the mystery that was hidden for ages and generations but is now revealed to His saints.
Parallel translations
- WEB the mystery which has been hidden for ages and generations. But now it has been revealed to his saints,
- KJV Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:
- NKJV the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints.
- NASB that is, the mystery which had been hidden from the past ages and generations, but now has been revealed to His saints,
- NLT This message was kept secret for centuries and generations past, but now it has been revealed to God’s people.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The message Paul proclaims is a mystery hidden for ages but now revealed to God's people. God's saving plan is now openly disclosed in the gospel.
Overview
A 'mystery' in Paul means a truth once concealed but now made known, not something forever puzzling. Hidden 'for ages and generations,' it has 'now been revealed to his saints' through the gospel. The unfolding of God's eternal plan reaches its climax in Christ.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 8
- Luke 8:10He replied, “The knowledge of the mysteries 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.’
- Rom 16:25–26Now to Him who is able to strengthen you by my gospel and by the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery concealed for ages past
- Eph 3:3–10that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly.
- Ps 25:14The LORD confides in those who fear Him, and reveals His covenant to them.
- Matt 13:11He replied, “The knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them.
- 1 Cor 2:7No, we speak of the mysterious and hidden wisdom of God, which He destined for our glory before time began.
- 2 Tim 1:10And now He has revealed this grace through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has abolished death and illuminated the way to life and immortality through the gospel,
- Mark 4:11He replied, “The mystery of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to those on the outside everything is expressed in parables,
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Commentaries & study tools
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Christ at the center
The image of the invisible God, firstborn over creation, in whom all things hold together and all the fullness of God dwells bodily — supreme over every power.
How Colossians 1:26 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.