The Original Sherlock Holmes

The Apostle Paul became the Sherlock Holmes of the New Testament to reveal what he called mysteries. The word mystery is used over 25 times in the New Testament, spoken by Jesus, John, and Paul. By far, the majority were penned by Paul to reveal what he called the Mystery of Christ. 

By definition, a biblical mystery is a truth only known by divine revelation. There are actually several mysteries highlighted in Scripture, two of which are basic to the narrative of Scripture. The mysteries reveal the source – the who behind the what. They are:

The Mystery of Godliness, which works by the Spirit of God to reveal His plans to

and for His Elect (1 Tim 3:16)

The Mystery of Iniquity (or Lawlessness), which works by the spirit of the Antichrist to reveal his plans against the Elect of God (2 Thes 2:7)

These two mysteries are like the script of a play – they run parallel throughout the Scripture and they simply reveal the characters and their roles – the source of the who behind the what. The Bible teaches that God is the Supreme Sovereign over ALL the affairs of His “Script.” Satan primarily plays the role of an opponent of angels and humanity. God has a “role for him to play” and, at the command of Jesus, Satan and his demonic host will be bound just as it is written in the “Script.” 

Furthermore, good and evil are not equal - good is far superior to evil. Paul wrote in a way that assumed that his audience knew the difference between the Spirit of Christ working in and through the good guys unto godly obedience and the spirit of the Antichrist working in and through bad guys unto lawless disobedience.

Paul’s main focus is the Mystery of Christ! Paul himself was amazed and never quite recovered from God’s stunning move to Incarnate Himself into mankind, as the only begotten of the Father, Christ Jesus, reconciling the world to Himself! Paul was so impassioned that peril didn’t pale his vision and he had a lot of opposition and suffering! He considered his sufferings a small price to pay for the privilege of revealing the Mystery of Christ through preaching, teaching and writing! 

Paul fully believed that living in the dynamic revelation of the grace of God, we would be epistles read and examined by our communities. As the commentator Meyer once wrote, “Believers are the world’s Bibles, by studying, men may come to know the Lord Himself!” Paul did not waiver, he was clear to the end and we continue to benefit from his clarity! Paul lived to reveal these mysteries, which are the bed-rock truths of our faith.

Paul taught the Mystery of Christ in two applications:

1. Individually: the new man created in true righteousness and true holiness according to the Image of Jesus and His absolute perfection to dwell in us, our marvelous hope of glory (Eph 4:24, Col 1:27)

2. Corporately: the One New Man, God’s inclusion of the Gentiles, not separate from but grafted into the already existent Family of God, Israel (Eph 2)

Before God ever spoke one word of the natural realm into existence, He had already created within the intention and passion of His heart, His greater creation, which is the One New Man, whom He calls His Bride! In the foreknowledge of God were two principle tenants securing His masterful plan of salvation, (1) that the Lamb of God was slain before the foundations of the earth and (2) that He predestined and chose us to be holy before Him through the righteousness of THAT Lamb, Jesus Christ! Before all things, this very mystery brewing in the heart of God was and is His end-game goal whereby He began Creation with His Cornerstone and will complete it at the end of the ages as His Capstone!

Knowing that man would fall, the Mystery of Christ was that God would prepare a Body for Himself to take on the garment of man, become the atonement for all those who would respond to His calling, both Jew and Gentile, whom He would justify by their faith in Him, taking Him at His word. The corporate body of these individuals who believed that Christ would come and those of us who believe that Christ has come, both Jew and Gentile - He has created from the two the One New Man. Collectively, we are His Helpmate comparable to Himself to be His companion throughout all eternity.

Let’s first understand the individual who has been born again as a perfected new man.