The Trilogy Of The Secret Of The Gospel
The Trilogy of the Secret of the Gospel
By: Irnawan Silitonga
Through this short writing, we will discuss the Gospel, which is the good news. We will begin our discussion by briefly explaining the title above. The expression ‘The Secret of the Gospel’ in our title comes from the Greek phrase ‘musterion ho euaggelion’ (Ephesians 6:19), which is often translated in various versions as ‘mystery of the gospel’.
We do not use the term ‘mystery’ because it gives the impression that there is something unknowable to humans and remains a mystery. In reality, the term ‘mystery’ here does not mean something unknowable, but rather something that is hidden from someone until it has been revealed to them—yet it ceases to be hidden once it has been made known. The Gospel is indeed a secret to those who have not yet received revelation before God, but if by the grace of God they have received revelation of the Gospel, then for them it is no longer a secret. That is why our title above uses the word ‘secret’ rather than ‘mystery’.
Now, what is the meaning of the term ‘trilogy’ above? In the dictionary, ‘trilogy’ means ‘a group of three plays, novels, operas, etc., to be performed, read, etc., in succession, each complete in itself but having a common subject’. So, a trilogy is a set of three stories, plays, dramas, and so on, presented or read in sequence, each being complete in itself, but all sharing a common theme. In short, a trilogy is three consecutive stories, each with the same theme.
Does the concept of a ‘trilogy’ exist in the Bible? Although the term ‘trilogy’ is not written in Scripture, the concept itself is often found in the Bible. Let us first look at Proverbs 22:20, which says, “Have I not written to you formerly with counsel and knowledge” (Indonesian Bible, LAI). In the King James Version it says, “Have not I written to thee excellent things in counsel and knowledge.” In Young’s Literal Translation it says, “Have I not written to thee three times...” In The Jerusalem Bible it says, “Have I not written for you thirty chapters...”
The phrase ‘excellent things’ in Proverbs 22:20 comes from the Hebrew word ‘shalosh’, which, according to Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (#7991, 7969), means ‘a triple, a triangle, a threefold, the third rank, or three’. In fact, the root word ‘shalosh’ means ‘three’. With a slight change of vowel, it can mean ‘thirty’, as translated in The Jerusalem Bible. However, the translation in Young’s Literal Translation is more accurate according to the Hebrew root meaning. And if we combine the Young’s Literal Translation with the King James Version, it implies that speaking three times in counsel and knowledge is an ‘excellent’ matter indeed. Thus, the concept of a trilogy is directly revealed in Proverbs 22:20.
If we apply this ‘trilogy concept’ to our title, it means there are three successive stories with the same theme, namely, the secret of the Gospel.
Before continuing our discussion, there is one more important term which appears only once in the New Testament—the Greek verb ‘orthotomeo’ in 2 Timothy 2:15. This term means ‘to cut straight’. In other words, to divide or to handle correctly. So 2 Timothy 2:15 is Paul’s exhortation to Timothy that, as a preacher of the Gospel (the word of truth) or as a servant of God, he must handle the word of truth correctly.
How then do we handle the secret of the Gospel, which is the word of truth, correctly? We use the ‘trilogy principle’, that is, dividing the secret of the Gospel into three consecutive stories with the same theme.
First, the Secret of the Gospel proclaimed by Peter and his companions to the Jews.
Second, the Secret of the Gospel proclaimed by Paul and his companions to the Gentiles.
Third, the Secret of the Gospel proclaimed by the Apostle John and his team to the fallen church of his time, especially to the seven churches in Asia Minor.
Through the explanation above, we are not saying that there are three secrets of the Gospel or three different Gospels. The Gospel, which is the good news, is only one—the good news concerning the death, resurrection, and ascension of the Lord Jesus.
In the previous writing, we distinguished the word of truth, or the mystery of the Gospel, by using the principle of trilogy. This time we will discuss how Peter and his companions preached the Gospel to the nation of Israel.
Let us begin with John the Baptist and Jesus Himself in proclaiming the good news to the Jews. John the Baptist and Jesus proclaimed, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near” (Matthew 3:1; 4:17). The term ‘repent’ comes from the Greek verb ‘metanoeō’, which means ‘to change one’s mind’. Why did Jesus and John the Baptist require the Jews to ‘change their minds’ concerning the nearness of the kingdom of heaven? This can be explained as follows.
The Jewish people were always waiting for the Messiah, especially since King David had received the promise that his descendants would continually reign over Israel. They expected a king anointed by God, a descendant of David, who would accomplish at least three things for his people. First, the anointed king (Messiah) must build the Temple. Second, this Messiah must deliver the Jews from Israel’s enemies—that is, the surrounding nations who troubled Israel. Third, this Messiah must bring peace to the world, meaning that Israel would become the “head” and the other nations the “tail”, for such was the promise of Yahweh. In essence, the Messiah who would rule Israel was expected to build a ‘physical’ kingdom of Israel, by destroying Israel’s ‘physical’ enemies, building a physical Temple (a literal building), and naturally having a physical palace, a physical army, and so forth—everything of a physical nature.
But Jesus came to give His life (Greek: ‘zoē’) and establish His kingdom, which is the ‘kingdom of heaven’—a kingdom with a ‘heavenly dimension’. The kingdom of heaven that Jesus would establish and bring to earth is “…not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Romans 14:17). This does not mean that all of Yahweh’s promises to Israel concerning the ‘physical’ are nullified. Rather, Jesus came to fulfill all that was ‘physical’ in the Old Testament, transforming it into the ‘spiritual’ in the context of the New Testament. The very nature of the Old Testament was prophetic, shadowy, and symbolic, whereas the New Testament is the fulfillment of prophecy, the substance of the shadow, and the reality of the symbols. On the cross, Jesus said, ‘It is finished’—meaning that all prophecies, shadows, and symbols of the Old Testament had been fulfilled, actualized, and realized in Christ.
Therefore, the Jews were required to ‘repent’—that is, to change their way of thinking—from the physical to the spiritual. From thinking in terms of prophecy, shadow, and symbol, to thinking in terms of fulfillment, substance, and reality. At one point, Jesus tried to change the mindset of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law regarding the dimension of the Messianic kingdom. Jesus asked, “What do you think about the Messiah? Whose son is he?” They replied, “The son of David” (Matthew 22:42). Then Jesus quoted Psalm 110:1, which affirms that David called the Messiah ‘Lord’, making it impossible for the Messiah to be merely David’s son, since David referred to Him as ‘Lord’. Here, Jesus was not denying that the Messiah is David’s descendant physically, but He was emphasizing that the kingdom of the Messiah exists in a dimension higher than the physical kingdom of David. The kingdom of the Messiah is the kingdom of heaven; the Messiah’s kingdom is not a matter of eating and drinking. Thus, it was this ‘Old Testament physical mindset’ that Jesus sought to change in the Pharisees and the teachers of the law of His time.
We have seen that the proclamation of John the Baptist and Jesus, offering the kingdom of heaven to the Jewish people, was rejected by their leaders. The Sanhedrin, the Jewish council, did not accept Jesus as the Messiah who had been promised to David. The Sanhedrin sentenced Jesus to death, and through the hands of Pilate, crucified Him.
Then Peter and his companions once again offered the kingdom of heaven and Jesus as the Messiah to the Sanhedrin. Peter and his team did this three times. First, when Peter testified before the Sanhedrin and affirmed that there is no other name under heaven by which we can be saved except the name of Jesus Christ (Acts 4:1–12). Second, when Peter once again stood before the Sanhedrin and testified about the resurrection of Jesus, declaring that Jesus sits at the right hand of the Most High as Ruler and Savior (Acts 5:26–33). Third, through Stephen, Peter and his team once more bore witness to the Sanhedrin. This time the Sanhedrin rejected the message and even stoned Stephen, although in fact the Sanhedrin had not been granted authority by the Roman rulers to put anyone to death. Thus, the Jewish nation, represented by the Sanhedrin, rejected Jesus as the Messiah, even until today…
Why did the Jewish people reject Jesus as the Messiah? This was actually foretold in Isaiah 6:8–13. Isaiah 6:10 emphasizes, “Make the heart of this people calloused; make their ears dull and close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.” Yet, there is a divine purpose in this. Romans 11:25–26 says, “…Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. And in this way all Israel will be saved…” In due time, after the fullness of the Gentiles has come in, Israel too will be saved.
In the situation where the Jewish people rejected Jesus as the Messiah, Peter and his team were given the task we know as the Great Commission, written in Matthew 28:18–20: the mission to make disciples of all nations, accompanied by the assurance that all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Jesus.
How Peter and his team proclaimed the Gospel to the nations, and how Paul was later sent to the Gentiles, will be discussed in the next writing…
The Greek term ‘euanggelion’, translated as ‘good news’, appears 76 times in the New Testament. Peter uses it only once in his letter, where he refers to the ‘Gospel of God’ (1 Peter 4:17). But in the Gospel of Matthew, a gospel written for the Jews, there are three occurrences of the term ‘gospel’, ‘the Gospel of the Kingdom of Heaven’ or ‘the Gospel of the Kingdom of God’, and one occurrence simply as ‘the Gospel’.
Paul uses the term ‘gospel’ in his letters 60 times. The occurrences of the term ‘gospel’ in Paul’s letters are as follows: ‘the Gospel of Christ’ 8 times, ‘the Gospel of God’ 6 times, and other expressions such as ‘the Gospel of peace’, ‘the Gospel of Jesus’, ‘my gospel’, and the rest simply as ‘the gospel’. In Acts 20:24, Paul uses the expression ‘the Gospel of the grace of God’.
