In antiquity, the Greek word μυστήριον...

In antiquity, the Greek word μυστήριον could mean “something secret” or “hidden,” or a “secret rite” of initiation.Mystery terminology was operative in philosophy, asin the works of Plato. Only those who have undergone specific philosophical training have access to certain kinds of knowledge. While it was once common to interpret early Christianity in terms of Greco-Roman mysteries and to understand many of its concepts as borrowed from them, a better recognition of the differences between pagan and Christian mysteries, along with a greater appreciation of the Jewish context of Christianity, has rightly placed a limit on such an approach.