Colossians 1:26 - Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible

Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations; viz. that holy secret of godliness, Colossians 2:2,3 Colossians 4:3 Matthew 13:11 Romans 16:25,26 1 Corinthians 2:7 Ephesians 3:3,4,6,8-10; see 1 Timothy 3:16 Revelation 14:6; which doth not consist in beggarly elements, Galatians 4:9, or vain speculations, which these Colossians are cautioned to avoid, Colossians 2:8, however varnished; but is to them who are saved, the power of God, Romans 1:16 1 Corinthians 1:18,19, and the wisdom of God, 1 Corinthians 1:24, which lay hid in God before the world, 1 Corinthians 2:7 2 Timothy 1:9 Titus 1:2 1 Peter 1:20: yea, and after God had to our first parents, and so to his people the Jews, given some glimpse of this mystery, which yet the Gentiles of several ages were ignorant of, and many of the Jews, yea, the most knowing of them did not, for many generations, know that the Gentiles without circumcision, &c. were to be admitted into the church, Acts 10:28: the prophets were very inquisitive to know the meaning of it, but yet they also were much in the dark, 1 Corinthians 2:9 1 Peter 1:10,11; yea, the angels did not know this hidden mystery, till revealed by the church, Ephesians 1:10. But now is made manifest to his saints; but now God that revealeth secrets, Daniel 2:28, hath opened his bosom counsel about this affair most clearly, so that his glory, by those that really fear him, may be seen with open face as in a glass through Christ, Matthew 13:11 Mark 4:11 1 Thessalonians 8:47, 1 Thessalonians 15:15 Acts 16:14 1 Corinthians 2:10,16 2 Corinthians 3:18; all necessary to salvation being made conspicuous and clear to them, 1 Peter 2:9.