THE MYSTERY OF GODLINESS
(I Tim. 3:16a)
OVERVIEW OF I TIMOTHY 1:1 to 3:16
1:1-2 – Overview of Christian Faith based on names for God and the blessings He bestows on His people.
1:3-4a False teaching in Ephesus and how humanistic philosophy effects us today.
1:4b-6 – The goal of the command is love. (Loving God, fellow Christians, the non-Christian world)
1:7-8 – The law is good if used properly. (The law’s deterrent, punitive and educative purposes)
1:8-11 – “Whatever else …” The Gospel Ethic. (Law-Philia University)
1:11 – Our Relationship with “The Blessed God.” (Causing God pain or joy)
1:12-16 Why Paul considered himself the worst of sinners.
1:12-16 Conversion of the apostle Paul.
1:12-16 Paul’s call to ministry.
1:17 Paul’s doxology of praise for his conversion.
1:18-20 How to avoid shipwrecking our faith.
2:1-3 The Christian is to pray for all men.
2:4,6 Comparison of Calvinism & Armenianism.
2:5-6 The man, Christ Jesus, the only mediator.
2:1-7 The vision, the message, the means.
2:8-15 Treatment of women in the ancient world, the early church and the Bible.
2:8-15 Three key hermeneutic principles to follow when studying the Bible.
2:8 Praying Men with Peaceful Hearts
2:9-10 A First-Century Christian Woman’s Dress and Deeds
2:11-12 Does Submission Demand Silence?
2:13-15 Paul’s Logic for Requiring Women to Be Silent in The Ephesian House Churches.
3:1 Why Aspiring to Church Leadership Can Be a Good Thing.
3:2 Spiritual Gifting Required of an Ephesian Elder – Teaching
3:2 Spiritual Gifting Required of an Ephesian Elder – Hospitality
3:4-5 Spiritual Gifting Required of an Ephesian Elder –Leadership
3:2-7 Ethical Demands of the NT and the Ethics Tests for Elders
3:2-7 Ethical Qualities Required of an Ephesian Elder
3:8-13 The Ever Present Danger of Ethical Disconnect in a Christian’s Life
3:8-13 The Ministry of Deacons in the Early Church
3:9 Keeping Hold of the Deep Truths of the Faith
3:11 An Official Deaconesses in the NT Church?
3:14 Results That are Better Than Answered Prayer
3:15 God’s New Community – The Church of the Living God
3:15 God’s New Community – God’s Household
3:15 God’s New Community – The Pillar & Foundation of the Truth
3:16a Introduction to the Hymn in I Tim. 3:15 – The Mystery of Godliness
3:16a The Mystery of Godliness
3:16b The Incarnation – He Appeared in a Body
3:16 The hymn consists of six foundational truths about Christ and thus represent the foundational truths to Christian godliness. Although emotion plays a part in Christian worship Christian faith is built on these six foundational truths.
3:16b We will never truly appreciate the incarnation until we comprehend the sacrifices Christ made when he came into the world. What really makes the incarnation a stupendous event in the life of Christ?
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.
INTRODUCTION:
1. The Greek text of the hymn
Theos phaneroo en sarx (He appeared in the body)
Dikaioo en pneuma (Was vindicated by the spirit)
Optanomai aggelos (Was seen by angels)
Kerusso en ethnos (Was preached among the nations)
Pisteuo en kosmos (Was believed on in the world)
Analambano en doxa. (Was taken up in glory)
2. Structure of the hymn
A. Chronologically
1. He appeared in the body – incarnation
2. Vindicated by the Spirit – through his miracles
3. Seen by angels – throughout his ministry
4. Preached among the nations – during his lifetime
5. Was believed on in the world – during his lifetime
6. Was taken up into glory – ascension
B. Divide the hymn into two stanzas
1. The first triplet refers to his life on earth.
2. The second triplet refers to the life of the exalted Lord
C. Hymn consists of three couplets each consisting of a deliberate antithesis.
1. The revelation of Christ: Appeared in body, vindicated in spirit
2. The witnesses of Christ: Seen by angels, preach among nations
3. The reception of Christ: Believed on in the world, taken up into glory
I. THE THEOLOGICAL CONTENT OF THE HYMN
A. The First Couplet – The Revelation of Christ: Appeared in the body, vindicated by the Spirit.
“HE APPEARED IN THE BODY”
1. The Omnipotent / all-powerful became weak
2. The Eternal became temporal / died (Wesley’s “infant of days”)
3. The Omnipresent became restricted in space (Wesley’s “God contracted to a span”)
4. The Creator became poor.
“VINDICATED BY THE SPIRIT”
But if I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you (Mt. 12:28).
And who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 1:4).
And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you (Romans 8:11).
B. The Second Couplet: The witnesses of Christ: Seen by angels, preached among nations.
“SEEN BY ANGELS”
And he was in the desert forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him (Mark 1:13).
An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him (Lk. 22:43).
[They] didn’t find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive (Luke 24:23).
After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them.” Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven” (Acts 1:9-11).
“PREACHED AMONG THE NATIONS”
Speaks to the missionary task of the church.
And for this purpose I was appointed a herald and an apostle–I am telling the truth, I am not lying–and a teacher of the true faith to the Gentiles (I Tim. 2:7).
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age (Mt. 28:19-20).
C. The Third Couplet – The reception of Christ: Believed on in the world, taken up into glory
“BELIEVED ON IN THE WORLD”
Refers to the success of the Gospel – Reference to thousands of Jews believing in Jerusalem, Samaritans coming to Christ, an Ethiopian eunuch, the believers in Damascus, the church in Antioch, the churches in Galatia, Asia, Greece and Rome.
“TAKEN UP INTO GLORY”
“The final statement, that he was taken up in glory, sounds like another reference to the ascension. But if the sequence is chronological, it must be the parousia (Second Coming) which is in mind, his ascension foreshadowing his final epiphany (appearance, manifestation) in power and great glory.” (Stott, Pg. 107)
“Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him. So shall it be! Amen” (Rev. 1:7).
II. THE BIG QUESTION: WHY DOES PAUL CLAIM THAT THE 3:16 HYMN IS THE “MYSTERY / SECRET OF GODLINESS?”
* Sometime I go slow because I think I miss so much. For years I had read right past “godliness” not trying to figure out what it meant. I was perplexed why 3:16 should be called the “secret of godliness.”
1. Several explanations of the meaning of “Godliness”
Eusebeia – Inner piety or spirituality, a duty which the believer owes to God in the inner man. A true man of God has qualities of inner piety – the characteristics of a spiritually mature person, the fruit of the Spirit.
Godliness for eu (well) and sobomai (to be devout). Denotes piety which, characterized by a godward attitude, does that which is well-pleasing to Him – Vine.
This Greek word is used 15 times in the NT, 10 of those are in the Pastoral Epistles and 8 of those in I Timothy.
In I Timothy we read about the need to live quiet lives in all godliness (2:2), about women professing godliness (2:10), the need to train ourselves in godliness (4:7) and pursue godliness (6:11), that there is doctrine that encourages godliness (6:3), that godliness is not a means to financial gain (6:6), that a goal of the Christian should be godliness and contentment (6:5) and in our present verse, (3:16) the secret of godliness.
Some English synonyms for godliness are fidelity, devotion, piety.
“Godliness – that mingled fear and love which together constitute the piety of man toward God. Godly people are God-fearing people. They have moved from self-centeredness to God-centeredness. Previously it could be said of them that in all their thoughts ‘there is not room for God’ but now they say, ‘I have set the Lord always me’ (Psalm 10:4). (Stott, Pg. 117)
QUESTION: What connection does the 3:16 hymn have with godliness?
2. For Paul a life of godliness was a life focused on / centered in Christ. The hymn is all about Christ, about His person and His work.
Spiritual Life Statement based on, what I perceive to be, Paul’s focus in life:
For me to live is Christ. Thus the meaning and purpose of life for me is to know and love Him be conformed to His image and do the works He planned for me in eternity that by so doing I might glorify Him.
*** While in Indonesia I shared with students and Christian workers on three occasions this “SLS” (Spiritual Life Statement), and at the same time was trying to figure out why Paul claimed the hymn contained the “mystery of godliness.” All of a sudden it dawned on me that for Paul, Christ was the secret of godliness. Our lives are to be focused on Him.
For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain (Phil. 1:21).
What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ (Phil. 3:8).
Jesus replied: ” ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind’ (Mt. 22:37). Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love (Eph. 6:24).
For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son … (Romans 8:29).
For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do (Eph. 2:10).
I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do (John 17:4).
4. Some of the old hymns focus just on Christ.
O Jesus, King most wonderful,
Thou Conqueror renowned,
Thou Sweetness most ineffable,
In whom all joys are found!
When once You come into the heart,
Then truth begins to shine,
Then earthly vanities depart,
Then kindles love divine.
Jesus! Thy mercies are untold,
Through each returning day;
Thy love exceeds a thousand-fold
Whatever we can say.
O Jesus, Light of all below!
Thou Fount of life and fire!
Surpassing all the joys we know,
And all we can desire, —
May every heart confess Thy Name,
And ever Thee adore,
And seeking Thee, itself inflame
To seek Thee more and more.
Thee may our tongues forever bless,
Thee may we love alone,
And ever in our lives express
No image but Thine own.
Grant us, while here on earth we stay,
Thy love to feel and know;
And when from hence we pass away
To us Thy glory show.
(Bernard of Clairvaux, to the tune, “O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing.”)
Jesus, I am resting, resting,
In the joy of what Thou art;
I am finding out the greatness
Of Thy loving heart.
Thou hast bid me gaze upon Thee,
And Thy beauty fills my soul,
For, by Thy transforming power,
Thou hast made me whole.
Jesus, I am resting, resting,
In the joy of what Thou art
I am finding out the greatness
Of Thy loving heart.
Oh, how great Thy loving kindness,
Vaster, broader than the sea!
Oh, how marvelous Thy goodness,
Lavished all on me!
Yes, I rest in Thee, Beloved,
Know what wealth of grace is Thine,
Know Thy certainty of promise,
And have made it mine.
Simply trusting Thee, Lord Jesus,
I behold Thee as Thou art;
And Thy love so pure, so changeless,
Satisfies my heart.
Satisfies its deepest longings,
Meets, supplies its every need,
Compasseth me round with blessings;
Thine is love indeed!
Ever lift Thy face upon me,
As I work and wait for Thee;
Resting ‘neath Thy smile, Lord Jesus,
Earth’s dark shadows flee.
Brightness of my Father’s glory,
Sunshine of my Father’s face,
Keep me ever trusting, resting,
Fill me with Thy grace. (Jean Sophia Piggot)
SO WHAT????
1. We are commanded to train ourselves to be godly, to pursue
godliness. Godliness is not an option for the Christian.
2. A life of godliness is a life centered in and focused on Christ, His work and His person. To become godly people we need to cultivate an intimate relationship with Christ, grow in love for Him and conform our lives to His image.
3. A good question to ask ourselves: Am I focusing on developing a more intimate relationship with Christ? Am I focusing on becoming a godly person?