to end a letter, and some of the vocabulary in the doxology is considered non-Pauline.149 Arguments from language and style are notoriously subjective, and the presuppositions regarding the dating of other Pauline letters make the issue in this case especially problematic.150 When all is considered, the support from early manuscripts and the thematic connections that point towards authenticity are somewhat counteracted by likely reconstructions of the passage’s history. Given the resulting doubts about the authenticity of the passage, its contribution to Paul’s thought will be assessed with caution.
The passage portrays a gospel that is revealed in the unveiling of the mystery. The essence of the gospel (εὐαγγέλιον) and Christian preaching (κήρυγμα) is summarized by a detailed depiction of the revealed mystery of Christ. According to the passage, the previously hidden mystery has now been revealed. This characterization is consistent with Paul’s description of mystery in 1 Corinthians and elsewhere in Romans, though the division between past hiddenness and present revelation is more marked here.
In the bulk of Rom 16:26, a description of the reception of the mystery is put forward, with the main assertion that the mystery has been made known. The author submits that the grasp of the mystery’s significance arrived through the prophetic Scriptures151 and according to God’s authoritative decree. This pairing introduces a tension that fits within the wider Pauline balance between continuity and discontinuity with regards to the gospel’s relationship to the OT Scriptures.152 As Rom 16:26 continues, it is indicated that the purpose of the revelation of the mystery is to engender the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles, echoing language from Rom 1:5.153 Such wording in Rom 16:25–26 shows that the revealed mystery entails a specific application for Gentiles, which is consistent with Paul’s apostleship to the Gentiles (Rom 11:13). On the whole, the passage portrays a revealed mystery that is equivalent to Paul’s gospel and preaching. By divine initiative and in continuity with past revelation, the mystery is unveiled for the purpose of fostering faith among the Gentiles.
In contrast to the all-encompassing descriptions of mystery in the passages above, 1 Cor 15:51 and Rom 11:25 incorporate the term μυστήριον to highlight one aspect of the broader notion of mystery.154 In 1 Cor 15:51 Paul attests to the mystery of the bodily resurrection. As in previous passages, the mystery is understood to be revealed in Paul’s proclamation of it. It is no longer inaccessible knowledge.155 Once again, the mystery has continuity with past revelation, since the bodily resurrection was referred to or alluded to in passages such as Dan 12:2, Isa 25:8; 26:19, and Hos 13:14.156 But Paul’s talk of mystery signals that he is now offering a more complete understanding of the resurrection. The resurrection, which is patterned after Christ’s death and resurrection and is tied to Christ’s return, has implication for both those who are dead and those who are alive at Christ’s parousia.157 Specifically, since flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God (15:50), living believers, along with the dead, will receive glorified bodies at Christ’s return.158
Two observations are in order about how this passage relates to other mystery sections. First, the eschatological dimension of mystery in this passage corresponds to the eschatological focus in 1 Cor 2:6–16. Second, in comparison to the general uses of mystery discussed earlier, the mystery here transmits a specific detail of God’s revealed plans, but this important detail is still based on the central events of Christ’s life, past and future.
In Rom 11:25–27, Paul imparts the mystery that for a season God is including the Gentiles in his plan of salvation before consummating the fulfillment of his promises to Israel.159 This is presented as truth that the readers had not previously grasped. Though the broad background of God’s salvation through Christ is present in these verses, it is the specific timing and direction of God’s work that is magnified.160 In particular, the mystery involves the place of Jews and Gentiles in God’s saving plans. Paul sees the mission to the Gentiles being brought to completion before salvation for Israel is realized.161 God’s promises to the Jewish people are not eradicated but instead facilitated by ministry progress among the Gentiles.162 Once again, Paul emphasizes continuity with God’s redemptive patterns from the past, using a conflation of OT passages to support his assertions. But it is the reality of God’s intervention through Christ in human history that brings the order and timing of God’s work into clearer focus. In addition, as a chosen herald of God’s revelation, Paul plays a part in the revelation of the mystery by speaking authoritatively about matters that were previously hidden from view. Once again, the passage discusses events with eschatological significance.
The overall testimony of the passages depicting the revelation of the mystery in relation to Paul’s ministry is that Paul viewed himself as an agent of God in proclaiming the full implications of Christ’s advent, death, resurrection, and return. Paul draws upon patterns of expectation shaped by the Old Testament but contends that the clear significance of God’s work in history has been hidden in the eternal plans of God until God has disclosed them by means of the revelation of Christ, the ministry of approved messengers such as Paul, and the work of the Spirit in illuminating God’s truth to believers. 1 Corinthians 2:6–16 relates the mystery to God’s wisdom, future glory, and the work of the Spirit, while 1 Cor 4:1 attaches Paul’s stewardship of the mystery to the picture. Several instances examine the eschatological aspect of the mystery. From Rom 11:25–27 and, if it is admitted into evidence, Rom 16:25–26, the inclusion of the Gentiles in these redemptive plans is one component of the revelatory content of the mystery.
The Old Testament Foundation to Paul’s Ministry to the Gentiles
Even though Paul’s encounter with Christ and his reception of the revealed mystery occurred suddenly and without any expectation on Paul’s part, his ministry was nonetheless rooted in Israel’s past. Paul’s self-understanding is grounded in the OT background of the ministry of the servant figure of Isaiah 40–66. Paul confirms this backdrop most explicitly in Gal 1:15–16, 2 Cor 6:2, and Rom 15:21.163
To begin, Gal 1:15–16 is shaped by the consecration language of Isa 49:1, 5–6. In the literary context of Gal 1–2, Paul is defending the divine origins of his calling and his gospel. His service to God is not a result of his own choice and initiative but of God’s sovereign selection of him before birth. This selection corresponds to the consecration of the servant of Isaiah.
The connections from Gal 1 to Isa 49:1–6 are stronger than to Jer 1:5, which speaks of Jeremiah’s prophetic call. In addition, there are many more major references elsewhere in Paul’s letters to Isa 40–66 than to Jeremiah, so the primary influence on Paul’s thinking is likely Isa 49.164 In particular, the phrase ἐκ κοιλίας μητρός μου from Gal 1:15 parallels the LXX reading of Isa 49:1. This is followed in Gal 1:15 by a form of καλέω, a verb that also occurs after ἐκ κοιλίας μητρός μου in Isa 49:1.165 A look at the broader context of Isaiah 49 will reveal other ways Paul likely drew upon the passage.
In the overall structure of Isaiah 40–66, a shift in directions occurs at the beginning of chapter 49.166 This turn is seen clearly in the changing portrayal of the servant. No longer a mere “passive servant,” as in the preceding chapters, he is “that servant who was introduced at the beginning of the previous section (42:1–9), who will be God’s agent to bring his covenant to the people and his justice to the nations.”167 This servant no longer appears to be equated with the people of Israel as a whole, but rather is an individual representing Israel.168 Israel has failed in its role as a servant, so the text introduces God’s specially chosen servant who will fulfill Israel’s role.169
Chapter 49 begins with an address to “islands” and “peoples from afar,” which foreshadows the focus on the nations in 49:6–7.170 The speaker proceeds to emphasize his calling as Yahweh’s servant (“the LORD called me from the womb; from the body of my mother he named me”), in wording that echoes previous similar occurrences in earlier chapters (Isa 41:8–9; 42:1; 43:1,10; 44:1,21,24; 45:4). The nature of the servant’s ministry is reemphasized in verse 2, with a focus on the mouth of the servant as his key weapon.
