C I Scofield gives an excellent answer to this question in his Study Bible with the note at Ephesians 3:6 which I have included below in quotes:
“That the Gentiles were to be saved was no mystery (Romans 9:24 to 33; Romans 10:19 to 21). The mystery “hid in God” was the divine purpose to make of Jew and Gentile a wholly new thing—“the church, which is His (Christ’s) Body,” formed by the baptism with the Holy Spirit (I Corinthians 12:12, 13) and in which the earthly distinction of Jew and Gentile disappears (Ephesians 2:14, 15; Colossians 3:10, 11). The revelation of this mystery, which was foretold, but not explained by Christ (Matthew 16:18), was committed to Paul. In his writings alone we find the doctrine, position, walk, and destiny of the Church.”
As a disclaimer I do not blindly follow Scofield or any other writer. All notes in his Study Bible must be considered in light of Scripture rightly divided. For example, although I agree with Scofield's note above that Paul's writings alone give information about the church (Body of Christ), I disagree that the portion of the note that says the church was "foretold, but not explained by Christ." Since Paul says the Body of Christ was a mystery revealed to him, then I do not believe it could have been revealed before Acts 9. I believe the church Christ refers to in Matthew 16 refers to the Jewish Kingdom Church of the Acts period.
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