By observing the various uses of the term ‘gospel’ by both Paul and Peter, we can begin to see the uniqueness of their proclamations. Paul uses the term ‘Christ’ with several meanings that we will discuss later. Paul even uses the expression ‘my gospel’ to emphasize the uniqueness of his proclamation. The uniqueness of the message of Peter and Paul is not without significance. In fact, in 1 Corinthians 11:16, Paul distinguishes between the congregations ministered to by Peter and his team, and the congregations pioneered by Paul himself along with his companions. Let us take note of 1 Corinthians 11:16: “But if anyone seems to be contentious, WE have no such custom, nor do the CHURCHES OF GOD” (LITV). What Paul means by ‘the CHURCHES OF GOD’ are the congregations of Jews ministered to by Peter and his team.
If we look at the expression ‘the Gospel of the Kingdom’, which appears only three times in the Gospel of Matthew—a gospel for the Jews—we can understand the uniqueness of the message delivered by Peter and his team. Peter and his team proclaimed to the Jews that through the death, resurrection, and exaltation of Jesus, where He sits at the right hand of the Father, “God has made Him both Lord and Messiah…” (Acts 2:36 – LITV). Peter proclaimed Jesus as the Messiah, or the kingdom of the Messiah, to the Jews. And Jesus, who was sent only to the Jews (Matthew 15:24), also preached, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” But we know that the Jews rejected both Jesus and the proclamation of Peter and his team.
Then, how could the other nations hear the ‘gospel’, or more specifically, how could the other nations receive the ‘unique message of the gospel’ proclaimed by Paul? To understand this, we must know that Jesus came to make a new covenant with the Jews, because the old covenant had been broken. This was prophesied in Jeremiah 31:31–34, which says, “…I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah… I will put My Torah within them and write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be My people…. They shall all know Me… I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sins no more.”
This new covenant was instituted by Jesus on the last night when He celebrated Passover together with His disciples. In Matthew 26:28 it is written, “For this is My blood, the blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” The New Covenant made by Jesus for the Jews was ratified by His blood. But we know that the Jews rejected Jesus. This rejection opened the opportunity for the nations to enter into this new covenant. The next writing will explain how Paul was sent by the Lord to bring this New Covenant to the nations.
This time we will discuss how Paul was sent by the Lord to bring the New Covenant to the nations. Acts 13:2 says, “… Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Barnabas and Saul, who later became Paul, established churches in every city and appointed elders to shepherd the congregations they pioneered. At first, Paul and Barnabas preached the forgiveness of sins, which could not be obtained through the law of Moses, but through faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus (Acts 13:38–39). Of course, Paul did not only preach forgiveness of sins. We will see later what else Paul proclaimed in his Gospel. But for now, we will discuss the matter of the nations, to whom Paul preached the Gospel. Were the nations required to obey the law of Moses, as the Jewish believers obeyed it, as it is written in Acts 21:20, “… see, thousands of Jews have believed, and they are all zealous for the law”?
This issue is addressed in Acts 15:1–34. After Peter spoke, “… that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved in the same manner as they” (verse 11), Paul and Barnabas told of the mighty works God had done among the nations, which confirmed Peter’s testimony. Then James concluded by quoting Amos 9:11–12, as follows: “After this I will return and will rebuild the tabernacle of David, which has fallen down; I will rebuild its ruins, and I will set it up; so that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord, even all the Gentiles who are called by My name, says the Lord who does all these things, known to God from eternity” (NKJV).
What or who is the ‘tabernacle of David’ mentioned in the verse above? Is it only Israel, or also the nations whom God has chosen to be His people? If we pay attention to James’ previous words—that God shows His mercy to the nations by choosing a people for His name from among them—then it is reasonable to conclude that the tabernacle of David, rebuilt by the Lord, includes Israel as well as the nations chosen by God in this age. James emphasized that God’s choosing of the nations to be His people is ‘in agreement’ with the prophecy of Amos that we have quoted. The term ‘in agreement’ comes from the Greek word ‘sumphoneo’, which means ‘to be in harmony’ or ‘to agree’. Therefore, the election of the nations in this age and their being ‘grafted’ into Israel is the fulfillment of Amos 9:11–12.
However, the prophecy of Amos 9:11–12, quoted by James, does not stop with only ‘some’ of the nations being saved in this age. Rather, it says, “so that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord.” This means Amos’ prophecy extends beyond this age into the ages to come, where eventually all mankind will seek the Lord. The tabernacle of David, which had fallen and is rebuilt
by the Lord, is Israel and the chosen nations of this age. But then, all the rest of mankind will also seek the Lord. I personally prefer the translation ‘the residue of men’ because it is closer to the original Greek, ‘kataloipos ho anthropos’ (the residue of men). By referring to ‘the residue of men’, it points to the ultimate reality that all humanity will seek the Lord.
The conclusion regarding the nations to whom Paul preached the Gospel is as follows:
1. The nations who are saved and chosen in this age are not required to keep the law of Moses as the Jews do.
2. The tabernacle of David, which had fallen and is rebuilt by the Lord, is Israel and the nations chosen in this age.
3. As a result of the tabernacle of David being rebuilt, in the ages to come, the rest of mankind will seek the Lord.
Let us briefly discuss the New Covenant made by Jesus on the last night with His disciples. Matthew 26:26–28 records, “And as they were eating, Jesus took bread…. Then He took the cup…. For this is My blood, the blood of the covenant….” While they were eating the Passover, Jesus took bread and the cup and made a covenant ratified by His own blood. Luke 22:20 records, “… This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.”
Indeed, what Jesus did had been prophesied in the book of the prophet Jeremiah 31:31–34, as it is written, “… I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel…. I will put My Torah within them and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people…. They shall all know Me…. I will remember their sins no more” (ILT). The essence of this New Covenant is that God will write His law (His Torah) into the hearts of believers. In the Old Testament, God’s law was written on tablets of stone, but in the New Testament, that very law written on stone tablets is written or placed by God into the hearts of believers.
There are three things that happen when God writes His laws into the hearts of believers. First, God will be God to the believers, and the believers will be His people. Second, believers will know God inwardly. Third, God will no longer remember the sins of believers.
If we look more closely, it becomes clear that the New Covenant is spiritual and inward, while the Old Covenant is natural and outward. The Old Covenant was prophetic, a shadow, and symbolic, while the New Covenant is the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies, the reality of the shadow in the Old Testament, the substance of the Old Testament symbols. Colossians 2:16–17 affirms, “Therefore let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is Christ” (ILT).
We know that the New Covenant was made by Jesus primarily for the nation of Israel, because Israel had broken the Old Covenant and God replaced it with a New Covenant according to the prophecy in Jeremiah 31:31–34. But later, Paul was sent by God to minister the New Covenant
to other nations as well. We will look at and discuss several important points in Paul’s gospel that he preached to the nations.
First, Paul preached justification, sanctification, and glorification through faith. This is explained in his letter to the Romans. Second, Paul preached Christ in his gospel. Third, Paul preached the church as the body of Christ. Fourth, Paul preached the coming of the Lord in and through His saints. Of course, there are still other things Paul conveyed in his ministry, but for the sake of our theme, the points above are sufficient.
We will discuss them one by one briefly so we may see the uniqueness of the message Paul delivered to the nations. In fact, in Paul’s gospel, there is no longer any distinction between the Jews and the nations, for all are one in Christ.
This time we will discuss Paul’s Gospel concerning justification, sanctification, and glorification. Paul explains this systematically in his letter to the Romans. In the book of Romans, the term ‘gospel’ appears nine times, including the Gospel of God, the Gospel of His Son, and also the Gospel of Christ. In Romans, Paul explains his gospel through the theme of the righteousness of God, for that is the central theme of the letter.
Righteousness is a condition or quality that conforms to a certain standard. Therefore, the righteousness of God is God’s own standard or quality. If someone desires to be pleasing to God and be saved, he must reach the standard of God’s righteousness. Paul firmly states that the righteousness of God cannot be achieved through obedience to the Law of Moses. The good news is that the righteousness of God can be received through faith in Christ Jesus.
Paul explains faith in Christ as follows: “…from faith to faith…” (Romans 1:17). The Greek expression is ‘ek pisteos eis pistin’ (‘from faith to faith’). When someone is chosen by God, he is given faith in Christ. This faith is the energy of Christ that enables him to act according to the faith of Christ that has been given, for faith without works is dead. Furthermore, works born of faith in Christ will perfect the faith that already exists. This process continues unceasingly. Existing faith produces works, and then works born of faith, in turn, perfect the faith that exists. This is what James means when he says, “…faith was made complete by works” (James 2:22). This process of faith growth continues until salvation is perfected—namely justification, sanctification, and glorification.
Let us look briefly at justification by faith. Paul explains this beginning from Romans 3:21 up to Romans 5:11, the essence of which is that the righteousness of God is credited to believers solely because of the faith of Christ. The result of this justification is life in peace with God, access into grace, rejoicing in the hope of sharing the glory of God, even boasting in sufferings, because suffering produces perseverance, character, and hope that does not disappoint.
Sanctification by faith is explained by Paul from chapter 5:12 to chapter 7:26. The essence of sanctification is that we die with Christ and are freed from the power of sin, so that we may present our bodies to be used as instruments of righteousness. Sanctification by faith is related
to the salvation of the body. Even though this physical body will indeed die because of sin, YET NOW our body has already been freed from the power of sin, has become a servant of righteousness, and is used as an instrument of righteousness.
