kept secret

Romans 16:25 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 began,

which was kept secret since the world began

Not all that was spoken or written in the bible was believed, acted upon, understood or came to fulfillment at the time of its revelation.

Before dealing with the subject, of that which was kept secret since the world began, in association with the preaching of Jesus Christ according to the revelation of the mystery and Paul’s gospel, we’re going to illustrate point above.

Understanding Veiled

Adam and Eve

Adam and Eve found out the hard way in fully understanding what was spoken by the LORD… “But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” (Gen 2:17).

Genesis 3:7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.

the eyes of them both were opened
and they knew that they were naked

In view of the LORD promising victory of the woman’s seed, over the serpent’s seed, Eve surmised that Seth’s birth was in fulfillment of that promise, after Cain having slain Abel.

Genesis 3:15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

And I will put enmity between thee and the woman
and between thy seed and her seed

Genesis 4:25 And Adam knew his wife again; and she bare a son, and called his name Seth: For God, said she, hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew.

For God, said she, hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel

Of course, we understand today that the fulfillment of Genesis 3:15 is in Christ (Heb 2:14; 1Jn 3:8).

Mary, Mother of Jesus

I’ve always been intrigued with Mary’s (mother of Jesus) responses to the angel Gabriel, the shepherds at the announcements of Jesus’ birth, and then Jesus’ reply, when found in the temple, after having been missed for days.

Luke 1:28-29 And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.

she was troubled at his saying
and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be

Luke 2:17-19 And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.

But Mary kept all these things
and pondered them in her heart

Luke 2:49-51 And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business? And they understood not the saying which he spake unto them. And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart.

And they understood not the saying which he spake unto them
but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart

How much of the scriptures have we read or heard and consciously or subconsciously tucked them in back of our mind only to visit them another day with more enlightenment?

The Prejudiced Lord Jesus

As condemning as this heading may sound, of the Lord Jesus, certain things were spoken by Him with intent, to confound one group of listeners, only afterwards explaining it to another group.

Matthew 13:10-18 And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? 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. For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them. Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower.

Matthew 23:28-36 Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous, And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets. Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets. Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers. Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell? Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city: That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar. Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.

Why speakest thou unto them in parables?
Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven
but to them it is not given
because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand
And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias
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
Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers
Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?
That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias
All these things shall come upon this generation

It is with this generation and time frame in mind, when Peter urged the house of Israel to repent and be baptized for the remission of sins, saving themselves from this untoward generation.

Acts 2:36-41 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. 37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? 38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. 39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. 40 And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation. 41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.

let all the house of Israel know assuredly
Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart
and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?
Then Peter said unto them
Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins
Save yourselves from this untoward generation

John the Baptist speaks of three separate baptisms, found listed in one verse, and as the first two pertained to repentant converted Israelites (Ac 2:1-21; Mk 16:20), the last baptism was reserved for those rejecting the kingdom gospel being preached at hand (Mt 8:12).

Matthew 3:11-12 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: 12 Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.

baptize you with water
he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost
and with fire
gather his wheat into the garner
but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire

Matthew 8:12 But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness

Matthew 21:43 Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.

Therefore say I unto you
The kingdom of God shall be taken from you
given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof

Though there was pending wrath to come, further opportunity was granted, after the resurrection, to those who would respond to the kingdom gospel.

Categories of Prophecies

There are various categories of prophecies. For example, in Israel’s history during the reign of the judges and king, many prophecies had somewhat of an immediateness to their fulfillment. Other prophecies, such as found in the book of Daniel, had obviously come to past over an extended period of time, such as Israel’s captivities under the Babylonian, Medo-Persian, Grecian and Roman empires. Unless to spiritualize away, as some attempt to do, there is yet prophecy to be fulfilled in Daniel, concerning Israel, which falls under a category regarding eschatology (things to come).

Certain prophesied events gave a heads up that Israel’s Messiah was arriving on the scene, while others are noted as coming to past, as being unfolded in the text. Example being, is that the term ‘fulfilled’ is used 16 times in Matthew’s gospel mostly concerning prophesied events coming to fulfillment, that I believe were recorded more for benefit of proof, after the fact, than what might have actually been understood going down at that time (Mt 1:22; Mt 2:15, 17, 23; Mt 4:14; Mt 5:18; Mt 8:17; Mt 12:17; Mt 13:14, 35; Mt 21:4; Mt 24:34; Mt 26:54, 56; Mt 27:9, 35).

