The Bulletin
of the
Church of Christ at New Georgia

Tim Johnson, editor

April 15, 2007

 
In This Issue:
Beware: Counterfeits Abound
by Steve Klein

The Mystery Revealed
by Edward O. Bragwell Jr.

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Beware: Counterfeits Abound

  We sometimes hear warnings to consumers about counterfeits - items which are made to look like valuable name brand products, but are worthless fakes.  Most folks should have sense enough to know that the name brand merchandise offered by street vendors at bargain basement prices may not be genuine, yet Americans purchase millions of dollars of counterfeit goods every year.  In one notable case in 2006, the Department of Justice arrested six counterfeit smugglers and seized over $16 million worth of fake Nike tennis shoes.  Had law enforcement not intervened, it is fairly certain that every last shoe would have been sold to some blissfully unaware consumer, despite the fact that many warnings have been issued to consumers in recent years concerning counterfeit Nike shoes.

  The Lord issued MANY warnings about the existence and real danger of false teachers.  Notice:

  • 2 Peter 2:1, "But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction."

  • 1 John 4:1, "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world."

  • Matthew 7:15, "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves."

  • Matthew 24:11, "Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.

  • 2 Corinthians 11:13, "For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ."

Are we really paying attention to these warnings?  

  A number of years ago, travelers to Africa were issued this warning: 
  If you're planning to vacation in Zambia, beware of the street-corner "emerald vendors." And if you're driving, be prepared for some confusion in the streets, owing to stolen traffic lights. The two warnings are related: The traffic light thieves are selling green glass chips to unsuspecting tourists who think they're getting bargain-basement emeralds.

  In spiritual matters, there is also a relationship between the missing Scripture in sermons and the counterfeit preachers, pastors and pulpiteers who are delivering the sermons!  If you are driving in Zambia and there are no traffic lights, wouldn't it be prudent to suspect that the emeralds being offered by the vendors in that neighborhood might not be genuine?  Even so, if you are listening to a sermon and there is no Scripture for what is being said, you might be wise to suspect that both the message and messenger are FALSE!  "Test all things; hold fast what is good" (1 Thessalonians 5:21).

-- Steve Klein
 

 The Mystery Revealed

   I often hear people say that the Bible cannot really be understood. One reason some give is that the Bible is a mystery that no one can understand. As proof, they point to the fact that the Bible sometimes refers to itself as a mystery. Now it is true that in many passages the Bible does characterize the things within it as a "mystery." The question that must be asked is if these things continue to be a mystery. Let's first look at what is meant by the word mystery. A mystery is "something unexplained, unknown, or kept secret" (Webster's New World Dictionary). The Greek word "musterion" (moos-tay-ree-on) which is translated mystery in the New Testament literally means "to shut the mouth" and means "a secret" according to Strong. So the things that are contained in the Scriptures are things that at least at one time God kept His mouth shut about or kept secret. But the question is whether these things are a mystery or secret any longer or has God made His will known to us so that we can understand. A careful consideration of a few Bible passages should give us the answer to this.

  1. Rom 16:25-27: "Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the world began but now has been made manifest, and by the prophetic Scriptures has been made known to all nations, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, for obedience to the faith -- to God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen." Notice that although the "revelation of the mystery" had been "kept secret since the world began" that Paul says it "now has been made manifest" and "by the prophetic Scriptures has been made known to all nations." Does that sound like the things in the Scriptures are still covered up (kept secret) or have they been uncovered (revealed) so that we can know and understand God's will?

  2. 1 Cor. 2:7-10: "But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But as it is written: 'Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.' But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God." Notice here that Paul said that he and others spoke the "mystery" or "hidden wisdom" of God. But they were able to speak these things because "God has revealed them to us." When the Holy Spirit made known the things of God to Paul and others, it no longer was secret. It is no longer a mystery, but can be known and understood.

  3. Eph 1:7-10: "In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth -- in Him." We see here again that the "mystery of His will" has been "made known to us." It is no longer kept secret. We can know it and understand it.

  4. Eph 3:3-12: "How that by revelation He made known to me the mystery (as I have briefly written already, by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ), which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets. To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ; to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him." There are several things brought out here. We see that Paul had the "mystery" revealed to him. This mystery had not been revealed in "other ages," but had now been "revealed" or uncovered. Paul wrote down what he received and when we read it we can "understand" what he was revealed to him. Also Paul had within his power to "make all see" what was once a "mystery" that had been "hidden in God," but obviously no longer was hidden. God's word is therefore no longer a mystery, but something that has been revealed so that we can understand it.

  5. Col 1:24-29: "I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church, of which 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. To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. To this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me mightily." Notice again that here the "word of God" is characterized as "the mystery which has been hidden," but "now has been revealed."

  These passages ought to be enough to convince us that the Bible is not a mystery which cannot be understood by us today. On the contrary, God's will was once a MYSTERY shut up in His mind UNTIL He saw fit to REVEAL it to us by the apostles and prophets, who wrote it down in what we now know as the Bible. We can understand it now. All we have to do is read it and follow it.  

-- Edward O. Bragwell Jr.