Colossians 1:26-27
The indwelling of the Holy Spirit — Christ in you, the hope of glory
35 verses from 11 books of the Bible — organized thematically to show what Scripture teaches about this mystery.
The second mystery revealed to Paul is Christ in you, the hope of glory — also called the Mystery of the Gospel. This mystery reveals:
- The indwelling of the Holy Spirit in believers
- How Christ dwells in you when you are saved
- The transition from living by sight (signs for Jews) to living by faith
- How believers receive the Holy Spirit by hearing and believing the Gospel
This truth was hidden in ages past but is now revealed.
Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God; Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus: Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.
For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel: Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power.
I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith.
Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
Believers are the temple of God — the Spirit dwells in us.
And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
We are body, soul, and spirit. Before salvation, the spirit is dead. At salvation, the Spirit of God comes to dwell in us.
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.
So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
Key truths:
- The Spirit of God dwells in you
- The Spirit of Christ — if you don't have Him, you are not His
- Christ be in you — the body is dead, but the Spirit is life
- His Spirit dwelleth in you
Tongues were a sign for the Jews during the transition from the Jewish age to the church age (Book of Acts).
Paul is our apostle — the apostle to the Gentiles.
In the book of Acts, ministry transitions from Peter (to the Jews) to Paul (to the Gentiles). The church age transitions from signs to faith.
For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:
Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not: but prophesying serveth not for them that believe not, but for them which believe.
For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office:
The order:
1. Heard the word of truth (the Gospel)
2. Believed
3. Sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise
Christ dwells in us by faith, not by asking Him into your heart or speaking in tongues.
In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,
Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
The Gospel is:
- Christ died for our sins
- He was buried
- He rose again the third day
When you believe the Gospel, you receive the Holy Spirit and are sealed.
This mystery is closely related to Mystery #3 (the Body of Christ). When you are saved, not only does Christ dwell in you, but you are also placed in Christ (in His Body).
And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell; And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.
Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church: ... Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:
The church is His body.
And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.
For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.
For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
But now are they many members, yet but one body.
Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother, Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:
The church = sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints.
That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;
Gentiles were without Christ, without hope. Now they are made nigh by the blood of Christ and made one body with believing Jews.
And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;
There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;
And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.
And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
Some teach that the Body of Christ began with Paul, but Scripture shows it began earlier.
Greet ye one another with a kiss of charity. Peace be with you all that are in Christ Jesus. Amen.
Salute Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen, and my fellowprisoners, who are of note among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me.
People were in Christ before Paul.
And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles. ... As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison.
Paul persecuted the church before his conversion — the church already existed.
For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews' religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it:
Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.
The church existed before Paul's conversion.
And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.
According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
The foundation is Jesus Christ, not Paul.
The Mystery of Christ in You reveals that when a person believes the Gospel:
1. Christ dwells in them through the Holy Spirit
2. They are sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise
3. They become the temple of God
4. They are made a new creature in Christ
5. They are baptized into one body by the Spirit
6. They receive this by faith, not by sight or signs
7. The indwelling happens by hearing and believing the Gospel
This mystery is the hope of glory — Christ in you. It was hidden in ages past but now revealed for the Church age.
The Gospel is the means: Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose again the third day.
This mystery was hidden from ages and generations but is now made manifest to the saints. The testimony of Scripture is clear and comprehensive. These truths are revealed through the Word of God for our understanding and faith.
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