Paul's Revealed Mysteries
What is the meaning of Mystery or Secret?
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The Meaning of "Mystery or Secret" in the King James Bible
In the King James Bible, the word "mystery" carries a very specific and rich meaning quite different from how we use the word today. The most important thing is the context of Secret in the Old Testament Deuteronomy 29:29 — "The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law." and Romans 16:25 "According to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began."
The Original Greek Word
The KJV word "mystery" translates the Greek word μυστήριον (mystērion, Strong's G3466), rooted in the word muo meaning "to shut the mouth" — carrying the idea of silence imposed by initiation into sacred rites. Bible Hub
What It Actually Means
The Greek musterion means a secret imparted only to the initiated — something unknown until it is revealed, whether it be easy or hard to understand. The idea of incomprehensibility, if implied at all, is purely accidental.
So a biblical "mystery" is not something permanently unknowable or puzzling. Rather:
In the New Testament, mysterion signifies a secret which is being, or even has been, revealed — divine in scope, and made known by God to men through His Spirit. The mystery of the New Testament has been described as an "open secret": matters previously kept secret in God's eternal purposes have now been or are being revealed (Eph. 3:3–5; 1 Cor. 2:7).
The Root Idea
The root idea is information known only to those on the inside, but hidden to those who are without (Mark 4:11). It refers to God's secrets — His counsels and purposes which are not known to man apart from His special revelation in Scripture or by His prophets (Dan. 2:18–23). In most cases in the New Testament it refers to church truth which was not known in Old Testament times, but has become revealed in the New Testament (Eph. 3:1–9).
Key Mysteries Named in the KJV
The word mystērion appears 27 times in the KJV New Testament, referring to things such as:
- The mysteries of the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 13:11)
- The mystery of the gospel — God's plan of salvation through Christ, once hidden but now revealed (Romans 16:25; Ephesians 3:9; Colossians 1:26)
- The mystery of Christ and the Church (Ephesians 5:32)
- The mystery of Israel's blindness (Romans 11:25)
- The mystery of the Woman and the Beast (Revelation 17:7) Blue Letter Bible
Summary
In the KJV, a mystery is a divine secret that God has chosen to reveal — hidden in ages past, but now disclosed through Christ and His apostles. A mystery which has been revealed is no longer a mystery to whom it has been revealed; it then becomes a truth. It is a mystery only to those to whom it has not yet been revealed.
This is why Paul writes in Colossians 1:26–27 of "the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints… which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
When is mystery used in KJB?
This is a rich topic! Here is a thorough breakdown of how "mystery" and "secret" are used across the Old Testament in the King James Bible.
IMPORTANT NOTE: "Mystery" vs. "Secret" in the Old Testament
The word "mystery" (Greek: musterion) does not appear at all in the KJV Old Testament. The Old Testament was written in Hebrew, and the equivalent concept is expressed through the word "secret" (Hebrew: sôd — meaning a private counsel or hidden thing). In the KJV, "secret" is mentioned in 21 books of the Bible, most often in Psalms (13 times) and Daniel (7 times).
THE LAW (Torah)
Genesis 49:6 — Jacob on his deathbed warns: "O my soul, come not thou into their secret; unto their assembly, mine honour, be not thou united." (God's counsel is not to be joined with violent conspirators.)
Deuteronomy 27:15 — "Cursed be the man that… putteth it in a secret place." (Hidden idolatry condemned.)
Deuteronomy 29:29 — "The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law." — This is the foundational Old Testament verse on divine secrets.
THE WISDOM BOOKS
Job 15:8 — "Hast thou heard the secret of God? and dost thou restrain wisdom to thyself?"
Job 29:4 — "As I was in the days of my youth, when the secret of God was upon my tabernacle." (Job recalls intimacy with God's counsel.)
Psalm 25:14 — "The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant."
Psalm 27:5 — "For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me."
Psalm 91:1 — "He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty."
Proverbs 3:32 — "For the froward is abomination to the LORD: but his secret is with the righteous."
