Mystery (μυστηρίου) of God

Mystery (μυστηρίου) of God
Colossians 2:1-3
King James Version
For I would that ye knew what great conflict I have for you, and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh; that their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ; in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
English Standard Version
For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face, that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

μυστηρίου
Strong's Greek 3466

The mysteries of the kingdom of God
Matthew 13:11
King James Bible
He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries (μυστήρια) of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.
New American Standard Bible
Jesus answered them, "To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted.
Mark 4:11-12
King James Bible
And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery (μυστήριον) of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables: that seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them.
New American Standard Bible
And He was saying to them, "To you has been given the mystery of the kingdom of God, but those who are outside get everything in parables, so that WHILE SEEING, THEY MAY SEE AND NOT PERCEIVE, AND WHILE HEARING, THEY MAY HEAR AND NOT UNDERSTAND, OTHERWISE THEY MIGHT RETURN AND BE FORGIVEN."
Luke 8:10
King James Bible
And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries (μυστήρια) of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand.
New American Standard Bible
And He said, "To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest it is in parables, so that SEEING THEY MAY NOT SEE, AND HEARING THEY MAY NOT UNDERSTAND.

Romans 11:25
The Mystery of Israel's Salvation
English Standard Version
Lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.

Romans 16:25 N-GNS
GRK: κατὰ ἀποκάλυψιν μυστηρίου χρόνοις αἰωνίοις
KJV: to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret

1 Corinthians 2:7 N-DNS
GRK: σοφίαν ἐν μυστηρίῳ τὴν ἀποκεκρυμμένην
KJV: in a mystery, [even] the hidden

1 Corinthians 4:1 N-GNP
GRK: καὶ οἰκονόμους μυστηρίων θεοῦ
KJV: and stewards of the mysteries of God.

1 Corinthians 13:2 N-ANP
GRK: εἰδῶ τὰ μυστήρια πάντα καὶ
KJV: understand all mysteries, and all

1 Corinthians 14:2 N-ANP
GRK: δὲ λαλεῖ μυστήρια
KJV: in the spirit he speaketh mysteries.

1 Corinthians 15:51 N-ANS
GRK: ἰδοὺ μυστήριον ὑμῖν λέγω
KJV: I shew you a mystery; We shall not

Ephesians 1:9 N-ANS
GRK: ἡμῖν τὸ μυστήριον τοῦ θελήματος
KJV: unto us the mystery of his

Ephesians 3:3 N-ANS
GRK: μοι τὸ μυστήριον καθὼς προέγραψα
KJV: unto me the mystery; (as

Ephesians 3:4 N-DNS
GRK: ἐν τῷ μυστηρίῳ τοῦ χριστοῦ
KJV: knowledge in the mystery of Christ)

Ephesians 3:9 N-GNS
GRK: οἰκονομία τοῦ μυστηρίου τοῦ ἀποκεκρυμμένου
KJV: [is] the fellowship of the mystery, which

Ephesians 5:32 N-NNS
GRK: τὸ μυστήριον τοῦτο μέγα
KJV: is a great mystery: but I

Ephesians 6:19 N-ANS
GRK: γνωρίσαι τὸ μυστήριον τοῦ εὐαγγελίου
KJV: to make known the mystery of the gospel,

Colossians 1:26 N-ANS
GRK: τὸ μυστήριον τὸ ἀποκεκρυμμένον
KJV: [Even] the mystery which hath been hid

Colossians 1:27 N-GNS
GRK: δόξης τοῦ μυστηρίου τούτου ἐν
KJV: of this mystery among

Colossians 2:2 N-GNS
GRK: ἐπίγνωσιν τοῦ μυστηρίου τοῦ θεοῦ
KJV: the acknowledgement of the mystery of God,

Colossians 4:3 N-ANS
GRK: λαλῆσαι τὸ μυστήριον τοῦ χριστοῦ
KJV: to speak the mystery of Christ,

