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The Administration of the Sacred Secret (Endnotes)

1. The term “dispensation” refers to God “dispensing” His rules and justice to mankind. Similarly, “administration” refers to Him “administering” His rules and justice. Close Close this window

2. Many theologians think that the systematic theology of Dispensationalism is an invention of man. It is common to hear theologians of other persuasions discount Dispensationalism, saying it was not even believed in the Church until late in the Reformation. That is not actually the case, and in fact “…dispensational-like statements can be found from the writings of the Church Fathers on,….” (Elwell, p. 322). Furthermore, Covenant Theology, the systematic theology that competes with Dispensationalism, was a theological latecomer itself. Covenant Theology “was one of the theological contributions that came to the Church through the Reformation of the sixteenth century. Undeveloped earlier, it made its appearance in the writings of Zwingli and Bullinger…From them it passed to Calvin and other Reformers….” (Elwell, p. 279). Many things Protestants believe today were “rediscovered” during the Reformation, and the real question is not when a certain doctrine was clarified theologically, but whether or not it is stated in Scripture. All Bible scholars acknowledge that God has at certain times changed some of the rules man is to live by. Covenant theologians, for example, recognize “various dispensations of history” (Elwell, p. 280) within their overarching Covenant of Grace, and that the gift of holy spirit has “brought rich gifts unknown in an earlier age” (Elwell, p. 280). [The quotations in this footnote are from Walter Elwell, Evangelical Dictionary of Theology (Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, MI, 1984)]. Close Close this window

3. For more about God’s instructions regarding multiple wives, see our book, Sex & Scripture: A Biblical Study of Proper Sexual Behavior by John Schoenheit (Christian Educational Services, Indianapolis, IN, 2000), pp. 25-28. Close Close this window

4. Many times a rule will be the same from one generation to another. For example, murder has always been a sin. We must study the entire Bible to understand what applies to us and what does not. Close Close this window

5. For more information, see our booklet, Defending Dispensationalism (Christian Educational Services, Indianapolis, IN, 2001). Close Close this window

6. Martin Anstey, How to Master the Bible (Pickering & Inglis, London), p. 23. Close Close this window

7. Transubstantiation is the doctrine that the Communion bread becomes the flesh of Christ when blessed by the priest. Close Close this window

8. We are using the word “mystery” and “secret” with great exactness and precision in this book. Unfortunately, they are not used with much precision in our everyday English, and so many people do not see the difference between them. If we are to have any hope of understanding the Bible, it is vital that we use biblical vocabulary precisely. Close Close this window

9. James Strong, The New Strong’s Expanded Dictionary of Bible Words (Thomas Nelson Publisher, Nashville, TN, 2001), p. 1247. Close Close this window

10. Howard Marshall, editor, New Bible Dictionary (Intervarsity Press, Downers Grove, IL, 1997), p. 795. Some sources use the English “Y” to translate the Greek letter upsilon. Thus some sources have musterion, while others have mysterion. Close Close this window

11. Trent Butler, editor, Holman Bible Dictionary (Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville, TN, 1991), p. 998. (Other sources documenting that musterion means “secret” and not “mystery” include: William Smith, Smith’s Dictionary of the Bible, (Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, MI, reprinted 1981), Vol. 3, p. 2047, and Merrill Tenney, editor, The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible (Regency Reference Library, Grand Rapids, MI, 1976), Vol. 4, p. 330). Close Close this window

12. All the examples of musterion quoted here refer to the Sacred Secret of the Christian Church. However, there are other sacred secrets as well. For example, Jesus told his disciples sacred secrets about the kingdom of heaven (Matt. 13:11; Mark 4:11; Luke 8:10). Close Close this window

13. Not only does the noun kruptos appear in the New Testament, the verb krupto appears many times as well, often translated as “hid” or “hidden.” Examples include: a city on a hill cannot be hidden (Matt. 5:14); the wicked servant hid his talent in the ground (Matt. 25:25); a Christian’s new life is hidden with Christ in God (Col. 3:3); and, Moses’ parents hid him after he was born (Heb. 11:23). Close Close this window

