Was the Church a secret in God's plan?
Yes. The Church, which is the Body of Christ, was kept secret in the mind of God and is part of the mysteries. For it to remain a secret, no part could be allowed to slip out. The Gospel accounts remain predominantly directed to Israel, and Jesus gives no hint of calling out a Gentile body for Himself.
Les teaches that everything in the Gospel accounts—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and even John—is still predominantly, though not exclusively, directed to the nation of Israel. He explains that the Church as the Body of Christ was kept secret in the mind of God and is part of the mysteries. Since it was a secret, no part of it could slip out without it no longer being a secret. Les challenges listeners to search the Gospel accounts to see whether Jesus ever hints at turning to the Gentiles and calling out a Gentile body for Himself, and he concludes that you will not find it. He acknowledges the closest statement is Jesus saying, “I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it,” but even that statement is part of the discussion.
What does it mean that the Church was a mystery kept secret in God's mind?
It means the Church, the Body of Christ, was not revealed in the Gospel accounts but remained hidden in God's mind as part of the mysteries. Because it was a secret, no part could slip out beforehand, so Jesus gave no hint of calling out a Gentile body for Himself.
Was the Church, the Body of Christ, a secret God kept in His mind?
Yes. The Church, which is the Body of Christ, was a secret kept in the mind of God. It is part of the mysteries, hidden so that no part slipped out beforehand. The Gospel accounts give no hint that Jesus would turn to Gentiles and call out a Gentile body for Himself.