1 Timothy 3:9 N-ANS
GRK: ἔχοντας τὸ μυστήριον τῆς πίστεως
KJV: Holding the mystery of the faith in

1 Timothy 3:16 N-NNS
GRK: τῆς εὐσεβείας μυστήριον Ὃς ἐφανερώθη
KJV: great is the mystery of godliness: God

Revelation 1:20 N-NNS
GRK: τὸ μυστήριον τῶν ἑπτὰ
KJV: The mystery of the seven star

Mystery of lawlessness
2 Thessalonians 2:7
King James Bible
For the mystery (μυστήριον) of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
English Standard Version
For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way.
New American Standard Bible
For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way.
Revelation 17:5-7
King James Bible
And upon her forehead was a name written, Mystery (μυστήριον), Babylon The Great, The Mother Of Harlots And Abominations Of The Earth. And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration. And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery (μυστήριον) of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns.
English Standard Version
And on her forehead was written a name of mystery: "Babylon the great, mother of prostitutes and of earth's abominations." And I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints, the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. When I saw her, I marveled greatly. But the angel said to me, “Why do you marvel? I will tell you the mystery of the woman, and of the beast with seven heads and ten horns that carries her.

Mystery of God fulfilled
But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery (μυστήριον) of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets. (Revelation 10:7 KJV)

Your Reaction Determines Your Destiny

I always tell my children, "Your life is not determined by events that happened to you, but by your reactions to the events." I searched the Bible, but could not find a verse that said something similar.

Then I searched the web and found similar quotes:
"Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it." - Charles R. Swindoll
"It's not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters." - Epictetus

Reaping And Sowing

Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. (Galatians 6:7 KJV)

I always tell my children, "Your life is not determined by events that happened to you, but by your reactions to the events." I searched the Bible, but could not find a verse that said something similar. Then I searched the web and found this website "Quote Investigator" and found some interesting quotes which I have heard previously:

"You sow an act, you reap a habit; you sow a habit, you reap a character; you sow a character, you reap a destiny."

The website also have this:

Plant a thought and reap a word;
plant a word and reap an action;
plant an action and reap a habit;
plant a habit and reap a character;
plant a character and reap a destiny.

W — Watch your Words.
A — Watch your Actions.
T — Watch your Thoughts.
C — Watch your Companions.
H — Watch your Habits.

Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you. (Hosea 10:12 KJV)

Time

There is a season for everything.
To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.
(Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 KJV)

Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you. (Hosea 10:12 KJV)

And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. (Genesis 2:2 KJV)

For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. (Exodus 20:11 ESV)

Time is limited and evil.
For all our days are passed away in thy wrath: we spend our years as a tale that is told.
The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.
Who knoweth the power of thine anger? even according to thy fear, so is thy wrath.
So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.
(Psalm 90:9-12 KJV)

O Lord, make me know my end and what is the measure of my days; let me know how fleeting I am! Behold, you have made my days a few handbreadths, and my lifetime is as nothing before you. Surely all mankind stands as a mere breath! (Psalm 39:4-5 ESV)

Is not all human life a struggle? Our lives are like that of a hired hand, like a worker who longs for the shade, like a servant waiting to be paid. (Job 7:1-2 NLT)

Therefore the prudent shall keep silence in that time; for it is an evil time. (Amos 5:13 KJV)

See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. (Ephesians 5:15-17 KJV)

Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time. Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man. (Colossians 4:5-6 KJV)

God does not always take the shortest time and most efficient route.
When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near. For God said, "Lest the people change their minds when they see war and return to Egypt" But God led the people around by the way of the wilderness toward the Red Sea. And the people of Israel went up out of the land of Egypt equipped for battle. (Exodus 13:17-18 ESV)

Time lost due to sin and consequences of sin.
And your children will be like shepherds, wandering in the wilderness for forty years. In this way, they will pay for your faithlessness, until the last of you lies dead in the wilderness. "'Because your men explored the land for forty days, you must wander in the wilderness for forty years--a year for each day, suffering the consequences of your sins. Then you will discover what it is like to have me for an enemy.' (Numbers 14:33-34 NLT)

