Colossians 1:26 (ASV)

Passage

[even] the mystery which hath been hid for ages and generations: but now hath it been manifested to his saints,

Nearby Context

Colossians 1:24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and fill up on my part that which is lacking of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body`s sake, which is the church;

Colossians 1:25 whereof I was made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which was given me to you-ward, to fulfil the word of God,

Colossians 1:26 [even] the mystery which hath been hid for ages and generations: but now hath it been manifested to his saints,

Colossians 1:27 to whom God was pleased to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

Colossians 1:28 whom we proclaim, admonishing every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ;

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "even", "mystery", "hath", "been", "ages", and "generations". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "even" and "mystery", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 25's "whereof I was made a minister according..." into verse 27's "to whom God was pleased to make...", so "even" and "mystery" belong inside that flow. In Colossians context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "even" and "mystery" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.