We see in 1 Cor 2:7, that the mystery was hidden: “The hidden wisdom of God in a mystery was ordained before the ages for our glory.”
Put another way, the “mystery was kept secret in age times”.
Rom 16:25 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.
The mystery was “hidden from ages and from generations” (Col 1:26).
So, what was the character of the mystery?
More than anything else, it was a secret, hidden in God from ages and generations.
It was never written about anywhere in God’s word until it was revealed to the Apostle Paul.
It says in Ephesians 3:8,9, that Paul was given the grace that “I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ.”
Anexichneevastos means, something “that cannot be searched out, that cannot be comprehended.”
This word occurs only twice in the New Testament. In Rom 11:33, it shows that God’s ways cannot be searched out.
Since Paul says he was given the grace of preaching this unsearchable grace, it must mean it could not be traced anywhere in the Scripture before it was given to him.
The context of Eph 3:8,9 shows this to be true. “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, 9 and to make all see what is the dispensation of the mystery, which has been hidden from the ages in God who created all things through Jesus Christ.”
That means no prophecy made before Paul’s salvation concerns the mystery.
In other words, all prophecy made before Paul received the mystery is silent about the people and things of the mystery.
That is the character of the mystery.
Believers during the time the dispensation of the mystery is in place are baptized by the Spirit into the body of Christ.
They become part of something brand new. Jews and Gentiles who believe become heirs together. They are baptized by the Holy Spirit into the body of Christ.
We become partakers together in becoming one new man, a new creation (2 Co 5:17; Gal 6:15; Eph 2:14-16; Col 1:18-22).
There was nothing written about these things in the prophetic Scriptures before Paul’s conversion.
God called this new creation, the body of Christ.
It is made up of Jews and Gentiles as joint-heirs and joint-partakers.
According to the content of this mystery, God broke down the discriminatory barriers.
This truth causes us to make a strong distinction between Israel and the church which is His body.
Mid-Acts-Dispensationalists believe the body of Christ started with the Apostle Paul before he wrote his first epistle.
I believe the body of Christ started with the conversion of Paul.
Since Paul says he was given the grace of preaching this unsearchable grace, it must mean it could not be traced anywhere in the Scripture before it was given to him.
After Israel had been shown that they had been set aside, Paul was inspired by God to write Ephesians.
In Eph 4:3-6, Paul wrote about the unity of the Spirit. He was writing about God’s dealings with Christians today. He wrote, “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, “one baptism”. Which baptism is it? It must be Spirit baptism since the Holy Spirit is still sealing members into the body of Christ.
Bob Hill
