My first point was...
"Paul said he was preaching Jesus Christ according to the revelation of the mystery which was KEPT SECRET SINCE THE WORLD BEGAN according to Romans 16:25-26. The only way around this is to say that this is not really a mystery and it is certainly not the mystery of Ephesians. However, I am a Bible believing Christian that takes the Bible to "say what it means and means what it says". "
So now my Acts 28 friend must explain how "kept secret since the world began" does not really mean that God kept the mystery of Romans 16 a secret. This should be fun to watch!
['“Now to Him That is of 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 and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith“.
The
question is, which mystery is being spoken of in these verses. Is it
the dispensation of the mystery? There are several clues in the verses
themselves that will help in our consideration of this question.]
Here's the answer to your question......Paul revealed that the dispensation of Law had ended and that the dispensation of grace had begun.....For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. (Romans 6:14)
Paul revealed the baptism into Christ that made these believers one body, in Christ....
Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. (Romans 6:3-4)
Romans 12:5 So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.
Paul revealed the plan of salvation for the present age in Romans 3-5. We find that plan of salvation nowhere else in the Bible.
Paul revealed the Gentiles to be fellowheirs, (outside of Israel's kingdom and rise), which is part of the mystery of Ephesians 3:6....And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. (Romans 8:17)
For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief: Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy. For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all. (Romans 11:30-32)
Paul revealed the temporary casting aside, fall, diminishing, and blinding of Israel until the fulness of the Gentiles is come in (which was a mystery not found in the OT)...For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. (Romans 11:25)
But Paul does remind us that Israel's program, salvation, and covenant WILL BE fulfilled in the future... And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins. (Romans 11:26-27)
As far as Paul's gospel was concerned, Israel was the enemy of the Gentiles in Acts....
Romans 11:28 As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sakes.
1 Thessalonians 2:
[14] For ye, brethren, became followers of the churches of God which in Judaea are in Christ Jesus: for ye also have suffered like things of your own countrymen, even as they have of the Jews:
[15] Who both killed the Lord Jesus, and their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they please not God, and are contrary to all men:
[16] Forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they might be saved, to fill up their sins alway: for the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost.
But in this Acts period, though Israel has nationally been blinded and broken off for unbelief, there is still an elect remnant that God wanted saved out from the unbelievers and into the program He committed to Paul...
Romans 11:28 As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sakes.
Romans 11:
[1] I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.
[2] God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel, saying,
[3] Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life.
[4] But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal.
[5] Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.
[6] And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.
[7] What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded
And because of that beloved elect remnant of Israel, we see Paul doing signs to reach and provoke Israel and also doing Jewish practices...
1 Corinthians 1:22 For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:
1 Corinthians 9:
[16] For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!
[17] For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward: but if against my will, a dispensation of the gospel is committed unto me.
[18] What is my reward then? Verily that, when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel of Christ without charge, that I abuse not my power in the gospel.
[19] For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more.
[20] And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law;
[21] To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law.
[22] To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.
[23] And this I do for the gospel's sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you.
Romans 11:
[11] I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.
[12] Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness?
[13] For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office:
[14] If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them.
[15] For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?
But the signs were said to be only in existence until the completion of scripture... http://av1611studyblog.blogspot.com/2014/07/blah-blah-blah-is-that-really-holyghost.html
Until then, the signs were used in provoking Israel in order to reach the elect remnant, (Jews require a sign) but they were also used in edifying the church until the complete scriptures had come (as seen in my post). Also see Ephesians 4:11-12 and 1 Corinthians 14:12.
Yeah, all that is pretty much mystery that God kept secret since the world began.
Now let's see what my Acts 28 friend was going to say about Romans 16:25-26.
[ 1) Consider the opening of this passage, “Now to Him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel….”. Paul uses the phrase “my gospel” three times: here in Romans 16, in Romans 2:16 and in II Tim. 2:8. Romans 2:16,
“This will take place on the day when God will judge men’s secrets
through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares.” The other reference to
“my gospel” is found in II Tim. 2:8 where we read, “Remember that Jesus
Christ of the seed of David, was raised from the dead according
to my gospel”. We are not left with any doubt as to what Paul meant by
the term “my gospel”. It referred to judgment and the resurrection of
Christ from the dead.]
