The words recall the language of Rom. 16:25 f. ( v. supr. ) Eph. 6:19. ejn parrhsiva/ gnwrivsai to; musthvrion tou' eujaggelivou the mystery of the Gospelthe revelation contained in the Gospel.
(
c
) 1 Tim. 3:9.
e[conta" to; musthvrion th'" pivstew" ejn kaqara'/ suneidhvsei
holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience.
Tim. 3:16.
k. oJmologoumevnw" mevga ejsti;n to; th'" eujsebeiva" musthvrion
the mystery of godliness.
B. Apoc. 10:7.
kai; ejtelevsqh to; musthvrion tou' qeou', wJ" eujhggevlisen tou;" eJautou' douvlou" tou;" profhvta"
where the mystery of God is a revelation now imminent (vs. 6 there shall be delay no longer: cf. Dan. 12:7) and the language is that of Amos 3:7 Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but He revealeth his secret unto His servants the prophets.
(2) In the sense of a particular truth, or detail, of the Christian revelation, the word occurs seven times in St Paul, and three times in the Apocalypse.
A. (
a
) 2 Thess. 2:7.
to; ga;r musthvrion h[dh ejnergei'tai th'" ajnomiva"
.
Cor. 4:1.
uJphrevta" Cristou' k. oijkonovmou" musthrivwn qeou'
. :2.
ka]n e[cw profhteivan kai; eijdw' ta; musthvria pavnta
.
:2.
pneuvmati de; lalei' musthvria
.
:51.
ijdouv, musthvrion uJmi'n levgw
a mysterya heavenly truthrevealed to me. Rom. 11:25.
ouj ga;r qevlw uJma'" ajgnoei'n to; musthvrion tou'to
o{ti pwvrwsi" ajpo; mevrou" tw'/ jIsrah;l gevgonen a[cri ou| to; plhvrwma tw'n ejqnw'n eijsevlqh/ k.t.l.
( b ) Eph. 5:32. to; musthvrion tou'to mevga ejstivn, ejgw; de; levgw eij" Cristo;n kai; ªeij"º th;n ejkklhsivan this mysterythis revealed truth of a unique relationship.
The law of marriage laid down in Genesis as given to Adam was for St Paul a preliminary indication of a hidden Divine purpose or ordinance, the full meaning of which was to be revealed only by the revealing of Christ as the Head of His spouse the Church (Hort:
Prolegomena to Romans and Ephesians
, p. 160).
B. Matt. 13:11.
uJmi'n devdotai gnw'nai ta; musthvria th'" basileiva" t. oujranw'n, ejkeivnoi" de; ouj devdotai
(Lk. 8:10
toi'" de; loivpoi" ejn parabolai'"
).
[Mark 4:11 has uJmi'n to; musthvrion devdotai , where perhaps the singular may be regarded as = gnw'nai ta; musthvria of Mt. and Lk., and, for the second clause, ejkeivnoi" de; toi'" e[xw ejn parabolai'" ta; pavnta givnetai .]
Apoc. 1:20. to; musthvrion tw'n eJpta; ajstevrwn the mystery of [the inner meaning of the truth signified by] the seven stars.
Apoc. 17:5. k. ejpi; to; mevtwpon aujth'" o[noma gegrammevnon, musthvrion, Babulwvn k.t.l. where musthvrion = name significant of a spiritual truth.
Apoc. 17:7.
ejgw; ejrw' soi to; musthvrion
[the mysterythe inner significance ofthe unseen fact signified by]
th'" gunaiko;" k. tou' qhrivou
.
[The history of the use of the term in pre-Christian Greek deserves further study. Already in Plato, Theaet. 156 a, a[lloi de; komyovteroi, w|n mevllw soi ta; musthvria levgein the word is used metaphorically, not, that is, of the actual, ceremonial, mysteries or mystic implements, but of philosophical doctrines belonging to men of a particular School and expounded with authority by them alone,