The Mystery of God

Abstract

God is transcendent and mysterious, but He desires to manifest Himself in His economy to His people in a way that is immanent and expressed. In the previous issue of Affirmation & Critique we saw that God is transcendent and mysterious but that He desires to manifest Himself in His economy to His people in a way that is immanent and expressed. This is implied and hinted at in the Old Testament but is not fulfilled until New Testament times. The word musthvrion is used twenty-eight times in the New Testament to refer to God and to various items in His economy, indicating the manifestation of something hidden, especially with eschatological significance (following the use of the word in the Septuagint of Daniel). Musthvrion also occurs in classical Greek literature to indicate the initiation into a secret society and is often associated with a particular place and carried out by means of a series of rites. This article looks at the origin and meaning of the word mystery, its use in the New Testament, and its significance, development, and consummation from the perspective of God’s economy.