14. Translating musterion as “mystery” has caused many problems in the Church. For one thing, people who are convinced that the things of God are mysterious quit trying to search the Scriptures, and do not bother to pray for answers to their questions—why should they if the subject is a “mystery” and no answers are available. Also, many false and illogical doctrines have been foisted upon Christians, who are told not to try to understand them because they are “mysteries.” If you are one who has not found the Bible believable, or have considered it too mysterious to understand, you will want to read our book, op. cit., The Bible: You Can Believe It. Close Close this window

15. The “rulers of this age” are the Devil and his demons. Scholars and Bible teachers are divided over this point, many saying that they are earthly rulers such as Herod, Pilate, and the Jewish leaders, and many others asserting they are demons, not people. The reason for the division is that the context is misunderstood, and the vocabulary is ambiguous because it is general in nature and in one form or another is used of both earthly rulers and demonic rulers.

In context, what the rulers did not know was the Sacred Secret (cp. v. 7, musterion). Neither earthly rulers or demonic powers could have known it, because it was hidden in God, as we have seen from many verses. In order to properly understand who the “rulers” are, the question we must answer is, “Who would not have crucified Christ if they had known the Sacred Secret?” Could it be that if the earthly rulers had known the Sacred Secret, including that mankind would have permanent salvation, the fullness of holy spirit, two more manifestation of holy spirit (speaking in tongues and interpretation of tongues), and more, would they have so wanted to keep those blessings from mankind that they would not have crucified Christ? No, that cannot be what the verse is saying. In contrast, who loses if Christians are spiritually powerful? The Devil does. It is the Devil, who if he had known that every Christian would have all those blessings, including the power to cast out demons, would not have crucified Jesus. It is the Devil who would have rather dealt with one man, Jesus, than with an army of God on earth, multitudes of Christians, all secure in their salvation and empowered by holy spirit.

Those who teach that the rulers are worldly rulers usually point out that had the worldly rulers known God’s plan of salvation, or that Jesus was the Messiah, they would not have crucified him, and that may be true. However, as we have said, verse 7 refers to God’s wisdom in the “Sacred Secret.” Corinthians tells us there is a Sacred Secret that no mind had even conceived of, which if the rulers had known they would not have crucified Jesus. What is there about the Sacred Secret that would have kept Satan from crucifying Jesus? It is that now, in the Administration of the Sacred Secret, every Christian is spiritually powerful and equipped to stand against him. Satan was the only “ruler” who would have feared the Sacred Secret. Only by understanding that if Satan had known the Sacred Secret he would not have crucified the Lord can we understand the true reason for God keeping the Sacred Secret a secret and fully appreciate the enormity and power of what we have been given. Close Close this window

16. The record of Jesus and Nicodemus (John 3) is covered in our book, op. cit., The Christian’s Hope, pp. 257-266. Close Close this window

17. The rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms includes both angelic rulers and demonic rulers. The Devil is called “…the ruler of the kingdom of the air…” (Eph. 2:2) and is not cast completely out of heaven until just before Armageddon (Rev. 12:7-13). That war is not the same as the casting down portrayed in Revelation 12:4, which occurred when Satan rebelled against God (cp. Isa. 14:12ff). Close Close this window

18. The book of Revelation is about a period of time after the Rapture, and is not written to the Christian Church. See E. W. Bullinger, Commentary on Revelation (Kregel Publications, Grand Rapids, MI, reprinted 1984), p. 3, and our audio seminar, “The Book of Revelation.” Close Close this window

19. In contrast to Israel, which God calls a “servant,” never once is the Christian Church called God’s servant. Furthermore, in the Old Testament God called believer’s “servants.” Examples include: Abraham (Gen. 26:24), Moses (Num. 12:7), Caleb (Num. 14:24), David (2 Sam. 7:5), Hezekiah (2 Chron. 32:16), Job (Job 1:8), and Zerubbabel (Hag. 2:23). In those examples it is God who calls the believer a servant. Christians serve God, and call themselves servants (Rom. 1:1; James 1:1), but there is no verse in all the writing to the Christian Church where God calls any Christian a servant in the same manner as He says, for example, “Moses, my servant…” (Josh. 1:2). Close Close this window

20. This will also be true in the Tribulation period, as is plain from the letters in the early chapters of the book of Revelation (Rev. 2:1-3:22). Close Close this window

