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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.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n The word translated \u201cignorant<\/span>\u201d is the Greek word agnoein<\/em><\/span>. It is a compound word made up of a<\/em><\/span>, meaning \u201cnot\u201d or \u201cwithout\u201d and the infinitive form of noe\u014d<\/em><\/span>, meaning \u201cto perceive, to understand, or to know.\u201d So agnoein<\/em> <\/span>refers to a lack of knowledge or understanding.<\/p>\n \u201cMystery<\/span>\u201d is a transliteration of musterion<\/em><\/span>. This word is derived either from mu\u014d<\/em><\/span>, meaning \u201cshut,\u201d like a mouth that is shut, or it is from mue\u014d<\/em><\/span>, which means \u201cto initiate or to learn a secret.\u201d So, musterion<\/em> <\/span>refers to information that has been kept a secret, but which is now being revealed.<\/p>\n The word translated \u201cblindness<\/span>\u201d is the Greek word p\u014dr\u014dsis<\/em><\/span>, 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.<\/p>\n \u201cIn part<\/span>\u201d is from the Greek word meros<\/em><\/span>, which means \u201ca division, a share, or a portion.\u201d<\/p>\n The word \u201cfullness<\/span>\u201d is from pl\u0113r\u014dma<\/em><\/span>, which refers to \u201ccompleteness or fullness.\u201d<\/p>\n This verse starts off with a classic Paul-ism; \u201cFor I do not desire \u2026 that you should be ignorant.<\/span>\u201d What he means is, \u201cYou currently are ignorant of something and I am going to inform you so that you will no longer be ignorant.\u201d Ignorance has nothing to do with a person\u2019s intelligence or ability to think, it simply refers to a lack of knowledge. Invariably, when Paul uses this expression, he includes the familiar adelphoi<\/em> or \u201cbrothers,\u201d probably to soften the blow of telling them that they are ignorant.<\/p>\n What is it that these Roman Christians are ignorant of? It is \u201cthis mystery.\u201d 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.<\/p>\n 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\u2019s 70th<\/sup> week.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Are you fulfilling your commission from God?<\/p>\n In God\u2019s service, for His glory,<\/strong><\/p>\nTruth to Learn<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
Behind the Words<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
Meaning Explained<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
Application<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
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