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Romans 11:25 – The Wondrous Mystery

Posted on September 5, 2018 by Will

For I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, lest you should think yourselves to be wise, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.

Truth to Learn

God has secrets (mysteries) and He reveals them to whomever He wishes at a time of His own choosing. We who know the secret of the gospel message need to share it freely with others.

Behind the Words

The word translated “ignorant” is the Greek word agnoein. It is a compound word made up of a, meaning “not” or “without” and the infinitive form of noeō, meaning “to perceive, to understand, or to know.” So agnoein refers to a lack of knowledge or understanding.

“Mystery” is a transliteration of musterion. This word is derived either from muō, meaning “shut,” like a mouth that is shut, or it is from mueō, which means “to initiate or to learn a secret.” So, musterion refers to information that has been kept a secret, but which is now being revealed.

The word translated “blindness” is the Greek word pōrōsis, which refers to something that has become hardened or petrified. It is often used to refer to physical blindness, but here it refers to the insensitivity of perception or spiritual blindness.

“In part” is from the Greek word meros, which means “a division, a share, or a portion.”

The word “fullness” is from plērōma, which refers to “completeness or fullness.”

Meaning Explained

This verse starts off with a classic Paul-ism; “For I do not want you to be ignorant.” What he means is, “You currently are ignorant of something and I am going to inform you so that you will no longer be ignorant.” Ignorance has nothing to do with a person’s intelligence or ability to think, it simply refers to a lack of knowledge. Invariably, when Paul uses this expression, he includes the familiar adelphoi or “brothers,” probably to soften the blow of telling them that they are ignorant.

What is it that these Roman Christians are ignorant of? It is “this mystery.” This thing previously unknown is that blindness has happened to part of Israel. So the mystery that Paul is revealing is that part of Israel (a large part) has become mentally hardened so as not to perceive the truth of the gospel until the fullness (or completion) of the Gentiles has come in.

What Paul is telling us is that the sovereign hand of God has prevented many of the Jews from believing in the Messiah during His first advent, so that the gospel message could be spread abroad to the Gentile nations. At some point in the future (very near, perhaps) all of the elect Gentiles will have been gathered in by God and He will once again turn to the Jews. This will happen during Daniel’s 70^th week, the time of the Tribulation.

Application

Do you recall what the Great Commission says? Go into the whole world and preach the gospel. Why? We need to share the gospel message so that all of the Gentile nations will have an opportunity to hear it, to believe it, and be saved. It is our responsibility to spread the gospel. If we are not witnessing to the unsaved, we are not spreading the gospel.

Are you fulfilling your commission from God?

In God's service, for His glory,

Romans 11:12 – How Rich We Are!

Posted on August 13, 2018 by Will

Now if their fall means riches for the world, and their loss means riches for the Gentiles, how much more their fullness!

Truth to Learn

Because of the failure of the Jews to listen to and follow God, the offer of salvation has come to the Gentiles.

Behind the Words

The Greek word translated “fall” is paraptoma, which we saw in the previous verse, meaning “to fall by the wayside.”

“Riches” is translated from ploutos, which refers to “riches or wealth, either in money or possessions.”

The word translated “loss” is the Greek word hēttēma, which refers to “a state that is worse than the former state.” Therefore it could easily be translated as “loss or failure.” Paul is saying, that which the Jews lost has become riches for the Gentiles.

“Fullness” is from the Greek word plērōma, which is from the verb plēroō, meaning “to fill completely.” Hence, we see that plērōma refers to the condition of being completely filled up. Here it probably refers to the fullness of the remnant of the Jews to be saved in the last days before the return of Christ.

Meaning Explained

In the previous verse we talked about how the stumbling of the Jews resulted in the gospel message being sent to the Gentiles. This is the picture that Jesus portrayed in Matthew 22:1-10 where he told the parable of the wedding. Those who were invited by the king did not care to come, so he sent his army to destroy them and invited the strangers from all parts to come to the wedding. That is precisely what happened to the Jews. They refused to come to the Messiah, so God invited the Gentiles to partake of the riches of His grace.

In the previous verse Paul said that it was their “falling by the wayside” that resulted in salvation coming to the Gentiles. He uses the same word in this verse indicating that it has produced riches (the riches of salvation) for the world. It is because the Jews stumbled and fell by the wayside that the Gentiles have received the riches of God’s blessing, that is, salvation and the righteousness of God. He then follows this up with the expression, “and their loss means riches for the Gentiles.”

But then Paul turns this around. He says that if the stumbling and loss of the Jews resulted in blessing to the Gentiles, how much more so will their fullness be. In other words, Paul is projecting to a future time when the remnant of Israel will believe. With the zeal and ardor that the Jews possess, as well as their mastery of the Old Testament and their knowledge of God, imagine how they will spread the message!

Oh, that we in the Church had the zeal and tenacity that the Jews have always had. That, coupled with the truth of the gospel, could produce a wildfire of revival!

