Why had the secret about God dealing with the Gentiles never been heard before?
God had been dealing with Israel for over 2,000 years before Christ, so His dealing with Gentiles had never been heard of. This secret, part of the mysteries, was not revealed in the Old Testament, Gospels, or rest of Scripture—only in Paul’s epistles. It is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
Les explains that this secret is part of the overall body of truth called the mysteries. The particular mystery is that Christ is in you, which gives the hope of glory. He points out that you won't find statements like this in the four Gospels, the Old Testament, or any other part of the Bible except Paul's epistles. Before Christ came, God had been dealing with Israel for over 2,000 years. Now that He is dealing with Gentiles, this had never been heard of before. Romans 8:10 confirms that if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin—the old Adam under the curse, part of the fall, so all men must die unless the Lord translates us.
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:
More Questions
What is the secret among the Gentiles in Colossians 1:27?
The 'secret among the Gentiles' in Colossians 1:27 is specifically 'Christ in you,' and this secret is part of the overall body of truth called the mysteries.
What is the overall body of truth to which the secret among the Gentiles belongs?
The secret among the Gentiles in Colossians 1:27 belongs to an overall body of truth that Paul calls 'the mysteries.'