Where was the mystery hidden, and who is the God in whom it was hidden?
The mystery was hidden in God from the beginning of the age. The God in whom it was hidden is the same God who created all things by Jesus Christ. Scripture presents this hidden truth as God's revelation, later made known through Paul's writings, including redemption, justification, forgiveness, the indwelling Holy Spirit, and baptism into the Body of Christ.
Les explains that the secret, or mystery, had been hid since the beginning of the age, and the same word for “hid” appears in Deuteronomy 29. This mystery was hid in God, the same God who created all things by Jesus Christ. Les teaches that this whole package of revealed truth comes from the pen of Paul, including redemption through the atoning blood of Christ, justification, forgiveness, the indwelling Holy Spirit, and baptism by the Holy Spirit into the Body of Christ. He notes that the term “Body of Christ” is not found anywhere in Scripture except in Paul’s writing, where it refers to the compilation of saved people—every believer becoming a member. This was a revelation of a mystery never mooted before, a sudden outcalling.
And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:
More Questions
Since when has the mystery Paul reveals been hidden, and what word does Scripture use for it?
The mystery Paul writes about has been hidden since the beginning of the age — 'age' being a better word than 'world' — and the operative word is 'hid.'