Proverbs 25:2 — "It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter."
Ecclesiastes 12:14 — "For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil."
THE PROPHETS
Isaiah 45:3 — "And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the LORD… am the God of Israel."
Isaiah 45:19 — "I have not spoken in secret, in a dark place of the earth… I the LORD speak righteousness."
Isaiah 48:16 — "I have not spoken in secret from the beginning; from the time that it was, there am I."
Jeremiah 23:24 — "Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the LORD. Do not I fill heaven and earth?"
Ezekiel 28:3 — God addresses the prince of Tyre: "Behold, thou art wiser than Daniel; there is no secret that they can hide from thee."
Amos 3:7 — "Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets." — One of the most significant "secret" verses in the Old Testament. Nave's Topical Bible
DANIEL — The Most Concentrated Use (7 times)
Daniel is the richest Old Testament book on this theme, using the Aramaic word raza (secret/mystery) repeatedly:
Daniel 2:18 — "That they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret; that Daniel and his fellows should not perish."
Daniel 2:19 — "Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven."
Daniel 2:22 — "He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him."
Daniel 2:27 — "The secret which the king hath demanded cannot the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, the soothsayers, show unto the king."
Daniel 2:30 — "But as for me, this secret is not revealed to me for any wisdom that I have more than any living."
Daniel 2:47 — "Of a truth it is, that your God is a God of gods, and a Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, seeing thou couldest reveal this secret."
Daniel 4:9 — "O Belteshazzar… no secret troubleth thee, tell me the visions of my dream."
SUMMARY TABLE
| Category | Key Verses | Theme |
| God's sovereign secrets | Deuteronomy 29:29 | Some things belong only to God |
| Intimacy with God | Psalm 25:14; Proverbs 3:32 | His secret is with the righteous |
| God sees all hidden things | Jeremiah 23:24; Ecclesiastes 12:14 | Nothing hidden from Him |
| God reveals to His prophets | Amos 3:7 | Secrets disclosed before judgment |
| Revealed through Daniel | Daniel 2 (×7) | God as the revealer of secrets |
| God speaks openly | Isaiah 45:19; 48:16 | He does not hide from His people |
The thread running through the entire Old Testament is this: God holds divine secrets, but He chooses to reveal them — to the righteous, to His prophets, and ultimately through Christ in the New Testament (Colossians 1:26).
Here is a complete overview of every occurrence of "mystery" (and "mysteries") in the King James Bible. The word "mystery" is used 22 times and "mysteries" 5 times, appearing in 8 books of the New Testament — most frequently in Ephesians (6 times) and Colossians (4 times). King James Bible Dictionary
📖 THE GOSPELS — The Mystery of the Kingdom
Matthew 13:11 "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 "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."
Luke 8:10 "Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand."
✉️ ROMANS
Romans 11:25 "For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery… that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in."
Romans 16:25 "According to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began."
✉️ 1 CORINTHIANS
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."
1 Corinthians 4:1 "Let a man so account of us… as stewards of the mysteries of God."
1 Corinthians 13:2 "And though I… understand all mysteries, and all knowledge… and have not charity, I am nothing."
1 Corinthians 14:2 "For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh… unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries."
1 Corinthians 15:51 "Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed."
✉️ EPHESIANS (most occurrences)
Ephesians 1:9 — The mystery of God's will Ephesians 3:3–4 — The mystery of Christ revealed to Paul Ephesians 3:9 — The mystery hidden from the beginning of the world Ephesians 5:32 — The mystery of Christ and the Church Ephesians 6:19 — The mystery of the gospel
✉️ COLOSSIANS
Colossians 1:26–27 "Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints… which is Christ in you, the hope of glory."
Colossians 2:2 — The mystery of God, the Father, and of Christ Colossians 4:3 — The mystery of Christ
✉️ 2 THESSALONIANS
2 Thessalonians 2:7 "For the mystery of iniquity doth already work."
✉️ 1 TIMOTHY
1 Timothy 3:9 — "Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience."
1 Timothy 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."
📖 REVELATION
Revelation 1:20 — The mystery of the seven stars and seven candlesticks
Revelation 10:7 — "The mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets."
