Proclaimers of the Gospel are “stewards of the mysteries of God.” God has put into the care of His people the responsibility of preaching, explaining, and guarding the content of “the mysteries of God.” We ought to have the fear of God about how we serve as caretakers of God’s message. We are servants given a great task by our Lord and Master.

How we explain the Gospel of Jesus Christ to those that don’t know Him matters. One obvious reason is that only belief in the truth about Jesus saves, so we must get that right. But another reason is that we are accountable to God for how we proclaim His truth.

In our last article, we discussed how important it is that we use the framework of the “big picture” of God’s plan of salvation for mankind. That requires seeing the Gospel message as beginning in Genesis 1:1. We have argued that the “Creation to Christ” approach to evangelism should be the norm among those committed to making disciples the world over.

The apostle Paul uses various terms to describe our responsibility towards the message of the Gospel that has been entrusted to us. One of those descriptions has to do with stewardship.

“This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards (managers) of the mysteries of God” (1 Cor. 4:1).

Believers in Jesus Christ are directly accountable to Jesus Christ for how they proclaim His message, how they explain the mystery that has been revealed through Him. We need to know what this mystery entails and what stewardship implies about our endeavors to make disciples for Jesus Christ.

Understanding the Mystery: The Big Picture Made Complete

Why is “the gospel/good news” of Jesus Christ referred to here and numerous other times in the New Testament as a “mystery”?  What are the implications of the use of this term for proclaimers of the Gospel?

The Bible is the greatest mystery story that could ever be known to mankind. This Bible is one story, the mystery of God’s plan of salvation revealed. Through Jesus, the Son of God who became man, we understand what God has been doing throughout human history. Through Him we understand God’s plan for mankind both now and forever.

The Gospel Was Revealed Slowly

God revealed His plan of salvation to mankind slowly—over millennia. The full meaning of it was hidden until Jesus came, died, and rose again.

The Old Testament revelation was one of prophecies, types, and shadows. It included many pieces of truth that would later to be fulfilled and explained. When Jesus came, He did fulfill the Law and His life, death, and resurrection explained it. This is why the Gospel is called “the mystery of Christ” (Col. 4:3).

Through Jesus God revealed many things previously unknown to mankind (the Trinity, e.g.). Jesus became the culmination, the fulfilment, and the revealer of God’s full plan of salvation for the nations.

Previous to the coming of the Son of God, believers in God our Creator believed on Him for salvation with far less revelation. Yet they were just as much God’s children as we are (Hebrews 11).

The Eternal Gospel Encompasses All of Human History

This gospel of God’s salvation is called the “eternal Gospel” in Revelation 14:6-7:

“Then I saw another angel flying directly overhead with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth…”

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