In 1 Corinthians 15:51, 'mystery' means 'secret' — Paul is revealing a truth that God kept hidden until He made it known through the Apostle Paul.
Paul uses the Greek word mysterion, which simply means 'secret.' In this verse he says, 'Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,' and Les explains that this secret had been kept in God's mind until it was revealed to Paul.
1 Corinthians 15:51 — This is the verse in question, where Paul says 'Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed.'
Romans 16:25 — Paul uses the same word for 'mystery' and calls it 'the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began.'
In 1 Corinthians 15:51, Paul writes, 'Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed.' The context of the passage is resurrection, and the 'mystery' is tied to the resurrection teaching of the chapter. In Romans 16:25, Paul calls the gospel 'the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began.' In Ephesians 3:3 he says, 'How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery,' and in Ephesians 3:5 that 'in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men.' Deuteronomy 29:29 also says, 'The secret things belong unto the LORD our God.' So in Scripture, Paul's 'mystery' is a truth that was kept hidden and has now been revealed.
Les Feldick explains that the Greek word behind 'mystery' is mysterion, and it simply means 'secret.' He says Paul uses the word often and that a secret is a mystery, and a mystery is a secret. When Paul says 'Behold, I shew you a mystery,' he is revealing something that had been kept secret in God's mind until it was revealed to the Apostle Paul. Les connects this to the whole body of truth Paul calls 'the Mystery.' These truths, he says, were not in the Old Testament, not in Christ's ministry, and not in Peter's activity in the Book of Acts. They were a new revelation, kept secret since the world began, as Paul states in Romans 16:25. Les also points to Deuteronomy 29:29, that 'the secret things belong unto the LORD our God.' In 1 Corinthians 15:51, this mystery is the truth that 'we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed.' Les emphasizes that Paul wrote this in a chapter about resurrection, and that the verse follows his teaching on how resurrection runs through nature and Scripture.
Les says the Greek word Paul uses is mysterion, and it simply means 'secret.' It can be translated 'mystery' or 'secret,' and a secret is a mystery and a mystery is a secret. Paul uses this word throughout his writings, and in Romans 16:25 he speaks of 'the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began.'
Les says Paul is revealing a secret that had been kept in God's mind until He revealed it to Paul. The chapter is about resurrection, and when Paul comes to verse 51 he says, 'Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed.' The secret is part of the resurrection truth explained in the chapter.
According to Les, the truths Paul calls the Mystery were not in the Old Testament, not in Christ's ministry, and not in Peter's activity in the Book of Acts. The Body of Christ — the Church Age — is strictly a Pauline revelation. In Ephesians 3:3 and 3:5, Paul says the mystery was made known to him by revelation and 'in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men.'
The secret is stated in the verse: 'We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed.' Les points out that the whole chapter deals with resurrection, and that at verse 51 Paul says 'Behold, I shew you a mystery' — a truth that had indeed been a secret. The believers' change is what Paul is announcing.
The Rapture Secret Most Christians Miss — 1 Corinthians 15:51
Hello, and welcome to Through the Bible with Les Feldick. An Oklahoma rancher and farmer, Les Feldick has been teaching homestyle Bible classes for 20 years in Iowa, Oklahoma, and Texas. Les Feldick's unique style of Bible teaching has made the books of the Bible come to life. When Les is teaching, it's so interesting that people say time just seems to fly by. And now, here is Les Feldick.
Mysterion means secret
Les says the Greek word is mysterion and simply means 'secret'; Paul uses 'mystery' and 'secret' interchangeably.
The Mystery as a new body of truth
Les says Paul refers to a whole revealed body of truth as the Mystery, truths not found in the Old Testament, Christ's ministry, or Peter's Acts ministry.
Secret kept since the world began
Les reads Romans 16:25 where the mystery was 'kept secret since the world began' and mentions 'the secret things belong unto the LORD our God' from Deuteronomy 29:29.
1 Corinthians 15:51 kept in God's mind
Les says the mystery in 1 Corinthians 15:51 had been kept secret in God's mind until revealed to Paul, and the secret is that not all will sleep but all will be changed.
Revelation means revealing a secret
Les says revelation means revealing something never before revealed, and the Greek mysterion is translated 'secret.'
Mystery revealed to Paul
Les shows from Ephesians 3:3 and 3:5 that the mystery was made known to Paul by revelation and was not made known in other ages.
Resurrection context of 1 Corinthians 15
Les says 1 Corinthians 15 deals with resurrection and at verse 51 Paul says 'Behold, I shew you a mystery,' a truth that had indeed been a secret.
1 Corinthians 15:51: Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
The verse in question, where Paul introduces the secret that believers will not all sleep but will all be changed.
Romans 16:25: Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,
Paul connects the mystery with something kept secret since the world began.
Ephesians 3:3: How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words,
Paul says the mystery was made known to him by revelation.
Ephesians 3:5: Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;
Paul says this mystery was not made known in other ages but is now revealed.
Deuteronomy 29:29: The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.
Les references this verse to show that secret things belong to God.
It means 'secret.' Paul uses the Greek word mysterion, which simply means secret, and he says, 'Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed.'
Yes. In Romans 16:25 he speaks of 'the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,' and in Ephesians 3:3 he says 'by revelation he made known unto me the mystery.' Les says the Greek word is mysterion and simply means secret.
It is the truth that believers will not all die, but all will be changed. Les says the truths Paul calls 'the Mystery' were not revealed before Paul — they were not in the Old Testament or in Christ's earthly ministry.
Watch the Teaching: The Rapture Secret Most Christians Miss — 1 Corinthians 15:51