Standing on the threshold of apostasy, historic Fundamentalism is now dead, having capitulated to the “Neo” belief. God’s true remnant now must look only to the Word of God to find out what it is to do. While many are simply hanging on to a nostalgic memory of its nobler days, Fundamentalism has spiritually collapsed. A new breed of Fundamentalists has produced new terminologies, new definitions, and new interpretations of Scripture.

The vast majority of Fundamentalist schools have aggressively joined the bandwagon of Neo-Evangelicalism. Having left God, they are becoming drunk with the wine of entertainment, sports, and the accolades of a growing eclectic world. Amidst their overt compromises, they flippantly throw in the phrase, “And we are doing this for Jesus” while their audiences go wild with a popular dialectic Christianity. There is no hope of return or revival for these schools: like the course set for Obama’s Post-America, not even a new school president will change their direction. Having drunk from the wine goblet of this age, nothing else can satisfy their cravings.

Our only hope now is for a remnant to rise in the earth to preserve the legacy of God’s Word—“the Faith once delivered unto the saints.” Only the true saints will keep it. What is God’s will now for His remnant? As we pray for the Lord’s soon return, how are we to occupy until He comes? The next five Straightway messages will carefully present the burden of the “mystery of His will” for the times in which we live.

This theme of the “mystery of His will” is taken from the apostle Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. As Paul grew and matured in his walk with God, his insight to truth deepened. Ephesians is among several of the letters Paul wrote during his first Roman imprisonment. It is coupled with his epistle to the Colossians as well as his letter to Philemon. Tychicus delivered the writings of Colossians and Ephesians while Onesimus delivered the beautiful letter of Philemon.

The Term “Mystery”

It is not our purpose in these written messages to study the letter to the Ephesians; we desire to draw from the burden of the verses of chapter one. There are three principle truths that must be seen in the first two articles upon which these six burdens will stand. The first concerns this term mystery, mentioned twenty-seven times in the New Testament. Although chiefly used in Paul’s writings, it occurs in one context in each of the Synoptic Gospels as well as four times in Revelation.

The term mystery is not to be viewed from the modern sense of something “unfathomable” or “incomprehensible.” Its biblical meaning refers to anything that at one time was “hidden,” but now has come to light in revelation. This seems to be strongly implied in the only passage which is attributed to our Lord: “Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables” (Mark 4:11; Matt. 13:11; Luke 8:10). Here parables are spoken of as veiled or symbolic forms of utterance which concealed the truth from those without the kingdom; however, these same parables are revealed to those who had the key to their inner meaning (Matt. 13:35; John 16:29). Perhaps a clearer reference to the word mystery is found in Romans 16:25, 26:

Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world [ages] began. But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith.

Also note Paul’s declaration in Colossians 1:25, 26.

Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God [to fill up the Word of God, to complete it]; Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints.

And finally, note his words in Ephesians 3:3–5:

How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit.

The terms mystery and revelation are basically synonymous terms in the New Testament. In contrast to the wisdom of worldly philosophy, the mysteries of Christianity are its revealed doctrines. Worldly philosophy is the product of intellectual research, while the mysteries are the result of Divine revelation that is only spiritually discerned. From this it is to be understood that Christianity has no secret doctrines because what was once hidden has now been revealed!

Nevertheless there arises a seeming contradiction. On the one hand, there are passages which seem to imply a hidden or withheld doctrine. A mystery revealed to some is still concealed from others. The doctrines of Christ and of His Kingdom are hidden from the worldly wise and the prudent (Matt. 11:25; 1 Cor. 2:6), and from all who are outside the kingdom (Matt. 13:11). It must also be acknowledged that there are truths withheld even from Christians when at a spiritually immature stage of development (1 Cor. 3:1; Heb. 5:11–14). However, it is the communication of its truth that is limited, not by any secrecy in the gospel message itself or any reserve on the part of the speaker. In this case, it is the receptive capacity of the hearer that limits the revelation and understanding of that truth.

In the case of the carnally-minded or the “worldly” professing Christian, such spiritual deficits make them blind to the light which shines on them (2 Cor. 4:2–4). In the case of babes in Christ, they do not understand due to the lack of understanding of other first principles needed. Yet Matthew 13:11–15 indicates another more powerful blindness:

He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.

The “Mystery” and the “Gospel”

It must be made clear that there is no esoteric doctrine or intentional reserve of truth in the New Testament. Therefore, we must inquire, “What, then, is the content of the Christian mystery?” In a broad sense the content of the Christian mystery is the whole gospel. In a special sense it can be applied to a specific doctrine or aspect of the gospel.

