'm going to be directing our critics to a number of verses in the Bible which they need to thoughtfully examine and consider. And I want to begin by pointing out an interesting and a very important statement which Jesus did make. Something that Jesus said in the Gospel account of John, chapter 13, verse 20. What Jesus said there is Verily, verily I say unto you, he that receiveth whomsoever I send receiveth me. And he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me. John 13:20

Do you know what that verse is saying? Allow me to paraphrase that verse for you. "If you think you are going to be functioning according to the will of Christ and according to the will of God the Father who sent Christ, you had better be receptive to whoever God the Father and Christ sends to you on their behalf."

In the book of Acts, the risen Lord Jesus Christ said something very important to Saul when he interacted with Saul later. Of course, to be known as the Apostle Paul as Saul was on his way to Damascus in Acts chapter nine. But Acts chapter nine doesn't tell us everything that Christ said to Saul during that encounter. However, in subsequent chapters in the book of Acts, Specifically in chapters 22 and 26, Paul does recount some of the other things that the risen Lord Jesus Christ had said to him during that initial encounter in Acts chapter nine. So what else did Christ say to Saul in Acts chapter 22 verse 18. We learn that Christ said to Saul, make haste, get thee quickly out of Jerusalem, for they will not receive thy testimony concerning me. And in verse 21 we learn that Christ also said to Saul, depart, for I will send thee the far hence unto the Gentiles.

It's Saul who Christ is now sending to the Gentiles. And just to review, John 13:20 again, He that receiveth whomsoever I send receiveth me and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me. Then in Acts chapter 26 and verse 16 and following Paul reveals some more of what Christ said to him during that initial encounter in Acts chapter 9. What else did Christ say? In Acts 26, verse 16, we learn that Christ said to Saul, but rise, stand upon thy feet, for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose what purpose? To make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee, delivering thee from the people and from the Gentiles, unto whom I now send thee to open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and inheritance among them which are sanctified by me. That is, in faith, Saul is being commissioned and is being sent out to be an apostle, to be the apostle to the Gentiles, just as Paul says in Romans 11, verse 13, where he writes, for I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office.

The verse says, I magnify mine office. When Paul writes these words, Paul is not making too much of himself. He never does that. In Galatians 6:14, Paul writes, God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. So in Romans, chapter 11, verse 13, Paul says that he magnifies his office, not himself. Paul is not making too much of himself. But Paul is magnifying the importance of the responsibility that he has been commissioned with for Gentile salvation, completely independent of the nation Israel.

And we should be recognizing the importance of that office as well. But looking again at the Acts 26 review of Christ's words to Saul, I want to bring something else to your attention in verse 16. In verse 16, Christ informs Saul that he is being commissioned to be witness not only of what Christ said to him during that initial encounter, but also, as the verse says, of those things in the which I will appear unto thee. Instructions from Christ to Paul are going to be a series of ongoing revelations, and that is why Paul writes what he wrote in Galatians, chapter 1, verse 1. What did Paul write there?

He begins the book of Galatians by saying, Paul an apostle, not of men, not by man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised him from the dead. Here we have Christ and God the Father, who have established Paul as an apostle. It's Jesus Christ and God the Father who are sending Paul to the Gentiles of this world.

Allow me to repeat my paraphrase again of what Christ said in John 13:20. If you think you are going to be functioning according to the will of Christ and according to the will of God the Father who sent Christ, you had better be receptive to to whoever God the Father and Christ sends to you on their behalf. And then Paul goes on to say in Galatians verses 11 and 12. But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel, the gospel which was preached of me is not after man, for I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ. The gospel which Paul preaches is not a continuation of the gospel message which was preached by Peter and Christ's disciples in the Gospel accounts during Christ's earthly ministry to the nation Israel.

Christ, Peter and the other apostles were preaching the gospel of the kingdom in the gospel accounts, that is not the gospel that Paul preaches. So without that gospel which Paul is referring to in verse 11, which was preached by Paul, there would not even be a gospel message of salvation with the power to save anyone today. And how can we say that? Because Romans, chapter 2, verse 16 says, as Paul writes, the day is coming when God will judge the secrets of men according to my gospel, Paul's Gospel. So we had better get our gospel messages straight.

