Expert: Tom Smith - 6/29/2005

Question
Hi,

Can you tell me, in this verse:

Colossians 1:26  Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:

What is the “mystery “ that the writer is making reference too?

Thanks
Barry B.

Answer
Let's look at the verse:

Col 1:24-29
24 I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church, 25 of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God, 26 the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints. 27 To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. 28 Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. 29 To this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me mightily.
NKJV

This mystery is associated with Christ, and with being in Christ. This is not the first time that this mystery was mentioned. Let's look at where we can see more about the Mystery.

Mark 4:11-12
11 And He said to them, "To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to those who are outside, all things come in parables, 12 so that
'Seeing they may see and not perceive,
And hearing they may hear and not understand;
Lest they should turn,
And their sins be forgiven them.' "
NKJV

This adds to it - this sopeaks of the mystery being the coming of the kingdom of God and the forgiveness of sins. Romans 11 builds on this theme:

Rom 11:25-27
25 For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. 26 And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written:
"The Deliverer will come out of Zion,
And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob;  
27 For this is My covenant with them,
When I take away their sins."  
NKJV

And again another which speaks of the mystery of the gospel.

Eph 6:16-20
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints-- 19 and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.
NKJV

What is the gospel?

1 Cor 15:1-5
15:1 Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, 2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you--unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve.
NKJV

This is the mystery - the gospel of Jesus Christ, God manifest in the flesh (1 Tim 3:16) who came to earth to die on the cross for our sins.

It is a mystery because although it was prophecied throughout the centuries, starting with Genesis 3:15, what we see when Christ arrived was the fulfillment, the focus of the entire Bible from Genesis to Revelation.