In direct antithesis to the divine mystery of the gospel is the “mystery of iniquity [lawlessness]” (2 Thess. 2:7), culminating in the coming of the Antichrist. Here, too, the word means a revealed secret; however, in this case the revelation belongs to a future time (v. 8). Though great evil forces will bring about the consummation of iniquity, it must be acknowledged these forces are already silently operating.

It is important we see that the entire Gospel is the fullness of the mystery of God. First Corinthians 4:1 states, “Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God.” Revelation 10:7 reads, “But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.”

As we have noted, however, these mysteries can be hidden. Note what Christ declared in Matthew 11:25–27:

At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight. All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.

When His preaching was rejected at the cities mentioned in the previous verses, it was at that time or at that season of time. This is the reason for Him to say these words at that time.

The Mystery of the Bible

We must candidly observe that contrary to any other book in the world, the Bible is not an open book. Jesus spoke quite freely anywhere and everywhere. While on all occasions He dropped the seeds of divine truth, He personally observed that only some of the seeds went into the soul of man, germinated, and brought forth fruit. Even Paul declared that his preaching was a “savour of death unto death; and . . . of life unto life” (2 Cor. 2:14–16). The Bible reveals that some see and some do not see. This is no arbitrary decision of God.

While God is not against intellect, there are certain disadvantages to the worldly wise. The wise tend to look in the wrong direction for truth; a scientist tends to analyze life through scientific means—the wise through logic. Their constant danger is that of their own pride. We must remember that the Truth of God is a revelation, not the product of human thinking; the Truth of God is also a discovery that men have to make for themselves. Yet this discovery could never be achieved through scientific and scholastic searchings. It is a gift of God, and He can give it to a searching babe equally as to a searching wise man.

The Bible has been an unparalleled book throughout the centuries. The coming to the End Time of the last days has found us in the explosion of knowledge. And yet while epistemology is in its great depth today, how ironic it is that even the church and its leaders do not truly know the Bible! Though the world’s people will never know and understand the Bible, it is sadder still that the institutional Church does not know the Bible.

When men leave the love of the truth, God sends a strong delusion; this delusion includes a blindness of His own Word (2 Thess. 2:10–12). There are more apostates in the church today than there are saints. The Epistle of Jude declares an apostate has not the Spirit; therefore, he cannot know the mysteries of the Word of God. We are in an age of Christianity in which the Bible as a book has been expounded, paraphrased, exegeted, revised, and decoded yielding hundreds of English versions. There is really no other tool needed to be published to help us study the words, meanings, grammar, and idiomatic expressions. A person can be the greatest Greek scholar of the century, but his eyes blinded to the true Word of God. One can know natural things of any writing. A preacher can study the words, the phrases, the antiquity of those words and phrases, and build sermons off the studies of those words. Nevertheless, his sermons can be sterile and mechanical, having eyes blinded though all his life was given to the study of the Bible.

Oh, consider the many TV preachers and scholars of Neo-Christianity that are in great acceptance by the world! They are in error! Why? Is this because they are ignorant? Is it because they have not studied? Is it because they have not pursued the theological systems of history? No, it is simply because they have not the Spirit of God! They have no spiritual discernment of the Word of God. Hermeneutics can be found in any concept of epistemology—literature, art, music, etc.; there can be expertise in all of those areas. However, hermeneutics of Scripture is not based simply on the mechanical principles of a science of interpretation. Though the principles need to be sound and biblical, there must be the Holy Spirit to discern the Word of God.

Perhaps the Greek New Testament will help us to understand this important observation. Let us consider two parallel sets of word studies: The first set concerns three classic Greek words for sight: blepo, theoreo, and eidon; the second set concerns three classic Greek words for knowledge: ginosko, oida, and epiginosko.

From the perspective of sight, how do we see the Bible, the Word of God? Blepo is a “physical sight” while theoreo is a “perceptive sight.” Both of these sights can be found in the study of any form of epistemology. These two sights come simply by natural study. In contrast, eidon is the Greek equivalent for our English word “insight.” Eidon-sight or insight only comes from the Holy Spirit. The first two are natural; the third is spiritual. Although men may become scholars through the first two, only a man walking with God, in communion with God, can come to this third sight. Without eidon-sight, there is no heavenly understanding of the Word of God.

From the perspective of knowledge, what does one truly know about the Word of God? Ginosko is a “general knowledge” of a matter, while oida is a “perceptive knowledge.” In contrast, epiginosko is an “experiential knowledge,” an absolute knowing through experience. Again, the first two can come through natural study, but the third can only come through the power of the Holy Spirit as it applies to spiritual truth.

