God’s Word for You
1 Corinthians 2:1-2 The mystery
by Pastor Timothy Smith on Thursday, November 10, 2022
2 Brothers, when I came to you I did not come with eloquent speech or wisdom as I proclaimed to you the mystery of God. 2 For I decided to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.
Some translations have “testimony of God” instead of “mystery of God.” The two Greek words, martyrion “testimony, witness” and mysterion “mystery,” obviously look similar and either word might fit the context. “Testimony” could point back to 1:6 (“the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you”), but “mystery” anticipates 2:7, “we speak of God’s wisdom, hidden in mystery.”
The manuscript evidence for these words is about evenly divided. That means that of the many hundreds of ancient copies of 1 Corinthians, there are several that are very ancient, and several from all around the known world in those days, some of which have “mystery” and others that have “testimony.” There is even one Codex (“book” version of the New Testament) where it’s clear that the original scribe had written “mystery” but then a later hand has written the alternate letters of “testimony” above the line. Variations like this usually come about by accident, but sometimes a scribe makes a conscious change because he thinks it makes more sense. This was especially true in the Egyptian traditions. In this case, we have a confusion over two words that look and sound alike.
It’s more likely that scribes (the Bible was copied by hand) mistook “mystery” for “testimony” than the other way around. Of the 28 appearances of “mystery” in the New Testament, 21 are in Paul’s letters (all the rest are in the Gospels and Revelation). Also, when Paul uses “mystery” he is talking about the Christian mystery: the plan of God to save man through the crucifixion of Jesus, and revealed by the Holy Spirit. This revealing takes the form of preaching. Jesus said “The knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven have been given to you, but not to them (unbelievers)” (Matthew 13:11), and Paul is talking about preaching the gospel in these verses: “speech… proclaimed.”
In fact, the mystery of God, the thing that is unknown to the world and must be revealed to the world through preaching, is the point Paul makes when he says: “I decided to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.” It is not just the preaching, but the content of the preaching, that is Paul’s point. The mystery or hidden quality of the gospel of Christ crucified can’t be known by the world unless it is revealed. But it was all that Paul wanted to talk about while he was with the Corinthians.
Why? Why does Paul make such a point about this to them? When he came to Corinth, he was coming from Athens. He had a few followers in Athens, but his famous speech in the Areopagus did not do much to persuade anyone. Having gone from Athens to Corinth (Acts 18:1), he didn’t want to get mixed up in Greek oration or rhetoric. He just wanted to let the word of God do its work in people’s hearts. He even asked the Ephesians: “Pray for me, that when I open my mouth, I may boldly proclaim the mystery of the gospel” (Ephesians 6:19).
We should pay close attention to this. It’s tempting for some to think that they should make little changes, adjustments, to the gospel to fit our modern culture (every culture thinks it is modern, and someone in the future always laughs about that). But what is there that could ever be changed? If they downplay sin, then what does forgiveness even mean? If they downplay the difference between churches, then how do they account for the doctrine of fellowship and the exclusion of false doctrine, which is taught in every single book of the Bible? If they downplay the physical resurrection of the dead, what hope do our people have as they face their dying hour?
To believe and preach nothing but Christ, and Christ crucified, is the heart of the mystery of the gospel, the mystery made known to us for our salvation and for our comfort by the preaching of the gospel. Clever words, eloquent speech, human wisdom, do not give glory to God if they glorify the speaker rather than the subject of the speech. Give glory to God! He has forgiven our hidden faults (Psalm 19:12). Exalt the Lord and worship at his footstool, for he is holy. He has made his salvation known and revealed his righteousness through his holy word.
In Christ,
Pastor Timothy Smith
Pastor Smith serves St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in New Ulm, Minnesota. To receive God’s Word for You via e-mail, please visit the St. Paul’s Lutheran Church website.