There is evidence of some 365 Messianic prophecies concerning Jesus. Most of these have already been fulfilled, with some yet to be fulfilled. This is one of the greatest proofs of not only of the existence of God, but authenticity of the scriptures in Whom Jesus claimed He was.

Psalm 40:7 Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me,

John 5:39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.

Reflection Back

The disciples often reflected back on Jesus’ words or that which was prophetically written, again demonstrating that something wasn’t always either believed or understood till coming to past.

John 2:16-17 And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father's house an house of merchandise. 17 And his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up.

And his disciples remembered that it was written

John 2:22 When therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this unto them; and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had said.

his disciples remembered that he had said this unto them

John 12:15-16 Fear not, daughter of Sion: behold, thy King cometh, sitting on an ass's colt. 16 These things understood not his disciples at the first: but when Jesus was glorified, then remembered they that these things were written of him, and that they had done these things unto him.

then remembered they that these things were written of him

Luke 22:61 And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice.

And Peter remembered the word of the Lord

Luke 24:6-8 He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee, 7 Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again. 8 And they remembered his words,

And they remembered his words

Acts 11:16 Then remembered I the word of the Lord, how that he said, John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost.

Then remembered I the word of the Lord

A Prophetic Stumbling Block

There is much which was written and/or read, in the OT, that was or yet understood in a prophetic sense, to be fulfilled as to when and how. An example of this today would be all of the predictions, of when Christ would return, with ‘an’ evidence 'based' on scripture, but dates have passed in still waiting for the return of Christ.

This Theme Study is dedicated to such prophecy surrounding a stumbling block, in Israel’s way, to Messianic blessings in the covenanted promised land and that being the sufferings and glory of the cross.

1 Peter 1:10-11 Of which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: 11 Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.

Of which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently
Searching what
or what manner of time
the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify
when it testified beforehand
the sufferings of Christ
and the glory that should follow

Case in point is when John and Peter, while standing before the empty tomb, didn’t understand scripture indicating Jesus was to be raised from the dead, even days after Jesus' crucifixion!

John 20:9 For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead.

as yet they knew not the scripture
that he must rise again from the dead

The issue that the prophets had, in understanding the very things in which they were inspired to write, is greatly illustrated in the discourse between Phillip and the Ethiopia eunuch.

Acts 8:26-35 And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert. 27 And he arose and went: and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship, 28 Was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Esaias the prophet. 29 Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot. 30 And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest? 31 And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him. 32 The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth: 33 In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth. 34 And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man? 35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.

A man of Ethiopia, an eunuch… sitting in his chariot read Esaias the prophet
Philip ran thither to him… and said, Understandest thou what thou readest?
And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me?
And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man?
Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus

Isaiah 53, is the go to Old Testament prophecy evidencing the sufferings of Christ in behalf of a nation, born of the LORD, that then sinned against its creator. It wasn’t mere ignorance that the prophets struggled to discern the sufferings and glory that related to a ‘salvation’ that would be offered to the LORD’s people, Israel. Until certain events came to pass, as will be shown, prophesied events would then have to be explained in context.

Mystery Hid in the Prophets Versus Mystery Hid in God

Before stressing the fact, that the truths of the sufferings and glory of Christ were kept secret, it must be emphasized here that these truths were kept secret ‘since the foundation of the world’. In other words, these facts are to be found in scripture, backed up by the prophets, but hidden in such fashion as not to be revealed until proper time to do so. In illustration of this, a short comparison will be made to a mystery and facts that cannot be backed up by the prophets that was conveyed solely to and through the apostle to the Gentiles, Paul.

they knew not A

Made Manifest by the Scriptures

Revealed by Paul

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 began, 26 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:

stablish you according to my gospel
preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery
which was kept secret since the world began
But now is made manifest
and by the scriptures of the prophets

Hid in God & Unsearchable

Revealed by Paul

Ephesians 3:1-9 For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, 2 If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: 3 How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, 4 Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) 5 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; 6 That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel: 7 Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power. 8 Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; 9 And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:

How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery
ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ
that I should preach among the Gentiles
the unsearchable riches of Christ
which from the beginning of the world
hath been hid in God

The mysteries compared in above passages cannot and must not be confused! The sole purpose of this short comparison, here in this chapter, is to show that certain truths can be hid in the scripture found ‘since the foundation of the world’, while other truths are ‘unsearchable’ having been 'hid in God', from the beginning of the world. While this chapter covers hidden truths found within the prophets, the mystery of Ephesians 3 is dealt with in chapter titled, "Gentiles".

