words will hardly allow. 2. It may be rendered agreeably to my gospel, n such a manner as my gospel requires ; or, 3. Through.^ i. e. by means of the gospel. The second interpretation is perhaps the best. And the preaching of Jesus Christ. This may mean either ' Christ's preach- ing;' or *the preaching concerning Christ;' either interpretation gives a good sense, the gospel being both a proclamation by Christ, and con- cerning Christ. The apostle dwells upon this idea, and is led into a description and commendation of the gospel. According to the revela- tion of the mystery. These words may be considered as co-ordinate with the preceding clause ; the sense then is, ' "Who is able to establish you agreeably to (or through) my gospel, agreeably to (through) the revelation of the mystery,' &c. It is, however, more common and natu- ral to consider this clause as subordinate and descriptive. ' The gospel is a revelation of the mystery which had been hid for ages.' The word mystery, according to the common scriptural sense of the term, does not mean something obscure or incomprehensible, but simply something previously unknown, and undiscoverable by human reason, and which, if known at all, must be known by a revelation from God ; see ch. 11 : 25. According to this passage, Paul speaks of the gospel as something <* which had been kept secret since the world began ;" i. e. hidden from eternity in the divine Mind. It is not a system of human philosophy, or the result of human investigation, but it is a revelation of the purpose of God. Paul often presents the idea that the plan of redemption was formed from eternity, and is such as no eye could discover, and no heart conceive, 1 Cor. 2 : 7—9. Col. 1 : 26.
(26) But is now made manifest, and by the scriptures of the pro- phets ; that is, ' this gospel or mystery, hidden from eternity, is now revealed ; not now for the first time, indeed, since there are so many intimations of it in the prophecies of the Old Testament.' It is evident that the apostle adds the words and by the scriptures of the prophets to avoid having it supposed that he overlooked the fact that the plan of redemption was taught in the Old Testament; compare ch. 1 : 2. 3 : 21. According to the command of the everlasting God, that is, this gospel is now made manifest by command of God. Paul probably uses the expression everlasting God, because he had just before said that the gos- pel was hid from eternity, * It is now revealed by that eternal Being in whose mind the wonderful plan was formed, and by whom alone it could be revealed.' Made known to all nations for the obedience of faith, ' Made known among all nations.' For the obedience of faith, i. e. that they should become obedient to the faith ; see ch. 1 : 5. This gospel, so long concealed, or but partially revealed in the ancient prophets, is now, by the command of God, to be made known among all nations.
(27) To the only wise God be glory through Jesus Christ for ever. Amen. There is an ambiguity in the original which is not retained in our version. * To the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever.' The construction adopted by our translators is perhaps