Are we supposed to be following all those instructions and commandments associated with the gospel of the kingdom which pertain to Israel's prophetic kingdom program? Or are we supposed to be following the instructions and commandments associated with the gospel of the grace of God which has been given to us by our apostle Paul? Who or what are we supposed to be following? Three times in Paul's Epistles, Paul says that we are supposed to be following him. You'll find those in 1 Corinthians 4:16, 1 Corinthians 11:1, and Philippians 3:17.

And if that's not enough, in 1st Corinthians, chapter 14, verse 37, Paul writes, if any man think himself to be a prophet or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord. Yet the critics of dispensationalism say that we make too much of Paul and too little of what Jesus taught. Now, on the surface, just from everything we've looked at so far, that statement doesn't even make any sense and that everything which Paul teaches he received by revelation from the risen Lord Jesus Christ. And Paul goes on to say in I Timothy chapter 6, verses 3 and 4, that if any man teach otherwise other than what he is teaching, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness, he is proud, knowing nothing. The point of all these verses is that if you think it's more important to follow the commandments and instructions associated with the gospel of the kingdom in Israel's prophetic kingdom program which Jesus taught in the Gospel accounts. If you think that those instructions and commandments are what you should be following today, then you're not following Christ at all. Because we're in a different dispensation. Things have changed. And that is why Paul gave us this very important verse in II Corinthians, chapter 5. And that's verse 16, Second Corinthians 5, verse 16.

What did Paul write there? He wrote, Whenceforth henceforth that is, from now on we know no man after the flesh. Yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more.

Do you understand what that verse is saying? Allow me to paraphrase that verse for you. "We should no longer be following the instructions and commandments which are associated with Israel's Gospel of the kingdom which Jesus taught when he was here in the flesh ministering to the nation Israel." That is no longer the sense in which we now know Christ. Today we know Christ in an entirely new sense.

In Romans 16:25, Paul tells us the sense in which we are to know Christ today, where he writes now to him that is of power to stablish you according to what? my gospel and then what? according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began.

If our lives as believers today are going to be established and stabilized, it's going to be on the basis of Paul's Gospel and on the basis of the preaching of Jesus Christ according to the Revelation of the mystery, not according to what Jesus taught in the Gospel accounts, according to prophecy.

To make this even more clear and to help us understand this, let's consider exactly what Jesus did teach in the Gospel accounts as part of the Gospel of the Kingdom in Israel's prophetic Kingdom program. In short, Jesus taught his followers the law in Israel's so called great commission. In Matthew chapter 28. What did Jesus command His followers to do? In Matthew 28:19, 20, Jesus said, Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you.

Well, Jesus certainly taught and commanded them to keep the law in the Sermon on the mount in Matthew 5:17 and following, what did Jesus say about the law? verse 17 says, Think not that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets. I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you till heaven and earth pass one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven. But whosoever shall do and teach them the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say unto you that except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven. Not only that, but Jesus magnified the importance of the law to an extent that they had never even previously considered. Listen to what Jesus says to Israel as he continues on. In verses 21 and 22, he says, Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, thou shalt not kill. And whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment. But I say unto you that whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whosoever shall say to his brother, raca shall be in danger of the council. But whosoever shall say, thou fool shall be in danger of hellfire. I hope you're getting the picture here.

In Matthew chapter 19, a certain teacher of the law confronted Jesus with a very important question. And that question was, good master, what good things shall I do that I may have eternal life? Now that's a really good question, isn't it? How could this man obtain eternal life? And what was the answer he got from Jesus?

Verse 17. Jesus says to him, why callest thou me good? There is none good but one, that is God. But if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments he saith unto him, which Jesus said, thou shalt do no murder. Thou shalt not commit adultery, thou shalt not steal, thou shalt not bear false witness. Honor thy father and mother, and thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. The young man said unto him, all these things have I kept from my youth up. What lack I yet? Well, this fellow obviously thinks pretty highly of himself. I seriously doubt that his responses were accurate and true, but let's presume for a moment that they were.

Jesus isn't finished with him yet. And what does Jesus reply to him? In verse 21, Jesus said unto him, if thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor and and thou shalt have treasure in heaven, and come and follow me. Now we know that that is something which the little flock of true believers and followers of Christ were instructed to do in preparation for the kingdom life. And in fact, we clearly see in Acts chapters two and four that this is exactly what the little flock did do.

So how did this poor fellow feel about that response from Jesus? Verse 22 says, but when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. So then throughout the Gospel accounts, Jesus continually teaches about the importance of the law. And why is that? Why is keeping the law so important for Israel?

