The Spirit of Christ - Part 1

.... According to 1 Corinthians 13:2, receiving prophecy it is like the unraveling of a ‘mystery’. So for us to understand how revelation comes forth we’ll need to begin our study on a similar note, giving careful attention as we examine the the prophetic elements and weighing them together in our hearts, to ponder them as the words of a true enigma:

...."And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge . . ."

(1 Corinthians 13:2)

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.... A prophet grapples with the mystery that is shown to him in his spirit and eventually comes to understand its meaning well, as he gains the knowledge of the message that was conveyed to him; but this is not without difficulty for sometimes the process can be painful. But if you’re ready to explore the mystery of prophecy and how it is received, let’s begin by seeing how God spoke to the Old Testament prophets when He first revealed Jesus Himself to them:

.... " . . . Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow . . ."

(1 Peter 1:10-11)

.... A studious observer may notice an apparent contradiction in this passage; but if we can reach a deeper understanding to resolve this problem we’ll gain our first important insight. Also, since this is how God spoke to the prophets in foretelling Jesus Himself, it will no doubt has the greatest bearing on how He speaks to us today, as the Holy Spirit testifies of Jesus in revealing Him and conforming us to His image (John 15:26; 2 Corinthians 3:18). So even in an ongoing sense, this understanding has a power to shape our lives.

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.... At the beginning of the passage we saw that the Spirit of Christ was ‘indicating’ His testimony to the prophets. If we examine that word in the original Greek, it means that this testimony came in terms that were absolutely clear. There could not be a shadow of a doubt as to their meaning; the terms were as clear as a bell; absolutely, perfectly clear -- as clear as could possibly be – purely clear. There was no way to mistake this message for something other than what it was.

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.... So here’s our apparent contradiction and our first mystery. If the Spirit of Christ who was within them was revealing Christ in such clear, precise terms (vs 11), then why, in verse 10, did the prophets have to inquire and search diligently in asking, "WHAT are You saying to me?" or, "WHAT MANNER OF TIME are you indicating to me?" – as though the understanding was beyond them?

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.... So that’s our apparent contradiction and our first spiritual mystery. Please think about this carefully and ponder the enigma, and we’ll return to it in our next posting.

To proceed to the next lesson, click here

Daily Bible Reading: Acts 3