Bible Diary - 1 Timothy 3:14-16

February 26, 2008

The English Standard Version of the Bible, which I regard as my “gold standard”, heads this passage “The mystery of godliness.” For this Christian at least, there is still mystery concerning gospel truth. It’s “mysterious” because I live with sufficient but still imperfect understanding of who Jesus is. This doesn’t bother me much, in fact it adds to the excitement of continually learning more of what this Christian life is all about. My mind, my thinking, is being renewed daily by the work of the Holy Spirit within. I just wish I could learn to be more cooperative.

Conduct in God’s Church

3:14 I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these instructions to you 3:15 in case I am delayed, to let you know how people ought to conduct themselves in the household of God, because it is the church of the living God, the support and bulwark of the truth. 3:16 And we all agree, our religion contains amazing revelation:

He was revealed in the flesh,

vindicated by the Spirit,

seen by angels,

proclaimed among Gentiles,

believed on in the world,

taken up in glory.

The last verse appears to be from a hymn familiar to Paul’s readers. It refers to the incarnation of Jesus Christ (revealed in the flesh), vindication by the Spirit on the cross, seen by angels on his return to heaven, proclaimed to all by the Apostles and the written word, believed through the regenerating power of God, and taken up in glory at the end of time.

Because of the mystery still surrounding these events, the naysayers, not unreasonably, say that this interpretation is no more than a string of unsupported assertions. Well, maybe. The facts regarding Jesus Christ are not in question. Whether the lines of verse 16 are meant to refer directly to Jesus Christ are arguable, but I will leave the argument to others. All I know is that this passage confronts me with the ongoing mystery of faith. The mystery has been partly revealed in Jesus Christ and will be fully revealed in God’s good time.

Dave

-sdg-

Posted by Dave | Filed Under Bible