1. Knowing God (VI) The Mystery of God 1 Tim 3:16 By common confession, great is the mystery of godliness: He who was revealed in the flesh, Was vindicated in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Proclaimed among the nations, Believed on in the world, Taken up in glory.

2. A Mystery Revealed Biblical “mystery” = what was hidden, but is now revealed: Rom 16:25-26 “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 which has been kept secret for long ages past, but now is manifested, and by the Scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God, has been made known to all the nations, leading to obedience of faith.”

3. A Mystery Revealed Biblical “mystery” = what was hidden, but is now revealed: Eph 1:9 “He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him.”

4. A Mystery Revealed Biblical “mystery” = what was hidden, but is now revealed: Eph 3:3-4 “that by revelation there was made known to me the mystery, as I wrote before in brief. By referring to this, when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ.”

5. A Mystery Revealed Biblical “mystery” = what was hidden, but is now revealed: Eph 3:9 “and to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God who created all things”

6. A Mystery Revealed Biblical “mystery” = what was hidden, but is now revealed: Col 1:25-29 “Of this church I was made a minister according to the stewardship from God bestowed on me for your benefit, so that I might fully carry out the preaching of the word of God, that is, the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His saints, to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”

7. A Mystery Revealed Biblical “mystery” = what was hidden, but is now revealed: –Knowledge accessible only by divine revelation – 1 Cor 2:6-13 –But not all mystery is removed

8. Things Unrevealed Remain a Mystery Deut 29:29 “The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever, that we may observe all the words of this law.”

9. Things Unrevealed Remain a Mystery 1 Cor 2:11 “For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God.”

10. Things Unrevealed Remain a Mystery E.g., Regarding the reason for particular suffering – Job –Though have patterns and principles: E.g., God punishes nations for their sin, but he relents when they repent – Jer 18:7-8 E.g., Reap what we sow – Gal 6:7 –But general principles do not a rule make (Ps 37; 73).

11. Some Mystery Even In What Is Revealed Truth is knowable -- Dt 29:29; Jn 8:31- 32 –Reason-able – Isa 1:18

12. Some Mystery Even In What Is Revealed Truth is knowable But, elevating reason too highly, results in three mistakes: 1. Failure to rely on the Holy Spirit. 1 Cor 2:14-15 “But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised. But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no one.”

13. Some Mystery Even In What Is Revealed Truth is knowable But, elevating reason too highly, results in three mistakes: 1. Failure to rely on the Holy Spirit. 2. Exaggerated intolerance and divisiveness. Not everyone is of the same intellectual capability

14. Some Mystery Even In What Is Revealed Truth is knowable But, elevating reason too highly, results in three mistakes: 1. Failure to rely on the Holy Spirit. 2. Exaggerated intolerance and divisiveness. Psalms 147:5 “Great is our Lord and abundant in strength; His understanding is infinite.”

15. Some Mystery Even In What Is Revealed Truth is knowable But, elevating reason too highly, results in three mistakes: 1. Failure to rely on the Holy Spirit. 2. Exaggerated intolerance and divisiveness. 3. Removing God from the process.

16. Some Mysteries of God God’s Many Paradoxes: –A–A–A–A paradox is an apparent, but not real, contradiction. –Y–Y–Y–Yet some paradoxes seem do defy our human reasoning: E.g., the incarnation of God –J–J–J–Jesus, fully man and fully God. –G–G–G–God cannot be tempted, yet Jesus was tempted.

17. Some Mysteries of God God’s Many Paradoxes: –A–A–A–A paradox is an apparent, but not real, contradiction. –Y–Y–Y–Yet some paradoxes seem do defy our human reasoning: E.g., divine foreknowledge and human free will.

18. God’s Mysterious Spirit John 3:8 “The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit."

19. Some Mysteries of God God’s Mysterious Spirit –Cannot detect him, but given as a pledge (promise) of our inheritance.

20. Some Mysteries of God God’s Unreasonable Grace Rom 5:20 “The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more”

21. Some Mysteries of God God’s Strange Love 1 Jn 3:1 “See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.”

22. Some Mysteries of God God’s Strange Love –“Great” (“manner”) (potapos) = Lit. “from what country, race, or tribe?” (Thayer) E.g., Mt 8:27 – “What kind of man is this?” E.g., Lk 1:29 – “What kind of greeting is this?”

23. Some Mysteries of God God’s Strange Love –Surpasses knowledge Eph 3:18-19 “may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.

24. Some Mysteries of God God’s Many Paradoxes God’s Mysterious Spirit God’s Unreasonable Grace God’s Strange Love

25. “Great is the mystery of godliness!”