Sermon for Sunday Eve, May 4th, 2025 at First Presbyterian Church at Unionville, NY (BPC)
Scripture Reading: [Rom 16:25-27 ESV] 25 Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages 26 but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith– 27 to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen.
There was an old television series called Mysteries OF the Bible. I remember watching it often. They’d look for the location of Mt. Sinai, or for Sodom and Gomorrah. In one episode they’d talk about hidden meaning in the book of Revelation or take a stab at the question “Who Wrote the Bible?” That question was a two-part episode.
Well, the sermon today is on “Mystery IN the Bible.”
We won’t be looking at amazing miracles, but will be looking at the term “mystery” in the Bible and its surprising meaning.
Sometimes you’ll see a person throw up their arms and say “It is a mystery.” Something unknown. They might say something like “We cannot know. It is one of the mysteries of God”
But, in the Bible, we have quite the opposite. A mystery is not something UNKNOWN, but something KNOWN. More exactly, it is something that WAS SECRET but is NOW REVEALED. The conclusion is WE CAN KNOW the mysteries of God. Some of them anyways.
The knowledge of God is a Christian virtue. We are not to revel in NOT KNOWING, but to seek understanding from the Lord.
I want to look at a variety of Biblical passages to show how the word “mystery” is used in the Bible. Then, we’ll look into our Scripture passage – Romans 16:25-27.
First, in the Old Testament, the word mystery (in Hebrew “raz”, meaning “secret”) is found in a number of places. But you’ll find that these are secrets REVEALED, not secrets that are unknown.
Check out this one:
[Dan 2:19 ESV] 19 Then the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision of the night. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven.
The mystery was revealed. Something that could be KNOWN was told to Daniel FROM GOD. God is the REVEALER, the mystery is the TRUTH REVEALED.
Again in Daniel:
[Dan 2:30 ESV] 30 But as for me, this mystery has been revealed to me, not because of any wisdom that I have more than all the living, but in order that the interpretation may be made known to the king, and that you may know the thoughts of your mind.
And again, now emphasizing the REVEALER (God):
[Dan 2:47 ESV] 47 The king answered and said to Daniel, “Truly, your God is God of gods and Lord of kings, and a revealer of mysteries, for you have been able to reveal this mystery.”
Then in the New Testament we have the Greek word “mysterion” which also means “secret” but again is about a “truth revealed.” Perhaps it was a secret one hidden, but now it is a knowledge revealed that can be known.
Paul says:
[Rom 11:25 ESV] 25 Lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.
Don’t be unaware of this mystery. Know this mystery. I realize that sounds strange to our modern ears. How can you KNOW a mystery? That is only trouble because we think of “mystery” as the unknown, rather than the known.
But in the Bible “mysteries” are revealed:
[1Co 15:51 ESV] 51 Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
[Eph 1:9 ESV] 9 making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ
[Eph 3:3 ESV] 3 how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly.
The Gospel itself is called a mystery. That is because there are element of it – like the grafting in of the Gentiles – that weren’t well known or accepted before Christ.
[Eph 3:6 ESV] 6 This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.
[Eph 6:19 ESV] 19 and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel,
[Col 1:26 ESV] 26 the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints.
Even in the Book of Revelation, not all is hidden. In fact “Revelation” is a book of REVEALING. Truths, mysteries, are being told.
[Rev 1:20 ESV] 20 As for the mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden lampstands, the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.
So then we have our Scripture passage. Romans 16:25-27.
I chose this because it is most thorough and convincing on the point I’m making.
[Rom 16:25-27 ESV] 25 Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages 26 but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith– 27 to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen.
It (the Gospel) was a secret. A mystery.
But it is now made known. Disclosed through the prophetic writings.
According to the command of the eternal God.
What was made known? The good news of Jesus Christ. That his death covered the sins of all sorts of peoples, Jew and Gentile.
So we are to KNOW this mystery of the Gospel, not hide away from it. We are commanded to believe the Gospel. “Repent and Believe, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.”
Don’t let anyone stop you from trying to learn more. It is not a virtue to be ignorant. Rather, we are to have the mind of Christ; the knowledge that God has revealed. Of course, we are not to speculate and go further than God has revealed, but we must embrace indeed what he has taught.
There is a relevant line in the song Crown Him with Many Crowns
no angels in the sky
can fully bear that sight,
but downward bends their burning eye
at mysteries so bright.
Not mysteries hidden, but mysteries so bright.
Now, I hope this is related. Once, at L’Abri in Switzerland I had a conversation with a leader who had taught that WE AREN’T SUPPOSED TO UNDERSTAND THE PARABLES OF JESUS; that we are to revel in not knowing what they mean.
I was surprised by that statement, because as you’ve heard me say in this sermon, “mysteries are revealed for us to positively know them as truths of God.”
Jesus spoke in parables which were indeed hard to understand, but check out what he says about the parables.
Why did Jesus speak in parables?
[Mar 4:10-12 ESV] 10 And when he was alone, those around him with the twelve asked him about the parables. 11 And he said to them, “To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables, 12 so that “‘they may indeed see but not perceive, and may indeed hear but not understand, lest they should turn and be forgiven.'”
So I was very concerned when that leader told me that they did not understand the parables. The Scripture tells us directly that those who don’t understand are the reprobate, those outside of the Kingdom, whose minds God has not opened to the truth.
So this idea that “we can’t know the parables” is concerning. I don’t want to pass judgment on a persons, but Paul says in 1 Corinthians 2:14
[1Co 2:14 ESV] 14 The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.
Well, the same teaching regarding the parables is in Matthew: (And Luke 8:9-15)
[Mat 13:10-17 ESV] 10 Then the disciples came and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” 11 And he answered them, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. 12 For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 13 This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. 14 Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says: “‘”You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive.” 15 For this people’s heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.’ 16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. 17 For truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.
And, you’ll find in the Gospels that the explanations of the parables almost always immediately follow the parables. Jesus, God, wants you to KNOW, not be ignorant. The mysteries of God are revealed. That which was once hidden, is now told.
APPLICATION:
And that message, the mystery revealed, changes lives.
The Gospel is revealed.
But for many it is still unknown.
We, however, who have heard and understand, we are a fortunate few.
So what are the great mysteries of the Bible.
Not any of the silly questions about where something was located, or if a certain miracle happened. Or, like Indian Jones, wanting to know where the Ark of the Covenant is today. Or the Holy Grail.
The mysteries are the truths of God that are revealed to us. And thus these mysteries are meaningful to us here and now. We are to know the mysteries of God. He has a gracious God who has revealed truth to us. For mysteries, are truths we cannot discovered, but for the revelation of God. We are dependent on Him, and He provides.
Specific mysteries include:
– the resurrection of the dead. (1 Corinthians 15:51)
– the ingrafting of the Gentiles into the covenant. (Romans 11:25)
– the union between Christ and his people symbolized by marriage (Ephesians 5:31-32, 6:19)
– even “the will of God” – Ephesians 1:9
CONCLUSION:
So let us praise God for truths revealed, mysteries now known.