which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations, as it now was revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit:
Truth to Learn
We have the Word of God in our possession.
Behind the Words
“Made known” is from gnoridzō, which we saw a couple of verses earlier. It means “to become known.” It is expressed here in the passive voice (action done to the subject). And, it is expressed here in the aorist tense, indicating action that occurred at a point in time in the past.
The words “the sons of men” are a literal translation of the Greek words, “tois huiois tōn anthrōpōn.” It is a reference to those who are men by nature. It is contrasted to the apostles and prophets to whom the mystery was revealed by the Holy Spirit.
The word translated “other” is heteros, which means “another of a different kind.” There is another Greek word, allos, which means “another of the same kind.” The use of heteros implies that the age we live in is different from previous ages.
“Generations” is from the Greek noun genea. It is derived from the verb ginomai, meaning “to become” or “to begin to be.” The original meaning of genea was that of “a generation,” but in New Testament Greek it sometimes refers simply to “a period of time.”
Apostolos is the word from which we get “apostles.” As you can see it is a transliteration (a word brought over directly from one language to another). It is made up of apo, meaning “from” or “away from” and a form of the verb stellō, meaning “to send forth.” Apostolos means “one who is sent forth from God.”
The word “prophets” is also a transliteration. It is transliterated from the Greek word prophetēs, which is made up of pro, meaning “before, in place or time” and a form of phēmi, meaning “to tell.” Thus, a prophet is “someone who declares God’s message before the people or before it happens.”
Meaning Explained
Previously, Paul told us that the mystery that he is talking about was revealed to him, not by a human teacher, but by God Himself. Now he informs us that through his ministry this mystery is also being revealed to us in the church age. This mystery (that Gentiles and Jews are both part of God’s chosen people) was unknown before Paul’s preaching.
If you read through the third chapter of his letter to the church in Rome, you will see that before the church age, the Jews had a great advantage over the Gentiles. Here’s what he said:
What, then is the superiority of the Jew? Or what is the profit of circumcision? Much in every way! Chiefly because they were entrusted with the oracles of God. (Romans 3:1, 2)
The word translated “oracles” here is logion, which refers to “an utterance.” So, what Paul is saying is that the advantage the Jews had was that God spoke directly to them. His laws and commandments were given to them and not to anyone else.
But now, because of the preaching of the Apostles and Prophets since the time of Christ, all nations of the world can hear and understand God’s truth. And, it is through this truth, now written in the New Testament, that we all have an opportunity to hear and believe God’s promise of salvation.
Application
Do you recognize how precious the truths in the Bible are? Both the Old Testament and the New Testament contain information directly from God. That’s why it is often called “the Word of God.” Treasure it – and thank God for it!
In God's service, for His glory,
Copyright © 2015 Will Krause. All rights reserved
