μυστήριον, -ov, τό, (μύστης [one initiated; fr. μυέω, 4: ν.7), in class. Grk. a hidden thing, secret, mystery: μυστήριόν σου μὴ κατείπῃς τῷ φίλῳ, Menand.; plur. generally mysteries, religious secrets, confided only to the initiated and not to be communicated by them to ordinary mortals; [ef. K. 1 Hermann, Gottesdienstl. Alterthiimer der Griechen, § 32]. In the Scriptures 1. a hidden or secret thing, not obvious to the understanding: 1 Co. xiii. 2; xiv. 2; (of the secret rites of the Gentiles, Sap. xiv. 15, 23). 2. a hidden purpose or counsel; secret will: of men, τοῦ βασιλέως, Tob. xii. 7,11; τῆς βουλῆς αὐτοῦ, Judith ii. 2; of God: μυστήρια θεοῦ, the secret counsels which govern God in dealing with the righteous, which are hidden from ungodly and wicked men but plain to the godly, Sap. ii. 22. In the N. T., God's plan of providing salvation for men through Christ, which was once hidden but now is revealed: Ro. xvi. 25; 1 Co. ii. 7 (on this see ἐν, I. 5 f.); Eph. iii. 9; Col. i. 26 sq.; with rod θελήματος αὐτοῦ added, Eph. i. 9; τοῦ θεοῦ, which God formed, Col. ii. 2; [1 Co. ii. 1 WH txt.]; τοῦ Χριστοῦ, respecting Christ, Col. iv. 3; rod εὐαγγελίου, which is contained and announced in the gospel, Eph. vi. 19; ἐτελέσθη τὸ μυστ. τοῦ θεοῦ, said of the consummation of this purpose, to be looked for when Christ returns, Rev. x. 7; τὰ p. τῆς βασιλείας τῶν ovp. or τοῦ θεοῦ, the secret purposes relative to the kingdom of God, Mt. xiii. 11; Mk. iv. 11; Lk. viii. 10; used of certain single events decreed by God having reference to his kingdom or the salvation of men, Ro. xi. 25; 1 Co. xy. 51; of God’s purpose to bless the Gentiles also with salvation through Christ [ef. Bp. Lghtft. on Col. i. 26], Eph. iii. 8 ef. 5; with rod Χριστοῦ added, ibid. vs. 4; οἶκονόμοι μυστηρίων θεοῦ, the stewards of God’s mysteries, i.e. those intrusted with the announcement of God’s secret purposes to men, 1 Co. iv. 1; used generally, of Christian truth as hidden from ungodly men: with the addition of τῆς πίστεως, τῆς εὐσεβείας, which faith and godliness embrace and keep, 1 Tim. iii. 9, 16; τὸ μυστ. τῆς ἀνομίας the mystery of lawlessness, the secret pur- | pose formed by lawlessness, seems to be a tacit antithesis to God’s saving purpose, 2 Th. ii. 7. 3. Like 81 and 7jD in rabbinic writers, it denotes the mystic or hidden sense: of an O. T. saying, Eph. v. 32; of a name, Rey. xvii. 5; of an image or form seen in a vision, Rev. i. 20; xvii. 5; of a dream, Dan. (Theodot.) ii. 18 56. 27-30, where the Sept. so render τ. (The Vulg. translates the word sacramentum in Dan. ii. 18; iv. 6; Tob. xii. 7; Sap. ii. 22; Eph. i. 9; iii. 3,9; v.32; 1 Tim. iii. 16; Rev.i. 20.) [On the distinctive N. T. use of the word cf. Campbell, Dissertations on the Gospels. diss. ix. pt. i.; Kendrick in B. D. Am. ed. 8. v. Mystery; Bp Lghtft. on Col. i. 26.]

μυστήριον mystērion 28x

a matter to the knowledge of which initiation is necessary; a secret which would remain such but for revelation, Mt. 3:11; Rom. 11:25; Col. 1:26; a concealed power or principle, 2 Thess. 2:7; a hidden meaning of a symbol, Rev. 1:20; 17:7

μυστήριον, -ου, τό

(< μυέω), [in LXX: Da LXX TH 2:18 ff. (רָז), To 12:7, 11, Jth 2:2, Wi 2:22 6:22 14:15, 23, Si 3:18 22:22 27:16, 17, 21, II Mac 13:21*;]

that which is known to the μύστης (initiated), a mystery or secret doctrine, mostly in pl., τὰ μ. (Æsch., Hdt., al.).

In later writers (Menand., Incert., 168), that which may not be revealed (not, however, as in the modern sense, intrinsically difficult to understand), a secret or mystery of any kind (To 12:7, 11, Jth 2:2, II Mac 13:21).

In NT, of the counsels of God (cf. Th.: Jb 15:8, Ps 24 (25):14 for סוֹד), once hidden but now revealed in the Gospel or some fact thereof; of the Christian revelation generally: Ro 16:25, I Co 2:7, Col 1:26, 27, Eph 3:3, 9; τ. βασιλείας τ. θεοῦ, Mk 4:11; τ. θεοῦ, I Co 2:1, Re 10:7; τ. θ., Χριστοῦ, Col 2:2; τ. Χριστοῦ, Col 4:3, Eph 3:4; τ. θελήματος αὐτοῦ, Eph 1:9; τ. εὐαγγελίου, Eph 6:19; τ. πίστεως, I Ti 3:9; τ. εὐσεβείας, I Ti 3:16;

of particular truths, or details, of the Christian revelation: Ro 11:25, I Co 15:51, Eph 5:32, II Th 2:7, Re 1:20 17:5, 7; pl., τὰ μ., I Co 13:2 14:2; θεοῦ, I Co 4:1; τ. βασιλείας τ. οὐρανῶν (θεοῦ), Mt 13:11, Lk 8:10 (cf. Westc., Eph., 180 ff.; AR, Eph., 234 ff.; Lft., Col., 165 f.; Hatch, Essays, 57 f.; DB, iii, 465 ff.; DCG, ii, 213 ff.).†

μυστήριον. There are many aspects of this important word which lie outside our immediate purpose, but its use as a technical term in pagan religion to denote a “secret ’’ or “‘ secret doctrine ’ known only to the initiated, which they are not at liberty to disclose, may be briefly illustrated. Thus from the inserr. we have OGZS 331% (Pergamon—mid. ii/B.c.) διεταξάμεθα δὲ ἀκολούθως τούτοις καὶ περὶ θυσιῶγ καὶ πομπῶγ καὶ μυστηρίων τῶν ἐπιτελουμένωμ πρὸ πόλεως αὐτῶι ἐν τοῖς καθήκουσι καιροῖς καὶ τόποις, 0. 5281" τοῦ μεγάλου καὶ κοινοῦ τῆς Βειθυ[νίας να]οῦ τῶν μυστηρίων ἱεροφάντ[ην, 70. 540%! (end i/a.p.) ᾿Ατταβοκαοὶ οἱ τῶν τῆς θεοῦ []ἸλεέγΣ | Magnae] μυστηρίων μύστ[αι ἐτεῆμησαν τὸν [ἑαυτῶν φίλον καὶ εὐεργέτην, and 24. 7215 (iv/A.D.) ὁ δᾳδοῦχος τῶν ἁγιωτάτων ᾿Εἰλευσῖνι μυστηρίων [Νικαγόρας. In the sepulchral epigram Abel 5884 a priest is described α5---ἐκτελέσας μυστήρια πάντοτε σεμνῶς, cf. 24.7 τὰ βίου συνεχῶς μυστήρια σεμνά, where the adv. συνεχῶς is used for an ad). λέγειν τὴν στήλην καὶ τὸ μυστήριον τοῦ θεοῦ : cf. ἢ 1" ἄτερ γὰρ τούτων ὁ (θ)εὸς οὐκ ἐπακούσεται, ἄλλως (ἀ)μυστηρίαστον οὐ παραδέξιί = εἶται, ‘nam sine his deus non exaudiet, alioqui (non) initiatum non admittet” (Ed.). The word seems to refer to a material object in P Leid V *¥9 (iti/iv A.D.) δότε οὖν πνεῦμα TO ὑπ᾽ ἐμοῦ κατασκευασμένῳ μυστ[ηρ]ΐῳ. In an interesting love-charm from a Berlin papyrus (Ρ Berol 9909), now edited in Aegyftus iv. (1923), pp. 305-8, the unusual formula δὐκεῖται παρὰ σοὶ Td θεῖον μυστήριον occurs, apparently with reference to the fact that some of the hair of the beloved was attached to the papyrus, which had been inserted in the mouth of the mummy (whose νεκυδαίμων was invoked to aid the lover). In an incantation to the Great Deity in P Lond 461° (iv/a.p.) (=I. p. 68) the words | occur—ty® εἰμι Μουσῆς (7. Matos) 6 προφήτης σου ᾧ παρέδωκας τὰ μυστήριά σου τὰ συντελούμενα ᾿Ιστραήλ. See also the magical P Par 5747477 (iv/A.p.) διέβαλεν γάρ σου τὰ ἱερὰ μυστήρια ἀνθρώποις els γνῶσιν. Another ex. of the word, which we owe to the courtesy of Dr. Victor Martin, is afforded by an unedited Genevan papyrus, unfortunately mutilated at the most interesting point, where the writer assures his readers that if, in priority to extraneous | pleasures (ὑπερόρια ἡδέα), they auspiciously perform the mysteries, things will afterwards turn out well for them—ei] yap ἐπ᾽ ἀγαθοῖς πρότερον τῶν. .[.ο]Ἱυσων τὰ μυστήρια τελέ[covet] ὕϊσ]τερίο]ν αὐτοῖς συμβαίνίει. .. equivalent of Mt 683, εὐ a sort of pagan The Biblical usage of the word follows different lines | and is traced with great fulness by J. A. Robinson Ephesians, p. 234 ff., where in particular it is shown | hat in its NT sense a mystery is “ποῖ a thing which must be kept secret. On the contrary it is a secret which God wills to make known and has charged His | Apostles to declare to those who have ears t6 hear lege (Ρ. 240). So far then as this word is concerned we are not prepared to find any ‘‘intimate”’ connexion between Paulinism and the mystery-religions: cf. H. A. A. Kennedy δ. Paul and the Mystery-Religions (London, 1913), C. Clemen Der Einfluss der Mysterienreligionen auf das dlteste Christentwm (Giessen, 1913), and for a different view W. Bousset Kyrios Christos, Gottingen, 1913, p. 125 ff., R. Reitzenstein From | 420, | ἑαυτοῦ υἱὸν Kal μωρ[ό]ν τινα.

μυστήριον (mustērion) — mystery. μυστήρι-ον, τό, (μύστης, μυέω) mystery or secret rite: mostly in plural, τὰ μ. the mysteries, first in [Refs 5th c.BC+] (of the mysteries of the Cabiri in Samothrace), etc.; especially those of Demeter at Eleusis, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; μυστηρίοις τοῖς μείζοσιν, τοῖς ὀλείζοσιν μ., [Refs]; but usually, τὰ μεγάλα, τὰ μικρὰ μ., [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἀπιέναι πρὸ τῶν μ., i.e. before you have reached the heart of the matter, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; τὰ τῆς θεοῦ (i.e. Μεγάλης Μητρὸς) μ. [Refs 1st c.AD+]; οἱ θεοὶ οἷς τὰ μ. ἐπιτελεῖται [Refs 1st c.BC+]; τὰ μ. ποιεῖν [Refs 5th c.BC+]; μ. ἐρεῖν And.[same place]: later in singular, [Refs 2nd c.AD+]

2. mystic implements and ornaments, σεμνὰ στεμμάτων μυστήρια [Refs 5th c.BC+]; especially properties, such as were carried to Eleusis at the celebration of the mysteries, ὄνος ἄγω μυστήρια, proverbial of an over-loaded beast, [Refs 5th c.BC+]

2. b later, object used in magical rites, talisman, δότε πνεῦμα τῷ ὑπ᾽ ἐμοῦ κατεσκευασμένῳ μ. [Refs 3rd c.AD+]

3. metaphorically, ὕπνος, τὰ μικρὰ τοῦ θανάτου μ. [Refs 4th c.BC+]; τῆς Ῥωμαίων ἀρχῆς σεμνὸν μ., of the military sacramentum, [Refs 2nd c.AD+]: generally, mystery, secret, [LXX+5th c.BC+]; προσήγγειλε τὰ μ. τοῖς πολεμίοις[LXX+2nd c.AD+]; τοὐμὸν τὸ μ. [the remedy] is my secret, [Refs 2nd c.AD+]: hence, of a medicine, [Refs 2nd c.AD+]

4. secret revealed by God, i.e. religious or mystical truth, Corp. Herm.[Refs], etc.; τὰ μ. τῆς βασιλείας τῶν οὐρανῶν [NT]; τὸ μ. τῆς ἀνομίας the mystery of iniquity, [NT+1st c.AD+]; especially of the Gospel or parts of it, τὸ μ. τοῦ εὐαγγελίου [NT]; symbol, τὸ μ. τῶν ἑπτὰ ἀστέρων [NT]

5. σύνηθές τι μ. some vulgar superstition, [Refs 2nd c.AD+]

II. Dionysius the tyrant called mouse-holes μυστήρια (μῦς, τηρεῖν), [Refs 2nd c.AD+]