By R. C. Lawson

According to the Revelations of the Mystery, Romans 16:25, 26, 27:

Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the mystery which was kept secret since the world began.

But now is made manifest, and but the scriptures of the prophets according of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith:

To God Only wise, be glory through Jesus Christ for ever. Amen.

There is much preaching of Christ in the world today, but not according to the revelation of the mystery, which has been kept secret since the world began; but according to the traditions and teaching and commandments of men:

The reason is apparent why our preaching is oftimes void of power and results, because we preach not Christ according to the revelation of the mystery 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. Amen.

(Christ Preached According to the Revelation of the mystery but the Apostle Paul)

The question now [unreadable] “What is the mystery?”, “What is the revelation?” that the apostle preached Christ according go? The answer is found in the second chapter of his first letter to them. “And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the mystery of God, (R.V.) for I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ (the mystery of God) and Him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling and my preaching and my speech was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in the demonstration of the Spirit and power, that your faith should not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.”

“Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are prefect, yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of the world, that come to naught; but 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”. Here Paul plainly shows how he preached Christ according to the mystery, about he speaks of Christ and Him crucified, and here he speaks of the wisdom of God in a mystery which none of the princes of this world knew, for had they known it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. The crucifixion of Christ was none other than the crucifixion of the Lord of glory and the crucifixion of the Lord of glory was none other than the crucifixion of the might God veiled in flesh. And to this agree the words of the prophet Zechariah in the twelfth chapter of his gospel the 1st and 10th verses. “The burden of the word of the Lord for Israel, saith the Lord, which stretcheth for the heavens and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him.” 10th -“I will pour out on the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of Grace and of supplications and they shall look upon ME (Jehovah the Lord) whom they have pleased.” This no doubt will startle many and the question will be asked “Did God die?” In the flesh HE did, for that end was he manifested. Forasmuch then as the children were partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise took part of the same; that through DEATH He might destroy Him that had power over death, that is, the Devil. Heb. 4:14. And again hereby perceive we the love of God, because He (God) laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren 1 John 3:16.

And again, take heed unto yourselves and unto the flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God which He (God) hath purchased with His own blood. Acts 20th chapter and 20th verse, these scriptures show that it was God they crucified. The question may be asked, was the universe without a God while Christ was in the grave? Peter says, “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God being put to death in the flesh but quickened by the spirit.” By the which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison, which sometimes were disobedient, when once the long suffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is eight souls were saved by water. 1 Peter 3:18-21

So you see that though that body that God dwelt in was in the grave he is God the Spirit [unreadable] earth preaching to the spirits in prison and the universe was at no time without a God. Thus did the Apostle Paul preach Christ according to the Revelation of the mystery. To preach Christ as the Son of God is no mystery, every one understand him to be the Son of God. To preach Him as the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world is no mystery. To preach Him as the great physician is no mystery. But to declare Him The mighty God”, The everlasting Father”, The Prince of Peace”, “The Alpha and Omega”, The First and the Last”, “The Door unto the sheepfold”, The Shepherd that enters in the Door”, The Bread from Heaven”, “Lion of the tribe of Judah”, “the Lamb of God”,. “The Root and Offspring of David”, “The All in All”, “The Lord which is and was and is to come, the Almighty” is indeed a mystery that is baffling the minds of them that believe not. Nevertheless without controversy great is the mystery of Godliness, God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of by Angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, and received up into glory 1 Tim 3:16. And that God was in Christ.

(Made Manifest by the Scriptures of the Prophets. Rom 16:26)

This wonderful revelation has been kept secret since the world began, but it is made manifest by the scripture of the prophets according to the commandments of the everlasting God. We gather from the above that the mystery that has been kept secret since the world began, is now made manifest by the scriptures of the prophets. Therefore we will look into the scriptures of the prophets.

