After Paul Received and Wrote Down the Mystery, God’s Revelation to Mankind Was Complete
(Based solely on the King James Bible and Pauline doctrine)
The revelation of God did not happen all at once but progressively through time as His purpose unfolded. From Adam to Moses, from the prophets to Christ’s earthly ministry, God revealed portions of His plan according to the dispensation then in effect. However, the final piece of revelation, the truth that completed the Word of God, was given to the apostle Paul. This truth, called “the mystery,” was not made known to the prophets or the twelve apostles but was kept secret since the world began. Once Paul received and wrote it down, God’s revelation to mankind was complete. No new truth has been given since, and no man today receives revelation apart from the written Word of God.
Paul plainly declares that the revelation of the mystery was a divine secret, hidden in God, and revealed to him by Jesus Christ from heaven. “For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ” (Galatians 1:12). Unlike the prophetic revelation concerning Israel’s kingdom, the mystery revealed through Paul concerned the creation of a new organism, the Body of Christ, composed of Jew and Gentile alike, reconciled to God through the cross and seated with Christ in heavenly places. Paul calls this “the dispensation of the grace of God” (Ephesians 3:2) and explains that it “in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men” (Ephesians 3:5). The prophets foretold a Messiah, a kingdom, and earthly blessings, but they never foresaw the unprophesied Body of Christ or salvation by grace through faith without works.
Paul’s unique ministry fulfilled the purpose of divine revelation. He writes in Colossians 1:25–26, “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.” The word fulfil here means to bring to completion or fullness. God’s revelation through Paul filled up the Word of God, bringing it to its intended end. All truth concerning this present dispensation of grace, our position in Christ, our heavenly hope, and the purpose of the Body was given to Paul and written in his epistles. These writings complete the scriptural record of God’s dealings with mankind until the prophetic program resumes after the catching away of the Body of Christ.
Once Paul’s ministry ended, direct revelation ceased. God had now made known everything necessary for salvation and godliness in this present age. Paul warned against those who would claim further revelation, saying, “Though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed” (Galatians 1:8). That warning stands as a guard against modern claims of dreams, visions, prophecies, or new messages from God. The Spirit no longer delivers new revelation but rather illuminates the written revelation given through Paul. The canon of Scripture is closed, and “all scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable… that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works” (2 Timothy 3:16–17). If Scripture can make the believer perfect and fully equipped, then there is nothing lacking or incomplete.
It is crucial to understand that Paul’s revelation did not merely continue what Christ and the prophets taught but rather completed it. Christ’s earthly ministry was to Israel under the law (Romans 15:8). The twelve apostles preached the kingdom gospel, promising earthly inheritance, judgment, and restoration. Paul, however, preached a heavenly calling, a mystery body, and salvation freely by grace apart from works. He did not receive this message from Peter or any man (Galatians 1:16–17). It was revealed directly from the ascended Christ. Therefore, Paul’s letters are not just commentary on previous truth but the final installment of divine revelation for the present age.
Every so-called revelation since Paul, whether from prophets, popes, mystics, or preachers, is counterfeit. God no longer speaks through audible voices, visions, or angelic messengers. His complete revelation is preserved in the King James Bible, and His final doctrinal instructions are found in Paul’s epistles, written to the Body of Christ. These letters form the pattern for the believer’s faith and practice today. Paul says, “Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me” (2 Timothy 1:13), and “in all things showing thyself a pattern of good works” (Titus 2:7).
In conclusion, when Paul received the revelation of the mystery and wrote it down, the Word of God reached its completion. God has nothing new to reveal because His plan for the Body of Christ is fully explained and finished. We now walk by faith in the written Word, not by sight or new signs. To look for modern revelation is to deny the sufficiency of Scripture and the finality of the mystery revealed through Paul. God has spoken, and His last revelation for this age is found in the pages of the King James Bible, rightly divided. As Paul declares, “According to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, but now is made manifest” (Romans 16:25–26). It has been made manifest, and that revelation is complete.