Colossians 1:25-26 “I
became a minister according to the stewardship from God which was
given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God, the mystery which
has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed
to His saints.”
Continuing in this short
Bible Study on the first chapter of Colossians that I found, the lesson states
that mystery religions that promised salvation to a select group of initiates
who received the mysteries — top-secret teachings — of certain religious
figures were common in the ancient Greco-Roman world. During the early part of
the twentieth century, many historians claimed that Christianity merely
co-opted the beliefs of these mystery religions for its own purposes,
eventually winning more adherents than any other group. Such theories were
proposed largely on account of Paul’s use of the term “mystery” in Colossians
1:25–26 and many other passages.
Though these theories are
still found in many popular-level attacks on the Christian faith, such ideas
were debunked long ago. Better historical research proves that the mystery
religions borrowed from Christianity, perverting its rituals and teachings to
make them compatible with rank paganism (i.e. Holy Easter/Spring fertility,
All Hallow Eve/Halloween). Moreover, it is astounding that anyone could think
that the other apostles simply adopted the mystery religions for their own
purposes, for the meaning of the term mystery is far different in the New
Testament than it was in the surrounding society. Instead of a secret truth
that only the “truly spiritual” can understand, mystery in the Bible refers to
something that was once unclear under the old covenant but is now seen plainly
under the new covenant. Such mysteries are given to all the saints of God, as
we see in today’s passage.
We will look at the specific
mystery Paul introduces in Colossians 1:25–26 more, but for now note that it
has to do with the full citizenship of Gentiles alongside faithful Israelites
in the kingdom of God. What we want to stress today is that this mystery, along
with every other so-called “mystery” in Scripture, can be grasped by all
believers. To be sure, it will take an eternity to plumb the depths of God’s
revelation; however, there is no secret teaching that is the possession of
merely a few believers. In the body of Christ there are no racial, gender, or
economic distinctions before God when it comes to the truth — all have a share
in learning and understanding what has been given to us in His Word through the
inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Undeniably, some people are more gifted
teachers of these mysteries than others, just as was true under the old
covenant. But there is no hidden truth in Scripture that belongs to only a few.
The
lesson concludes that throughout history, there have been many groups and
individuals who have claimed that God has revealed truths only to them and that
only they can understand the will of the Lord. The true God, however, has
revealed Himself in His inscripturated Word, which is available to all people.
We should not think that it will be forever impossible for us to understand any
part of the Scriptures, for we trust the Spirit to illumine our understanding
for our growth as a child of God.
No comments:
Post a Comment