Colossians 1:21-29
Paul mentions a “mystery” twice in today’s reading (verses 26 and 27): …the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Both of my study bibles talked about “mystery religions” in the Roman world – religions in which only members had certain information, secret this-and-that, possibly not unlike the Skull and Bones secret society at Yale University that has included both Bush presidents. You can read up on these mystery religions on your own. I first encountered Paul’s “mystery” talk many years ago in my early Scriptural readings. To my understanding years back, the “mystery” that Paul is talking about is that the Gospel is now revealed to the Gentiles. Previously the Jews had been an exclusive “club” to which the Gentiles were excluded, but now salvation has been offered to these Gentiles through Peter (Acts 10-11) and Paul’s missionary activities and other early Christian missionaries. In today’s reading Paul refers to this mystery as Christ in you, the hope of glory – the hope of the Gentiles. And that same hope is ours today – Christ in you, the hope of glory!!
Slava Bohu!
Thank you!