Colossians 1:26
New International Version
the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the Lord’s people.

New Living Translation
This message was kept secret for centuries and generations past, but now it has been revealed to God’s people.

English Standard Version
the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints.

Berean Standard Bible
the mystery that was hidden for ages and generations but is now revealed to His saints.

Berean Literal Bible
the mystery having been hidden from the ages and from the generations, but now having been manifested to His saints,

King James Bible
Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:

New King James Version
the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints.

New American Standard Bible
that is, the mystery which had been hidden from the past ages and generations, but now has been revealed to His saints,

NASB 1995
that is, the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His saints,

NASB 1977
that is, the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations; but has now been manifested to His saints,

Legacy Standard Bible
that is, the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His saints,

Amplified Bible
that is, the mystery which was hidden [from angels and mankind] for ages and generations, but has now been revealed to His saints (God’s people).

Christian Standard Bible
the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to His saints.

American Standard Version
even the mystery which hath been hid for ages and generations: but now hath it been manifested to his saints,

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
That mystery which was hidden from the world and from generations but now has been revealed to his Holy Ones,

Contemporary English Version
For ages and ages this message was kept secret from everyone, but now it has been explained to God's people.

Douay-Rheims Bible
The mystery which hath been hidden from ages and generations, but now is manifested to his saints,

English Revised Version
even the mystery which hath been hid from all ages and generations: but now hath it been manifested to his saints,

GOD'S WORD® Translation
In the past God hid this mystery, but now he has revealed it to his people.

Good News Translation
which is the secret he hid through all past ages from all human beings but has now revealed to his people.

International Standard Version
This secret was hidden throughout the ages and generations but has now been revealed to his saints,

Literal Standard Version
the secret that has been hid from the ages and from the generations, but now was revealed to His holy ones,

Majority Standard Bible
the mystery that was hidden for ages and generations but is now revealed to His saints.

New American Bible
the mystery hidden from ages and from generations past. But now it has been manifested to his holy ones,

NET Bible
that is, the mystery that has been kept hidden from ages and generations, but has now been revealed to his saints.

New Revised Standard Version
the mystery that has been hidden throughout the ages and generations but has now been revealed to his saints.

New Heart English Bible
the mystery which has been hidden for ages and generations. But now it has been revealed to his saints,

Webster's Bible Translation
Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages, and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:

Weymouth New Testament
the truth which has been kept secret from all ages and generations, but has now been revealed to His people,

World English Bible
the mystery which has been hidden for ages and generations. But now it has been revealed to his saints,

Young's Literal Translation
the secret that hath been hid from the ages and from the generations, but now was manifested to his saints,

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Paul's Suffering for the Church
25I became its servant by the commission God gave me to fully proclaim to you the word of God, 26the mystery that was hidden for ages and generations but is now revealed to His saints. 27To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.…

Cross References
Romans 16:25
Now 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

Ephesians 3:3
that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly.

Ephesians 3:4
In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ,

Ephesians 3:9
and to illuminate for everyone the stewardship of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things.

Colossians 2:2
that they may be encouraged in heart, knit together in love, and filled with the full riches of complete understanding, so that they may know the mystery of God, namely Christ,

Colossians 4:3
as you pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains.


Treasury of Scripture

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

the mystery.

Romans 16:25,26
Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, …

1 Corinthians 2:7
But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:

Ephesians 3:3-10
How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, …

now.

Psalm 25:14
The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant.

Matthew 13:11
He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.

Mark 4:11
And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables:

Jump to Previous
Ages Clear Disclosed Generations Hid Hidden Kept Manifest Manifested Mystery Past Revealed Saints Secret Times Truth
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Ages Clear Disclosed Generations Hid Hidden Kept Manifest Manifested Mystery Past Revealed Saints Secret Times Truth
Colossians 1
1. After salutation Paul thanks God for the Colossians' faith;
7. confirms the doctrine of Epaphras;
9. prays further for their increase in grace;
14. describes the supremacy of Christ;
21. encourages them to receive Jesus Christ, and commends his own ministry.














(26) The mystery.--On the Scriptural sense of the word "mystery," and its relation to the modern use of the word, see Note on Ephesians 1:9. In this passage, perhaps, most of all, it is defined with perfect clearness, as "a secret long hidden, and now revealed."