Well, it's of the utmost importance because those in the nation Israel needed to be living demonstrations of the righteousness to all the other nations of the world so that they would be able to be a blessing to all the other nations of the world according to the Abrahamic covenant. And Jesus pretty much sums that all up in Matthew 5:48, where he says, be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect, be ye perfect. That's what Israel needed to be in order to do all those things which Jesus had commanded them to do in Matthew&chapter 28, in that commission according to the Abrahamic covenant. Now let's take a look at how all that is actually supposed to play out among the nations. So turn with me now to Deuteronomy 4.

Deuteronomy 4, in verse 5 you have the Lord's words through Moses to Israel. Behold, I have taught you statutes and judgments, even as the Lord my God commanded me, that ye should do so in the land, whether ye go to possess it. Keep therefore, and do them.

For this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations which shall hear all these statutes and say, surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people. For what nation is there so great who hath God so nigh unto them as the Lord our God is in all things that we call upon him for and what nation is there so great that hath statutes and judgments so righteous as all this law which I set before you this day That law which Israel will be keeping at some point in the Future? Now verse 8 refers to all this law. and at this point, those who are hearing this message should be saying to themselves, well, Israel never did this.

No, they didn't, because they couldn't. But the point is that someday they will. Turn with me to Ezekiel chapter 36.

Beginning in verse 23, the Lord says, and I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them and and the heathen shall know that I am the Lord, saith the Lord God, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes, when the nation of Israel is perfect in the sight of the other nations. Verse 24 For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean from from all your filthiness and from all your idols will I cleanse you, a new heart also will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and I will give you an heart of flesh and I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and ye shall keep my judgments and do them. Israel is going to become exactly what Matthew chapter 5, verse 48 stated they were supposed to be. Be ye perfect, therefore, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. That's what Israel as a nation needs to be before they become a blessing to all the families of the earth according to the Abrahamic covenant. And the question now becomes, well, Israel never did this.

When are they going to do this? And you know who answers this question as well as anyone could. Israel's Apostle Peter. He answers the question in Acts chapter 3. If you'll turn to Acts chapter 3.

Beginning in verse 18, Peter speaking on the day of Pentecost to the nation Israel says, but those things which God before had showed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled. Repent ye therefore, and be converted. Why? that your sins may be blotted out when when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord, and he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you, whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things which God has spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began. In verse 18, Peter reviews how that Christ had to suffer. Why did Christ have to suffer?

Peter answers that question in verse 19, which says that your sins may be blotted out. Christ had to suffer so that the sins of Israel and everyone in the nation of Israel could be blotted out. But then the next question would naturally be, when is that actually going to happen? And Peter answers that question as well in verses 19 through 21, where it says it's going to happen when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord, and he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you, whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things which God has spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began. It's going to happen after Israel's prophetic kingdom program resumes following the rapture of believers who are members of the Body of Christ today of this present church age.

It's going to happen after Christ's second coming, after he delivers and avenges Israel of all of her enemies at the end of the seven year tribulation. It's going to happen specifically on the day of atonement, feast number six on Israel's calendar of redemption according to Leviticus chapter 23, verse 27, at which time Immanuel God will be literally tabernacling with the nation of Israel according to Israel's feast number seven, the Feast of Tabernacles in Leviticus 23:34. What's the basis on which this can happen? It's the new Covenant of Jeremiah 31. That's what we read about in Ezekiel chapter 36, when Peter states in verses 18 and 19 that Christ had to suffer so that their sins could be blotted out.

It was so that Christ's death could establish that new covenant, an entirely new covenant. We need to look at it. Jeremiah 31, beginning in verse 31 Behold the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, which my covenant they break. That was the law covenant.

Although I wasn't a husband unto them, saith the Lord, but this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. That is exactly what we read about in Ezekiel 36. So then Israel's prophetic kingdom program is all about the righteousness associated with the law. It magnifies the law. The new covenant will supernaturally enable every kingdom Jew to keep the law.

Because the new covenant says that God will put my law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people, verse 33. Here in Jeremiah 31, Israel will finally be able to be the holy nation and the kingdom of priests which God had intended for them to be, since he proclaimed that commission for them through Moses back in Exodus chapter 19, verses 5 and 6.

But now we have Paul coming along in Romans 3:21. And what does he have to say? Paul says, but now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested. What?

