Jesus Christ is the mystery of our salvation

Apostle Paul uses the term “mystery of God” for many times in the Epistles addressed to the churches from Asia (Colossians, Ephesians), saying that Jesus Christ is this mystery. The use of this term was imposed by the presence of gnostics’ heresy.

The term gnosticism comes from the Greek word gnosis that means “knowledge”. Gnosticism is a phylosophy that emphasizes the search for a superior knowledge. Gnostics were teaching that this knowledge is not intelectual, but it is a knowledge that a common Christian is not capable to get. Gnostics thought that as soon as a Christian takes possession over this extraordinary knowledge he receives “salvation”. (International Inductive Study Bible)

Gnostics were teaching that this “spiritual knowledge” is mysterious and it is discovered only to some, only to the spiritual ones, while all other Christians were considered carnal by them.

Apostle Paul says that the true mystery of God is Jesus Christ because only His personal knowledge can bring forgiveness for each person.

The mystery of Christ is comprised in the Word of God and Apostle Paul wrote to Colossians:

Praying at the same time for us as well, that God will open up to us a door for the word, so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ, for which I have also been imprisoned. (Colossians 4:3)(NASB)

Usually every mystery is kept hidden under many locks. Coca-Cola is a drink that has been discovered and produced for the first time almost for a century, and yet no one knows the secret of its production because this secret is kept under lock and key. And this is just a cooling drink. But God wanted that the greatest mystery of humanity, that has to deal with the human souls to be known, and to be spread on the whole earth.

The paradox is that people, instead of trying to know this mystery they posed all kind of obstacles on its way, they persecuted to prison and to death those who spread the mystery of Christ and they have done this to this day. Apostle Paul was imprisoned while writing this Epistle to Colossians. But the priority for him was to spread this mystery, the Gospel. It was a greater priority that his liberation from prison. This is well seen while reading the same verse I have cited previously.

Do you know the mystery of God, that is Christ? Have you received forgiveness of sins and the gift of eternal life by the knowledge of this mystery? Do you spread this mystery to others?

Translated by Djugostran Felicia