Time is a perception.
And Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and they seemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had to her. (Genesis 29:20 KJV)

The Thousand Years
But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. (2 Peter 3:8 KJV)

Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be released for a little while. (Revelation 20:1-3 ESV)

Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years. (Revelation 20:4-6 ESV)

And when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison and will come out to deceive the nations that are at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle; their number is like the sand of the sea. And they marched up over the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, but fire came down from heaven and consumed them, and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. (Revelation 20:7-10 ESV)

Conclusion about time.
He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. (Ecclesiastes 3:11 NIV)

The Incompleteness Theorem

The Incompleteness Theorem , proved by Kurt Gödel and published in 1931, actually showed that there exist logical statements whose truth value is undecidable, that is, they cannot be proved either true or false. The following was taken from the website "What is Incompleteness Theorem? - Definition from WhatIs.com".

QUOTE
The Incompleteness Theorem is a pair of logical proofs that revolutionized mathematics. The first result was published by Kurt Gödel (1906-1978) in 1931 when he was 24 years old.

The First Incompleteness Theorem states that any contradiction-free rendition of number theory (a branch of mathematics dealing with the nature and behavior of numbers and number systems) contains propositions that cannot be proven either true or false on the basis of its own postulates.

The Second Incompleteness Theorem states that if a theory of numbers is contradiction-free, then this fact cannot be proven with common reasoning methods.
UNQUOTE

Truth, Language and Paradox

I said in my haste, All men are liars. (Psalm 116:11 KJV)

Sometimes languages cannot express truth very well and lead to paradoxes. Statements like "I am lying" is both true and false at the same time. This is the liar paradox.

A true self-reference statement is always true, but a false self-referencing statement becomes a paradox. "I am a truth teller" is always true, but "I am a liar" becomes false if the statement is true.

Objectivity Of Truth

Truth or Reality exists independently of anyone's knowledge, experience, thoughts or perceptions of it. For example, gravity existed before Newton formulated the Law of Gravity. Truth is discovered, not invented. Truth can be witnessed or verified by one with the mean to verify. For example, the sky is blue may be true, but a blind person cannot verify this truth.

Immanuel Kant
Immanuel Kant makes a foundational distinction between the "objects" of "subjective experience" called "phenomena" and the "objects" of "reality" called "noumena".

Schopenhauer's critique
Schopenhauer claimed that Kant used the word noumenon incorrectly. The noumenon's original meaning of "that which is thought" is not compatible with the "thing-in-itself", the latter meaning things as they exist apart from their existence as images in the mind of an observer. But Kant who, in an unwarrantable manner, entirely neglected the thing for the expression of which those words phenomena and noumena had already been taken, now takes possession of the words, as if they were still unclaimed, in order to denote by them his things-in-themselves and his phenomena.

Conclusion
Absolute Truth - reality, "thing-in-itself", etc.
Objective Truth - Observable truth, perception, experience, etc.

Refer to an earlier blog post on Truth.

Characteristics of Truth

Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice. Pilate saith unto him, What is truth? (John 18:37-38a KJV)

What is truth? Here are some characteristics of truth I got from various websites:

Absolute - not relative, exists independently of anyone's knowledge, experience, thoughts or perceptions
Objective - verifiable truth, if you do X, then Y occurs - always
Correspondent - corresponds to reality
Coherent - internal cohesion and consistency, not contradictory
Universal - applies equally, within a specific set of parameters (Mark 16:15)
Exclusive - narrow-minded, 1 + 1 = 2, one, John 14:6, Deuteronomy 6:4

I re-organized them as follow:

One - Exclusive, Universal, Absolute;

Objective, verifiable;

Consistent - Correspondent (not contradictory externally), coherent (not contradictory internally);

Immutable.

Refer to an earlier blog post on Truth.

Truth is an absolute, narrow minded dictator with universal control. He is also exclusive, discriminating and intolerant. He does not take no for an answer and does not allow choice. If you conform to him, your life will be free from contradiction.

