The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in 1 Corinthians 4:1,
"This, then, is how you ought to regard us: as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the mysteries God has revealed."
The "us" in the above verse refers to the apostolic presence during this time. Paul speaks further of the apostles of Christ, "For it seems to me that God has put us apostles on display at the end of the procession, like those condemned to die in the arena. We have been made a spectacle to the whole universe, to angels as well as to human beings. We are fools for Christ, but you are so wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are honored, we are dishonored! To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless. We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; when we are slandered, we answer kindly. We have become the scum of the earth, the garbage of the world—right up to this moment." Verses 9-13.
What Paul says about the apostles, in addition to their unenviable lives relative to comfort, is that they were "entrusted with the mysteries" God had revealed to them. It was their responsibility to carry that word to the world and to document it in the Scriptures. The prophets of old produced the Scriptures God intended prior to Christ, and with the birth of the church, God entrusted his word to the apostles. All Scripture in our New Testaments enjoy the apostolic imprimatur.
Paul speaks of the mysteries that had been revealed to him. In Romans 11:25 he says, "I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in..." In 1 Corinthians 2:6-7 he says, "We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. No, we declare God's wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began."
Paul talks about the mystery of our coming resurrection in 1 Corinthians 15, "Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed." Verses 51-52.
In Ephesians 1:8-10 Paul talks about the mystery of what God intends to do at the end of this age, "With all wisdom and understanding, he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ."
"This, then, is how you ought to regard us: as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the mysteries God has revealed."
The "us" in the above verse refers to the apostolic presence during this time. Paul speaks further of the apostles of Christ, "For it seems to me that God has put us apostles on display at the end of the procession, like those condemned to die in the arena. We have been made a spectacle to the whole universe, to angels as well as to human beings. We are fools for Christ, but you are so wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are honored, we are dishonored! To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless. We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; when we are slandered, we answer kindly. We have become the scum of the earth, the garbage of the world—right up to this moment." Verses 9-13.
What Paul says about the apostles, in addition to their unenviable lives relative to comfort, is that they were "entrusted with the mysteries" God had revealed to them. It was their responsibility to carry that word to the world and to document it in the Scriptures. The prophets of old produced the Scriptures God intended prior to Christ, and with the birth of the church, God entrusted his word to the apostles. All Scripture in our New Testaments enjoy the apostolic imprimatur.
Paul speaks of the mysteries that had been revealed to him. In Romans 11:25 he says, "I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in..." In 1 Corinthians 2:6-7 he says, "We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. No, we declare God's wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began."
Paul talks about the mystery of our coming resurrection in 1 Corinthians 15, "Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed." Verses 51-52.
In Ephesians 1:8-10 Paul talks about the mystery of what God intends to do at the end of this age, "With all wisdom and understanding, he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ."
I count at least 16 locations a "mystery" is spoken of from Romans through Revelation. (4 of those are in Ephesians, chapter 3, counted as one location). You probably could find more. I think a fascinating study would be to focus on passages where a mystery is spoken of.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
No comments:
Post a Comment