Verse 26. - The mystery which hath been hidden away from the ages and from the generations (Ephesians 2:2, 3; Ephesians 3:5, 9; Romans 16:25, 26; Romans 11:25, 26, 33). The word "mystery" plays a large part in Colossians and Ephesians. It occurs in 1 Corinthians, and twice in the Roman Epistle, written from Corinth. Its use in Romans 16:25 is identical with that of the passage before us. The Greek mysteries were secret religious doctrines and rites made known only to initiated persons, who formed associations statedly assembling at certain sacred spots, of which Eleusis near Athens was the most famous. These systems exercised a vast influence over the Greek mind, and Greek literature is full of allusions to them; but their secret has been well kept, and little is known of their real character. Some of these mystic systems, probably, inculcated doctrines of a purer and more spiritual type than those of the vulgar polytheism. The ascetic and mystical doctrines ascribed to Pythagoras were propagated by secret societies. The language and ideas connected with the mysteries were readily adopted by the Jewish Broad Church of Alexandria, whose endeavour it was to expand Judaism by a symbolical and allegorizing method into a philosophic and universal religious system, and who were compelled to veil their inner doctrine from the eyes of their stricter, unenlightened (or unsophisticated) fellowbelievers. Μυστήριον appears in the Apocrypha as an epithet of the Divine Wisdom (Wisd. 2:22 Wisd. 8:4; etc.): Psalm 49:4; Psalm 78:2 (comp. Matthew 13:34, 35) furnished the Old Testament basis of this usage. (See Philo, 'On the Cherubim,' § 12; 'On Fugitives,' § 16; etc., for the place of mystery in the Alexandrine theology.) St. Paul, writing to men accustomed, either as Greeks or as Hellenistic Jews, to this phraseology, calls the gospel "a mystery," as that which is "hidden from the natural understanding and from the previous searchings of men" (1 Corinthians 2:6-16). But in the words that follow he repudiates the notion of any secrecy or exclusiveness in its proclamation (comp. 2 Corinthians 3:12-4:6); in his language, "mystery is the correlate of revelation." The thrice-repeated ἀπὸ ("from," "away"), with the double indication of time, "gives a solemn emphasis" (Meyer) to the statement. Ages are successive epochs of time, with their states and conditions (comp. Galatians 1:4); generations are successive races of men, with their traditions and hereditary tendencies. But now it was made manifest to his saints (Colossians 2:2; Colossians 4:3; Ephesians 1:9; Ephesians 3:5; Ephesians 6:19; 1 Timothy 3:16; 1 Peter 1:20). The word "reveal" (Ephesians 3:5; 1 Corinthians 2:10) indicates a process, "make manifest" points to the result of this Divine act (Romans 16:25, 26: comp. Romans 1:17 with Romans 3:21; see Trench's 'Synonyms'). The transition from the participle in the last clause to the strongly assertive finite verb in this almost disappears in English idiom: comp. vers. 5, 6; Ephesians 1:20-22 (Greek); and see Winer's 'N.T. Grammar,' p. 717, or A. Buttmann, p. 382. There is also a change of tense: the manifestation is a single, sudden event (aorist), breaking through the long and seemingly final concealment of all previous time (present perfect participle); similarly in Romans 16:25, 26 and 1 Peter 1:20 (comp. Colossians 2:14, note). To his sailors; i.e. to the Church at large (ver. 2; Colossians 3:12); but this implies a spiritual qualification (1 Corinthians 2:14). "His saints" are the recipients; "his holy apostles and prophets, in the Spirit," the organs (Ephesians 3:5) of this manifestation. The Church had long ago formally accepted this revelation (Acts 11:18); it was St. Paul's office to make it practically effectual.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
the
τὸ (to)
Article - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

mystery
μυστήριον (mystērion)
Noun - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 3466: From a derivative of muo; a secret or 'mystery'.

that
τὸ (to)
Article - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

was hidden
ἀποκεκρυμμένον (apokekrymmenon)
Verb - Perfect Participle Middle or Passive - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 613: To hide away, conceal, keep secret. From apo and krupto; to conceal away; figuratively, to keep secret.

for
ἀπὸ (apo)
Preposition
Strong's 575: From, away from. A primary particle; 'off, ' i.e. Away, in various senses.

ages
αἰώνων (aiōnōn)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Plural
Strong's 165: From the same as aei; properly, an age; by extension, perpetuity; by implication, the world; specially a Messianic period.

and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

generations
γενεῶν (geneōn)
Noun - Genitive Feminine Plural
Strong's 1074: From genos; a generation; by implication, an age.

but
δὲ (de)
Conjunction
Strong's 1161: A primary particle; but, and, etc.

is now revealed
ἐφανερώθη (ephanerōthē)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Passive - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 5319: To make clear (visible, manifest), make known. From phaneros; to render apparent.

to
τοῖς (tois)
Article - Dative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

His
αὐτοῦ (autou)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

saints,
ἁγίοις (hagiois)
Adjective - Dative Masculine Plural
Strong's 40: Set apart by (or for) God, holy, sacred. From hagos; sacred.


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NT Letters: Colossians 1:26 The mystery which has been hidden (Coloss. Col Co)
Colossians 1:25
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