What are you talking about, Paul? After everything we've seen pertaining to the importance of the law in Israel's prophetic kingdom program, how can Paul possibly say that the righteousness of God can now be obtained without it? That is totally contrary to what Jesus taught. Well, there's only one answer to that question. And the answer is that now we are in a different program.

We are in a different dispensation. We are no longer in the dispensation of law. We are living in the dispensation of Grace. Things have changed. Israel's prophetic kingdom program has been interrupted and put on hold.

Why? Well, in Acts chapter three, those passages that we just examined, Peter implored the nation to repent over the fact that they had murdered their Messiah. Peter pleaded with the nation that they needed to reconsider who Jesus really was. And if they did that, then the Lord would send him back to resume and complete their prophetic program. But they wouldn't do it.

After Christ was murdered, God gave Israel an entire year, according to the parable in Luke chapter 13, beginning in verse 6. He gave Israel a year in the book of Acts to reconsider what they had done so that he could send Jesus back. But they refused to repent and they would not respond the way they were supposed to respond. So Israel's prophetic kingdom program had to be put on hold because Israel simply would not have it. Israel would not have their Messiah.

So Israel's kingdom program is put on hold following Israel's final act of rebellion, which was the stoning of Stephen. In Acts chapter seven, Stephen was the third of three great witnesses to the nation Israel. Three strikes and they were out. And when they killed him, that represented Israel's final official rejection of their Messiah. So God's prophetic kingdom program is put on hold.

After Acts chapter 7 and 8, a new program is introduced by Paul, a new program which Paul describes as the Mystery. The Mystery. And that establishes two entirely different programs which God has set forth in the Bible for all of mankind. Prophecy and Mystery. Prophecy is Israel's prophetic kingdom program which will be established here on the earth. And the Mystery, which is God's current program for the Body of Christ during this dispensation of Grace, will be established in the heavenly places. In 2 Timothy chapter 2 and verse 15, Paul alludes to these completely different distinct programs which God has established. Where he writes, study to show thyself approved unto God a workman that needeth not to be ashamed. Rightly dividing the word of truth. Study. That's what we're doing right now.

It requires a good bit of study, but it requires more than that. It requires a good deal of study and it requires belief, belief in what you're reading to appreciate these things in light of the fact that that 99% of historical Christianity has gotten this totally wrong, wrong based on a whole lot of denominational traditions, but based even more on the reality of Satanic deception. And I'll have a lot more to say about that in the second part of this study.

II Timothy 2:15 says, rightly dividing the word of truth. Rightly dividing the word of truth is not an admonition to separate truth from error. Obviously, we should always be separating truth from error. But that is not what this verse is saying. This verse means exactly what it says. We are supposed to separate truth from truth. There are truths associated with Israel's prophetic kingdom program, and there are truths associated with the Mystery program for the Body of Christ today.

And through study, we need to be able to distinguish between these two bodies of doctrinal truths. You know, God gives us tremendous contrast passages and verses in his book to help us with our understanding of these things. One of those passages is in Romans chapter 15.

Contrast passages in Scripture are so important. Begin there in verse 8. Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God to confirm the promises made unto the fathers. This is talking about Jesus Christ's ministry when he was here in the flesh.

The verse says he was a minister of the circumcision. That's Israel. And what was Christ's mission? The verse says, for the truth of God to confirm the promises made unto the fathers. What truth is this talking about? It's talking about one of the two bodies of truth that II Timothy 2:15 just pointed out to us.

It's talking about the promises that were made unto the fathers to Israel's patriarchs, to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and David. It's talking about Israel's covenants. That's prophecy. And then the passage goes on in verses 9 through 12 to quote no less than four passages from prophecy which describe the blessings which all the families of the earth will experience one day as a result of of those promises to the fathers being confirmed according to the Abrahamic covenant. And all of that is then contrasted with verse 16, where Paul writes that I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the Gospel of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable being sanctified by the Holy Ghost.

It is Paul who should now be the one whose ministry will result in Gentile salvation according to his Gospel. According to Paul's Gospel. Altogether, apart from anything having to do with Israel's prophetic kingdom program, two other tremendous contrast passages are verses we've already looked at, but we're going to look at them again. Turn Back to Acts 3, Acts 3:19 again. Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. And he shall send Jesus Christ which before was preached unto you, which whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things which God has spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets. Listen, since the world began, Peter has been preaching to the nation Israel about things that have been known prophetically since the world began.