Application

We Christians take our salvation too lightly. We forget that the combined riches of the whole world cannot even come close to the price of eternal blessing in the presence of Almighty God. It is a priceless treasure that has been given to us, not because we deserve it in any way, but because God chose to give it to us. But the church today is beginning to resemble the Jews of Jesus’ time. We have become complacent and have placed greater value in following the rules and traditions of our denominations than in following and being obedient to Christ. So, let me ask you, my friend, who do you resemble, your church or your Savior?

In God's service, for His glory,

Ephesians 1:10 – His Eternal Plan

Posted on July 27, 2015 by Will

that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times to gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth,

Truth to Learn

God has a plan for time and eternity.

Behind the Words

“Dispensation” is translated from oikonomia, which is made up of oikos, meaning “a dwelling place, a house” and a form of nemō, meaning “to apportion” or “to distribute.” Thus, oikonomia literally refers to the administration of a household. Metaphorically, it refers to a period of time in which certain events happen.

“Fullness” is from the Greek noun plērōma, which is from the verb plēroō, meaning “to fill up” or “to make full.” Plērōma, means “fullness” or “completion.”

The word “time” is translated from kairos, which means “time.” There are actually two Greek words that refer to time, kairos and chronos. Chronos refers to the quantitative aspect of time (a measureable period of time), whereas kairos refers to the qualitative aspect of time (a period of opportunity or a season).

The “dispensation of the fullness of times” refers to that period when the era of time will be complete and will come to an end.

The expression “to gather together in one” is translated from a single Greek word, anakephalaioō. This word is made up of ana, meaning “again,” perhaps used here as an emphatic and kephalaioō, which literally means “to strike a blow to the head.” Metaphorically, kephalaioō means “to finish, as with a blow to the head,” that is, to finalize or to sum up. Therefore, anakephalaioō means “to bring things to a final conclusion by bringing all things together again.”

Meaning Explained

In the opening of this letter to the Ephesians, Paul has declared how God has blessed us with all possible spiritual blessings. He also told us how God chose us before He formed all of creation so that we will one day be holy and blameless in His presence. Paul then informs us how God determined in the past that we whom He chose should be adopted into His family as His rightful children. All these things He did simply because He wanted to and because He knew that all this would showcase His wonderful grace toward undeserving mankind. In doing so, He has made us accepted in Christ, with whose blood our ransom has been paid, and our sins have been cast far, far away. Also, God has made known to us the mystery of His will, that one day Christians and Jews will be joined together as God’s rightful heirs.

Now, Paul tells us one reason why God did all this. Not only does God have a plan for the events of time, but He has a plan for eternity. That plan is to reunite all things in Himself once again. At the conclusion of time (at the end of the Millennial reign of Christ), when heaven and earth have passed away and there is a new heaven and a new earth, all that is good and all who have been declared righteous will be brought back together in God. And, this includes not just earthly things, but all holy things which are in heaven as well.

What will things be like when He does this? Well, we have a couple of glimpses into what it will be like. The first is described in Genesis chapter two. It is a description of the Garden of Eden where Adam and Eve lived in perfect fellowship with God. The other glimpse is given to us in Revelation chapters twenty-one and twenty-two where our eternal dwelling place, New Jerusalem, is described.

Application

God has a plan for you and for me, a plan that includes our service to Him while we are on this earth and our presence with Him in heaven. Knowing what He has prepared for us, His children, should cause each one of us to fall to our knees in recognition of our unworthiness and of His Supremacy!

In God's service, for His glory,

Ephesians 1:23 – Spiritual Body Life

Posted on September 1, 2011 by Will

Ephesians 1:23 – Spiritual Body Life

which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

Truth to Learn

All Christians are part of the body of Christ. As members of that body we each have a function to perform in the church.

Behind the Words

The word “which” is translated from hostis, a double relative pronoun that most literally translates to “which some.” In this case the meaning seems to be “seeing it is.”

“Body” is translated from the Greek noun soma, which refers to “the body” as a whole. It is used both literally and figuratively in the New Testament. Here it refers to the spiritual body of the resurrected Jesus.

The word “fullness” is from plēroma, a derivative of the verb plēroō, meaning “to fill full” or “to cram full.” It means to fill so completely that there is no room left to add any more. Plēroma refers to “the condition of fullness or completion.”

“Fills” is from the verb plēroō, which we just looked at. It is expressed here as a participle in the middle voice (the subject acting on himself).

Meaning Explained

Back in verse nineteen we learned that one of the things the Apostle Paul prays for is for all believers to understand the exceeding greatness of God’s power. Through that power, the Father raised Jesus from the dead and elevated Him to the highest position of honor and authority. And in yesterday’s verse he told us that the Father made Jesus to be the head over all things with regard to the church. Now, to get the full impact of the current verse, let’s look at it along with the previous verse.

And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all. (Ephesians 1:22-23)

God the Father made the risen Jesus to be the head of the church, which Paul tells us here is His body. The church universal is the body of Christ. It serves as His arms, hands, eyes, ears, nose, and feet. In his first letters to the Corinthian church and his letter to the Roman church, Paul explained a little more about the functioning of the body of Christ.

For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ … But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased. (1Cointhians 12:12, 22)

so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: (Romans 12:5-6a)

All Christians have a part to play in the body of Christ. We each have abilities and spiritual gifts given specifically to us by God. We need to be using those gifts to build up the body.

