The
Three Stages of the Mystery of the Universe
1 Timothy 3:16 "Great
indeed, is the mystery of godliness!"
John 14:9 "Whoever has
seen me has seen the Father."
Colossians 2:2 "To reach
all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God's
mystery, which is Christ."
Ephesians 3:9-10 "To bring to light...that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places."
Stage Mystery |
Meaning |
Explanation |
Application |
Relationship |
Related Scriptures |
First Stage God is the
mystery of the universe |
God Himself is
a mystery, who is real, living, and almighty, yet invisible. |
No one has ever
seen God, thus God is mysterious to mankind. God is the starting point of
mystery, the source of all mysteries. |
We seek to know
this mysterious God, but can only know Him through Christ. |
God as a
mystery is embodied in Christ, thus Christ becomes the mystery of God. |
John 1:18 "No one has ever seen God; the only Son, who is in the
bosom of the Father, He has made Him known." |
Second Stage Christ is the
mystery of God |
Christ is the
concrete expression of God, manifesting God, thus He is the mystery of God. |
Christ is not
only God, but more specifically, He is God concretized, explained,
interpreted, and expressed. Therefore, Christ is the visible God. |
We know God by
knowing Christ, and find and experience God in Christ. |
Christ
manifests God and produces the church as His own expression; Christ is the
embodiment of God, and the church is the continuation and enlargement of
Christ. |
Colossians 1:27 "The glory of this mystery...which is Christ in you, the
hope of glory." Ephesians 3:4 "When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the
mystery of Christ." Ephesians 1:22-23 "The church, which is his body, the fullness of him who
fills all in all." |
Third Stage The church is
the mystery of Christ |
The church is
the Body of Christ, expressing Christ, thus it is the mystery of Christ. |
Although Christ
dwelling in believers is mysterious, the church as the Body of Christ is the
manifestation and expression of Christ. When we see the church, we see
Christ; when we contact the church, we contact Christ. |
We express
Christ in church life and experience Christ, so that Christ may have a
corporate expression. |
The church is
the continuation and enlargement of Christ, the continuation of this mystery.
The mystery of God—Christ, brings in the mystery of Christ—the church. |
Conclusion:
From the Bible, the mystery of the universe can be understood as three consecutive stages of a single mystery. These
three stages form a complete divine revelation,
demonstrating God's eternal plan and economy.
The importance of these three stages lies in how they reveal how God progresses from being an invisible
mystery, to becoming visible through Christ, and finally obtaining corporate expression through the church. This is
a progressive revelation process:
1.
First, God Himself is the greatest mystery in the universe because
He is invisible
2.
Then, this
mysterious God is embodied and expressed in Christ
3.
Finally, Christ receives corporate expression through the church as
His Body
These three stages are not
separate but are mutually inclusive and interrelated.
God is found in Christ, and Christ is found in the church. Therefore, the church is actually a "mystery within a
mystery," the ultimate expression of the divine mystery.
This revelation has important applications for believers,
helping us understand our position and function in
God's eternal plan, and comprehend the importance of the church as the Body of
Christ.
*Please refer to the July
2024 Anaheim, California, USA training Experiencing, Enjoying and Manifesting
Christ (II) Week 21 The Mystery of the Church
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