Now turn to Romans chapter 16, Romans 16:25, where Paul writes, now to him that has a power to stablish you according to my Gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ according to the Revelation of the mystery which was kept secret since the world began, but now is made manifest. Paul is teaching about things pertaining to the mystery which have been kept secret since the world began.

So in these two passages you have truths pertaining to Israel's prophetic kingdom program contrasted with truths pertaining to the mystery. Prophecy versus mystery. They are just not the same thing. Now, if anyone cannot see this, it's only because all of this becomes a threat to their personal denominational theology. So there are truths associated with Israel's Prophetic Kingdom program, and there are truths associated with the Mystery program for the Body of Christ.

Today, Paul summarizes these two programs. Israel's Prophetic Kingdom program here on the earth and the Mystery program for members of the Body of Christ in the Heavens. Paul summarizes how these two programs will eventuate in a dispensation which is still yet to come. And he does that in Ephesians chapter one. If you'll turn with me there.

And that of course is going to be verse 10, which reads that in the dispensation of the fulness of times, a dispensation which was still yet to come, he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth, even in him. And if we were to look back at verse nine, we would learn how, that this new information is actually part of the mystery. And Paul is the first one to make this known, verse nine, having made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself. The sad reality is that most of historical Christianity and the overwhelming majority of those who profess to be Christians today will simply blow right over this concept of the mystery as though it's just some nebulous, ill defined concept, maybe negligible importance really, that maybe you can just make it what you will. But by the time we finish this study, I'm anticipating that anyone who hears this message will come away with an understanding that to view the mystery in such a way as that is a total ignorance of what the mystery is and why the mystery is so important.

Before I was fortunate enough to become exposed to sound dispensational teaching, I had spent nearly 40 years growing up in a Lutheran church. And if you were to ask the church leaders in a denominational church like I was in, if you would ask them what the mystery was, what is this mystery, you would probably get an answer something like this. Well, you know, God works in mysterious ways, his wonders to behold, or something along those lines.

One of the brothers in what we refer to as our Way Too Early Friday morning Men's Bible study group. We call it that because we, we meet at 6:30 in the morning on Fridays. One of our members attends one of the most well known mega churches in America here in the Chicagoland area. Now he attends that church not so that he can receive a steady diet of sound dispensational doctrine because he's not going to get it there, but rather that he might be a voice for dispensational teaching and that he may typically point out things that are being taught which are incorrect dispensationally. This is a huge church.

It has multiple campuses throughout the Chicagoland and suburban communities. Each campus has its own senior pastor. And when I knew I was going to put this study together, I asked brother Bill if he might be able to ask some of those pastors to explain the mystery to him. I thought that might prove to be very interesting. And so he did, well, he got responses back from five pastors, and I'd like to report to you what those responses were.

Three pastors commented to some degree on the literal Greek word for mystery, which is mysterion, with definitions such as the unveiling of something that was previously a secret or unrevealed doctrine or information, or something deeply meaningful that is finally being revealed to everyone. And that's okay, but it doesn't really tell you anything substantial about what the mystery actually is. One pastor gave an example of the mystery as the content of the Gospel and the life and work of Jesus. I don't know what to think about that. One pastor referred to Ephesians 1:3, and that's a very good place to start, citing that the mystery is Jesus himself and the full picture of God's love and salvation to all, both Jews and Gentiles alike. But that's not a mystery. That's no secret, because that love is actually presented as far back as Genesis chapter 12, associated with the Abrahamic covenant, through which all the nations on the earth will be blessed. And that love is also certainly made known in a classical passage like John 3:16, before the mystery was ever given to the Apostle Paul. So that's not the mystery. Three pastors saw a connection with the mystery to bringing both Jews and Gentiles together as part of one family. But only one of the three stated that this coming together of Jews and Gentiles will be as members of the Body of Christ.

And that's pretty good, because Ephesians 2 14-16 describes the making of Jews and Gentiles into one new man, which is one of the elements of mystery truth. And that's about the extent of the five responses. But there are so many other unique and very important elements of what God and Paul refer to as the mystery. So what are some of these? You're in Ephesians.

Turn over to chapter three and look at verse eight, where Paul writes, unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ? These unsearchable riches of Christ are elements of the mystery. Continuing on in verse 8. And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery which from the beginning of the world hath been hidden in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ.

