Word of the Week
March 8, 2025
Mueō: Unlocking the Secret
. . . in every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need.
Philippians 4:12 NASB2020
How much is enough?
You may have heard the story of John D. Rockefeller’s reply to this question. One of the richest men in history, the tycoon answered, “Just a little more.”
A wiser man gave a different answer in the book of Proverbs: “Give me neither poverty nor riches” (Proverbs 30:8). He went on to explain that there is danger in either of those options. If I am too rich, I may feel so smug and secure that I forget the Lord. If I am too poor, I may be tempted to steal and so dishonor God.
It can be hard to handle life’s ups and downs!
However, the apostle Paul claimed that he had learned the secret of staying steady at either end of the economic spectrum. In Philippians 4:12, used an unusual Greek word to describe this feat.
The phrase “learn the secret” comes from a single Greek word, mueō [moo-EH-oh]. It appears only here in the entire New Testament, so we have to look back into history to understand its meaning.
Mueō was originally a technical term for being initiated into one of the Greek “mystery religions.” The word is based on a Greek verb that means “to shut,” as in “to shut the mouth.” To participate in an ancient mystery religion, you had to vow never to reveal the details of their activities. It was all a grand pile of secrets.
Mystery religions involved ceremonies, sacred meals, fertility rites, and ritual purifications. The cult featured dramatic reenactments of the sufferings, death and rebirth of a deity like the Egyptian Isis or the Greek Dionysus. The cult promised that you could gain salvation and immortality by uniting yourself with the god. The first century was a boom period for many of these mystic faiths.
The word mueō would carry overtones of these sacred ceremonies, which promised to reveal the secrets that would unlock the doors of salvation and eternal life.
Clearly, such cults were counterfeits which offered false promises of salvation. However, their popularity shows the intensity of man’s thirst for assurance and hope.
Eventually, the word was used in a more general sense. It could mean “to impart any special skill or important lesson.” That’s how Paul used it in Philippians, where he spoke of the skill of knowing how to thrive whether he was rich or poor. He wasn’t referring directly to any mystery religion, but you can hardly ignore the reminder that he had been initiated into something that most people do not know.
What secret had Paul learned?
He had learned how to live with both extremes of financial reality.
On the one hand, he knew how to get along with humble means, going hungry and suffering need.
On the other, he understood how to live in prosperity, being filled and having abundance.
How does that work? In short, learn to be content (Philippians 4:11). [See the word study for June 1, 2024 to learn more about the word he uses for “content.”]
Paul learned that he could trust God to provide his needs. He could trust God to provide just the right amount of income.
If times are lean, you can learn to lean on the Lord. He is faithful, and your faith will be strengthened as you watch Him provide for you. Many of our best stories come from times when our finances were tight.
If you have a comfortable financial position, you can ask God why He has placed these extra resources in your hands. Is it to cover an unexpected expense? Or is it an opportunity to give?
Thriving in good times and bad is not easy. We all have a little Rockefeller inside, wanting “just a little more.”
But we don’t have to do it alone. Paul goes on to proclaim, “I can all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13) – even having the sense to view our bank balance from God’s viewpoint!
Study Hint:
The mystery religions were false pagan cults, but the New Testament uses the word “mystery” in a completely different way. Paul in particular loved to explain how God had revealed things about His plan that we could never have figured out for ourselves. He uses the Greek word musterion to describe God’s eternal plan (1 Corinthians2:7), particularly the creation of the church (Ephesians 3:9). You will be encouraged by studying God’s kind of mystery!
Coming Up
Your church probably emphasizes discipleship as a central priority. But what do we mean by discipleship? Next week we will explore the Greek word for disciple, looking for insights that will help us understand what that involves.
Ezra Project 2025
4 Responses
I recently taught a Bible study on Philippians. I referred to the word mueo and explained that it to do with the mystery religions. You have increased my knowledge about the religions. One thing I said was that the people had to swear not to reveal the mysteries, but that as Christians, if someone asked us what we believe, we would be thrilled to him all about the Lord and the Bible. No hiding our mysteries here!
Also, some time back I wrote a paper on the word “mystery” in the New Testament, with explanation of the meaning each mystery. If you would like to read it, it is at my web site, http://www.tomadcox.com.
I really enjoy and appreciate your articles.
I’m currently in a financial situation where the Lord is leading me. My daily needs are all being met. Sometimes I don’t know what tomorrow or the next day might bring. I’m learning to be content in all situations. Being prepared for something much greater than I could imagine.
In Revelation 13:8 can we determine from the Greek text if it is the names that are written in the book of life from the foundation of the world or is it the lamb who was slain from the foundation of the world? Which happened before the foundation of the world? Or is it both?
Thanks and Happy to learn Greek words from the scriptures.