As for glorification by faith, Paul describes it in chapter 8:1–30. Glorification by faith is related to our inheritance as sons of God. We will receive this inheritance together with Christ because we have suffered with Him. When Christ comes, we will receive our inheritance—that is, a new body like Christ Jesus—and we will also be glorified, revealed to all creation, to serve all creation and to set all creation free from the bondage of decay (Romans 8:19–21).
This is the Gospel of God, or the Gospel of His Son, or also the Gospel of Christ as explained by Paul in the letter to the Romans. There is still revelation concerning the nation of Israel in chapters 9 through 11, but we will not discuss that now.
We have seen that Paul at least proclaimed these four things in his gospel. First, Paul preached justification, sanctification, and glorification through faith, which we briefly outlined in section (7). Second, Paul proclaimed Christ in his gospel. Third, Paul proclaimed the church as the body of Christ. Fourth, Paul proclaimed the coming of the Lord in and through His saints. This time we will discuss how Paul proclaimed Christ in his gospel.
The good news that Paul proclaimed is Christ. That is why Paul referred to his gospel as the gospel of Christ (Romans 15:19; 1 Corinthians 9:12; 2 Corinthians 2:12; 9:13; 10:14; Galatians 1:7; 1 Thessalonians 3:2). Paul affirms in Colossians 1:27–28, “… Christ in the midst of you (Christ in you – Literal Translation). Christ who is the hope of glory. Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone in all wisdom, that we may present everyone perfect in Christ”.
Let us see who and what Christ is, as proclaimed by Paul in his gospel.
First, Christ is the hope of glory, according to the verse above. When man fell into sin, he lost or fell short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). Adam tried to ‘cover’ the loss of God’s glory, which produced shame, with fig leaves (a symbol of human glory). But God was not pleased, and replaced them with animal skins, foreshadowing the sacrifice of Christ Jesus. Paul proclaimed Christ as the solution to the loss of God’s glory, because man had fallen into sin. And the Christ Paul proclaimed dwells within us. ‘Christ in you, the hope of glory’.
Second, Christ is corporate (many-membered). 1 Corinthians 12:12 says, “For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ.” Christ here is many-membered: Christ the head (Jesus) and Christ the body (the church). The good news is that in Christ, we have already been raised up and seated with Him in the heavenly places (Ephesians 2:6).
Third, Christ is our life. Colossians 3:4 says, “When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.” Jesus said, “I came that they may have life (zoe = the God-kind of life).” With Christ as our life, we can truly know the Father and Jesus Christ whom He has sent (John 17:3). Through this life, we can fellowship with Him and personally enjoy Him. In this life
also exist the love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control of Christ. And when Christ, who is our life, appears (at His coming in the end times), we too will appear with Him in the glory of God (Romans 8:19–21).
Fourth, Christ is all in all. Colossians 3:11 affirms, “… but Christ is all, and in all” (the all and in all – Christ, Young’s Literal Translation). Christ is all in all. Let us compare this expression “all in all” with 1 Corinthians 15:28, “… that God may be all in all” (LIT). In 1 Corinthians 15, it is clear that the condition of ‘God being all in all’ takes place ‘after the last enemy is conquered, which is death’. The wages of sin is death. Christ will subdue everything, including death, so that Christ may be all in all. Christ the head and Christ the body will conquer all… until Christ becomes all in all.
This is the Christ that Paul proclaimed in his gospel. The expression Paul used most frequently is ‘in Christ’. In Christ, we are already blessed, restored, and seated in the heavenly places. In Christ there is joy, comfort, and everything we need. Hallelujah…
The next message of Paul’s gospel is the church as the body of Christ. We have noted that the congregations founded by Paul and his team had their own uniqueness. In fact, in 1 Corinthians 11:16, Paul distinguished the congregations served by Peter and his team from the congregations he pioneered with his companions. Let us look at 1 Corinthians 11:16: “But if anyone seems to be contentious, neither we nor the CHURCHES OF GOD have such a custom” (LIT). What Paul meant by “CHURCHES OF GOD” were the congregations of the Jews served by Peter and his team.
The uniqueness of the congregations pioneered by Paul was that there was no longer any distinction between Jews and non-Jews or the nations. The dividing wall, namely the Law with all its commandments and ordinances, ‘has been abolished’ through the death of Jesus, and now both (Jews and non-Jews) have become one new man in Christ (Ephesians 2:14–15). The phrase ‘has been abolished’ in Ephesians 2:15 comes from the Greek term ‘katargeo’, which means ‘to make inactive’ or ‘to make of no effect’. This means that although there was indeed a difference between Jews and the nations because of the Law given to the Jews, that difference was rendered ineffective, or made inactive. Thus, in Paul’s gospel, the church is the body of Christ where there is no distinction between Jew and non-Jew.
The church is a body with many members, meaning the church is a living organism. Paul never intended to state that the church is thousands of organizations (denominations) as it is today. I will briefly begin to explain what Paul meant by the church as an organism, and then we will see why that original organism changed—or more precisely, broke apart—into thousands of organizations as we see today.
The church as an organism also has leaders within its organism. Colossians 2:19 says: “And not holding fast to the Head, from whom all the body, through the joints and bands, being supplied and knit together, grows with the growth of God” (LIT). Let us carefully observe this verse, because it speaks about the authority of the organism, the growth of the organism, and also the leaders of the organism.
First, the authority of this organism is clearly the Head. Christ Jesus as the Head has authority over the church as His body. Or to be clearer: Christ Jesus as the life of the organism (“I am the life”)—it is the life of Christ that holds authority over the organism. Second, the growth of this organism is explained in the verse above with the phrase ‘grows with the growth of God’. The original expression is ‘auxano ho auxesis ho theos’, which means ‘increase with the increase of God’ (Young’s Literal Translation). Therefore, the correct Indonesian translation of this phrase is ‘grows with the growth of God’. This growth of God does not mean that God Himself grows within the organism, but rather that HIS LIFE grows within the organism. Thus, the growth of the organism is the growth of Life. Third, the leaders of this organism are described as ‘joints and bands’. These joints and bands do not have authority over the organism, because the authority of the organism is the Life of Christ. If we look carefully at the verse above, we can see that the role of these “joints and bands” is simply as CHANNELS OF THE LIFE OF CHRIST.
If the leaders of this organism function properly, and through them the life of Christ flows into the body, then the body will experience normal growth. Furthermore, we see in this verse the role of the leaders of the organism as those who “supply and knit” the body so that the body is not divided and can grow well. Such a thing does not happen with the leaders of organizations (denominations), who in fact divide the body of Christ. We will discuss this further in the next writing.
We have discussed that the church is an organism, where the term Paul used is ‘body’, or ‘the body of Christ’. Based on Colossians 2:19, we have seen the role of the leaders of the organism as those who channel the life of Christ, supporting, supplying, and binding the body into one, even though there are many members. This time we will discuss why the church, which is an organism or body, has now been fragmented into thousands of organizations, or denominations.
Many people, including denominational leaders, no longer see this as a problem. It has even been taught that the church has two aspects: the visible aspect, which is the thousands of denominations that we can see; and the invisible aspect, namely all of God’s true children on this earth, whom only God knows. This teaching of the visible and invisible church began with Martin Luther, as explained by Prof. L. Berkhof in his very well-known book ‘Systematic Theology’, pages 560–564. This view is not only accepted by almost all denominational leaders, but it is also taught in theological schools throughout the world. But let us see what the Bible says about these thousands of denominations. Why did the church, which was originally an organism and undivided, then break into thousands of denominations?
Acts 20:28–30 records: “Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the congregation of Elohim which He purchased with His own blood. For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves” (LITV).
On his journey to Jerusalem, Paul took time to meet at Miletus with the leaders of the church in Ephesus. Here Paul emphasized that after his departure, savage wolves—surely the devil and evil spirits—would attack the leaders so that the leaders, or more precisely, some of the leaders, would do two things. First, they would speak perverse things. Second, they would have one goal: to draw disciples.
Let us first look at the first point. The word ‘perverse’ here comes from the Greek term ‘diastrepho’, which means ‘to distort’ or ‘to misinterpret’. If we look at the characteristics of false teachers in Jude 4, it is written: “…they pervert the grace of our God into licentiousness” (LITV). False teachers always talk about God’s goodness, God’s grace, God’s favor, BUT THEY DIRECT IT OR DISTORT IT toward carnal matters, even worldly things that stir up lust. These false teachers always speak of prosperity, health, wealth, and worldly success. Meanwhile, the Bible says that the kingdom of heaven is not about food and drink, but about inner peace. ‘Christ in you, the hope of glory’. ‘The kingdom of God is within you’.
This does not mean that God does not care about our physical needs. But seek first the kingdom of heaven, seek first inner success, the peace and joy of Christ within. Surely God cares about our need for food, drink, and clothing.
Indeed, spiritual sensitivity is needed to distinguish false teachers who focus on earthly matters from true teachers who emphasize the kingdom of heaven within. Because no one is so foolish as to make counterfeit money COMPLETELY different from real money. But God’s chosen people are equipped with the ‘anointing within’ so that they can discern which is false and which is genuine.
Next, the second point: Paul firmly said that the goal of these false leaders or false shepherds is to draw disciples to themselves. Not only to draw disciples, but also to draw their money with false teachings of tithes, firstfruits, faith pledges, or others.