Here we have the fellowship of the mystery. What is this fellowship of the mystery? That's a very difficult thing to explain in just a few words. But we'll get additional explanation of this fellowship of the mystery as we continue on here. Verse 9 goes on to say that this fellowship of the mystery is something which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God.

Now if you were to go back to chapter one of Ephesians, we could see something else which is related to this fellowship of the mystery. In chapter one, beginning in verse four, it says, according as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love, having predestinated us unto adoption of children (sons) by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. In verse 4 we learn that God has chosen us, I.e. those of us who are in Christ, that God has chosen this particular group of people, the Body of Christ, to bring glory to Him. And how is that supposed to work?

How will the Body of Christ result in God receiving more glory? God is going to receive glory as a result of the grace which He has extended to us as members of the Body of Christ. That's verse six, to the praise of the glory of his grace. God's grace being demonstrated through us. Now you might want to notice also that this was God's plan for the Body of Christ for those people who are in Christ from before the foundation of the world.

That's verse four. God has been keeping this secret in Himself for a long, long time, folks. Now going back to Ephesians chapter three where we just left off, it goes on to say the same thing in verse 11, that this was all according to his eternal purpose. And we're going to learn a lot more about this eternal purpose in part two of this study. But getting back to Ephesians chapter three, verse nine, another aspect of the mystery is associated with this fellowship of the mystery in verse nine.

So what is this fellowship of the mystery? The fellowship of the mystery, I think the simplest way I could put it, is a like minded fellowship of activity and participation which every believer should be involved in according to what God is doing today. And there is a purpose for this. This fellowship of the mystery is intended to be a demonstration to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places. A demonstration to them of the incredible manifold wisdom of God.

That's verse 10. The Body of Christ is supposed to be a demonstration to the angelic community of the magnitude of what God has done and what is going to be accomplished. Because of what God has done. The angels in the heavenly realm are watching everything we do. God's holy angels are rejoicing over the fact that the day is coming when the Body of Christ will supplant every one of Satan's fallen angels.

As Paul says in First Corinthians chapter 6, verse 3, Know ye not that we shall judge angels. That's one of our primary roles in the heavenly places as members of the Body of Christ. That's all part of the mystery. And Satan's fallen angels are looking on all this with great concern, knowing that their days are numbered. All of this has been hidden in God from before the foundation of the world. And as we go on with this study, we're going to see exactly why God had to keep all of this a secret.

But for right now, some more on the mystery. Turn over to Colossians chapter one, And we're going to begin there in verse 25, where Paul writes, wherefore I am made a minister according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you to fulfill the word of God. Even the mystery which had been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints. Verse 25 proclaims the dispensation of God which is given to me for you. What dispensation of God has been given to Paul for us? The dispensation of Grace. Certainly not Israel's dispensation of law.

Go back to Ephesians 3:1. For this cause I, Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, if ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you, how that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery, as I wrote afore in few words, verses 2 and 3 here teach the same thing that we just read in Colossians chapter one. The dispensation which has been given to Paul for us by revelation from the risen Lord Jesus Christ is called the dispensation of Grace. And in verses 2 and 3 here we see how that the dispensation of Grace is the mystery, and the mystery is the dispensation of Grace.

And this dispensation, this entire dispensation and everything associated with it has been given to the Apostle Paul for us. Go back to Colossians 1.

Looking again at verse 25, we learn something else, which is very important about this dispensational information that has been given by Paul to us. That information has been given to us to fulfill the word of God. It completes the word of God. It completes the canon of Scripture. And as we just saw in Ephesians 3, here in Colossians 1, verses 25 and 26, it repeats the fact that this dispensation of Grace is the mystery, and the mystery is the dispensation of Grace.

But there's more. Look at verse 27, to whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

Additional riches of the glory of the mystery is the fact that we now have Christ residing in us. In I Corinthians 2:16, Paul informs us that we actually have the mind of Christ. At least we have the potential to have the mind of Christ if we study the unsearchable riches of Christ as another element of the mystery. Please understand that God has a goal for every believer based on the reality that Christ is now in us, that we have the mind of Christ. What is that goal?

Verse 28. Here's the goal, whom we preach warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus, that we might present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. That word perfect here does not imply that we're going to be without sins during our experiential Christian walk. When Paul uses this word perfect here and in other places, it does not mean perfect in the same sense that Jesus exhorted Israel in Matthew chapter 5, verse 48, to be perfect according to the law, just as their Father in heaven is perfect, when Israel is functioning under the new covenant, they will be perfect and without sin under the law.