Revelation 17:5 — "And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH."
Revelation 17:7 — The mystery of the woman and the beast
Summary of the Major Mysteries in the KJV
| Mystery | Key Verse |
| The Kingdom of Heaven | Matthew 13:11 |
| Israel's blindness | Romans 11:25 |
| The hidden wisdom of God | 1 Corinthians 2:7 |
| The Resurrection | 1 Corinthians 15:51 |
| God's will to unite all in Christ | Ephesians 1:9 |
| The gospel going to the Gentiles | Ephesians 3:3–9 |
| Christ and the Church | Ephesians 5:32 |
| Christ in you, the hope of glory | Colossians 1:26–27 |
| The mystery of godliness | 1 Timothy 3:16 |
| The mystery of iniquity | 2 Thessalonians 2:7 |
| Babylon the Great | Revelation 17:5 |
In ending, the Mysteries in Paul epistles can on be applied in the dispensation of Grace. Since they were not known before that, the implications for each are revelant to this age.
Body of Christ
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In Paul's epistles (KJV), "the Body of Christ" is a major doctrinal truth revealed as part of the Mystery. It refers to the Church — all true believers in Jesus Christ, regardless of Jew or Gentile, who are spiritually united to Christ as members of one organism, with Christ Himself as the Head.
Key Definition & Passages
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Christ is the Head; the Church is His Body
Ephesians 1:22-23 "And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all."
Colossians 1:18 "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."
- The Body of Christ = the universal Church (not a building, denomination, or local assembly alone, but every born-again believer from Pentecost onward).
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One Body — Jews and Gentiles Made One
Ephesians 2:15-16 "Having abolished in his flesh the enmity... to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross..."
Ephesians 3:6 (part of the Mystery) "That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel."
This was hidden in past ages (the Mystery) — God is now forming one new spiritual body where believing Jews and Gentiles are equal members.
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Many Members, One Body
1 Corinthians 12:12-13, 27 "For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles... Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular."
Romans 12:4-5 "For as we have many members in one body... So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another."
- Every believer is a member (like a hand, foot, eye, etc.) with different gifts and functions, but all joined together under Christ the Head.
- The Holy Spirit baptizes us into this Body at the moment of salvation.
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How the Body Grows & Functions
Ephesians 4:15-16 "But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth... maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love."
Colossians 2:19 "And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God."
Summary of Paul's Teaching
- The Body of Christ is the Church, the new spiritual organism created at Pentecost and continuing today.
- It is not Israel (Paul distinguishes the two).
- Christ is the Head — He directs, nourishes, and has authority over it.
- Believers are members joined to Christ and to one another.
- This truth is central to the Mystery Paul received: Gentiles as full fellow-heirs in one Body (Ephesians 3).
- It is connected to the current dispensation of the grace of God — Paul’s stewardship to reveal and build up this Body.
This is one of the highest privileges of the believer: to be “in Christ” as part of His very Body.
What is Dispensations of Paul
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In Paul's epistles (KJV), "dispensation" translates the Greek word oikonomia, meaning stewardship, administration, management, or a plan/commission to dispense or carry out something. It refers to how God arranges or entrusts His purposes—often a specific responsibility or era in God's dealings with humanity.
Paul uses the word in these key places:
1. "The dispensation of the grace of God" (Ephesians 3:2)
"If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward..."
- Meaning: This is the primary "this dispensation" likely referred to. It is the special stewardship or commission God gave Paul to administer/preach the gospel of grace to the Gentiles.
- Paul received this by revelation as part of the mystery (the Church age truths hidden in past ages—Gentiles as fellowheirs in one body with Jews in Christ). It connects directly to the previous discussion on mysteries.
- Paul is a "steward" dispensing God's grace (the unsearchable riches of Christ) to the Ephesians and other Gentiles.