21. John 1:13 has occasionally been used to try to show that the New Birth was available before the Day of Pentecost. However, there is good evidence that the opening of the verse is singular and refers to Jesus Christ. There are very competent scholars who, for textual, contextual, and logical reasons, make the case that the opening words refer to Christ, not believers. Using the KJV, which much more literally follows the Greek text, the proper reading should be, “(John 1:12b) who believe on his name, (John 1:13) who [Jesus, referring back to “his name”] was “…born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” This verse is not referring to the New Birth that Christians have, it is referring to the birth of Jesus Christ, and verse 14 continues the theme and says that the logos “became flesh.” For more information, see R.C.H. Lenski, The Interpretation of St. John’s Gospel (Augsburg Publishing House, Minneapolis, MN, 1961), pp. 63–70, and Bullinger, op. cit., Companion Bible, marginal note on John 1:13. Close Close this window

22. Vine, op. cit, Lexicon, p. 24. Close Close this window

23. Some versions translate huiosthesia as “sonship,” but “adoption” is correct. However, when one has been adopted, he is considered a son. Close Close this window

24. For a more complete treatment of adoption in the Roman world, and to see that it established a permanent relationship, see Charles Welch, Just and the Justifier (The Berean Publishing Trust, London), pp. 208-213. Close Close this window

25. In a human birth, both the father’s seed and the mother’s egg contribute to the nature of the child, but in the new birth we only need our spiritual Father, God, to contribute seed. Close Close this window

26. We use the ESV here because it properly uses “sealed” as a verb, which it is in the Greek text. Close Close this window

27. It is commonly taught that people who die unsaved burn forever. This is not correct. The Lake of Fire is the “second death” (Rev. 20:14). It would not be called “death” if in fact the people thrown into it did not die. For more on the final end of the unsaved, see our book, op. cit., Is There Death After Life, p. 47-51 and Edward Fudge, The Fire that Consumes (Providential Press, Houston, TX, 1982). Close Close this window

28. For an extensive treatment of the Prophetic Perfect idiom, see our book, Appendix E, “The Prophetic Perfect,” op. cit., The Christian’s Hope. Close Close this window

29. Richard Trench, Synonyms of the New Testament (Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, MI, 1989), p. 233. Close Close this window

30. Ibid., p. 233. Close Close this window

31. There are a few “difficult” verses in Scripture written to the Church that some scholars have used to show that Christians can lose their salvation. Studying them reveals that in fact they are consistent with the truth that salvation is permanent, but it is not the purpose of this work to explain the few difficult verses in the Church Epistles. Nevertheless, a common rebuttal to the permanence of salvation is, “Well, if that were true, then Christians could do anything they want and still be saved.” While that may seem like a good argument, it is based on human feelings and not biblical evidence. Are we to be offended because God is good? The evidence in the text is quite clear that a Christian cannot lose his salvation. Nevertheless, there are good reasons a Christian should not sin even though his salvation is assured. The Bible says that those who practice sin become slaves to sin, which is not a desirable thing. Also, sin affects one’s future rewards (For more on this, see our book, op. cit., The Christian’s Hope, pp. 91-126). The fact that the Christian’s salvation is assured allows each of us to let go of anxiety and concern about the future and concentrate fully on pleasing the Lord whether we succeed or fail in our endeavors. Close Close this window

32. For a more detailed explanation of John 7:39 see Appendix C, “The Promised Holy Spirit.” Close Close this window

33. Acts 13:16 reads, “…Men of Israel and you who fear God…” (NASB). Although most versions say something similar to this, perhaps a better term is “God-fearers,” and it referred to the Gentiles who believed but who the Jews still considered separate from themselves, which is why when Paul taught in the Synagogues he addressed them separately. F. F. Bruce, The New International Commentary on the New Testament: The Book of Acts (William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, MI, 1988), p. 203. Close Close this window

34. For much more detail on the Rapture, see our book, op. cit., The Christian’s Hope, pp. 21-34. Close Close this window

35. Ibid., pp. 9-20. Close Close this window

36. To see that believers will be on earth, not in heaven, see Ibid., To understand that before the Rapture (for Christians) or the restoration of the Kingdom (for Old Testament and Gospel believers), the dead are dead and not alive in heaven, see our book, op. cit. Is There Death After Life? Close Close this window

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