Stewards of the Mysteries

“Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.” 1 Corinthians 4:1-2

  • Intro:
    • Paul was a minister of Christ and a steward of the mysteries of God.  
    • There are 7 mysteries of God in the New Testament.  
    • These mysteries are easy to find by simply cross-referencing the word “mystery.”
    • Today, we will identify each mystery and briefly describe it.  
    • The mystery of godliness – 1 Tim 3:16 –
      • The mystery of godliness is God was manifest in the flesh.  It is a mystery that God, who inhabits the entire universe, manifested himself as a baby who was born of a virgin.  It is a mystery that Jesus Christ was all man and yet all God at the same time.  He performed miracles, on the one hand, and hungered and thirsted, on the other.  Jn 1:1, 14 establishes the truth of 1 Tim 3:16.  
    • John said, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God… And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us.”
  • The mystery of the body of Christ – Eph 5:30-32 –
    • The mystery of the body of Christ is that, when we are saved, we are baptized by the Spirit of God into the body of Christ [1 Cor 12:13] and become literal members of his flesh and of his bones [Eph 5:30].  
    • Therefore, we are seated with Christ in heavenly places [Eph 2:6].  
    • The reason Paul refers back to Gen 2:24 in Eph 5:31 is that “the first man Adam” and “the last Adam,” [1 Cor 15:45] are very similar when it comes to their wives.  
    • As Adam’s wife came forth from his flesh and bones [Gen 2:23], we come forth from the flesh and bones of Jesus Christ to be married to him [Rom 7:4; Rev 19:7-9].
  • The mystery of the indwelling Christ – Col 1:27 –
    • The mystery of the indwelling of Jesus Christ is that, when we are saved, Jesus Christ literally dwells in us.
    • It is a mystery how the second person of the Trinity [1 Jn 5:7], who is currently seated at the right hand of God [Heb 10:12], can indwell every Christian who is alive today [Jn 14:20].  
    • When the Lord said, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee,” [Heb 13:5] he meant it literally.
  • The mystery of the rapture – 1 Cor 15:51 –
    • The mystery of the rapture is that Jesus Christ, as part of his Second Coming, will first return for all those who have been born again.  
    • It’s a mystery because no one knows when this will happen, or how this will happen.  
    • How does God instantly change our vile bodies and fashion them like unto his glorious body?  
    • After the rapture will be the Tribulation, followed by the return of Jesus Christ to rule and reign on the earth.
  • The mystery of iniquity – 2 Thess 2:7 –
    • The mystery of iniquity is the spirit of Antichrist.  
    • The reason this is a mystery is that the spirit of antichrist is already working in the earth but people can’t detect it [1 Jn 4:1-4].  
    • Another reason that the spirit of antichrist is a mystery is that when the antichrist shows up, the world will regard him as God [2 Thess 2:4] and not the devil.  
    • The revelation of his true identity will be withheld [2 Thess 2:6-8].
  • Mystery Babylon the Great – Rev 17:5 –
    • Mystery Babylon the Great is the city [Rev 17:3-5, 18] of the Antichrist during the Tribulation.  
    • The reason this city is a mystery is that Babylon was destroyed.  
    • Currently, the ruins of the ancient city are in Hillah, about approximate 53 south of Baghdad.  
    • Restoration is being done to Ishtar Gate and Ishtar Temple.  
    • Nevertheless, it is not this city to which John was referring.  
    • The city to which John refers in Rev 17 is like Babylon in its idolatry, political influence and global economy, yet it is a mystery.  
    • Many believe that mystery Babylon is Rome because of its historical influence over kings, its lavish wealth and its idolatrous connections with Ishtar.
  • The mystery of the blindness of Israel – Rom 11:25 –
    • The mystery of the blindness of Israel is that Israel, as a nation, is currently blind to the fact that Jesus is their Messiah.  
    • When he was crucified at the demand of the chief priests and elders, they did not realize they were killing their Messiah [Matt 13:15], the Lord of glory [1 Cor 2:7-8], the Prince of life [Acts 3:14-15].  
    • Many individual Jews have trusted Jesus Christ. But the nation is still blind to the truth and will be until a remnant finally accepts him as their Lord and Christ at the Second Advent.  
  • Conclusion:  
    • 1 Cor 4:2 says that it is required in stewards that a man be found faithful.  
    • We must be faithful to these mysteries.  
    • Religions, false teachers and worldly Christians have departed from these mysteries.  
    • Translators of modern bibles have not been faithful to the mystery of godliness and have attacked the deity of Christ.  
    • Many have confused the mystery of the body of Christ, by their interpretation of the church.  
    • More and more believers are changing their beliefs about the pre-tribulation rapture of the church.  
    • And for centuries, some believers have taught that the church replaced Israel in the covenant and Old Testament promises, not realizing that Israel’s blindness will be healed when Jesus returns.