Hidden to Whom and Why

Hidden to the Princes of this World

There are several answers to the questioning behind why the sufferings and glory of Christ were hidden, as to whom and why.

1 Corinthians 1:22-24 For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: 23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; 24 But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.

we preach Christ crucified
Christ the power of God
and the wisdom of God

1 Corinthians 2:7-8 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: 8 Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery
even the hidden wisdom
which God ordained before the world unto our glory
Which none of the princes of this world knew
for had they known it
they would not have crucified the Lord of glory

Simply put… if Satan and the princes of this world had any idea of what God had in mind, from before the foundation of the world, regarding what would be accomplished through Christ’s death, they would not have instigated the crucifixion! This topic is given in more detail under chapter titled, "preaching according to mystery".

In view of what could be understood, in the light of the covenants established with Israel's fathers, the princes of this world had Israel’s Messiah, the seed of the woman, hanging on a cross… finally, victory!?

Matthew 21:38-39 But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance. 39 And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him.

But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves
This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance
And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him

Why couldn’t the husbandmen foresee the return of the slayed son to seize upon his inheritance? Because, as the princes of this world, they didn’t know the mind of the lord, of the vineyard, from before the foundation of the world and this ‘fact’ was ‘mysteriously’ hidden!

Hidden to the Disciples

What is remarkable about the fact that the sufferings and cross were ‘hidden’ to Christ’s disciples, during the Lord Jesus’ earthly ministry, is that the Lord wasn’t exactly silent on the issue. Though the Lord spoke of His sufferings, to His disciples, it is obvious that there wasn’t much deep discussion, about the details, around the camp fire?

What follows are passages, recorded in the Gospels, showing responses from the disciples relating to Jesus’ mention of His sufferings, death and resurrection.

Matthew 16:21-23 From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. 22 Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee. 23 But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.

Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee

Matthew 17:22-23 And while they abode in Galilee, Jesus said unto them, The Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of men: 23 And they shall kill him, and the third day he shall be raised again. And they were exceeding sorry.

And they were exceeding sorry

Matthew 20:17-19 And Jesus going up to Jerusalem took the twelve disciples apart in the way, and said unto them, 18 Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be betrayed unto the chief priests and unto the scribes, and they shall condemn him to death, 19 And shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify him: and the third day he shall rise again.

Matthew 26:1-2 And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished all these sayings, he said unto his disciples, 2 Ye know that after two days is the feast of the passover, and the Son of man is betrayed to be crucified.

Mark 8:31-33 And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. 32 And he spake that saying openly. And Peter took him, and began to rebuke him. 33 But when he had turned about and looked on his disciples, he rebuked Peter, saying, Get thee behind me, Satan: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men.

And Peter took him, and began to rebuke him
he rebuked Peter, saying, Get thee behind me, Satan...

Mark 9:31-32 For he taught his disciples, and said unto them, The Son of man is delivered into the hands of men, and they shall kill him; and after that he is killed, he shall rise the third day. 32 But they understood not that saying, and were afraid to ask him.

But they understood not that saying
and were afraid to ask him

Mark 10:32-34 And they were in the way going up to Jerusalem; and Jesus went before them: and they were amazed; and as they followed, they were afraid. And he took again the twelve, and began to tell them what things should happen unto him, 33 Saying, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be delivered unto the chief priests, and unto the scribes; and they shall condemn him to death, and shall deliver him to the Gentiles: 34 And they shall mock him, and shall scourge him, and shall spit upon him, and shall kill him: and the third day he shall rise again.

Luke 9:20-22 He said unto them, But whom say ye that I am? Peter answering said, The Christ of God. 21 And he straitly charged them, and commanded them to tell no man that thing; 22 Saying, The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day.

Luke 9:44-45 Let these sayings sink down into your ears: for the Son of man shall be delivered into the hands of men. 45 But they understood not this saying, and it was hid from them, that they perceived it not: and they feared to ask him of that saying.

But they understood not this saying
and it was hid from them
that they perceived it not
and they feared to ask him of that saying

Luke 18:31-34 Then he took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished. 32 For he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on: 33 And they shall scourge him, and put him to death: and the third day he shall rise again. 34 And they understood none of these things: and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken.

And they understood none of these things
and this saying was hid from them
neither knew they the things which were spoken

Luke 24:1-11 Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them. 2 And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre. 3 And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments: 5 And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead? 6 He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee, 7 Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again. 8 And they remembered his words, 9 And returned from the sepulchre, and told all these things unto the eleven, and to all the rest. 10 It was Mary Magdalene, and Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, and other women that were with them, which told these things unto the apostles. 11 And their words seemed to them as idle tales, and they believed them not.

