as a mystery is the biblical theology of mystery, especially its New Testament sense. For the New Testament, a mystery is something that has always existed but has only been revealed by God more recently. Thus Paul proclaims “the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages but has now been disclosed” (Rom 16:25–26), and “the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God … now … made known” (Eph 3:9–10). In most of the contexts where Paul uses the language of mystery, his immediate referent
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