For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. (John 1:17 ESV)
You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. (John 8:32 HCSB)
The entirety of Your word is truth, and all Your righteous judgments endure forever. (Psalm 119:160 HCSB)

God's Word is Truth

Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. (John 17:17 KJV)

All of God's Word is truth.
Psalm 119:160
KJV
Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever.
ESV
The sum of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever.
NASB
The sum of Your word is truth, And every one of Your righteous ordinances is everlasting.
HCSB
The entirety of Your word is truth, and all Your righteous judgments endure forever.
NIV
All your words are true; all your righteous laws are eternal.
NET
Your instructions are totally reliable; all your just regulations endure.
NLT
The very essence of your words is truth; all your just regulations will stand forever.
YLT
The sum of Thy word is truth, And to the age is every judgment of Thy righteousness!
CUV
你話的總綱是真實； 你一切公義的典章是永遠長存 。
Hebrew word for word
Beginning Your word true, forever every one of Your judgments righteous.

God is Truth. Jesus is Truth. The Holy Spirit is truth.

The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever. (Isaiah 40:8 NIV)

Chicken And Egg Problem Solved

And God said, "Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the heavens." (Genesis 1:20 ESV)

It is now proven by science that the chicken came first, just as the Bible said. You can read about this in an article in Gizmodo.

But the unbelievers said and I quote from the same article in Gizmodo,
QUOTE
What they found was a specific molecule called ovocleidin which is a member of a family of C-type lectin-like proteins. These things are all over the place; they're cell adhesion molecules, some are involved in cell signaling, some function in modulating the immune system and blood clotting pathways. They're even found in snake venoms. They're found in everything from C. elegans to mammals. Their key property is that they bind calcium.

In birds, these proteins have been coopted to regulate egg shell formation. They bind calcium and can seed the crystallization of calcium carbonate, and also control the rate of crystal formation. Chickens have ovocleidin, but geese have an ortholog, ansocalcin, and ostriches have struthiocleidin. There seems to be a lot of lability in what particular calcium-binding protein is used in shell formation, and it's probably the case that most of the sequence is free to mutate without affecting the nucleating function.

You simply can't make the conclusion the reporter was making here. The species ancestral to Gallus gallus laid eggs, the last common ancestor of all birds laid eggs, the reptiles that preceded the birds laid eggs…the appearance of egg laying was not coincident with the evolution of ovocleidin. The first chicken that acquired the protein we call ovocleidin now by mutation of a prior protein also hatched from an egg.
UNQUOTE

We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete. (2 Corinthians 10:5-6 ESV)

Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:9-11 ESV)

The Definition of the Council of Chalcedon (451 A.D)

We, then, following the holy Fathers, all with one consent, teach people to confess one and the same Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, the same perfect in Godhead and also perfect in manhood; truly God and truly man, of a reasonable [rational] soul and body; consubstantial [co-essential] with the Father according to the Godhead, and consubstantial with us according to the Manhood; in all things like unto us, without sin; begotten before all ages of the Father according to the Godhead, and in these latter days, for us and for our salvation, born of the Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, according to the Manhood; one and the same Christ, Son, Lord, only begotten, to be acknowledged in two natures, inconfusedly, unchangeably, indivisibly, inseparably; (ἐν δύο φύσεσιν ἀσυγχύτως, ἀτρέπτως, ἀδιαιρέτως, ἀχωρίστως – in duabus naturis inconfuse, immutabiliter, indivise, inseparabiliter) the distinction of natures being by no means taken away by the union, but rather the property of each nature being preserved, and concurring in one Person (prosopon) and one Subsistence (hypostasis), not parted or divided into two persons, but one and the same Son, and only begotten God (μονογενῆ Θεόν), the Word, the Lord Jesus Christ; as the prophets from the beginning [have declared] concerning Him, and the Lord Jesus Christ Himself has taught us, and the Creed of the holy Fathers has handed down to us.