This is the savage wolf that has torn apart the church (the body = the organism) into thousands of denominations or organizations. Each false leader, with false teaching, draws disciples to themselves, and thus builds their own kingdom, instead of building the church, which is the body, the organism.
Have you seen why the church, which was once an organism or the body of Christ, has now become thousands of denominations? This is the mystery of Paul’s gospel, where he frankly and firmly exposed the cause of the church’s downfall.
At this point, we will still be discussing the third point of Paul’s gospel message, namely the church as the Body of Christ, specifically its leaders. The churches pioneered by Paul were shepherded by a leadership team called elders or overseers. Thus, Paul and his companions planted churches in each city and then appointed elders to shepherd them, assisted also by deacons.
There are two Greek terms for elders or overseers. First, ‘presbuteros’, meaning someone who is mature, both spiritually and in age. ‘Presbuteros’ is often translated as ‘elders’ in various English versions. Second, ‘episkopos’, which comes from two root words: ‘epi’, meaning ‘over’, and ‘skopos’, meaning ‘to see’. Thus, ‘episkopos’ means ‘one who sees from above’, that is, someone who has spiritual vision to guard the flock from the attacks of savage wolves. ‘Episkopos’ is often translated as ‘overseer’ or ‘bishop’ in various English versions.
These two Greek terms do not refer to two different persons but to the same person: one term speaks of function (‘to see from above’), while the other speaks of the person himself (spiritually mature and senior). This is clearly seen because the two Greek terms are used interchangeably. A clear example is found in Titus 1:5–7, which states: “…appoint elders (‘presbuteros’) in every city… For an overseer (‘episkopos’) of the church…” (ILT). Since the terms are used interchangeably, this clearly proves that ‘presbuteros’ is the same as ‘episkopos’.
However, there was a man named Ignatius (117 A.D.), a bishop of the church in Antioch, who insisted that there must be one ‘bishop’ leading a congregation in each locality to avoid division and to ensure that sound teaching was preserved (‘The History of Christianity’, p. 83). Yet, it was precisely Ignatius’ teaching that led to rivalry between one bishop and another in different cities, which then gave rise to the ‘archbishop’. Later, archbishops also contended with each other, leading to the emergence of ‘cardinals’ who presided over the archbishops. Rivalries among cardinals then produced the ‘pope’ who presided over the cardinals. By the 6th century, hierarchy had fully entered the church, which became known as the Catholic Church. Not long after, the church entered the era in church history called the Dark Ages. We will discuss more about this ‘hierarchy’ when we reach the discussion of the mystery of John’s gospel.
We have already discussed the fall of the church, which is an organism, into thousands of denominations because of the attack of savage wolves against the elders (Acts 20:28–30). We have also seen from the explanation above how ‘hierarchy’ entered the church and caused it to fall into its dark age. In fact, the trilogy of heresies—those of Jezebel, Balaam, and the Nicolaitans—fully explains the downfall of the church. But we will elaborate on this later when we reach the mystery of John’s gospel.
Therefore, it can be concluded that the fall of the church began with its leaders. The leaders of the church were the first to be attacked by savage wolves. The leaders of the church were the ones who first divided the Body of Christ into thousands of denominational fragments.
We continue our discussion regarding church leadership, particularly within Paul’s community. We have seen that ‘presbuteros’ is the same as ‘episkopos’ because they were used interchangeably. But there was a man named Ignatius (117 A.D.), a bishop of the church in Antioch, who asserted that there must be an ‘episkopos’ (Bishop) leading one congregation in one locality in order to avoid division and to ensure that sound teaching is preserved (‘The History of Christianity’, p. 83). However, it was precisely Ignatius’ teaching that caused competition
between one Bishop in one city and another Bishop in another city, which eventually produced or introduced ‘hierarchy’ in the church.
Let us look more closely at this ‘hierarchy’. The term ‘hierarchy’ comes from the Greek ‘hierarchia’ or ‘hierarches’, meaning ‘leader of sacred rites, or high priest’. In dictionaries, ‘hierarchy’ refers to a system, especially in society or in an organization, where people are arranged into different levels of importance, from the highest down to the lowest. So, if the church is an organism, in which its people or members are arranged into a body with the life of the body itself as the authority that governs the whole body, then when ‘hierarchy’ enters, the authority within the body is no longer the life of the body itself, but rather ‘the highest person’ in the structure of a system (read: organization). Thus, the church is no longer governed by the life—which is Christ Jesus Himself (“I am the Life”)—but is instead governed by a human being. What truly happens is the USURPATION OF THE CHURCH’S AUTHORITY BY LEADERS. The authority of Jesus over the church has been seized by leaders.
Let us learn from the leadership of Peter’s community. The Gospel of Matthew is the good news of the kingdom of heaven delivered by Jesus and John the Baptist to the Jews. In Matthew 23:1–12, it is written: “Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples, saying: ‘The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat. Therefore, do and observe whatever they tell you, but do not do what they do, for they preach but do not practice… But you are not to be called Rabbi, for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers. And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. Neither be called leaders, for you have one Leader, the Messiah. The greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.’”
From the above passage, it is clear that in the church there is no “seat of Moses.” In the Jewish community under the Old Covenant, as with the scribes and Pharisees, they indeed sat on “Moses’ seat”, and therefore they held authority over the Jews. Jesus taught the crowds not to rebel against the ‘authority of Moses’ held by the scribes and Pharisees. Jesus said, “do what they tell you… but do not do what they do…” However, when Jesus spoke to His disciples, He said, “But you… do not be called Rabbi, leader, or father… YOU ARE ALL BROTHERS.”
Does this mean that in the church there are no leaders? Of course there are, but leaders have no authority over the church. Are there no Rabbis in the church? Certainly, there are teachers, but they have no authority whatsoever. Are there no fathers in the church? Surely, there are spiritual fathers, but they do not possess any authority over His church. In short, THERE IS NO “MOSES’ SEAT” IN THE CHURCH. Authority in the church is held DIRECTLY by Jesus, and Jesus leads His church DIRECTLY through His Spirit. There is no such thing as “delegated authority.” This term exists only in the context of “hierarchy” or organizational context. JESUS NEVER DELEGATED HIS AUTHORITY OVER THE CHURCH. Denominational leaders HAVE USURPED JESUS’ AUTHORITY OVER HIS CHURCH. Those who exalt themselves will be humbled when Jesus comes to earth to establish His kingdom (v. 12).
Therefore, organism leadership is the true model, because the church is indeed an organism. The leaders of an organism have no authority whatsoever over the body. They are the “ligaments and joints” that learn to supply life, to nourish the church, and to knit the members of the body together (Colossians 2:19). But denominational leaders are those who exalt themselves, usurp Jesus’ authority over His church, and divide the body of Christ.
At this point, we will discuss the final point of Paul’s gospel, namely the coming of the Lord in and through the overcoming church. Concerning the theme of ‘the coming of the Lord’, I have written about it, and for brothers/sisters who are interested, please feel free to contact me. But for now, we need to emphasize several things on this topic.
First, if someone wants to understand this topic, then he must pay close attention to the context, in this case, the context of the Covenant. The essential nature of the Old Testament is prophecy, shadow, and symbol. Meanwhile, the New Testament is its fulfillment, the substance of the Old Testament shadow, and the reality of what the Old Testament symbolized. Let us look at Colossians 2:16–17, “… concerning food and drink or regarding a festival, a new moon, or a Sabbath day; these are a shadow of things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ.” The principle of Covenant context is also seen in 1 Corinthians 15:46, “However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual.” This means that the Old Testament is natural (physical), while the New Testament is spiritual.
Second, one must understand what Paul meant by the term ‘Christ’. We have already discussed Paul’s understanding of this term in previous writings. Christ is a term that exists within the heavenly dimension. Christ is a body with many members. Christ is the kingdom in the heavenly realm that will one day be manifested on earth. Christ is within us as life, in the sense that Christ reigns through our inward being.
If someone does not understand this, then he will teach the coming of the Lord in a physical sense. This is what generally happens within the Christian world. The teaching of the ‘rapture’, where supposedly we will be taken up physically into the clouds somewhere. Then, there is also the teaching of the “second coming of the Lord”, because the first coming of Jesus was physical, then the second coming must also be physical. Yet in the Bible there is no such expression as “the second coming”. However, this is believed by the majority within Christianity and perhaps is eagerly anticipated by many people. There is no phrase “second coming” in the Bible. Behind the phrase “second coming” lies the concept of a physical coming of the Lord, and this is contrary to the principle of the New Testament, which is spiritual.
Let us look at six Greek terms for “coming” so that we may understand that the concept of a physical coming of the Lord is mistaken. These six Greek terms are:
1. PAROUSIA.
This term appears 24 times in the New Testament and comes from the verb PAREMI, which means ‘to be present’. The noun means ‘presence’. PAROUSIA never indicates the act of coming or someone’s arrival, but rather the presence of someone who has already come. The usage of PAROUSIA in the New Testament is also never associated with a physical coming of the Lord. Thus, ‘Parousia’ means presence. Where two or three are gathered in His name, there He is. That is His PRESENCE. That is His COMING.
2. APOKALUPSIS.
This comes from the verb APOKALUPTO, which means ‘to unveil’, emphasizing a revelation. It means the unveiling of someone who was previously hidden.
3. EPIPHANEIA.
This term occurs six times in the New Testament. It comes from a verb meaning “to bring to light” or “to appear.” The noun means “manifestation.” It is used to describe the glory and splendor manifested by the coming of the Lord.
