theology

Mystery in the New Testament

The word mystery ' was derived from Greek , musterion , which means that which was before hidden (Dake , 1963 . This word was never used in the Old Testament , whereas frequently employed by New Testament , and thus , can be found therein as many as 27 times . That the word is not used once in the Old Testament Scriptures is noteworthy . The nature of the unveiling of God 's plan of redemption is progressive , as is often said by biblical scholars /theologians . Since therefore it was progressively revealed by God , which

means little by little and in stages , its (the message of the gospel ) full scope was previously in the olden times withheld . And so , whenever it (Gr . Musterion ) is used in the New Testament , what the immediate context wanted to convey is that the issue or subject being discussed was previously and hitherto unknown but nevertheless now fully revealed to the disciples in the present dispensation . In the gospel of Mark , particularly in the fourth chapter the writer described through Jesus telling of the parables in his preachings at Capernaum , the nature of God 's kingdom . The kingdom of God , by the way , was Jesus ' theme all throughout his time in that region of Galilee . The parables here told by Mark (Mk .4 :1-34 ) are the same parables told by other two synoptic gospel - Luke and Matthew The intention of Jesus ' teachings was to elucidate to the disciples the characteristics of the kingdom of God and its progress . In the Matthew 's gospel , his version of the same occasion in the life of Jesus was more extensive , yet almost the same in content . In Luke , it 's much more brief , but nevertheless the express intent was there , i .e . to reveal to the disciples the kingdom ' In fact , the first parable according to Jesus would be the basis for the disciples ' subsequent understanding of other parables . Jesus ' question in verse 13 , gives off the cruciality of The Parable of the Sower . It was intended to lift the veil of ignorance among them and prepare them for what would follow . Remember that this group of people were those who would take the place of Jesus after his resurrection to become themselves heralds of the Gospel . They were to take the responsibility of apostleship - of teaching the nations the same mystery ' which when taught would change into a revelation Hence , the position of these first disciples of Jesus was very critical to the further unveiling of God 's redemptive plan . All of the parables in Mark 4 :1-34 , Matthew 13 :3-52 , and Luke 8 :4-17 , elucidate on things about the kingdom of God which otherwise could not be understood . These parables of Jesus , along with their interpretations , have secured and therefore indelibly etched in these first disciples ' minds everything regarding God 's kingdom . Those which in the old dispensation were objects of careful investigation and of which the significant portion was still veiled , had become plain and clear...