a reply to:
LogicalWatchman
Jesus directly spoke about keeping the Word of God secret from those who are unworthy, he sometimes met with his disciples in secret, he spoke about
secrets, and the early church also used to meet in secrecy.
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Luke 8:10-11
[He said, “The knowledge of the secrets (mystēria, μυστήρια) of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to others I speak in
parables, so that;
"Though seeing, they may not see; though hearing, they may not understand."
This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God.]
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1 Corinthians 14:2
[For the person who speaks in a foreign language is not actually speaking to people but to God. Indeed, no one understands him, because he is talking
about secrets (mystēria, μυστήρια) by the Spirit.]
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Matthew 13
[The disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?”
He replied, “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. Whoever has will be given more,
and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.
This is why I speak to them in parables:
“Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand."
In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:
“You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving."
For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their
eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.]
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In these instances, "Secrets", is translated from the Greek; Mystēria (μυστήρια), which is defined by Christian Concordances as; a mystery,
secret, of which initiation is necessary; in the NT: the counsels of God, once hidden but now revealed in the Gospel or some fact thereof; the
Christian revelation generally; particular truths or details of the Christian revelation.
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Mystery (Etymology)
[early 14c., in a theological sense, "religious truth via divine revelation, hidden spiritual significance, mystical truth," from Anglo-French
*misterie, Old French mistere "secret, mystery, hidden meaning" (Modern French mystère), from Latin mysterium "secret rite, secret worship; a secret
thing," from Greek mysterion (usually in plural mysteria) "secret rite or doctrine," from mystes "one who has been initiated," from myein "to close,
shut" (see mute (adj.)); perhaps referring to the lips (in secrecy) or to the eyes (only initiates were allowed to see the sacred rites).
The Greek word was used in Septuagint for "secret counsel of God," translated in Vulgate as sacramentum. Non-theological use in English, "a hidden or
secret thing," is from late 14c. In reference to the ancient rites of Greece, Egypt, etc. it is attested from 1640s. Meaning "detective story" first
recorded in English 1908.]
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Although, "Mystery", carries a modern connotation of a peculiar enigma, its contemporary Biblical meaning was that of secrecy and concealment.
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Matthew 7:6
[Do not give dogs what is holy (hagion, ἅγιον); do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn
and tear you to pieces.]
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We know that God and the Word of God are Holy, and if we correlate this with Matthew 13 and Luke 8, we come full-circle to "words" being held "secret"
from the unworthy.