4. PHANEROO.
This means to make manifest or to become visible. However, it does not refer to visible presence with the eyes, but to a perception.
5. ERCHOMAI.
This is used to indicate the actual act of coming. It is not the same as PAROUSIA, which refers to the presence of someone already come. ERCHOMAI is used in Revelation 1:7, “Behold, He is coming (AN ACT OF COMING) with the clouds…”
6. HEKO.
This emphasizes arrival at a specific place. This word is found in Revelation 2:25, “But hold fast what you have till I COME.”
Of course, these six Greek terms do not mean there are six different kinds of the Lord’s coming, but the different uses of these terms help us understand the meaning intended in a given text that speaks of the coming of the Lord. For now, it is sufficient to understand that the Lord’s coming DOES NOT HAVE TO TAKE THE FORM OF A PHYSICAL COMING.
We have discussed the last point of Paul’s gospel, namely concerning the coming of the Lord in and through the overcoming church. We have touched on the six Greek terms that are often translated as ‘coming’, and we have seen that these six Greek terms affirm that the coming of the Lord does not necessarily have to be in a physical form. If we understand this well, then we can comprehend the coming of the Lord through and within the overcoming church as written in Romans 8:19–21. Let us look at Romans 8:19–21 in the ILT (Indonesian Literal Translation): “For the deep longing of creation eagerly awaits the unveiling of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not by its own will but by the will of Him who subjected it in hope, that the creation itself also will be set free from the bondage of decay into the freedom of the glory of the children of God.”
There are several points we need to pay attention to in order to understand the meaning of this passage. First, let us look again at the context of Romans 8:19–21. We have discussed the salvation that Paul explains in this letter to the Romans. Paul expounds justification by faith (Romans 3:21–5:11), then sanctification by faith (5:12–7:26), and then glorification by faith (8:1–30). The context of Romans 8:19–21 belongs to Paul’s discussion about glorification by faith. Glorification by faith relates to our inheritance as sons of God. We will receive this inheritance together with Christ because we have suffered with Him. When Christ comes, we will receive our inheritance, namely a new body like Christ Jesus, and we will also be glorified—revealed to all creation. Thus, when glorification occurs, we will receive a new body like Christ Jesus.
Second, who are the sons of God in our passage above? We know the church has fallen and has split into thousands of denominations caused by its leaders, who, with false teachings, draw disciples after themselves (Acts 20:29–30). Furthermore, these leaders teach or practice three false teachings: the teaching of Jezebel, Balaam, and the Nicolaitans (Revelation 2–3). We will not go further into this now, but clearly, since the fall of the church, the Lord has been calling His overcomers as representatives of His church. These overcomers, as the representatives of the church, are the ones referred to as the sons of God in our passage—those who are mature and manifested to all creation.
Third, the term ‘unveiling’ in our passage comes from the Greek word ‘apokalupsis’. This Greek term we have previously discussed in relation to the coming of the Lord. The Greek word ‘apokalupsis’ comes from the verb ‘apokaluptō’, which means ‘to reveal’ or ‘to uncover’, signifying a revelation. This means the unveiling of someone who was previously hidden. Colossians 3:4 says, “When Christ, who is our life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.” And Colossians 3:3 affirms, “…your life is hidden with Christ…” Christ in you, the hope of glory. When this “hidden” Christ is manifested, this is the meaning of the coming of the Lord in and through the overcoming church.
Fourth, the last point we must understand is that the coming of the Lord in and through His overcomers, or in and through the sons of God, is aimed at liberating all creation from the bondage of corruption so that it may enter into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. Thus, we are not raptured to a faraway heaven, but we will be manifested to all creation on this earth in order to liberate the whole creation.
Such is the meaning and purpose of the coming of the Lord in and through the overcoming church as revealed in Romans 8:19–21. Next, we will discuss the mystery of the gospel according to the Apostle John, which is the final part of the trilogy of the mystery of the gospel.
Now we enter the mystery of the Gospel proclaimed by the Apostle John and his team to the church that had fallen/strayed in his time, especially to the seven churches in Asia Minor. To understand the mystery of the gospel proclaimed by the Apostle John, we must have the ‘Patmos’ perspective, meaning we must view the writings of the Apostle John (the gospel, the letters, and the book of Revelation) from the standpoint of ‘exile.’ The Apostle John was exiled because of the word of God, on the island of Patmos, by the fallen churches. (Revelation 1:9).
Many people, even New Testament theologians, do not have the ‘Patmos’ perspective. New Testament theology books, translated into Indonesian and taught in theological schools—such as those written by Donald Guthrie (published by BPK Gunung Mulia), Leon Morris (published by Gandum Mas), George Eldon Ladd (published by Kalam Hidup), and even the commentary on John’s gospel, chosen by Momentum publisher, written by Herman N. Ridderbos—also fail to see the ‘Patmos’ perspective. Of course, all the theology books I mentioned above also do not categorize the New Testament books according to the principle of the Trilogy.
I begin this brief writing on the mystery of the gospel proclaimed by the Apostle John by mentioning the New Testament scholars above, because in my view, if someone does not have the ‘Patmos’ perspective, then they cannot truly be said to understand the ‘mystery’ of John’s gospel. Only within the perspective of ‘Patmos’ (exile) can one truly grasp the mystery.
But here lies the problem: if a person has never experienced exile by the church that has strayed into thousands of denominations, then they do not share the same experience as the Apostle John, and therefore cannot understand the mystery of his gospel. In spiritual matters, a person’s experience determines their understanding. Spiritual matters are not merely about reason, nor merely about theological education, but rather about experiences with the Lord that greatly shape one’s insight. Let us set aside the ‘experts’ of the New Testament mentioned above, and begin looking into the mystery of the gospel proclaimed by the Apostle John by first revisiting the book of Acts, to see why the church deviated into thousands of denominations as we have today.
Acts 20:28–30 records: “Therefore, take heed to yourselves and to all the flock among which the Holy Spirit has placed you as overseers, to shepherd the church of Elohim which He obtained with His own blood. For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves” (ILT).
Here Paul emphasizes that after his departure savage wolves would come—of course, referring to the devil and evil spirits—who would attack the leaders, so that the leaders, or rather some leaders, would do two things. First, they would speak misleading things. Second, they would have one goal: to draw disciples after themselves, and to build their own denomination or kingdom.
The Apostle John explains that there are three false teachings which caused the church to fragment into thousands of denominations as we see today. First, the teaching of the Nicolaitans (Revelation 2:15). “Nicolaitans” comes from two Latin terms: ‘niko’ (to conquer) and ‘laos’ (the people = laity). This teaching supports the actions of leaders who subjugate the laity, thus dividing the church into priests and people (in Catholicism), or pastors and congregation (in Protestantism). Examples of Nicolaitan teachings include false submission to leaders, the teaching of ‘spiritual covering,’ and similar doctrines that compel congregations to blindly obey leaders.
Second, the teaching of Balaam. The teaching of Balaam supports leaders in obtaining money from the congregation. The system of salaries, tithes, first fruits, faith pledges, and others are all part of the teaching of Balaam, which is very popular in Christianity. This teaching also promotes commerce within the church—ranging from selling sermons, songs, books, Christian symbols, and so on.
Third, the teaching of Jezebel. This teaching claims that God appoints leaders to occupy “Moses’ seat”, as did the scribes and Pharisees in the Old Testament era (Matthew 23:1–12). Meanwhile, Jesus affirmed that within the church, “you are all brothers.” Just as Jezebel usurped the authority of King Ahab, her husband, in the case of Naboth’s vineyard, so too denominational leaders ‘usurp’ the authority of Jesus over His church.
I know that my explanation here will not be understood by denominational leaders, just as it is not by the theological “experts” I mentioned earlier. They are the very ones who exile God’s chosen people, just as the seven churches in Asia Minor exiled the Apostle John. But that does not matter, because I am writing this primarily for God’s chosen people.
We have discussed that if a person does not have the “Patmos” perspective, then he cannot yet be said to understand the “mystery” of the gospel or the good news of the Apostle John. It is precisely within the “Patmos” (exile) perspective that one can grasp the mystery. However, all of this depends on one’s personal experience. Now, we will see how the Apostle John himself experienced it.
At first, the Apostle John ministered together with Peter, serving as the “second man” under Peter’s leadership. Both Peter and John ministered or offered the New Covenant to the Jewish nation, particularly to the Sanhedrin. Later, when Peter left Jerusalem, his leadership was continued by James. And as tradition states, Peter died in Rome around AD 67 during the reign of Emperor Nero. When Jerusalem was destroyed by General Titus in AD 70, the Apostle John had already left Jerusalem, and according to tradition, lived in Ephesus and ministered to the churches in Asia Minor (the seven churches of Asia Minor to which the book of Revelation was addressed). But later the Apostle John was exiled by the churches in Asia Minor that had deviated from the truth. Some argue that the Apostle John was exiled to the island of Patmos by the Roman emperor of that time. Although this may have happened, the Apostle John himself testified that he was exiled to the island of Patmos “because of the word of God or concerning the word of God” (Revelation 1:9). Since the Apostle John was exiled “concerning the word of God”, it is more likely that it was the seven churches of Asia Minor who exiled him, and not the Roman emperor at that time.