But when Paul uses this word perfect here, the word is referring to an issue of maturity. Paul uses this word perfect in other very important passages, like, I Corinthians 2, 5, and II Timothy 3:17, where it also refers to this important issue of maturity. But that maturity cannot happen without Christ in us, a tremendously important element of the mystery.

And what is another element of the mystery? Turn over to I Corinthians chapter 15, beginning in verse 51. Behold, I show you a mystery. Here we've got some more mystery. Behold, I show you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed in a moment in the twinkling of an eye at the last trump. For the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. Here is another element of the mystery, and what an amazing aspect of the mystery this is. This is a reference, of course, to what we refer to as the rapture of the Church, which Paul taught in First Thessalonians, chapter four.

We'll take a look at that. First Thessalonians, chapter 4, verse 16. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words. The rapture of the Church. The Body of Christ, out of this present church age.

There is no rapture associated with Israel's prophetic kingdom program. After the rapture of the Body of Christ, the next event of any worldwide significance will be the resumption of Israel's prophetic kingdom program. But what's going to happen when this rapture actually takes place?

The First Corinthians 15 passage told us that we shall all be changed. Verse 52 said, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump. For the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this incorruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. Our corruptible bodies will become immortal.

But there's even more. Turn over to Philippians chapter 3. There's even more. Verse 20.

For our conversation is in heaven, from whence we also look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself. That word conversation in verse 20 is literally citizenship. Our citizenship is literally in the heavenly places. That has been our citizenship from the moment we trusted in the death of the Lord Jesus Christ for our sins and became saved. That's been our citizenship, whether we knew it or not.

As another grace teacher once so appropriately said, we are simply ambassadors of heaven on loan to planet earth. I've always loved that, and I think I can safely say that there is not one single person who has ever become saved who did know that at the moment of their salvation. Because that is something you are not going to come to know and understand until you study the unsearchable riches of Christ, Ephesians 3:8, which are all part of the mystery which has been given by God to Paul for us. And that is why Paul outlines the will of God our Savior so succinctly and so clearly in I Timothy, chapter two, verses three and four, where he says that God's will for us today is number one, that all men become saved, and that's only going to be through Paul's Gospel. And number two, that all men come to the knowledge of the truth, that they come to understand the importance of the mystery and who they are in Christ.

Millions of people have been saved over the last 2000 plus years since this dispensation of Grace began. But what a pity and disgrace it is, that there are so few who ever come to the knowledge of the truth. You know, it's kind of like Martin Luther's situation.

Praise and thank God that Martin Luther did come to understand that eternal salvation depended entirely on Paul's gospel of the grace of God through faith alone, adding nothing to that faith. But Luther never did come to the knowledge of the truth. And that's why he spent the rest of his life struggling with the book of James because of what appeared to be irreconcilable differences between what James wrote and the truths he knew to be true according to what Paul wrote. Because he never understood the dispensational truths associated with Israel's prophetic kingdom program in the book of James.

So as Philippians 3:21 taught us, our vile bodies will be fashioned like unto his glorious body. And do you know what the result of that will be? Well, if you were to turn back to Colossians chapter one again, Colossians 1:28-29, it informed us that Paul, according to the power that he has from Christ working in him, that according to that power, Paul has been laboring and striving to present every man perfect, to present every man mature in Christ Jesus, and the extent to which we come to understand all these unsearchable riches of Christ, the things we have in Christ, and to the extent in which the love for Christ motivates us. That will determine how far we progress towards becoming perfect in Christ Jesus. It will determine how far we progress with our experiential sanctification. While we are still ambassadors down here on the earth. In reality, no one is going to become literally totally perfect in Christ as an ambassador on loan to planet Earth.

But when our vile bodies will be fashioned like unto his glorious body, According to Philippians 3:21, we will become perfect in Christ Jesus. Is that enough to blow your mind or what?

And that is why Paul writes in Philippians 1:6 that we can be confident that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.

So those are some, just some of the unsearchable riches of Christ and mystery truths, and there are many more. But I think perhaps we've looked at enough so far to make my point of the importance of understanding the mystery.

When I continue this message in part two, we're going to review some of these things and we're going to see exactly why all these unsearchable mystery truths have been kept a secret, hidden in God from before the foundation of the world.