I am not sure where you are going with that. Paul's gospel is divided up into TWO things.
Romans
1:
[1] Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God,
[2] (Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures,)
[3] Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh;
[4] And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:
[5] By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name:
[2] (Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures,)
[3] Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh;
[4] And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:
[5] By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name:
1 Corinthians 15:
[1] Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;
[2] By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
[3] For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
[4] And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
[1] Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;
[2] By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
[3] For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
[4] And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
The
gospel is that God was manifest in the flesh and paid for our sins,
that if we believe that and trust Christ we will be saved and sealed
(Acts 16:31, Eph. 1:13, Gal. 3:1-3). Who Christ was and His sacrificial
death paying for sin IS IN the Old Testament scriptures (ex. Isa. 52, 53, Ps. 22). However, you will not find in the OT people receiving the benefits of the New Testament BEFORE the 2nd coming of Christ. The prophecy of the New Testament is always connected with the 2nd coming. Also, the sacrificial death of Christ was NOT prophesied to have reconciled Jew and Gentile into one body. Our gospel (the work of Christ) is of prophecy, but what all Christ's finished work did is not of prophecy. The revelation of the mystery is preaching the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ made it possible for us to be reconciled into one body.
[2) Let us consider verse 26, where Paul writes that the mystery of verse 25 “is now made manifest by prophetic writings”.
The dispensation of the mystery is the present dispensation in which
all nations are the same in God’s eyes (Eph. 3:6). The revelation of
that mystery was not “made manifest by prophetic writings” prior to
Acts . In point of fact it was a mystery that had been hid in God until it was revealed to Paul after Acts 28.]
First of all, you quoted the verse wrong.
Romans16:
[25] Now to him that is of 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,
[26] But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith:
[26] But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith:
As for your points, God stopped the kingdom program at Acts 7 with the blaspheming of the Holy Ghost by the leaders of Jerusalem. Right after that, Christ saved Saul (Paul) and made him a pattern of longsuffering and grace to lay the foundation for a pattern for those who would believe after him.
1 Timothy 1:
[11] According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust.
[12] And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry;
[13] Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.
[14] And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.
[15] This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.
[16] Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.
[12] And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry;
[13] Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.
[14] And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.
[15] This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.
[16] Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.
1 Corinthians 3:10 According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.
Christ revealed the grace dispensation to Paul (Rom. 6:14) and gave him our gospel. Paul was then sent to the Gentiles (Acts 22:21, Acts 26:17) apart from Israel and prophecy. You can't find Paul's Acts ministry in the OT (Rom. 11:25). All nations were equal in God's eyes in Acts...
Romans 1:
[13] Now I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that oftentimes I purposed to come unto you, (but was let hitherto,) that I might have some fruit among you also, even as among other Gentiles.
[14] I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise.
[15] So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also.
[16] For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
[14] I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise.
[15] So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also.
[16] For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
Romans 3:
[29] Is he the God of the Jews only? is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also:
[30] Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith.
[30] Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith.
Romans 10:
[11] For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
[12] For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.
[13] For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
[12] For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.
[13] For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Romans 11:
[29] For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.
[30] For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:
[31] Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.
[32] For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.
[33] O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!
[34] For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counseller?
[35] Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?
[36] For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.
[30] For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:
[31] Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.
[32] For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.
[33] O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!
[34] For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counseller?
[35] Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?
[36] For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.
Of course there was the elect remnant of Israel according to grace that God wanted to bring out of unbelieving Israel to be in the program with the Gentiles and so God wanted Paul to preach to the Jews first and then go to the Gentile. But that is not an order of who is better, it is an order of strategic advantage. Paul went to the Jews, and when they refused his gospel, he would say "It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles" (Acts 13:46). That was to provoke the Jews to jealousy as we have already seen, but this really has nothing to do with anybody being "equal". It actually has to do with God making things MORE "equal" by taking out some Jews from the blinded ones. Now they're just blinded and no elect remnant is in Israel.
[3) Let us also consider the phrase, “and made known to all nations for obedience of faith”.