The Apostle John ministered to the fallen/deviated churches in Asia Minor around AD 90–95. By then, John was already very old. Yet, the Apostle John received grace to minister to the church in a “second chance”. This means that John ministered to the church not in the same condition as
when it was first born on the Day of Pentecost. When John ministered to the church together with Peter, at that time the church had not yet been corrupted by the three false teachings of Balaam, Nicolas, and Jezebel. But when John ministered in Asia Minor, the church had already deviated. By God’s grace, John received renewed strength to serve the church, as though his youth had been renewed.
I try to explain John’s experience by quoting Psalm 103:5, “…so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.” I once read about the eagle as follows: An eagle can live up to 120 years, though of course not all do. But around the age of 40, the eagle’s beak grows so long and curved downward that it touches its neck, making it difficult for the eagle to eat. Its claws also lose their sharpness, making it hard to catch prey. In addition, its feathers become too thick, making flight difficult. In such a condition, the eagle faces two choices. First, it may isolate itself in a high place, building its nest on a rocky peak so it can undergo transformation. By pecking against the rocks, the eagle breaks off its old, bent beak so that a new one can grow. With its new beak, it pulls out its old talons so new ones can grow, and plucks out its feathers so new ones may come in. It must also allow its body to endure the scorching heat of the sun so the renewal process can succeed. This painful transformation usually takes about half a year. The second choice is to avoid transformation, remain as it is, and then quietly die…
It seems the Apostle John received grace to “transform” himself so that he could minister to the deviated churches of Asia Minor. John received new revelation, even though it meant he had to be exiled on the island of Patmos. Although he had to endure hardship, as he wrote in Revelation 1:9, the Apostle John’s strength was renewed like the eagle’s youth.
What about our experience? Do we receive grace to “transform” ourselves, to receive new revelation, to gain the “Patmos” perspective so that we may understand the gospel mystery of the Apostle John? Do we receive a “second chance” to minister to this deviated Christian world? Or do we remain in our current state, enjoying what we have achieved, and end our ministry in peace…
We have mentioned that the Apostle John received a “second chance” to minister to the churches in Asia Minor that had strayed from the truth. For at the beginning, the Apostle John ministered to the church together with the Apostle Peter, when the church had just been born and had not yet deviated from the truth by the false teachings of Balaam, Nicolaus, and Jezebel.
The Apostle John’s experience when ministering with Peter to the early church was very different from his ministry during this “second chance” to the churches that had strayed from the truth. When John ministered with Peter, they served as church leaders who were accepted and recognized by all the congregation. But when John ministered to the churches in Asia Minor, the situation was very different. Today we will discuss what condition the Apostle John was in when he ministered to the churches in Asia Minor.
We will look at John’s condition by examining his three letters. Let us begin with his first letter. This letter was not addressed to a particular church or to a specific individual. It was more like a general or open letter to the churches in Asia Minor. 1 John 1:3 says, “What we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.” From the opening of this letter, we can see that the Apostle John did not have fellowship with the churches in Asia Minor who received his letter. Or at least, John did not have fellowship with the majority of the members of the churches in Asia Minor to whom his letter was addressed. For John was proclaiming what he saw and heard ‘so that’ fellowship might occur between the members of the churches in Asia Minor and himself.
Furthermore, John emphasizes ‘our fellowship’, which means he had a team or companions who shared fellowship with him—and this kind of fellowship was with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. This fellowship with the Father and His Son Jesus Christ could only be shared if the churches in Asia Minor received John’s messages, which essentially declared that Elohim is Light, Elohim is Love, and Elohim is the True One and Eternal Life. We will not elaborate further on John’s messages here, because our aim is simply to underline that the Apostle John no longer had fellowship with the majority of the members of the churches in Asia Minor. Indirectly, we can see that John’s condition was “cut off” from fellowship with the churches in Asia Minor.
Next, we see his second letter addressed to a chosen lady and her children. Here John emphasizes that this lady and her children must hold firmly to the teaching that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh. The reason is that many deceivers have gone out into the world. In this context, “the world” refers to the religious world, namely the seven churches in Asia Minor that had deviated. We will discuss John’s use of the term “world” later. For now, what we need to understand is John’s counsel to the lady and her children not to be deceived, and also not to have fellowship with the deceiver (verse 10). John himself had already been “cut off” and no longer had fellowship with the majority of the members of the churches in Asia Minor because of these deceivers. Thus, he advised the lady and her children not to fellowship with the deceiver, so that their fellowship with John would not be broken. From this, again, we see that John’s condition was one of being excluded from fellowship with the churches in Asia Minor.
Lastly, in his letter to Gaius, John spoke frankly about a man named Diotrephes who wanted to be preeminent in the church, and who boldly rejected the team John had sent to minister to the churches in Asia Minor. We see here that although John referred to himself as an ‘elder’ (‘presbuteros’ = senior and spiritually mature), there was a Diotrephes who dared to reject his eldership. Again, we see the condition John was facing here.
In conclusion, John’s situation with regard to the churches he ministered to in Asia Minor was marked by a broken fellowship. The fellowship that should have been shared with the Father and His Son Jesus Christ had been “cut off” between John and the churches in Asia Minor. In other words, the Apostle John had been “cast out” by the churches in Asia Minor, and his leadership or seniority was not automatically recognized by all the church members. There were many “Diotrephes-like” figures who rejected him.
We have already seen the condition of the Apostle John who was ostracized by the churches in Asia Minor, as reflected in his three letters. Now we will look into his gospel, where the matter of ostracism becomes very clear. Every Christian who reads the Gospel of John will surely sense how different it is compared to the other three gospels—Matthew, Mark, and Luke. In fact, these three gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke) are called the Synoptic Gospels. ‘Synoptic’ means they can be viewed or studied together. This is because the three Synoptic Gospels are almost the same in the sense that they narrate the life of Jesus from the beginning (His birth) until His death in Jerusalem. But the Gospel of John has a different perspective. This is what we call the “Patmos” perspective or the perspective of “ostracism.” Let us see how Jesus Himself was ostracized by the religious leaders of His time (Judaism), and in the end, was even killed.
The focus of John’s gospel is the Jewish leaders, with the Temple as the center of their activities. In John 8:59 it is written: “Therefore they picked up stones to throw at Him, but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple, passing through their midst, and so He passed by” (LITV). The expression WENT OUT OF THE TEMPLE in this verse signifies ‘ostracism’. Here Jesus was rejected by the Jewish leaders.
Thus, throughout the first eight chapters (chapters 1 to 8), the Apostle John narrates how Jesus ministered with a focus on the Temple and the Jewish leaders. That is why the event of Jesus driving out the merchants from the Temple is placed at the beginning of John’s gospel, whereas in the other three gospels it appears toward the end. The Apostle John also records many debates or disputes between Jesus and the Jewish leaders, while the other gospels do not.
John writes his gospel with a certain sensitivity toward the Jewish leaders. For example, Joseph of Arimathea is recorded in Matthew 27:57 and Mark 15:43 as a good leader, but John records him as a disciple of Jesus in secret, for fear of the Jews (John 19:38). Nicodemus is also recorded as coming to Jesus by night (John 3:2), which indicates Nicodemus’ fear of the public, and perhaps also of the other leaders.
In his gospel, the Apostle John seeks to emphasize that Jesus experienced ostracism, and was even killed by the Jewish religious leaders. This is different from the “creed” often recited in denominational services. Part of that creed says: “who suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried…” In this creed it is not clear who actually killed Jesus. Such a creed has not yet seen the secret of John’s gospel.
Furthermore, we see again how, in the end, Jesus ‘left the Jewish nation’ because His ministry had been completely rejected. John 12:36 records: “…After saying these things, Jesus departed and was hidden from them.” Thus, Jesus not only left the Temple, which represented the Jewish leaders, but He also left the crowds because His ministry was not understood. The following chapters contain Jesus’ ministry only to His disciples.
We are not discussing the ‘message’ of John’s gospel here, but essentially, the Apostle John declares that the LOGOS became flesh in the person of Jesus, who said: I am the bread of life, I am the light of the world, I am the door, I am the good shepherd, I am the resurrection and the life, I am the way, the truth, and the life, I am the true vine. Theologians generally have discussed this, but they have not viewed it from the “Patmos” perspective—the perspective of ostracism. Yet it is precisely this “Patmos” perspective that is the true secret of the Gospel of John.
In conclusion, Jesus was ostracized by the Jewish religious leaders of His time. Why was Jesus ostracized? Because the religious world of His time (Judaism) had deviated.
We have seen that the focus of John’s Gospel is the Jewish leaders, as well as the Temple in Jerusalem, which was the center of the leaders’ activities. That is why, in the Gospel of John, it is recorded that Jesus came to Jerusalem at least three times, while the other Gospel writers recorded that Jesus only came to Jerusalem once, at the end of His ministry. The Apostle John also recorded many debates between Jesus and the leaders. He also noted the cleansing of the Temple from the merchants—who were none other than the Jewish leaders—at the very beginning of his Gospel.
In critical methodology, this is called ‘redaction criticism’, where the Apostle John ‘intentionally’ edited his Gospel in a way that focused on the leaders and the Temple, with the purpose of conveying a certain theological message behind his editing. The very important theological message in the way the Apostle John composed his Gospel is this: JESUS WAS REJECTED BY THE JEWISH RELIGIOUS LEADERS, AND THIS HAPPENED BECAUSE THE TEMPLE HAD DEVIATED AND HAD BECOME A PLACE OF MERCHANDISE.
The Apostle John clearly wrote his Gospel from the perspective of the ‘rejection’ of Jesus by the leaders. The prologue of his Gospel affirms: “He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him” (John 1:11). Let us look at some of Jesus’ debates with the leaders—not all of them—that prove they had deviated and also failed to understand spiritual matters.
We begin with Nicodemus (John 3:1–21). The theme of Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus was the Kingdom of God, or the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus said that in order to see and enter the Kingdom of Heaven, one must be ‘born again’. Nicodemus’ understanding, of course, was physical, just like all the other Jewish leaders who hoped that the Messiah would come and establish a physical kingdom of Israel. Jesus tried to explain these spiritual matters to Nicodemus, but Nicodemus still did not understand. The conversation ended with Jesus’ assessment of him: “Are you the teacher of Israel, and do you not understand these things?” (verse 10).
Next, we see Jesus’ debate with the leaders concerning the matter of the ‘good shepherd’ (John 10:1–18). Jesus affirmed that He is the ‘door’ to the sheep. Therefore, if a person—or more precisely, a leader—enters the sheepfold without going through Jesus, he is a thief and a robber. Here Jesus was affirming that the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law were the thieves and robbers, because they entered the sheepfold without going through Jesus, since they rejected Him as the Messiah. Remember the context: Jesus was speaking to the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law (verse 6), not to the devil. Commonly, in denominational circles, the “thief” in John 10:10 is interpreted as the devil. But again, remember the context: throughout this
passage, Jesus was debating with the leaders, not with the devil. And Jesus firmly defined who the good shepherd is: the one who knows his sheep and lays down his life for them.
We often hear denominational leaders talk about tithes and shout, “Do not steal God’s money…,” quoting Malachi 3:10, without understanding the context. According to John 10, the good shepherd is the one who knows his sheep and lays down his life for them. So, if denominational leaders do not know their sheep, much less lay down their lives for them—because their congregations number in the thousands, tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands—how does this apply??? Who is the thief? Who is robbing the money? Is it the congregation robbing God’s money, or the leaders robbing the congregation’s money? The judgment seat of Christ will prove all this, because we will all face it to give account for all our deeds.
We have seen that the focus of the Gospel of John is the Jewish leaders, and also the Temple in Jerusalem, as the center of the leaders’ activities. We have also discussed Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus, as well as His conversation with the Jewish leaders about the good shepherd, who was contrasted with thieves or robbers. We are still discussing these Jewish leaders by explaining about the “true vine.”
John 15:1 says, “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.” The adjective ‘alēthinos’ used in the original text means ‘true’, ‘real’, and also ‘genuine’. From Jesus’ statement that He is the ‘true vine’, we can see that there must also be a vine that is false, illusory, or counterfeit. The context of this passage is Jesus’ last-night conversation with His disciples. In this final conversation, Jesus comforted and strengthened His disciples with the promise of another Helper who would come, and He also spoke about the “Father’s house.” However, Jesus also explained to His disciples that the Jewish leaders hated Him without cause, and warned them that they too would be hated. Thus, the context of this final-night conversation, besides strengthening the disciples’ hearts, also addressed the Jewish leaders. That is why it is very reasonable to interpret that the false, illusory, or counterfeit vine refers to the Jewish leaders.
This is confirmed by Jesus’ words to the crowds in Matthew 23:2, which says, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat.” This means that the Jewish leaders, as Moses’ disciples, had legitimate authority over the Jewish people. That is why Jesus taught the crowds not to rebel against their authority. But because their behavior was not right, Jesus emphasized that people should obey their teaching but not follow their deeds. From this it is clear that the Jewish leaders were the “vine” for the Jewish nation, but they were the wrong, or false, vine. The true vine is Jesus.
Now let us apply this understanding of the ‘true vine’ to the context of today’s Christian world. Jesus emphasized that He is the vine and His disciples are the branches. Naturally, it is expected that these ‘branches’ remain in the vine so that they may bear fruit, just as the early church devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship. In today’s Christian world, leaders often exhort congregations to commit to a local church, to be faithful in gathering and fellowshipping. They also teach that leaders are the ‘spiritual covering’ for the congregation, and
about submission under a ‘spiritual covering’. But if someone understands the secret of the writings of the Apostle John, he will question whether the leaders in today’s Christian world are automatically the true vine.
Or, is it rather the ‘anointing within us’ that is truly the true vine? (1 John 2:20, 27). For God’s chosen people, “Christ in you” is the true vine. For God’s chosen people, “Christ in you” is the anointing that teaches them all things. God’s chosen people will follow the leading of Christ inwardly. God’s chosen people will have discernment to know which vine is true, and which vine is false.
We are still continuing our discussion regarding the secret of the writings of the Apostle John, namely the perspective of “Patmos” or “exile.” To understand this matter of “exile,” we will examine a term that is often used by the Apostle John, namely the term ‘world’. The Greek term is ‘kosmos’, where its meaning must be determined by the context in which it is used in a sentence. This term appears 186 times in the New Testament. More than half of these occurrences are found in the writings of the Apostle John—78 times in the Gospel of John, and 24 times in his epistles.
In almost all occurrences of this term in John’s writings, the meaning of ‘world’ refers to a ‘system that is opposed to God’. What John meant was the religious system, of course, as we will see later. However, there are several different meanings of this term. For example, in John 3:16, ‘world’ here means the universe, particularly all human beings deeply loved by the Father in heaven. Then, in John 1:9, the meaning of ‘world’ is geographical, because Jesus came into the world in the sense of the land of Palestine. Next, in John 3:19, the term ‘world’ means the sphere of human life. However, the majority of the usage of ‘world’ in John’s writings means ‘the religious system that is opposed to God’.
Let us look at some facts regarding the term ‘world’ in the sense of a religious system opposed to God. First, John 15:18–25. In this passage, Jesus affirms that the world hates Jesus and His disciples (verse 18). Many people think that the ‘world’ in this passage refers to those outside the religious system, meaning the worldly people out there. But if we look at verse 25, Jesus says that what is written in their Law must be fulfilled, namely, “They hated Me without reason.” Thus, we know that the ‘world’ here refers to the Jewish religious system (Judaism), which hated Jesus and even killed Him.
Second, 1 John 2:15–16, which states: “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world.” Here it is emphasized that we must not love the world. Certainly, this is not the ‘world’ in the sense of John 3:16, which is deeply loved by the Father. The ‘world’ in John’s epistle refers to the religious system, namely, in this context, the fallen and deviated church in Asia Minor. It is said that everything in this fallen and deviated church is nothing but the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. That is why we are commanded not to love the ‘religious system’.
Third, 1 John 3:12–13 says: “Not as Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his works were evil and his brother’s righteous. Do not marvel, brothers, if the world hates you.” The ‘world’ here is symbolized by ‘Cain’, who, though he worshiped (by offering sacrifices), murdered his own brother. Christians who worship within the religious system of the Christian world will inevitably hate their brothers and sisters who worship outside of the religious system. As God’s chosen people, we should not be surprised if the Christian world does not listen to us and casts us out.
If today someone begins to see that the religious system, or the Christian world, does not like him, does not listen to him, and even casts him out, then he has begun to see the secret of the writings of the Apostle John.
We are still continuing the Apostle John’s explanation regarding the term ‘world’, which refers to a system that is opposed to God. Let us take a look at 1 John 4:1, where it is written: “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world” (ILT). Here, the Apostle John emphasizes that many false prophets have gone out into the world. Throughout the history of Israel as a nation, false prophets have always arisen among God’s people. That is why in 2 Peter 2:1, it is written that false prophets always arose in the midst of God’s people, just as false teachers also do within the church. Since false prophets have always appeared in the midst of God’s people, we can understand that what the Apostle John means by the term ‘world’ is the religious world—in the context of this verse, ‘the seven churches that had strayed in Asia Minor’.
Thus, according to the Apostle John, the seven churches that had departed from the truth are the ‘world’—a religious system opposed to God. In our present situation, where the church has splintered into thousands of denominations—or more precisely, where the church has become a ‘religious world’—we, as God’s chosen people, are called to be discerning so that we may test the spirits at work within ‘pastors’ or ‘servants of God’, to see whether the spirit behind them truly comes from God or not. Yet, I believe that God’s chosen people have the “anointing within” that enables them to discern what is from God and what is not (1 John 2:20, 27).
Next, let us look at 1 John 2:17, where it is written: “And the world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever” (ILT). We have already seen what exists in the religious world: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life (1 John 2:16). Anyone who ministers within the religious world, or within the Christian world, is inevitably driven by a desire to become ‘great’. You are certainly familiar with the expression ‘great pastor’ in the Christian world. Everyone who serves within the ‘Christian world’ is driven by a desire to be ‘great’. Meanwhile, the Book of Revelation contrasts the ‘Big City’—Babylon—with the ‘Holy City’—the New Jerusalem. For those who minister ‘outside the religious system’, their deepest longing is to be ‘holy’, not ‘great’. Their main desire is to do the will of God, to be holy, and to be separated from this world. And, according to the verse above, the ‘Christian world’ with all its desires is passing away, but those who do the will of God will remain forever.
In closing, let us reflect on 1 John 5:4, which says: “…And this is the victory that has overcome the world: our faith.” God’s chosen people will receive grace to have faith that overcomes this religious world. This religious world—or Christian world—offers money, positions, and human glory. People like ‘Demas’ were, of course, enticed and abandoned Paul’s team because they loved this world again. Here, ‘world’ may mean the general world or the religious world that we are speaking of. Therefore, faith is needed to trust in God’s provision for our lives. Faith is also required to remain steadfast in loneliness, in the “Patmos” exile, as the Apostle John experienced. May we, as those who are not only called but also chosen, remain faithful to the very end of our ministry (Revelation 17:14).
