Paul’s Four Revelations which all have to do with the Church of God:
- The Identity of the Church as the mystical body of Christ; composed of believers from among the Jews and Gentiles, united to one another in one body, and to Christ the glorified Head, by the indissoluble link of the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven at Pentecost. Paul broadly refers to this truth as “the Mystery” (read more…). This truth was made known to Paul by revelation (Eph. 3:3, 5, 6, 7).
- The Added Significance of the Lord’s Supper as partaken of by believers in expression of the unity of Christ’s body on earth, and as eaten in view of the Lord’s coming. While the Lord’s Supper was already known since the Lord instituted it, the expression of the one body by all partaking of one loaf was previously unknown. Also, the fact that we are to do this “until he come”. These truths were also made known to Paul by revelation (1 Cor. 11:23, 10:16, 17).
- The Resurrection of sleeping saints at the Lord’s return. Not only the Church (1 Thess. 4), but all saints who have died that belong to Christ (1 Cor. 15:23) will be raised at that time. This was a significant development from what Old Testament saints knew about the resurrection, or even the Lord’s teaching on the subject (read more…). This truth was also made known to Paul by revelation (1 Cor. 15:51).
- The Rapture of living and raised saints when the Lord descends from heaven in a cloud, to be henceforward “for ever with the Lord”. The Lord had previously referred to the rapture in John 14:3, but Paul gives added details as to the Lord’s descent, the catching up, etc. that were previously unknown. Again, this truth was made known to Paul by revelation (1 Thess. 4:15). The Rapture was totally unknown in the Old Testament. Read more…