Application

Do you know what your gifts are? Are there abilities that you have that others don’t? Are you using your talents and spiritual gifts to make your fellow Christians stronger in their faith?

In God’s service, for His glory,

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

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Romans 15:29 – Blessing Crammed Full

Posted on May 27, 2011 by Will

Romans 15:29 – Blessing Crammed Full

But I know that when I come to you, I shall come in the fullness of the blessing of the gospel of Christ.

Truth to Learn

We serve Christ with His full blessing.

Behind the Words

“I know” is translated from the Greek verb eidō. This particular verb has two meanings depending on the form used. One means “to see or perceive” and the other means “to know.” The form that Paul used here means “to know.” It is in the perfect tense implying past completed action with a continuing result, but with the emphasis on the result. So the best translation of this is probably, “I know” (because I have known for some time).

“Fullness” is from plērōma, derived from the verb plēroō, meaning “to fill completely” or “to cram full until there is no room to add anything more.” Thus, plērōma refers to the complete fullness (nothing left out).

“Blessing” is translated from eulogia, which is a compound word made up of eu, meaning “good” or “well” and a form of logos, meaning “word.” Thus eulogia (from which we get our English word eulogy) refers to “the good words of a commendation or blessing.”

Meaning Explained

It’s interesting to note that Paul had no doubt that he would be going to Spain and stopping by Rome on the way. He starts off this verse with, “But I know that when I come to you.” You will notice that Paul said, “when I come to you,” not “if I come to you.” He was sure that God was leading him to visit Rome. And, when going to Rome, Paul “knew” that he would come in the fullness of the blessing of the gospel of Christ.

Actually, the Greek words translated “of the Gospel” are missing in most of the major manuscripts. As a result, many textual scholars leave this out in the translation. Hence, this verse should probably say, “And I know that when I come to you, I shall come in the fullness of the blessing of Christ.” I like this better that the NKJV translation that we are using for these verses because here Paul is saying that he will come in the fullness of the blessing, not of the gospel of Christ, but of Christ Himself. There is a blessing that we get from the gospel, particularly because we believe it, and also as we share it. But there is a greater blessing that we get from Christ as our Master, our Savior, our Redeemer, our Advocate before the Father, our Lord, and as our future husband. He is “a friend that sticks closer than a brother,” as Proverbs 18:24 puts it.

As we mentioned in the previous verse, Paul was a driven person. He knew that his calling was to preach the Gospel message to those in the Gentile world who had never heard it. He was duty bound to fulfill his calling, and he would let nothing stop him from accomplishing his task, but he also knew that he was doing so with the full blessing of his Lord and Savior.

Application

We should never get tired of serving God in the area He has called us. We may get tired “in serving” but never “of serving.” When we get weary from performing the work He has called us to, we need to remember that we are doing so in the fullness of Christ’s blessing. Do you want the full blessings of Christ? Then serve Him with all your strength until you have completed the work He has called you to.

In God’s service, for His glory,

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

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Romans 11:25 – The Wondrous Mystery

Posted on December 1, 2010 by Will

Romans 11:25 – The Wondrous Mystery

For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.

Truth to Learn

God has secrets (mysteries) and He reveals them to whomever He wishes at a time of His own choosing. We who know the secret of the gospel message need to share it freely with others.

Behind the Words

“In part” is from the Greek word meros, which means “a division, a share, or a portion.”

The word “fullness” is from plērōma, which refers to “completeness or fullness.”

Meaning Explained

This verse starts off with a classic Paul-ism; “For I do not desire … that you should be ignorant.” What he means is, “You currently are ignorant of something and I am going to inform you so that you will no longer be ignorant.” Ignorance has nothing to do with a person’s intelligence or ability to think, it simply refers to a lack of knowledge. Invariably, when Paul uses this expression, he includes the familiar adelphoi or “brothers,” probably to soften the blow of telling them that they are ignorant.

Application

Are you fulfilling your commission from God?

In God’s service, for His glory,

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

If this message or this link was forwarded to you by a friend and you wish to receive future verses directly to your inbox, send an e-mail to:

Romans 11:12 – How Rich We Are!

Posted on November 7, 2010 by Will

Romans 11:12 – How Rich We Are!

Now if their fall is riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more their fullness!

Truth to Learn

Because of the failure of the Jews to listen to and follow God, the offer of salvation has come to the Gentiles.

Behind the Words

The Greek word translated “fall” is paraptoma, which we saw in the previous verse, meaning “to fall by the wayside.”

“Riches” is translated from ploutos, which refers to “riches or wealth, either in money or possessions.”

The word translated “failure” is the Greek word hēttēma, which refers to “a state that is worse than the former state.” Therefore it could easily be translated as “loss or failure.” Paul is saying, that which the Jews lost has become riches for the Gentiles.

Meaning Explained

Oh, that we in the Church had the zeal and tenacity that the Jews have always had. That, coupled with the truth of the gospel, could produce a wildfire of revival!

Application

In God’s service, for His glory,

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

If this message or this link was forwarded to you by a friend and you wish to receive future verses directly to your inbox, send an e-mail to: