1 Timóteo 3
Charles Spurgeon · Citado em PreceptAustin
1 Timóteo 3
Spurgeon - The church—conservative and aggressive 1 Timothy 3:15 I remember a somewhat ludicrous incident which occurred to a church in which there were great quarrellings and bickerings. The minister and the deacons, and the people, were all at arm’s length, and daggers drawn. It was determined at last that the matter should come to a settlement, and it was by mutual consent given up to the judgment of a good Christian farmer, who lived in the neighbourhood. He was to hear the case, and write an answer to be read at the next church meeting. Our friend, the farmer, sat down to write his letter; at the same time he had a letter from a steward or tenant asking advice about his farm, and by a mistake, or rather by a blessed providence as God would have it, he put the wrong letters into the envelopes, so that the letter which was intended for the church went to the steward, and that which was intended for the steward went to the church. At the church meeting, when they were all assembled, this letter was read to the church; it ran thus: ‘Dear friend, mind you see to the hedges well. Keep them up as best you can, and take special care of the old black bull.’ Now that was a most extraordinary letter to write to a church. It had been sent by mistake, but the minister, thinking it was a bona fide piece of advice, said he could not comprehend it. Some brother got up and said it was plain enough; it was meant that they must be very watchful as to whom they should receive into the church. They must keep their hedges up and see there were no gaps. ‘And,’ said he, ‘by ‘the old black bull’ I have no doubt he means that spirit of Satan that would get in and trouble and divide us.’ So understanding it in that sense they made up their difference, repaired their hedges, and were careful of ‘the old black bull.’ Every church must do the same. 1 Timothy 3:15 That thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God. - - J R Miller It is important that those who occupy official positions in the Church shall be worthy, and that they fittingly "behave themselves in the house of God." The minister should be without reproach. His name should be like ointment poured forth. He should be "temperate," using the word in its broader sense; he should have his temper, his speech, his feelings, his appetites, under complete mastery. He should be soberminded - not long-faced, but serious, reverent. He should be apt to teach; gentle, not contentious. He should be well spoken of among those who are outside. Other church officers are under scarcely less holy sanctions. Deacons must be grave, not double-tongued, not greedy for money, holding faith in a pure conscience, and living a blameless life. Holiness becometh God’s house, and all who are active in its affairs should be reverent, sincere, and worthy examples to all who look to them as their leaders. Unfit behavior in official church members hurts Christ’s cause. A Home For God God was manifested in the flesh. — 1 Timothy 3:16 Today's Scripture : John 1:1-14 When King Solomon wanted to construct a temple for the Lord, he was overwhelmed by the knowledge that he could never make one that would be fully adequate. In awe he exclaimed, “Who is able to build Him a temple, since heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain Him?” (2 Chr. 2:6). The answer to the king’s question is found in God Himself. Centuries after Solomon built a temple for the Lord, God prepared an earthly home for Himself through the miracle of Jesus’ birth (Heb. 10:5). I thought of this miracle when my family and I visited a museum. On display was an unforgettable exhibit tracing the development of a human being through its various stages. The final part of the display, showing several full-term babies, captured the interest of most of the spectators. It was the earliest stage, however, that left the most profound impression on me. I marveled that the God of heaven would condescend to dwell among us and begin His earthly existence as a tiny cell in the womb of a virgin. My heart overflowed with praise as I realized how much He loves us, and how He humbled Himself to save us. Heaven's arches rang when the angels sang, Proclaiming Thy royal degree; But of lowly birth didst Thou come to earth And in greatest humility. —Elliott God made His home with us that we might make our home with God. A Good Church The Lord has done great things for us, and we are glad. — Psalm 126:3 Today's Scripture : 1 Timothy 3:14-4:10 A television documentary showed several types of worship services in American churches. I liked some of what I saw but was troubled by an emphasis on being entertained instead of being led in worship. The focus of many services was on having fun rather than on worshiping the Lord. This is more than a matter of differing styles. I’ve been enriched in highly liturgical as well as in less formal services. I have also been edified in gatherings marked by spontaneity and freedom. But in all of these there was a genuine sense of worship. The one indispensable element of a good church service is the celebration of God’s great redeeming acts in the death, burial, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ. These saving events were the theme of an early church hymn quoted in 1 Timothy 3:16, and they were to be central in the message Paul urged Timothy to proclaim (4:6-10). The quiet hush of reverent hearts Prepares us for God's Word, And brings a stillness to our lives That lets His voice be heard. —DJD In some churches there is more commotion and emotion than devotion. Church By Pastor J. David Hoke SCRIPTURE: 1 Timothy 3:15 INTRODUCTION: Has anyone asked you, “What’s church really all about anyway?” Paul gives two wonderful descriptions that capture the meaning and purpose of the Church. 1 Household of God. One of the most powerful images is that of the church as a family; this idea focuses on the essential ingredient of relationships. In families we are related to one another by blood. Do you see yourself as related to these people sitting all around you? Do you treat them as such? 2 Pillar of Truth. The church is a place where truth can be discovered and known. The church provides us with an environment where we can be challenged to live our lives on the basis of the truth we have come to know. CONCLUSION: The church is composed of people redeemed by the Son of God, brought together by the will of God to live together as the family of God, in order to do the work of God in the power of the Spirit of God, all for the glory of God. A W Tozer - MINISTRY OF THE CHURCH 1 Timothy 3:15 Mornings with Tozer: Daily Devotional Readings - Page 28 Not all of the pooled efforts of any church can make a Christian out of a lost man! The Christian life begins with the individual; a soul has a saving encounter with God, and the new life is born. All else being equal, every individual Christian will find in the communion of a local church the most perfect atmosphere for the fullest development of his spiritual life. There he will also find the best arena for the largest exercise of those gifts and powers with which God may have endowed him. Unfortunately, the word “church” has taken on meanings which it did not originally have. The meaning of the word for the true Christian was fixed by our Lord and His apostles, and no man and no angel has authority to change it! The universal Church is the Body of Christ, the Bride of the Lamb, the habitation of God through the Spirit, the pillar and the ground of the Truth. Without doubt the most important body on earth is the Church of God, which He purchased with His own blood! Spurgeon - What the church should be 1 Timothy 3:15 How holy should all members of Christian churches be! ‘Holiness becometh thine house.’ An unholy member of a church! What shall I say? Let that black stone be wet with tears of penitence this day, and then may it be washed in the blood of Jesus. O member of the church, is your conduct inconsistent with your profession? Judge yourself, be zealous and repent. All of us may well humble ourselves in the sight of God and ask him to cleanse us that we may be fit for him to dwell in. How obedient also should we be, for if we are a part of the house of God, let it be our joy to submit ourselves to the Master. When we were children in the home of a loving father, his rule was not irksome to us, and with such a Father as our God we own that ‘his commandments are not grievous’. Let us obey carefully and joyfully, each one of us. How struck with awe ought every church-member to be to think that he is built into God’s house. Truly, as I enter among the people of God, I feel bound to cry with Jacob, ‘How dreadful is this place! This is none other but the house of God.’ Take not lightly upon yourselves a profession of Christianity, and when you have been baptized into the name of Christ and are united with his church, ‘see then that ye walk circumspectly’ and ‘adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things’. At the same time, how full of love ought we to be, for ‘God is love’. A house is no home if love is absent, and a church is unchurchly if there is division among the brethren. Is it not written, ‘the Father himself loveth you’; ‘love one another’; ‘God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him’? 1 Timothy 3:15 - Octavius Winslow God has been graciously pleased to appoint His church the great conservator of His truth, and His truth the especial medium of sanctification to His church; there is a close and beautiful relation between the two. The church may be compared to the golden lamp which contains the sacred oil, which, in its turn, feeds the flame of its light and holiness. The church is to guard with a jealous and vigilant eye the purity of the truth, while the truth is to beautify and sanctify the ark which preserves it. Thus there is a close relation, and a reciprocal influence, between the church of Christ and the truth of God. Every individual believer in Jesus is himself a subject, and therefore a witness, of the truth; he has been quickened, called, renewed, and partially sanctified through the instrumentality of God's revealed truth: "Of His own will begat He us with the word of truth." "For the truth's sake which dwells in us." "You are my witnesses, says the Lord." Here is unfolded one of the most solemn and affecting truths touching the character and individual responsibility of a child of God. He is a subject of truth, he is a repository of the truth, and he is a witness for the truth; yes, he is the only living witness to the truth which God has on earth. The world he lives in is a dark, polluted, God-blaspheming, Christ-denying, truth-despising world. The saints, who have been called out of it according to His eternal purpose and love, and by His sovereign, distinguishing, and free grace, are the only lights and the only salt in the midst of this moral darkness and corruption. Here and there a light glimmers, irradiating the gloomy sphere in which it moves; here and there a spot of verdure appears, relieving the arid and barren desolation by which it is surrounded. These are the saints of the Most High, the witnesses of the Divine character, the omnipotent power, and the holy tendency, of God's blessed truth. Let the saints of God, then, solemnly weigh this affecting fact, that though the written word and the accompanying Spirit are God's witnesses in the world, yet they are the only living exemplification of the power of the truth, and, as such, are earnestly exhorted to be "blameless and harmless, the sons of God without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom you shine as lights in the world." Let them be careful to maintain good works, and so walk in all the holiness of the truth they profess; let them see that by no carelessness of deportment, by no want of integrity, by no worldly conformity, yes, by no inconsistency whatever, they bring a slur upon the holy doctrines they avowedly maintain and love; but let them show that, with the truth in their judgments, they possess grace in the heart, and unspotted holiness in the life. 1 Timothy 3:15 - Octavius Winslow God has been graciously pleased to appoint His church the great conservator of His truth, and His truth the especial medium of sanctification to His church; there is a close and beautiful relation between the two. The church may be compared to the golden lamp which contains the sacred oil, which, in its turn, feeds the flame of its light and holiness. The church is to guard with a jealous and vigilant eye the purity of the truth, while the truth is to beautify and sanctify the ark which preserves it. Thus there is a close relation, and a reciprocal influence, between the church of Christ and the truth of God. Every individual believer in Jesus is himself a subject, and therefore a witness, of the truth; he has been quickened, called, renewed, and partially sanctified through the instrumentality of God's revealed truth: "Of His own will begat He us with the word of truth." "For the truth's sake which dwells in us." "You are my witnesses, says the Lord." Here is unfolded one of the most solemn and affecting truths touching the character and individual responsibility of a child of God. He is a subject of truth, he is a repository of the truth, and he is a witness for the truth; yes, he is the only living witness to the truth which God has on earth. The world he lives in is a dark, polluted, God-blaspheming, Christ-denying, truth-despising world. The saints who have been called out of it according to His eternal purpose and love, and by His sovereign, distinguishing, and free grace, are the only lights and the only salt in the midst of this moral darkness and corruption. Here and there a light glimmers, irradiating the gloomy sphere in which it moves; here and there a spot of verdure appears, relieving the arid and barren desolation by which it is surrounded. These are the saints of the Most High, the witnesses of the Divine character, the omnipotent power, and the holy tendency, of God's blessed truth. Let the saints of God, then, solemnly weigh this affecting fact, that though the written word and the accompanying Spirit are God's witnesses in the world, yet they are the only living exemplification of the power of the truth, and, as such, are earnestly exhorted to be "blameless and harmless, the sons of God without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom you shine as lights in the world." Let them be careful to maintain good works, and so walk in all the holiness of the truth they profess; let them see that by no carelessness of deportment, by no want of integrity, by no worldly conformity, yes, by no inconsistency whatever, they bring a slur upon the holy doctrines they avowedly maintain and love; but let them show that, with the truth in their judgments, they possess grace in the heart, and unspotted holiness in the life. QUESTION - What does it mean that the church is the pillar and foundation of the truth? GOTQUESTIONS.ORG ANSWER - Catholic apologists are fond of citing 1 Timothy 3:15 as evidence that “the church”—specifically, the Catholic Church—is the true, infallible earthly source of spiritual knowledge. In particular, they claim this verse not only supports the inerrancy of Catholic teachings but that it also contradicts the doctrine of sola scriptura. Read completely out of context, the verse could be taken that way: “If I am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God’s household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:15). But, as with any Bible text, what something means out of context is irrelevant. Looking at the verse in light of its scriptural setting not only defeats this particular claim, it strongly contradicts other aspects of Catholicism. First of all, it would be one thing to use 1 Timothy 3:15 to generically claim “the church” as a source of authority or truth on earth. Catholic apologists, however, frequently point to this passage and extract concepts such as an inerrant magisterium, an infallible Pope, and so forth. The scope of the verse in no way supports that kind of overreach. This is particularly true in light of what Paul and the rest of the New Testament says about the church and truth. 1 Timothy 3:15 is the end of Paul’s description of proper conduct for church members, including leaders. He nowhere mentions a unique power of these leaders to make doctrinal or interpretive decisions. Nor does he declare members of the body incapable of making those interpretations themselves. In fact, in verse 14 Paul specifically says that his written words are what define proper conduct. This actually suggests the concept of sola scriptura; Paul is assigning authority to the written Word. He does not say, “The church will tell you what this letter means.” At the start of the epistle, Paul explicitly tells Timothy to oppose those who teach unsound doctrine (1 Timothy 1:3–7, 18–19). He does not tell Timothy to oppose those who disagree with “the church” or with church leaders. This echoes other statements of Paul that indicate that the content of a belief is what matters, not the person who proclaims it (2 Corinthians 11:14; Galatians 1:6–8). Paul refers to those proclaiming the gospel as stewards of the truth, not the source of it (1 Corinthians 4:1; 9:17). Elsewhere, Paul explicitly says there is only one “true” foundation for our faith, which is Christ (1 Corinthians 3:11), so what he says in 1 Timothy 3:15 must be taken in that context. It’s also short-sighted to use 1 Timothy 3:15 to support Catholicism, given the words that come directly before and after it. In 1 Timothy 3:1–13, Paul says that church leaders ought to be “the husband of one wife” and to have demonstrated control over their household and children. Yet Catholicism demands that priests be unmarried and celibate, a prohibition that Paul condemns a few verses later (1 Timothy 4:1–3). That’s hardly a ringing endorsement of Catholic doctrine. How, then, should 1 Timothy 3:15 be interpreted? Judging by the context of 1 Timothy, as well as the rest of Scripture, certainly not that “the church” has an infallible grasp of truth. In this case, Paul seems to be saying that the ekklesia—the body of believers, “the church”—is the structure that holds up and holds forth the gospel to the world. For that reason, the conduct of the body and its selection of leaders are critically important. This interpretation is strongly supported by Paul’s use of two Greek words, stulos and hedraioma, translated as “pillar” and “foundation.” Stulos means “pillar, column, prop, or support” and is found in the New Testament only here, in Revelation 3:12, and in Revelation 10:1. Hedraioma means “prop or support” and is found only in this verse. Both words come from Greek root words that imply something that stiffens, stabilizes, steadies, or holds. These are completely different words than what are used for other occurrences of “foundation” in English Bibles. For instance, Paul’s reference to Christ as our “foundation” in 1 Corinthians 3:11 uses the word themelios, which means “foundation of a building” or “initial and founding principles of an idea.” So, in 1 Timothy 3:15 Paul is not referring to “the church” as the source of truth or the creator of truth. He’s saying “the church” is what holds up and holds firm the truth in the world. Again, this interpretation fits with Paul’s warnings not to be swayed by carnal philosophies (Colossians 2:8), false teachers (2 Timothy 4:3), or any person who changes the gospel (Galatians 1:8). Rather than fall prey to false doctrine, we’re to compare teachers to the Word of God (Acts 17:11; 1 Corinthians 4:6; 2 Timothy 3:16; Romans 15:4). “The church,” that is, the entire population of Christian believers, bears the earthly responsibility of holding up the truth of the gospel. The ultimate basis of that truth is Christ, not the proclamations or infallibility of members of that body. Paul is calling on believers to care for the structure that “supports” or “props up” our message to the world. 