Amidst the great exegetical powers of Hebrew and Greek language studies, the Bible could still be a complete mystery. The insights of the mysteries of the Scriptures are only given to the saints, never the Neo crowd. Just as THE FAITH was given to the saints, its interpretation is given to the SAINTS; it is not given to the scholarly, the wise, the prudent, and certainly not to the liberals, the carnal, and the worldly. A person may read books such as Barclay’s New Testament Words to gain background understanding to biblical words; one can say that there is good and benefit to be found in reading Barclay, an existential Neo-Bultmannian. One can read through the entirety of Kittel’s Theological Dictionary of the New Testament and find all kinds of meanings and studies that are good in the natural understanding in the “words” and “phrases” and “sentence structures.” Nonetheless, the spiritual understanding of Bible truth only comes from God the Holy Spirit!

Hermeneutics is strategically changing in Christianity, especially in contemporary Fundamentalism. This is because God is sovereignly withdrawing His Spirit from Fundamentalism. And we repeat—there can be no spiritual understanding of the Word without the Spirit. Why do such men not see what is happening within their own ministries and within their own schools? Why do they not see the changes taking place and where these changes are taking them? Why? It is simply because God has withdrawn His Spirit from them; therefore, they cannot discern His Truth, a Truth they no longer love. They cannot know the mysteries of God! At one time these men saw the mystery of His Word because they were in touch with God; now they know not His Spirit.

This confirms that one can lose discernment and insight to the Word of God while the mechanics of the Truth may continue in one’s ministry. I fear anytime men in their writings and preaching place much on the mechanics of their studies and presentation of the Word of God while being clearly void of any communion with God. Without communion, the Spirit is not present in their interpretations of the Word. Such individuals see sterile truth from the past and inevitably twist its truth amidst the absence of eidon-sight and epiginosko-knowledge. They have left the living of truth and heart responsiveness to truth, and now there is no Spirit to take them deeper into truth. Yet they claim to see things never before preached in their ministries; they have come to a new interpretation that is the product of their own reasonings. “Private” interpretations of Scripture now are expounded to accommodate the change in their standards, their music, and their view of Truth. Did not Lucifer have tremendous insight and wisdom before he fell? When he fell from Heaven, his wisdom became corrupted (Ezek. 28:17). No longer did the Holy Spirit accompany his ministry.

Why do not individuals see their changes and compromises when they study the Word of God? Why do they not see with insight the apostasy and its powers gripping the churches of our times? Why do they not see? Perhaps we could mention five reasons that contribute to the powers of blindness in our time. Anyone of these will keep the spiritual eye from seeing what is needed to be seen.

1. Men cannot see because they are not born again. We cannot make light of this first principle, because the vast majority of people in churches today are not saved. The Bible is very clear, “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3), to say nothing of being able to enter the kingdom (John 3:5).
2. The spiritual immaturity of a babe in Christ will affect the eyes of his soul. Yet God will be faithful to reveal His Word to the hungering and seeking babe following in faith and obedience.
3. Although born again, a Christian controlled by the powers of carnality and worldliness cannot see clearly. These powers produce blindness in a saved heart whereby one cannot discern his age and even the Scriptures clearly.
4. A Christian of years who refuses to go on with God (Heb. 5:11–14) will become blind, hindering and, yea, destroying any hope of deeper insight.
5. Finally, a rejection of Truth that leads to apostasy will bring blindness either to a nation (as with Israel) or to an individual. This is where we are today. Jesus declared in Matthew 6:23, “If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!” Whatever light a person has received from God could turn into a greater darkness if light is rejected. In such a context, the babe in Christ will see more truth (maybe not more knowledge) than the fallen scholar of theology.

Conclusion

As He entered Jerusalem at His Triumphal Entry, Jesus declared, “If thou hadst known, even thou at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! But now they are hid from thine eyes.” In the days of the eighteenth-century Enlightenment, its Deists boasted of the powers of reason and pled for natural theology. Their “faith” in such reason caused them to suggest it as a substitute for the Bible. As a result, intellectualism became the enabling power whereby truth supposedly was to be found. The same attitude flooded Liberalism, Modernism, and Neo-Orthodoxy, giving birth to the rise of Neo-Evangelicalism. Neo-Evangelicalism had rejected Fundamentalism’s call to pure and holy Truth. The rejection of the Truth given over to us by the Philadelphian Church age brought the birth of the last Church age, Laodicea. It is not the rejection of the truth by the world that has brought our problems; it is the rejection of Truth by the leaders of the Church in all of its identifications. We are ever learning, but never able to come to the knowledge of the Truth! (2 Tim. 3:7). May God grant the sight of the “mystery” of God’s Word to His remnant when blindness rules as a king in the institutional Church of the End Time.