Thursday, October 25, 2012

Ephesians 5:32


Copyright Ó 2012 J. Neely
Ephesians 5:32

32 This [touto] is [esti] a great [megas] mystery: [musterion] but [de] I [ego] speak [lego] concerning [eis] Christ [Christos] and [eis] [kai] the church. [ekklesia] KJV-Interlinear

32 This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church. NASB

The word for mystery, ‘musterion,’ means that which cannot be known, something concealed, something hidden.  And, it is only revealed after certain disclosures or instructions are made available.

The mysteries of the Bible are not incomprehensible, or inexplicable, or impossible to understand, but can all be understood if and when God deems it appropriate.

For example, if a couple of centuries ago, you were told that in the future people will be traveling from continent to continent through the air, you would have no way of knowing how that would be accomplished.  But with the passage of time and invention, then after airplanes were invented you would begin to be able to comprehend that possibility.

Throughout the dispensations, God has disclosed principles of doctrine as time advanced.  There are still a few disclosures that even we do not know the details regarding them.  For example the identity of the anti-christ of the Tribulation, the date of the Rapture, the seven thunders of the Tribulation.  These things are hidden from us, and will not be known except to only those who will live in and observe those events of their future day as they transpire.

However, we here have yet another type of mystery, one in which has affected everyone since the time of Adam. 

And that mystery is Bible doctrine in general, wherein no one can know or even understand doctrine unless they are first saved, and second in fellowship, and third, have some accumulated doctrine already learned as prerequisites for advanced doctrines.

Unbelievers for example look at doctrine as foolishness because they have no ability to understand.

Even believers look at various principles of doctrine as ridiculous, because they lack a foundation of understanding for being able to comprehend advanced concepts.  That is why you have so many weird ideas coming out of so called Christian people or organizations.

And here we have the concept of marriage.

On the one hand marriage is a divine institution which is made available for the entire human race, for the purpose of perpetuating and securing the continuing existence of the human race through history.  This being accomplished through the marriage relationship, through the family relationship, and by means of the principle of authority, which too, is a divine institution.

But marriage is a far more involved principle, than just two people meeting, kissing, and pushing a baby carriage.

Marriage is a commitment that is neither random nor haphazard nor casual nor arbitrary nor a matter of convenience.

Marriage is not an institution that can be redefined for sinful or casual or convenient purposes.  It was defined and established by God for one purpose and one purpose only, and that was to guide people to an understanding of their ultimate relationship with God.

The earthly principle has its functions but it is intended to teach the very mystery of how man, who is lowly, can have a relationship with God, and how that relationship will, or is supposed to, function.  It teaches Gods attitude, what mans attitude should be, and the enduring assurances and steadfastness of Gods promises and policy.

To redefine or to bastardize the principle of marriage or human relationship, is to reject God and Gods will and plan.

Some hop from partner to partner and that only emphasizes their fickleness.

Some people shack up and that emphasizes their lack of commitment.

Some choose inappropriate partners (same gender, animals, etc) and that emphasizes a total rejection of Gods natural rules for human relationships.

Adam was created among animals but did not choose an animal as a mate. The woman was taken from Adam and given back to him, thus God making the choice and rule for him.  God did not make another man or same gender person as a partner. 

Anything that does not follow Gods defined rules, no matter how innocent or harmless it may seem, is in effect evil and potentially extremely harmful as it will encourage even more compromise in the principles of truth and domino into ever greater evils and degeneracy.

Rejection of God on one principle always ends up in rejection of other principles and the collapse of ones divine purpose.  That means trouble and personal suffering for the individual and disaster and suffering for even greater regions even a nation or the world.

Just as a passing note, it is our national election time and I saw a world poll regarding who people from other countries would vote for if given the chance to vote in our national election.  The poll disclosed that Obama would win with more than fifty percent of the world vote and the next candidate would get only nine percent of the votes cast around the world.  If you have any sense in you at all, then you will understand that mystery of why the world is the way it is, and why the world is heading in the direction that it is heading.  Anyway just food for thought.

So, marriage is an institution that describes man as the bride, God as the groom, man as the subordinate without portfolio, and God as the master and ruler of the relationship, and man as the recipient of that which God would do even for himself, treating man on a much elevated level for all of eternity.

Likewise, husbands who possess the authority given by in the Bible, do not possess that authority without the responsibility that accompanies it.  Likewise, women who are the wives in the relationship, do not possess the authority nor the permission to manipulate that relationship by any means.

But the two, need to participate as one, with one purpose and not by divided purposes, for the benefit of the marriage and for the benefit of their own healthy relationship, and an understanding of the even greater purpose that God has designed.

As for our relationship with God, we have no say in the definition of truth, nor can we make up our own truths.

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