Scripture Read: 1 Timothy 3:16 By common confession, great is the mystery
of godliness: He who was revealed in the flesh, Was vindicated in the
Spirit, Seen by angels, Proclaimed among the nations, Believed on in the world,
Taken up in glory.
Application: Restated “the
mystery” is a secret, hidden before, now revealed
by God which we all commonly confess. This is one of the most powerful verses
in the Word of God because of Christ. Here in just a few phrases we have all
that we hold as Truth stated, simply and succinctly. The only room for argument
is a spirit of rebellion. Paul makes it clear that this simple statement is
what the Body of Christ agrees to:
The words, “without controversy,” (common confession) are the
translation of homologoumenōs (ὁμολογουμενως), an adverb from homologeō (ὁμολογεω), “to agree with.” The translation could read,
“confessedly.”
Paul’s directness about this is refreshing in
our politically correct age. Those that call themselves children of God agree
and understand certain truths that are non-negotiable. The first truth is
obvious, but also so important though, it is often missed.
The term “Great is the mystery of godliness
- The word “mystery” is mustērion (μυστηριον) refers to truth previously hidden, which
when revealed, is understood by the believer.
~ The word is also used of such things as
the mystery of evil, which is a mystery not to be understood, at least, this
side of the grave.
~The mystery of piety towards God on the
part of men is the truth to which Paul referred in the previous verse.”
~ The meaning in the context of this verse is ““The contents of this truth or mystery is
Christ, revealed in the gospel as the Savior from ungodliness, the norm and
inspiration of godliness, the divine life in man, causing him to live unto God
as Christ did and does (Rom. 6:10)” (Vincent).[1]
Much of what we believe is not completely understandable on
this side of glory, we need to accept that and stop fighting about issues that
only God can resolve! The rest of these truths have been clearly revealed to us
and should be embraced.
He who was revealed in the flesh:
God in the Flesh, no room for debate, anything else is a cult!
Was vindicated in the Spirit: The works Christ did through the Power of
the Holy Spirit proved He was the Messiah - John 20:30–31 Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed
in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31
but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ,
the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.
Seen by angels: The fact that all that Jesus did was
witnessed by the Angelic realm, which they gave testimony to i.e. His birth,
His resurrection.
Proclaimed among the nations: This Truth has been preached throughout
the world
and
Believed on in the world: Throughout history, in spite of the effort
made by many; persecutions of unbelievable magnitude, millions who have laid
down their lives without seeking revenge on their murderers, people of every
educational background, economic level and cultural & religious background
have trusted in Christ, changed dramatically and have sensed a oneness with
others of like faith, no matter the differences.
Taken up in glory:
This is the
beginning of the Hope of every child of God. If Christ did not ascend to heaven
than He cannot return. These truths are what makes our heart beat with
excitement as years wane on. We do not become more tired and discouraged.
Though, we become worn out and age takes it’s
toll, but the inner man is energized and renewed at the thought of our Lord
coming back for us! The mystery revealed is seen in our own lives! ~This should be our “mantra”, reminding ourselves daily of this Truth so that we may
endeavor not to lose heart. ~The God-man our own Christ who sacrificed Himself
for us, rose from the dead and asked us to tell others the mystery has been
revealed in the Truth that He is coming back for us soon and then we will live
forever; away from sin and evil, pain and regret, death and sorrow. Most of all
we will be with HIM – face to face! Every child of God should
engraft this passage into their soul Even so…
Come Lord Jesus!
Meditation Questions: Can
you accept as the Word of God states Who Jesus is or do you change it? What
does that say? Even though there are many denominations, how many faiths are
there? If someone changes anything mentioned in this passage what does that
show? Based on this confession, when should we retire from ministry? The world
tries to preach oneness, but what is their oneness based on? What is our
oneness based on? When you meet a fellow believer, what do you sense? Does it
matter if they look different or sound different? What does that say?
[1]
Wuest, K. S. (1997). Wuest's word studies
from the Greek New Testament : For the English reader (1 Ti 3:16). Grand
Rapids: Eerdmans.
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