In my opinion, the mystery of Eph. 3:6 that the nations are now the
same, i.e. together bodies, does not lead to “the obedience of faith”.
On the other hand, the mystery of Christ, which is the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ certainly should lead to “the obedience of faith”.
Let
us try to pull together what we have learned in order to discover if
the mystery of Romans 16 is the dispensation of the mystery.
1. The mystery of Romans 16 is referred to as “my gospel” the nature of which is explained in Rom. 2:16
and II Tim. 2:8. It has nothing to do with the dispensation of the
mystery as described in Eph. 3:6. “My gospel” has to do with judgment
and the resurrection of Christ.
2.
The mystery of Romans 16 had been revealed by “prophetic writings”.
There is absolutely nothing before Romans 16 which even hints of the
dispensation of the mystery spoken of in the prison epistles.
3) The mystery that the nations are now equal does not, in my opinion, necessarily lead one to “obedience of faith”.
We must conclude therefore, that the mystery spoken of in Romans 16 is not the dispensation of the mystery.
Having
said that the mystery of Romans 16 is not the dispensation of the
mystery revealed to Paul after Acts 28, let us address the question of
what is the mystery of Romans 16?]
I think what I have already said covers all that.
First, the Greek word “kai” translated “and” in the phrase, “according to my gospel and the
preaching of Jesus Christ” can also be translated “even”. “My gospel”
is, in part, the resurrection of Christ. Therefore, I believe that
“and” should have been translated “even” so the phrase should read, “according to my gospel, even the preaching of Jesus Christ“.
When we studied the mystery of Christ we saw that that mystery had to
do with the death and resurrection of Christ. Therefore, I believe that
the mystery of Romans 16 is the mystery of Christ. That is to say, the
mystery of Christ concerns the death and resurrection of Christ. “My
gospel” is described in Romans 16 as the “preaching of Jesus Christ”
and in II Tim. 2 we learned that it had to do with the resurrection of
Christ. Therefore, the mystery of Romans 16 is the mystery of Christ, which has to do with the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, not the dispensation of the mystery.
I think what I have said already covers that. The gospel can be found in the OT (death, burial, and resurrection), but that it made Jew and Gentile capable of being in one body is the revelation of the mystery revealed to Paul. You can make our gospel made known by the scriptures of the prophets, see Paul's sermon in Acts 13.
Meanwhile your changing of the word of God does not make me happy. Do you know Greek? Do you use a Greek text or a English NT? Do you think that you know more than the KJB translators, Geneva translators, Wycliffe, Luther, Tyndale, ESV translators, NKJV translators, NASB translators, etc. ? Because you are making a re-translation that nobody else makes. Meanwhile "kai" is very RARELY translated "even". Out of 9249 times, "kai" is translated "and" 8172 times and "even" only 108. If there is one thing I have learned it is that the KJB is always right and I do not even consider anything contrary or changed from it to be the word of God. They call it "King James Onlysim", scary, I know.
[For
further evidence that Rom. 16 speaks of the mystery of Christ let us
compare this passage in Rom. 16 with the opening passage of Romans.
Romans 1:1-5 reads, “Paul a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an
apostle, separated unto the gospel of God, (which He had promised afore by His prophets in the holy Scriptures,) Concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh, and declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead: By whom we received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations for His name”.
Note
the phrases in this passage that are similar to those in Rom. 16 which
makes them parallel passagesL”Promised afore by His prophets in the
holy Scriptures” and “for obedience to the faith among all nations for
His name”. And the phrases “made of the seed of David” and ” the
resurrection from the dead:” which explain “my gospel” of Rom. 16. This
passage and the one quoted from chapter one are obviously parallel passages. What can we learn by comparing these two parallel passages?
The mystery of Christ, as explained above is the death and resurrection of
Christ. Paul wrote of Christ’s resurrection specifically in chapter
one and alluded to it by the term “my gospel” in Rom. 16. In my
opinion, this suggests that the mystery of Rom. 16 is the mystery of
Christ. ]
Yeah yeah, I have already explained all that. Nice try in attempting to make the Bible not say what it says! Have a wonderful day, friend! --bro. Eli "Hoss" Caldwell
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