Colossians 1:26

Colossians 1:26 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:
• New International Version (NIV)the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the Lord’s people.
• English Standard Version (ESV)the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints.
• New King James Version (NKJV)the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints.

Context of Colossians 1:26

24At this time, I am suffering on your behalf, but I am still happy. Christ himself suffered on behalf of his people, the church. Now, while I live in my human body, I also suffer. I continue to receive the pain that Christ received, so that it may be complete. In that way, I help the church, which is like Christ's own body. 25I have become God's servant, so that I can help the church. God chose me to do that. He chose me to explain his message to you completely. That message is a secret that God hid from everyone before now. He hid it from all the people who lived in past times. But now he has shown this secret to his people. 27God wanted them to understand how great this secret is. It shows that God will bless people who live in all countries of the world. This secret message is that Christ lives in you. And because of that, you know that you will live with God in heaven one day. 28That is why we tell everyone the message about Christ. God helps us to be very wise as we warn people and we teach them. We want every person who belongs to Christ to become complete, as God sees them.

Colossians 1:26 word by word

τὸ μυστήριον τὸ ἀποκεκρυμμένον ἀπὸ τῶν αἰώνων καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν γενεῶν, νῦν δὲ ἐφανερώθη τοῖς ἁγίοις αὐτοῦ·Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• the mysteryμυστήριονmustērion · mysteryG3466
• which hath been hidἀποκρύπτωapokruptō · to concealG613
• fromἀπόapo · away fromG575
• agesαἰώνaiōn · an age: ageG165
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• generationsγενεάgenea · generationG1074
• butδέde · thenG1161
• nowνυνίnuni · nowG3570
• is made manifestφανερόωphaneroō · to revealG5319
• toἅγιοςhagios · holy: saintG40
• hisαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• saintsἅγιοςhagios · holy: saintG40

Cross-references for Colossians 1:26

• Romans 16:25We praise God because he is great! He is able to make you strong in your spirits! That is the good news that I teach. That good news is the message about Jesus Christ that God has kept secret since long ago. But now he has shown this message to us.
• 1 Corinthians 2:7No, the wise thoughts that we speak about belong to God. He has hidden them from people until now. But before God made the world, he decided to let us know these secrets. He wanted us to enjoy his glory.
• Ephesians 3:3God has clearly shown to me his true purpose. That was a secret before, but God has helped me to know it. I have written a few words about this already.
• Psalms 25:14The Lord is a guide for those who serve him. He teaches them to obey his covenant.
• Matthew 13:11Jesus replied, ‘God has let you know what these stories mean. You understand how God rules in the lives of his people. But these other people do not understand what the stories mean.
• Mark 4:11Jesus replied, ‘God has let you understand how he rules in the lives of his people. But these other people only listen to stories.
• Luke 8:10Jesus replied, ‘God has let you know what these stories mean. You understand how God rules in the lives of his people. But other people only listen to my stories. They look, but they do not really see clearly. They hear the words, but they do not really understand.’
• 2 Timothy 1:10Now Christ Jesus has come to save us, and we have seen how kind God is. Christ has destroyed death's power over us. We have heard the good news that he brought to us. So now we understand about life with God for ever.

Commentaries on Colossians 1:26

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 26The mystery which hath been hid - The mystery is this: that God had designed to grant the Gentiles the same privileges with the Jews, and make them his people who were not his people. That this is what St. Paul means by the mystery, see Ephesians 3:3, etc. Made manifest to his saints - It is fully known to all who have embraced the doctrine of Christ crucified; to all Christians.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 26Even the mystery - To make that mystery fully known. See this explained in the notes at Ephesians 3:2-9. The great doctrine that salvation was to be proclaimed to all mankind, Paul says, had been concealed for many generations. Hence, it was called a mystery, or a hidden truth. But now is made manifest to his saints - It was communicated especially to the apostles who were appointed to proclaim it, and through them to all the saints. Paul says that he…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 24-29Verses 24-29 Both the sufferings of the Head and of the members are called the sufferings of Christ, and make up, as it were, one body of sufferings. But He suffered for the redemption of the church; we suffer on other accounts; for we do but slightly taste that cup of afflictions of which Christ first drank deeply. A Christian may be said to fill up that which remains of the sufferings of Christ, when he takes up his cross, and after the pattern of…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 26The idea of a hidden mystery… now revealed comes from Jewish apocalyptic beliefs. Jewish thinkers believed God's entire plan already existed in heaven. It remained hidden until God chose to reveal it. The good news, especially for non-Jews, remained secret until Christ revealed it.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2626. the mystery--(See on Ep 1:9, 10; Ep 3:5-9). The mystery, once hidden, now revealed, is redemption for the whole Gentile world, as well as for the Jews, "Christ in you (Gentiles) the hope of glory" (Col 1:27). from ages--"from," according to Alford, refers to time, not "hidden from": from the time of the ages; still what is meant is that the mystery was hidden from the beings living in those "ages." The "ages" are the vast successive periods marked by…Read the comment

Topics related to Colossians 1:26

• Gospel
• Minister, Christian
• Mysteries
• Preaching
• Salvation
• Wisdom

In the dictionaries

• Age
• Consist
• Darkness
• Dominion
• Fill
• Mightily
• Mystery
• Reconcile
• Redemption
• Throne

Commentaries on Colossians 1

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings