Which in other ages was not made known unto, the sons
of
men
That is, which mystery of Christ, and of the Gospel, was not made
known to men in general, nor so clearly as under the Gospel
dispensation. Some hints were given of it to Adam, immediately
after his fall; and the Gospel was before preached to Abraham,
Moses, and David, and others knew something of it; and it was
still more fully dispensed in the times of the prophet Isaiah,
and other following prophets: but then the knowledge of it was
not so extensive, nor so clear as now; it lay hid in types and
shadows, in obscure prophecies and short hints. Moreover, this
may have respect particularly to the calling of the Gentiles, as
appears from the following words; this was, in some measure, made
known, as that in Christ all the nations of the earth should be
blessed; that when Shiloh came, to him should the gathering of
the people be; that the Messiah should be an ensign of the
people, and to him should the Gentiles seek; that he should be
the covenant of the people, and a leader and a commander of them;
and that there should be great flockings to him; but then this
was not known to many, and the time, mode, and circumstances of
it were but little understood, and comparatively speaking, it was
not known: however, it was not so known,
as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets
by the
spirit.
The apostles and prophets were the superior officers in the
Gospel dispensation; the former design the twelve apostles of
Christ, and the latter such who had the gift of interpreting the
prophecies of the Old Testament, and of foretelling things to
come, having received gifts from Christ to fit them for such
offices, some apostles, some prophets; and to these a revelation
was made of the mystery of the Gospel in general, and of the
calling of the Gentiles in particular, by the Spirit, who
searches the deep things of God, and reveals them, and leads into
all truth; and who, by falling upon the Gentiles, as upon
Cornelius and his family, and by the success which he gave to the
Gospel in the Gentile world, made their calling clear and
manifest. The Complutensian edition reads, "by the Holy Spirit";
and so the Arabic and Ethiopic versions.