We find that each of the prophetic books has its own characteristics pointing. We can here name only the great land marks of prophecy which point with increasing definiteness to a coming one. They declare, in the beginning of revelation, His coming as a man. (Gen. 3:15); in the time of Abraham, the Nation, through which He was to come (Gen. 22:18); in the time of Jacob the tribe (Gen. 49:10); in the time of David the family (2 Sam. 7:11); in the time of Micah the town (Mic. 5:2); in the time of Daniel the date (Dan. 9:25); to Mary the Name (Luke 1:31-32); by the angels (Luke 2:11); and by the star the house (Matt. 2:9); and to the shepherds the person (Luke 2:11). Glorious, wonderful revelations of God! For this coming one was none other than the Mighty God that stretcheth forth the heaven like a curtain and laid the foundations of the world. The prophet Isaiah, looking down the vista of time, saw through the prophetic lens the great phenomenon which angels desired to look into. The mighty God taking upon Himself the form of man, born of a woman into the world for the suffering of death that He might save a fallen race from sin, cried out unto us a child is born unto us, a son is given, and the government shall be on his shoulders; and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace and again *** Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son and shall call his name IMMANUEL. Again he spoke, The voice of him crying in the wilderness “prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God” (Isa. 9:6, 7:14, 40:3)

And when Jesus Christ was born it was on this wise, when His mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.

Then Joseph being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put away privily. But while he thought on these things, behold the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and shall call his name JESUS, for He shall save HIS people from their sins. Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the LORD by the prophet, saying, Behold a virgin shall conceive, and bring forth a son, and they shall call His name EMMANUEL which being interpreted (or revealed or manifested) is “GOD WITH US.” Hallelujah! Amen.

HE was truly GOD WITH US but now HE is God in us. He was in the world and the world was made by Him and the world knew Him not. St. John 1:10. The voice of him crying in the wilderness was John and he prepared a highway for our God. And Jesus was that God.

(Kept Secret Since the World Began but is now Make Known to All Nations For the Obedience of Faith)

This was kept secret since the foundation of the world, even the prophets that prophesied did not fully understand because it was kept from them by the Spirit. And in the time of Christ he kept it from the Jews, for He spoke unto them in parables and when asked the reason he answered His disciples, Because it is given you to know the mysteries of the Kingdom, but unto them it is not given. Therefore speak I unto 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 Isaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and not understand; 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 hearts, 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. So you see the reason why he spoke to them in parables; was that they might be blinded: that their hearts might be gross to the end that they might crucify Him, that it might be fulfilled what God promised through Abraham, That in thy seed every nation shall be blessed.” The true olive branches had to be broken off that the wild olive branches might be grafted in. They failed through unbelief, we stand by faith.

For an example of Christ’s parables I will quote St. John 12:44, 45. “Jesus cried and said, he that believeth on Me, believeth not on Me, but on Him that sent ME, and he that seeth me seeth Him that sent Me.” What, did Jesus tell a lie? When He said he that seeth Me seeth Him that send me? NO. He was the mighty God veiled in flesh, the Jews judge Him after the flesh, but they fail to see that in the body the eternal Spirit (God) dwelt and He came unto His own and His own received Him not (they were broken off, we received Him and were grafted in to the olive tree). They could not see that He was mighty God, because they judge after the flesh; even so they that cannot see Jesus Christ as the mighty God today it is because they judge after the flesh (Son). But Paul said in 2 Cor. 5:16, Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh, yea though we have known Christ after the flesh (Son) yet now henceforth know we Him no more. After the flesh He is the son of man, the king of Israel, the son of God, but after the Spirit He is the Mighty God everlasting Father, and prince of Peace. Amen.

(Made Known for the Obedience of Faith)

The question may be asked did the Jews, who were blinded, get a chance to see? Yes, for though they were blinded, the revelation would be made known to them for the obedience to the faith. What faith? Why the faith that was once delivered to the saints (which came on the day of Pentecost) Peter preached it unto them; when they found out their mistake and their crime of rejecting and crucifying their king, they cried out, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” then peter said unto them, “Repent, and be baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” So you see dear ones that they had a chance, and every one that obeyed the faith they received revelation in their soul that Jesus was the mighty God manifested in flesh. Now today it is the same: everyone that obeys Acts 2:38, with an honest heart they shall receive the revelation of Jesus Christ our Lord, as the All in All, To God only wise be glory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

This article “Preaching Christ” by R.C. Lawson is excerpted from Meat In Due Season, September 1917, Vol. 1, No. 22, 3