We continue discussing the mystery of the gospel revealed by the Apostle John, and this time we will talk about idols as written in 1 John 5:21. The Greek term translated as ‘idols’ here is ‘eidolon’, in its plural form, meaning ‘an image’ or ‘a false god’. Thus, the idols referred to by the Apostle John are ‘other gods’ besides Elohim.
We do not need to seek the definition of the term ‘eidolon’ outside of the Apostle John’s writings. Clearly, ‘eidolon’ refers to another god (a false god) apart from the true Elohim. The Apostle John wrote about the ‘antichrist’, which has the same meaning as ‘another god’ or ‘something else’ apart from Christ.
Let us first look at the meaning of the word ‘antichrist’. This word is a combination of two Greek terms, ANTI and CHRISTOS. Anti means ‘against’ or ‘apart from’. Christos means ‘the Anointed One’. When combined, the word means something or someone against the Anointed One, or something that substitutes for Christ.
This Christ is the true Elohim. Anything else, whatever it may be, that is not Christ or that is ‘apart from Christ’, is ‘another god’, which is ‘eidolon’. Therefore, ‘eidolon’ is the ‘antichrist’—something apart from Christ. Another “god” other than Christ.
The Apostle John emphasized in 1 John 2:20, “But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth.” Also, in 1 John 2:27 he said, “But the anointing that you received from Him remains in you…” This means that within the hearts of God’s chosen people, there is an “anointing of the Holy Spirit” that enables them to know all things, so they do not need to be taught truth by others. The phrase “anointing of the Holy Spirit” used by John has a similar meaning to Paul’s expression, “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Therefore, anything apart from “Christ within” is an ‘eidolon’.
The Apostle John warned God’s chosen people to beware of all ‘eidolon’ (1 John 5:21). Anything apart from “Christ within” can become an idol or ‘eidolon’ to someone. To understand what can be made into an idol by a person, let us examine the meaning of the term ‘antichrist’ in John’s letters.
In fact, the Bible speaks very little about the “antichrist.” The term ‘antichrist’ appears only five times in the entire Bible—four times in John’s first letter, and once more in his second letter. The term ‘antichrist’ in John’s writings appears in singular form, plural form, as a system, and also as a spirit. Let us examine these forms so we may understand what John means by ‘eidolon’, or idol, or antichrist.
First, in 1 John 2:18 it says, “Dear children, this is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming…” In the original language, there is no definite article before ‘antichrist’, which means the term includes both the people and the programs they create. This speaks of a system. Then, 1 John 2:19 affirms, “They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us…” Antichrist arose from among us, but they were not truly of us, John says. The antichrist comes from among the saints, yet they are not truly saints. Thus, the antichrist is not necessarily someone who openly opposes “Christ within,” but perhaps one who professes to follow Christ, or even claims to serve Christ, but through their teachings actually divert God’s people from focusing on “Christ within.” Their teaching emphasizes something else apart from “Christ within.” From this, we can conclude that both a person and their system can become an idol or ‘eidolon’ to someone.
Second, 1 John 2:22 states, “Who is the liar? It is whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a person is the antichrist—denying the Father and the Son.” Here, the antichrist is a particular person. Yet, verse 18 also says, “…even now many antichrists have come…” Thus, antichrist refers not only to one person, but also to many. Therefore, certain individuals or leaders can become idols to Christians. Certain sects or particular leaders can become idols for someone.
Third, 1 John 4:3 says, “But every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus… this is the spirit of the antichrist.” Here, antichrist is a spirit—a spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus Christ has come in the flesh. Indeed, an idol is a spirit. That is why Christians can be bound by their idols, and only the grace of God can set them free. Therefore, we see that antichrist, or idols, can take the form of a specific person, many people, a system, or a spirit. Clearly, all idols or ‘eidolon’ divert God’s people from the true Elohim, which is “Christ within.”
In the world (system) of Christianity, there are certain people, certain sects, certain teachings, certain worship systems, certain spirits, and certain religious regulations—all of which divert God’s people from the true Elohim, which is “Christ within.” All these can become idols or ‘eidolon’ for someone. The Apostle John warns us to be watchful against such idols.
We are still continuing our discussion about idols. Within the world (system) of Christianity, there are certain people, certain sects, certain teachings, certain systems of worship, certain spirits, and certain religious regulations—all of which divert God’s people away from the true Elohim, namely, “Christ within.” All of these can become idols, or ‘eidolon’, for someone. The apostle John warns us to be watchful against these idols.
At this point, let us try to formulate what the “idols” of the Christian world are, by comparing them with the true Elohim, namely, “Christ within.” If we look at Colossians 2:27, which says, “… Christ in you, the hope of glory” (LITV), we can see that the idol of the Christian world is ‘outward glory’. Why is that? Because “Christ within” is the inward glory of God, then idols, as the opposite
of the true Elohim, are outward glory (human glory). If we have seen that the idols of the Christian world are outward glory or human glory, then we will understand that certain people in Christianity, certain sects, certain systems of worship, certain spirits, and certain religious regulations within Christianity—all these things divert God’s people from focusing on ‘inward glory’ to focusing on ‘outward glory’.
Inward glory cannot be seen by physical eyes, while outward glory can be seen by physical eyes. That is why outward glory is heavily supported by outward things. In this corrupted Christian world, if a so-called “servant of God,” for example, is said to be great, mightily used by God, and successful, then surely many outward things support him. Perhaps he has many followers, a very magnificent church building, perhaps a renowned theological school, perhaps he is very wealthy, and so on. In short, there are many outward things that support him so that he is filled with outward glory.
This is very different from Paul, for example, when he was proving that he was a servant of Christ (2 Corinthians 11:23–33). He instead mentioned or demonstrated the opposite things. There were no outward things shown as we often see in the Christian world. The apostle John also strongly emphasized inward matters. In John 7:38 it is written, “… Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” John 4:23 affirms that, “… the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth…” Worship is not about this building or that, this ritual or that, this liturgy or that. Worship is not an outward matter, but an inward one—namely, in spirit and in truth. The apostle John strongly emphasized the anointing within (1 John 2:20, 27). He even asserted that this anointing is what will teach us all things, and that we do not need anyone else to teach us. All of this proves that the apostles possessed inward glory.
Therefore, the idol in the Christian world is outward glory, which of course is also supported by outward things. If we proclaim “Christ within,” and our teaching does not support outward glory, then certainly we will be rejected and unheard by the Christian world. Yet, precisely at that moment, we begin to understand the “Patmos perspective,” and thus come to know the mystery of the writings of the apostle John.
Throughout our discussion of the mysteries in the writings of the Apostle John, we have emphasized that if one does not view John’s writings from the perspective of ‘Patmos’, one will not understand their mystery. We will conclude the explanation of this ‘Patmos’ perspective by addressing the symbol of the woman in Revelation chapter 12 and chapter 17.
Let us observe the beast with seven heads and ten horns (Revelation 12:3 and Revelation 17:3). In Revelation 12:3, this beast is named—a great fiery-red dragon—whereas in Revelation 17:3, its name is not mentioned. Certainly, we can be assured that these two are the same beast, for throughout the entire book of Revelation no other beast is mentioned except the one with seven heads and ten horns. And we know that the book of Revelation is a book written in symbolic language. The woman, of course, is a symbol of the church, while the beast, whether named or not, is a symbol of human governmental systems (human kingdoms).
In Revelation 12:4, it is said that this beast stood ready to “devour” (Greek: ‘katesthio’) the child (son) who was to be born of the woman. Yet what is surprising is that the beast in Revelation 17:3 actually supports the woman. Verse 6 even states that this woman (Revelation 17) was drunk with the blood of the saints and the blood of the witnesses of Jesus. From this narrative, we may conclude that the woman in Revelation 17 hates, ostracizes, and even kills the woman in Revelation 12.
But the wondrous thing for us is that the son born of the woman in Revelation 12 will shepherd the nations and ascend to the throne of Elohim (Revelation 12:5). Some interpret this son as the Lord Jesus Christ, and therefore claim that the woman in Revelation 12 is Mary, the mother of Jesus. This understanding is mistaken. The book of Revelation is not a book of history. It is a book of the revelation of Jesus Christ given to John in symbolic language (Revelation 1:1). Thus, the book of Revelation is a book of the revelation of Jesus Christ and the church, as His bride and His body. Therefore, it is proper to understand that this woman represents the church, both in chapter 12 and in chapter 17. Only, the woman in chapter 17 persecutes the woman in chapter 12.
Therefore, the son born of the church (chapter 12) are the overcomers—the sons of Elohim described in Romans 8:19–21—who will set creation free from its bondage to decay. This story corresponds with what is written in Matthew 21:42, Mark 12:10–11, Luke 20:17, and Acts 4:11. All these verses are quotations from Psalm 118:22–23: “The stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.” The Lord Jesus explained that He Himself was rejected by the Pharisees and scribes (the leaders of God’s people and the tenants of the vineyard), yet He became the “cornerstone”. Likewise, His overcomers will be rejected and ostracized by the ‘church supported by human governmental systems’, yet in due time, they will rule the nations together with the Lord Jesus in the age to come.
Such is the mystery of the writings of the Apostle John, when viewed from the perspective of ‘Patmos’. Of course, we are not expounding everything at this time. But as an introduction to the theme of the ‘Gospel Mystery Trilogy’, I believe this is sufficient. Amen.