Colossians is another of Paul’s epistles largely devoted to explaining a mystery of the Gospel. There are two in fact!
The Mystery of Christ in or among the Gentiles as their hope of glory
Colossians
1:26 Even the
mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made
manifest to his saints: 27 To whom God would make known what is the
riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you,
the hope of glory:
The prophets had clearly
declared that salvation of the Gentiles, but they didn’t know the riches of the
glory of this salvation – Christ dwelling among the Gentiles as he had dwelt
among Israel in the tabernacle and temple! Even better, that our bodies would
be temples of the Holy Spirit!!
The Mystery of God and of Christ
Colossians 2:2 That their hearts might be comforted,
being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of
understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father,
and of Christ;
The mystery of God, even
the Father, and of Christ – there is
something about God and Christ that was not fully understood by the saints in
the Old Testament, which the Gospel reveals and Paul sets forth in this
epistle. In this chapter he says of Christ:
2:9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
2:19 Christ is the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God.
All the fulness of the Godhead dwells bodily in Christ!
This is a powerful statement! The Greek word for Godhead is "θεότητος (theotetos), deity, that is, the state of being God" (Thayer's Greek Lexicon). Who is Christ? Emmanuel, God with us. Paul adds in the very next verse, And ye are complete in him, “because
only Christ, being God and man, is most perfect, and passes far above all
things, so that whoever has him, requires nothing more.” (Geneva Study Bible)
And in Colossians 1:15-20 he had been even stronger and clearer:
15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature
16 all things were created by him, and for him:
17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.
19 For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;
20 And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.
This is the mystery of God and of Christ, that
Christ is the very Son of God, the image of the invisible God; all
fullness of the Godhead dwells in him; he is the Creator himself; the
firstborn, the preeminent One; and this is the One who through the blood of his
cross reconciled us to Himself! They knew Christ was coming but they didn’t
know or understand all this about him. O that our hearts might be
comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full
assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God and of
Christ.
Colossians
4:3 Withal praying also
for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery
of Christ, for which I am also in bonds:
Notice the humility of the
apostle – all this has been revealed to him and he has been commissioned to
preach it, yet he still asks for their prayers.
I am including the two
occurrences of mystery in 1 Timothy because I think this is the same as the
mystery of God and of Christ.
1 Timothy 3:9 & 16 Mystery of the faith / Mystery of godliness
3:9 Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience.
3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.
What a wonderful Savior! What
a glorious Gospel!
Go here to hear and sing All Hail King Jesus
NEXT: Mystery in 2 Thessalonians and Revelation
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