Monday, August 3, 2020

For Your Knowledge in the Mystery of Christ

"Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy. For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him; HOWEVER, in the spirit he SPEAKS MYSTERIES. But he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men. He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church. I wish you all spoke with tongues, but even more that you prophesied; for he who prophesies is greater than he who speaks with tongues, unless indeed he interprets, that the church may receive edification."
(1 Corinthians 14:1-5)

"I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." (Revelation 19:10)

"Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit." (Ephesians 2:19-22)

"For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles---if indeed you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which was given to me for you, 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: that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel, of which I became a minister according to the gift of the grace of God given to me by the effective working of His POWER.  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..."(Ephesians 3:1-9)

Unsearchable indeed according to the flesh. But, speaking mysteries in the Spirit is the only way to know the mystery of Christ and fellowship in it, bringing the testimony of Jesus to bear in the church.

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