2. "The dispensation of the fulness of times" (Ephesians 1:9-10)
"Having made known unto us the mystery of his will... That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him."
- Meaning: This refers to God's future administrative plan or period when He will sum up/head up all things under Christ's rule (a coming time of universal reconciliation and fulfillment). It is broader than the current age and points to the ultimate goal of God's purposes.
3. "The dispensation of God" (Colossians 1:25)
"Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God."
- Meaning: Again, Paul's God-given stewardship to minister the gospel (especially the mystery of "Christ in you, the hope of glory" to the Gentiles) to complete God's revelation.
Summary in context: In Paul's writings, "this dispensation" most often points to the current administration of God's grace through the gospel—specifically Paul's apostolic role in revealing and dispensing truths about the Church (the body of Christ) that were previously hidden. It is not primarily a long "age" or era (though dispensational theology builds on this idea), but a divine entrustment or management of God's program.
Paul contrasts this with prior ages (law, prophets, etc.), emphasizing that this is a new stewardship of grace for the Church until the "fullness of times."
Mysteries Revealed to Paul by God
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In Romans 16:25 and a Caution from Peter 3:15-16
" 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
2 Peter 3:15-16 And account [that] the longsuffering of our Lord [is] salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; As also in all [his] epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as [they do] also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.
In other words, get your out of the sand. This is a fact Jack!
In the King James Bible (KJB), the Apostle Paul uses the term "mystery" (from the Greek mystērion, meaning a secret or hidden truth now revealed by God) several times across his epistles. These refer to divine truths that were hidden in past ages but revealed through Paul (and sometimes other apostles/prophets) for the Church age.
Paul does not provide a single numbered list, but the key mysteries he explicitly names or describes are as follows, with direct KJV verses:
- The mystery of the Gospel / the mystery of Christ (often central to Paul's message)
- 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, But now is made manifest..."
- Ephesians 6:19: "...to make known the mystery of the gospel."
- Colossians 4:3-4: "...to speak the mystery of Christ..."
- Colossians 2:2: "...the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ."
- Colossians 1:26-27: "...the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: ... which is Christ in you, the hope of glory." This encompasses the full revelation of salvation through Christ's death and resurrection, including Christ indwelling believers.
- The mystery of His will (God's plan to unite all things under Christ)
- Ephesians 1:9-10: "Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ..."
- The mystery of the Gentiles' inclusion / the fellowship of the mystery (Gentiles as fellow heirs with Jews in one body, the Church)
- Ephesians 3:3-6: "...by revelation he made known unto me the mystery... Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; That the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel..."
- Ephesians 3:9: "...to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God..."
- The mystery of godliness (the incarnation and work of Christ)
- 1 Timothy 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."
- The mystery of the partial blindness/hardening of Israel (until the fullness of the Gentiles comes in)
- Romans 11:25: "For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in."
- The mystery of the Rapture / the change at Christ's coming (believers' bodies transformed)
- 1 Corinthians 15:51: "Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed..."
- The mystery of lawlessness / iniquity (already at work, leading to the man of sin)
- 2 Thessalonians 2:7: "For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way."
- The mystery of marriage / Christ and the Church (as a profound union, illustrated by husband and wife)
- Ephesians 5:31-32: "For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church."
Paul also refers generally to "mysteries of God" (1 Corinthians 4:1: "Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God") and "the wisdom of God in a mystery" (1 Corinthians 2:7).
Many interpreters (especially in dispensational teaching) view these as interconnected aspects of one overarching "mystery" revealed uniquely to Paul—the gospel of grace, the Church as Christ's body, and related truths hidden from prior generations. The core emphasis is that these were not fully revealed in the Old Testament or earlier New Testament writings but made known through Paul for the Church.
What I have to say is that if you don't understand the mysteries that Paul teaches for us in this dispensation. then Gods word will be confusing in your reading of any other part of Gods Word.
I went to another AI which I won't use again. These mysteries are not accepted. This is what mans religion does to the Word of God when they don't like what it says. The Bible is all the Word of God. Paul is the apostle to the Gentiles, US!