1 Timothy 3:15 cannot be taken to mean that the church itself is the source or standard for truth. 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. BGT 1 Timothy 3:16 καὶ ὁμολογουμένως μέγα ἐστὶν τὸ τῆς εὐσεβείας μυστήριον· ὃς ἐφανερώθη ἐν σαρκί, ἐδικαιώθη ἐν πνεύματι, ὤφθη ἀγγέλοις, ἐκηρύχθη ἐν ἔθνεσιν, ἐπιστεύθη ἐν κόσμῳ, ἀνελήμφθη ἐν δόξῃ. KJV 1 Timothy 3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory. NET 1 Timothy 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. CSB 1 Timothy 3:16 And most certainly, the mystery of godliness is great: He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated in the Spirit, seen by angels, preached among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory. ESV 1 Timothy 3:16 Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness: He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory. NIV 1 Timothy 3:16 Beyond all question, the mystery of godliness is great: He appeared in a body, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory. NLT 1 Timothy 3:16 Without question, this is the great mystery of our faith: Christ was revealed in a human body and vindicated by the Spirit. He was seen by angels and announced to the nations. He was believed in throughout the world and taken to heaven in glory. NRS 1 Timothy 3:16 Without any doubt, the mystery of our religion is great: He was revealed in flesh, vindicated in spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among Gentiles, believed in throughout the world, taken up in glory. RSV 1 Timothy 3:16 Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of our religion: He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated in the Spirit, seen by angels, preached among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory. YLT 1 Timothy 3:16 and, confessedly, great is the secret of piety -- God was manifested in flesh, declared righteous in spirit, seen by messengers, preached among nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory! NKJ 1 Timothy 3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Preached among the Gentiles, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory. NJB 1 Timothy 3:16 Without any doubt, the mystery of our religion is very deep indeed: He was made visible in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed to the gentiles, believed in throughout the world, taken up in glory. NAB 1 Timothy 3:16 Undeniably great is the mystery of devotion, Who was manifested in the flesh, vindicated in the spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed to the Gentiles, believed in throughout the world, taken up in glory. ASV 1 Timothy 3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness; He who was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the spirit, Seen of angels, Preached among the nations, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory. MIT 1 Timothy 3:16 Undeniably, the mystery intrinsic to the holy life is tremendous: He was manifested in flesh. He was authenticated in spirit. He was watched over by angels. He was proclaimed among the nations. He was trusted in the world. He was accepted above in glory. DBY 1 Timothy 3:16 And confessedly the mystery of piety is great. God has been manifested in flesh, has been justified in the Spirit, has appeared to angels, has been preached among the nations, has been believed on in the world, has been received up in glory. GWN 1 Timothy 3:16 The mystery that gives us our reverence for God is acknowledged to be great: He appeared in his human nature, was approved by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was announced throughout the nations, was believed in the world, and was taken to heaven in glory. BBE 1 Timothy 3:16 And without argument, great is the secret of religion: He who was seen in the flesh, who was given God's approval in the spirit, was seen by the angels, of whom the good news was given among the nations, in whom the world had faith, who was taken up in glory. Written out in poetic form as might have been seen in a Christian hymn... And by common confession great is the mystery of godliness: He who was revealed in the flesh, Was vindicated in the Spirit, Beheld by angels, Proclaimed among the nations, Believed on in the world, Taken up in glory By common confession: Heb 7:7 the mystery: 1Ti 3:9 Mt 13:11 Ro 16:25 1Co 2:7 Eph 1:9 3:3-9 6:19 Col 2:2 2Th 2:7 Rev 17:5,7 God: Isa 7:14 9:6 Jer 23:5,6 Mic 5:2 Mt 1:23 Joh 1:1,2,14 Ac 20:28 Ro 8:3 9:5 1Co 15:47 Ga 4:4 Php 2:6-8 Col 1:16-18 Heb 1:3 Heb 2:9-13 1Jn 1:2 Rev 1:17,18 He who was revealed 1Jn 3:5 Was vindicated in the Spirit: Isa 50:5-7 Mt 3:16 Joh 1:32,33 15:26 16:8,9 Ac 2:32-36 Ro 1:3-4 1Pe 3:18 1Jn 5:6-8 Seen by angels,: Ps 68:17,18 Mt 4:11 28:2 Mk 1:13 16:5 Lu 2:10-14 22:43 24:4 Joh 20:12 Ac 1:10,11 Eph 3:10 1Pe 1:12 Proclaimed among the nations: Lu 2:32 Ac 10:34 13:46-48 Ro 10:12,18 Ga 2:8 Eph 3:5-8 Col 1:27 Believed on in the world: Ac 14:27 Col 1:6,23 Rev 7:9 Taken up in glory: Mk 16:19 Lu 24:51 Joh 6:62 13:3 16:28 17:5 Ac 1:1-9,19 Eph 4:8-10 Heb 1:3 8:1 12:2 1Pe 3:22 1 Timothy 3 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: 2 Timothy 1:9-10+ who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity, 10 but now has been revealed (phaneroo) by the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, Acts 13:48+ When the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord; and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed. Luke 24:46-47+ and He said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, 47and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. THE MYSTERY AND MAJESTY OF CHRIST Paul has just explained (1Ti 3:15) the importance of conduct in God’s household, the church, which is the pillar and support of the truth. Now, in this verse Paul focuses on the great truth the church upholds which could be summed up as the mystery of godliness, centered in Jesus Christ. By common confession - NET = "And we all agree" is one word homologoumenos an adverb that is only used here (hapax legomenon - not in Lxx) and means with common consent, in the judgment of all, undoubtedly or without controversy. It pertains to being a matter on which there is general agreement, and thus is uncontestable, undeniably true, and most certainly beyond question. Many take the following 6 descriptions of Christ to be an early Christian hymn. Paul felt that the following truths were vital for the young church to maintain and propagate. This great confession shapes both belief and behavior. Great is the mystery (musterion) of godliness (eusebeia) - NET = "our religion contains amazing revelation" Mystery is truth which was previously hidden but has now been divinely revealed (cf Ro 16:25; 1Co 2:7; 4:1; Ep 1:9; 3:3, 4, 9; 6:19; Col 1:26–27; 4:3). In this context the "mystery" is Christ Himself (cf Col 1:27+) as summarized by the 6 part "Christian hymn." Godliness, then, first refers to the incarnation and secondly to those who are saved and become the godly in Christ John
1 Timóteo 3
Spurgeon - The hexapla of mystery [or, the six fold mystery] 1 Timothy 3:16 ‘God was manifest in the flesh’. I believe that our version is the correct one, but the fiercest battles have been held over this sentence. It is asserted that the Greek word theos is a corruption for os, so that, instead of reading ‘God was manifest in the flesh,’ we should read, ‘who was manifest in the flesh’. There is very little occasion for fighting about this matter, for if the text does not say ‘God was manifest in the flesh’, who does it say was manifest in the flesh, a man, an angel or a devil? Does it tell us that a man was manifest in the flesh? Assuredly that cannot be its teaching, for every man is manifest in the flesh, and there is no sense whatever in making such a statement concerning any mere man and then calling it a mystery. Was it an angel then? But what angel was ever manifest in the flesh? And if he were, would it be at all a mystery that he should be ‘seen of angels’? Is it a wonder for an angel to see an angel? Can it be that the devil was manifest in the flesh? If so, he has been ‘received up into glory’, which, let us hope, is not the case. Well, if it was neither a man, nor an angel, nor a devil who was manifest in the flesh, surely he must have been God; and so, if the word be not there, the sense must be there, or else nonsense. We believe that, if criticism should grind the text in a mill, it would get out of it no more and no less than the sense expressed by our grand old version. God himself was manifest in the flesh. What a mystery is this, a mystery of mysteries! God the invisible was manifest; God the spiritual dwelt in flesh; the infinite, uncontained, boundless ‘God was manifest in the flesh’ James Smith - THE MYSTERY OF GODLINESS 1 Timothy 3:16 This mystery was seen in the burning bush, in the Holy of Holies, in the Person of Christ. Notice here the relationship of God the Son— 1. To the Flesh, “Manifested.” 2. To the Spirit, “Justified.” 3. To the Angels, “Seen by them.” 4. To the Gentiles, “Preached.” 