And their words seemed to them as idle tales
and they believed them not

Luke 24:13-31 And, behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about threescore furlongs. 14 And they talked together of all these things which had happened. 15 And it came to pass, that, while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them. 16 But their eyes were holden that they should not know him. 17 And he said unto them, What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad? 18 And the one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answering said unto him, Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which are come to pass there in these days? 19 And he said unto them, What things? And they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people: 20 And how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and have crucified him. 21 But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, to day is the third day since these things were done. 22 Yea, and certain women also of our company made us astonished, which were early at the sepulchre; 23 And when they found not his body, they came, saying, that they had also seen a vision of angels, which said that he was alive. 24 And certain of them which were with us went to the sepulchre, and found it even so as the women had said: but him they saw not. 25 Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: 26 Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? 27 And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself. 28 And they drew nigh unto the village, whither they went: and he made as though he would have gone further. 29 But they constrained him, saying, Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he went in to tarry with them. 30 And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them. 31 And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight.

But we trusted that it had been he
which should have redeemed Israel

John 20:1-9 The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre. 2 Then she runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him. 3 Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple, and came to the sepulchre. 4 So they ran both together: and the other disciple did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulchre. 5 And he stooping down, and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying; yet went he not in. 6 Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie, 7 And the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself. 8 Then went in also that other disciple, which came first to the sepulchre, and he saw, and believed. 9 For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead.

For as yet they knew not the scripture
that he must rise again from the dead

The responses varied anywhere from rebuking the Lord, sadness and perplexity, to outright disbelief. Before being too hard on the apostles it is also evident, from above passages, that such communication, from the Lord, was done in such fashion as to ‘hide’ what was transpiring, while yet having been backed up by the prophets.

And they understood none of these things:
and this saying was hid from them,
neither knew they the things which were spoken

Luke 24:44-46 And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. 45 Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, 46 And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:

Then opened he their understanding
that they might understand the scriptures

Stumblingblock to 'One Gospel Only' Proponents

Only One Gospel?

By now, It should be very obvious that believing in the death, burial and resurrection, of the Lord Jesus Christ, wasn’t a criterion for being ‘saved’ during John the Baptist’s and disciples’ pre-cross ministries. This lends to the serious question, for consideration, as to what was the 'believing' criteria, for salvation, during the proclamation of the kingdom gospel? After all, a ‘gospel’ was being proclaimed! Correct?

Luke 4:18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,

to preach the gospel to the poor

Luke 7:22 Then Jesus answering said unto them, Go your way, and tell John what things ye have seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached.

to the poor the gospel is preached

Luke 9:6 And they departed, and went through the towns, preaching the gospel, and healing every where.

preaching the gospel

Luke 20:1 And it came to pass, that on one of those days, as he taught the people in the temple, and preached the gospel, the chief priests and the scribes came upon him with the elders,

preached the gospel

That which was hidden, in the prophets and veiled to the princes of this world, as well as to the disciples themselves, was a ‘wisdom of God’ to be revealed to and through Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles.

The ‘stumbling block’, that brought a temporary pause to the kingdom gospel and that was ‘kept secret’, since the foundation of the world, is at the heart of what Paul refers to as... ‘his’ gospel.

1 Corinthians 1:23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;

But we preach Christ crucified
unto the Jews a stumblingblock

1 Corinthians 15:1-4 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; 2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. 3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you... by which also ye are saved
For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received
how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures
And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures

Romans 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus
and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead
thou shalt be saved

Not only was the cross a stumblingblock to Israel, but continues to be a stumblingblock to proponents of only ‘one gospel’, who insists that knowledge of the death, burial and resurrection was both the subject and object of one’s justification under the Old Testament and continuing on through the ministries of John the Baptist and the disciples’ pre-cross ministries.

A majority of preachers and teachers today cannot give a logical explanation as to how somebody actually got saved during the earthly ministry of Christ, other than simply quoting John 3:16!

Confusion is over the fact that there was a different means and method in which God chose to justify the circumcision from that of the uncircumcision. The foundation of both the kingdom gospel and Paul's gospel was and is the same... the Lord Jesus Christ! The means (foundation) didn't change, the method (from 'by faith' to 'through faith) did!

More distinction, as to how the Jew was ‘saved’ under the kingdom gospel, and criteria for such is found in chapter titled, "circumcision justified by faith".

Only one gospel?

Hidden to Disciples A

hidden to princes of this world