Colossians 1:26Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Having spoken of what we have received, and having shown from the greatness of the gifts bestowed on us the love for mankind and the glory of God, Paul adds yet another point: before us no one knew this mystery.

He does the same in the Epistle to the Ephesians, when he says that neither angels, nor principalities, nor any other created power, but only the Son of God knows (Rom 8:38-39).

Therefore he did not simply say “hidden,” κεκρυμμένον, but “mystery,” άποκεκρυμμένον. This is both because, although it has now been accomplished, it is ancient, and because God willed this from of old and so ordained it beforehand.

But why this was so, he does not yet say.

“The mystery hidden from ages and generations.” Having spoken of what we have received, Paul also points to another advantage: before us no one knew this mystery.

He calls a mystery that which no one knew except God. He does not simply call it “hidden,” κεκρυμμένον, but “concealed,” άποκεκρυμμένον.

The expression “from ages” means: from the time the ages began.

“But now revealed to His saints.” It is His ordering that the mystery is now made manifest. He did not say “accomplished,” but “revealed.” Yet even now it is not revealed to all, but to His saints.

Thus even now it is still hidden from some. Therefore let those people not deceive you, for they do not know it.

For this mystery of the Body and Blood, which was hidden from generations from eternal times, has now been revealed to His saints, to whom God willed.

He was the Word of God, the mystery hidden from ages and generations, and nothing expresses His eternity more truly. He was, of course, eternally, but He was hidden from the impious and revealed among the saints. Foreordained before the ages, He was kept for glory; see 1 Cor 2:7 and 1 Tim 3:16. The glory consists in this, brothers: that we may search out the mystery hidden from eternity in God (Eph 3:9).

The mystery which had been hidden from the ages, Paul affirms, has only now been disclosed. That is, it appeared in the time of the Apostle, for the Gentiles also had to be admitted to the faith of Christ, which had been promised to the Jews.

"The mystery hidden from ages and from generations, but now revealed to His saints," "to whom God willed to make known." The Apostle called the preaching of the divine economy a "mystery," because it was formerly unknown to all and known to God alone. This is what the Apostle says: what was hidden from former generations, God has now revealed "to the saints, to whom He willed," that is, to the apostles, and through them to those who believed. By this he shows the antiquity of the gospel. He also shows that before the law and before the formation of the world, the God of all foreordained this divine economy. To us, the saints, the Apostle continues, He made known "what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles."

That this being made holy and this reconciliation are truly not unconditional, the Apostle adds: “if indeed you continue firm and steadfast in the faith, and do not fall away from the hope of the gospel.”

As for the Apostle himself, despite his bonds, he only “rejoices in his sufferings” (Col 1:24). He suffers for the Colossians, or better, for the body of the whole Church of Christ. He suffers according to the divine economy, as a minister of the word of God and preacher of that very mystery of salvation and of the calling of the Gentiles to glory, which he has just explained to the Colossians.

Turning to the very content of the preaching of the Gospel, the Apostle calls it a mystery long hidden. It was unknown to the Gentiles and little understood by the Hebrews, because of the very great mercy, or riches, shown in it to people who had in no way deserved it, such as the Colossians.

The center of this mystery is Christ the Savior and all those glorious hopes which He has given to those who believe in Him. Through Him they hope not only to be saved from sin and the curse for sin, but also to receive the crown of heavenly glory.

With reverence we now remember and celebrate that one day in all time, that great moment, when the great mystery of piety, “God in the flesh,” was brought to earth by the Archangel Gabriel.

It was brought not only in word, but in the power of the Most High. It was hidden in the pure heart and ever-virgin womb of the most blessed Mary. It was sealed by her humble silence.

Afterward this “mystery hidden from ages and from generations” (Col 1:26) was transformed into worldwide glory. Yet even now it remains a mystery.

That he, and not someone else, must drain what remained in the cup of Christ’s afflictions, the Apostle proves by the fact of his calling to preach the gospel to the Gentiles.

The Apostle became a minister of the Church in the office of preacher, entrusted to him by God Himself, κατά τήν οικονομίαν τού θεού. His purpose was to bring the word of God, or the gospel, to fullness through its universal spread.

He was to fulfill the mystery hidden from mankind in all ages, that is, God’s decree concerning the calling of the Gentiles into the Church of Christ. Before the Apostle Paul, this decree was not known to mankind in all its fullness. Only now, through the apostolic preaching, has it been made known, έφανερώθη, to all the saints, that is, to Christians.

He explains what is meant by the word of God, which was entrusted to him to fulfill. It means the mystery which was hidden, and so forth.

The construction of the speech requires the pronoun “which” to be added, either after “mystery,” or before “now.” The first is better. The sense will be: “the mystery which was hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints.”

Or, if “which” is not added, “has been revealed” must be changed to “now revealed.”

This mystery is the salvation of the human race in the Lord Jesus Christ. This mystery was hidden in God from before the ages, and was laid together with the counsel of God concerning the creation of the world.