5. To the World, “Believed in.” 6. To the Glory, “Received up.” “As He is, so are we.” Spurgeon - Morning and Evening —1 Timothy 3:16 We have seen our well-beloved Lord in the days of his flesh, humiliated and sore vexed; for he was “despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief.” He whose brightness is as the morning, wore the sackcloth of sorrow as his daily dress: shame was his mantle, and reproach was his vesture. Yet now, inasmuch as he has triumphed over all the powers of darkness upon the bloody tree, our faith beholds our King returning with dyed garments from Edom, robed in the splendour of victory. How glorious must he have been in the eyes of seraphs, when a cloud received him out of mortal sight, and he ascended up to heaven! Now he wears the glory which he had with God or ever the earth was, and yet another glory above all—that which he has well earned in the fight against sin, death, and hell. As victor he wears the illustrious crown. Hark how the song swells high! It is a new and sweeter song: “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain, for he hath redeemed us unto God by his blood!” He wears the glory of an Intercessor who can never fail, of a Prince who can never be defeated, of a Conqueror who has vanquished every foe, of a Lord who has the heart’s allegiance of every subject. Jesus wears all the glory which the pomp of heaven can bestow upon him, which ten thousand times ten thousand angels can minister to him. You cannot with your utmost stretch of imagination conceive his exceeding greatness; yet there will be a further revelation of it when he shall descend from heaven in great power, with all the holy angels—“Then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory.” Oh, the splendour of that glory! It will ravish his people’s hearts. Nor is this the close, for eternity shall sound his praise, “Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever!” Reader, if you would joy in Christ’s glory hereafter, he must be glorious in your sight now. Is he so? J C Philpot - A mystery indeed it is, a great, a deep, an unfathomable mystery; for who can rightly understand how the divine Word, the eternal Son of God, was made flesh, and dwelt among us? “Who shall declare his generation?” (Isa. 53:8) either that eternal generation whereby He is the only-begotten Son of God, or the generation of His sacred humanity in the womb of the Virgin, when the Holy Ghost came upon her, and the power of the Highest overshadowed her? These are things “which the angels desired to look into;” which they cannot understand, but reverently adore. And well may we imitate their adoring admiration, not attempting to understand, but believe, love, and revere; for well has it been said, “Where reason fails, with all her powers, There faith believes, and love adores.” Nor, if rightly taught and spiritually led, shall we find this a barren, dry, or unprofitable subject. It is “the great mystery of godliness;” therefore all godliness is contained in it, and flows out of it. The whole of God’s grace, mercy, and truth is laid up in, is revealed through, is manifested by, the Son of His love; for “it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;” and this as Immanuel, God with us. Thus His sacred humanity, in union with His divine Person, is the channel of communication through which all the love and mercy of God flow down to poor guilty, miserable sinners, who believe in the name of the only-begotten Son of God. If blessed, then, with faith in living exercise, we may draw near and behold the great mystery of godliness. To tread by faith upon this holy ground is to come “unto Mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, and to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel” (Heb. 12:22); for every blessing of the new covenant, if we are but favoured with a living faith in an incarnate God, is then experimentally as well as eternally ours. F B
1 Timóteo 3
Spurgeon - The great mystery of godliness 1 Timothy 3:16 Did you ever hear of angels hovering around the assemblies of philosophical societies? Very interesting papers are sometimes produced speculating upon geological facts; startling discoveries are every now and then made as to astronomy and the laws of motion; we are frequently surprised at the results of chemical analyses; yet I do not remember ever reading even in poetry that angelic beings have shown any excitement at the news. The fact is that the story of the world’s history and all the facts about this world are as well known to angels as the letters of the alphabet are to us; all our profound sciences and recondite theories must seem utterly contemptible to them. Those august minds which have been long ago created by God, and preserved from defilement by his decrees, are better able to judge of the importance of things than we are; and when we find them deeply interested in a matter, it cannot be of small account. Concerning an incarnate God it is said, ‘which things the angels desire to look into.’ Their views of God’s manifesting himself in the flesh are such that over the mercy seat they stand with outspread wings gazing in reverent admiration, and before the throne they sing, ‘Worthy is the Lamb that was slain’. The doctrine of incarnate Deity may be folly to the Greeks, and the boastful wiseacres of this world may call it commonplace, but to angels it is an ever flowing fount of adoring admiration. They turn from every other sight to view the incarnate Redeemer, regarding his condescending deed of grace as a bottomless ocean of mystery, a topless steep of wonder. Jesus was ‘seen of angels,’ and they still delight to gaze upon him.