that is, the mystery which had been hidden from the past ages and generations, but now has been 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:
- BSB the mystery that was hidden for ages and generations but is now revealed to His saints.
- NKJV the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from 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 said, “To you it is given to know the mysteries of God’s Kingdom, but to the rest in parables; that ‘seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.’
- Rom 16:25–26—
- Eph 3:3–10how that by revelation the mystery was made known to me, as I wrote before in few words,
- Ps 25:14The friendship of Yahweh is with those who fear him. He will show them his covenant.
- Matt 13:11He answered them, “To you it is given to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven, but it is not given to them.
- 1 Cor 2:7But we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the wisdom that has been hidden, which God foreordained before the worlds for our glory,
- 2 Tim 1:10but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who abolished death, and brought life and immortality to light through the Good News.
- Mark 4:11He said to them, “To you is given the mystery of God’s Kingdom, but to those who are outside, all things are done 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.