Cl a s s ic R e flections on S cr iptur e Mystery novels, movies, and television programs are a popular and enduring type of fiction in which the reader or viewer uses his wits and intellect to unravel the “whodunit,” trying to guess at the truth, which the fiction writer has tried hard to disguise. We also tend to use the word mysterious in reference to a thing or person about which we know very little. We frequently add a sense of romantic adventure to the word, as though the “mysterious person” has a deep secret that we yearn to unravel. The Bible, however, does not use the word mystery in these ways. The dictionary helps us to understand the biblical meaning: “a religious belief based on divine revelation, especially a doctrine of faith involving difficulties which human reason is incapable of solving.”1 There are two important distinctions in the Bible’s use of mystery versus our casual English use: 1) a biblical mystery cannot be understood by human reason, but requires God’s direct revelation; 2) a biblical mystery is intended to become clear, in God’s timing, unlike modern mystery stories, which are deliberately designed to confuse and mislead a reader or viewer. God desires that all people should know and understand the mysteries of the Bible, because these mysteries actually reveal His character and His will. A modern mystery writer wants to confuse his readers, to mislead them away from the truth of the plot—but God desires to reveal truth completely to anyone willing to listen. Ultimately, God’s truth is fully revealed in His Son, Jesus Christ. “I am the way, the truth, and the life,” Jesus told His disciples. “No one comes to the 10 o
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