Daily Writing

Monday, 25 December 2017

Believed on in the world, 1 Timothy 3:16f

The fact that Christianity is believed at all is almost incomprehensible. A man, believed to be God, is said to have entered the stream of humanity, been born of a virgin, never held any high position, was supported by women as he taught, stayed within a very confined geographic area, was eventually rejected by His own people, and was then nailed to a cross where He died… and then He came back to life. The entire account seems almost too incredible to imagine. And yet, it is exactly this message which is understood to be the only cure of the fallen human condition.

The message of Christ has been “believed on in the world” because it makes sense. Humanity understands its disconnect from God. It understands the concept of sin. It understands the idea of substitution, atonement, and justification. These things don’t take a rocket scientist to understand. They also don’t take a certain culture to grasp. The child, barely old enough to leave mommy’s watchful presence for a few minutes will get the simple gospel. The lost soul in Asia, the Americas, in Europe, or in Africa – or even in the remotest island in the ocean – all hear the message and respond.

Different cultures, languages, and traditions all seem to have hints tucked away in them which point directly to what God has done in Christ, being realized after the message is revealed. It is as if God has woven the tapestry of humanity together so that when the message is heard, people say, “I get this; I need this.” The message is truly “believed on in the world.”

And the message is believed on by those who have offended God in a very small way, as well as by those who have done so with the greatest of offenses. In fact, it is often the case that the greatest offender becomes the most ardent believer. The more depraved a person felt they were, the more resolutely they hold onto the message as the cure to their illness.

The simple message of grace through faith in the finished work of Christ is a message that heals the human soul, repairs the infinite rift, and it brings gladness to both sinner and angel. It is the message of God which is found in the giving of His Son, Jesus Christ for the sin of the world. And this message is “believed on in the world.”

Life application: The wisdom of God is revealed in the belief by humanity in the gospel. Surely, the mystery of godliness is great.

Most glorious, gracious, and exalted heavenly Father – what an incredible thing to believe! The gospel seems like the least likely thing to change hearts at first, but when it is spoken and believed, it has cured the deepest wounds, reconciled the greatest sinner, and changed the course of nations and peoples. Thank You for the wisdom of the simple gospel message – we are saved by grace through faith in the work of another; in the work of Jesus Christ our Lord. Hallelujah and Amen.

Sunday, 24 December 2017

Preached among the Gentiles, 1 Timothy 3:16e

The words here are set in contrast to the previous words “Seen by angels.” From the highest of the heavenly host, to the lowly Gentile, the mystery of godliness is revealed through the Person and work of Christ. God had set Israel apart from the nations, and thus the work of Messiah was believed to only pertain to them, or so they thought. But God had shown in advance that this was not so. In Isaiah 49, he shows that the coming Christ would be for all –

 …Indeed He says,
‘It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant
To raise up the tribes of Jacob,
And to restore the preserved ones of Israel;
I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles,
That You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth.’” Isaiah 49:6

And not only would the Christ be a Light for salvation to the Gentiles, but the word through Isaiah shows that they would stream to that Light –

“And in that day there shall be a Root of Jesse,
Who shall stand as a banner to the people;
For the Gentiles shall seek Him,
And His resting place shall be glorious.” Isaiah 11:10

Despite being in their own writings, none could have guessed what lay ahead. Certainly even the heavenly host missed it, as did Israel. But Paul was called to reveal what had been hidden. The irony of Paul’s selection for this wonder is almost palpable. He was the epitome of Jewish life and culture, and he was one who actively and openly sought to destroy the message of Christ. And yet, he would not only become a herald of the message, but he would carry it outside of his own people to the lowly Gentile. This was his calling, and this is the mystery that he was selected to reveal –

“…the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints. ²⁷ To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Colossians 1:26, 27

The message was preached, it was received with gladness, and it eventually was carried by the Gentile throughout all of the world. The deepest analyses of the word, the greatest zeal for missions, the highest desire for the glory of God – all of this for 2000 years – has been carried on by those Paul first was called to minister to. Surely, the mystery of godliness is great.

Life application: There is a strong push in the modern church to return to all things Jewish. Although understanding the Bible from its original perspective is important, it is highly damaging to reject the theology which has been developed through Gentile efforts. This is especially so when reinserting the now-fulfilled and obsolete Law of Moses into our life. It is a setting aside of the grace of Christ which is exactly what Paul warned against throughout his ministry. Let us be sound in our theology, and hold fast to the principle tenets of the faith without getting caught up in the idol-worship of all things Jewish.

Lord God, Your word prophesied that You would send Messiah to be a light to the Gentiles. It also says that the Gentiles would seek Him out. Surely that has been the case. The knowledge of Jesus Christ has filled the earth as the waters cover the oceans. Thank You for redeeming those once thought unworthy of Your favor. Together, Jew and Gentile are united in Christ Jesus. What a glorious thing You have done, O God. Amen.

Saturday, 23 December 2017

Seen by angels, 1 Timothy 3:16d

The word aggelos, or angels, simply means “a messenger,” or “a delegate.” It is used in the New Testament elsewhere to speak of humans. However, despite this being the case, this is most certainly speaking of the heavenly host, not earthly humans. There is no article in front of “angels” in the verse, thus it doesn’t fit that this is speaking of the apostles. Instead, heavenly angels – both during His earthly ministry, and upon completion of it – are what is being written about by Paul here.

His coming was announced by Gabriel to Mary. Though this mighty angel may not have understood the full implication of what was to occur, the proclamation was made. Angels attended Christ at various times in His ministry, and there is no doubt that the heavenly host viewed His life, even at times when no such attendances are recorded. As Christ Himself said in Matthew 26:53 – “Or do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will provide Me with more than twelve legions of angels?” The implication is that the angels were ever-ready to attend to Him.

These same angels would have seen His crucifixion and death, and they would not have known what to make of the sight. It was a mystery kept by God alone until it was revealed. Even the heavenly host had to wait to see what God had planned. And they did see it. In fact, an angel is recorded to have been at the tomb, ready to announce that He was no longer there. That the attending angel was unaware of what would occur is recorded by Paul in Ephesians 3 –

“To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, ⁹ and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ; ¹⁰ to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, ¹¹ according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Ephesians 3:8-11

Peter as well said that what the prophets had written was unknown to both them and even to the angels, saying that they desired to look into those things (1 Peter 1:12). The reason Paul includes the angels in this is to show that all of creation was a witness to the spectacle of Christ’s coming, His ministry, His death, and His resurrection. No part of creation would miss the significance of who Christ is. And thus, for all eternity, it would be evident that Jesus Christ is God incarnate. The angels of this clause will be contrasted to the Gentiles in the coming clause to show the scope of the mystery.

Life application: Angels were in attendance at the time of Christ’s earthly ministry. As we are in Christ, it is logical to assume that God has us being watched by angels as well. This cannot mean that we will be free from harm, but that if we ever have an event which appears miraculous occur around us, we may have been attended to by them. In other words, God has our lives safe and secure in His capable hands. Should times of trial and great sadness arrive, it is not that He doesn’t care, but that He has allowed these things to occur for His own sovereign purposes. Christ suffered, and we too may do so, but in the end, we shall be brought safely into that glorious place attended by all of the heavenly host.

Glorious God, knowing that Christ suffered and died for us is to then be assured that our own sufferings are not out of Your control. And because He rose from the dead, we have the absolute guarantee that we, who have received Christ as Lord, will likewise raise from the dead. No grief on earth, and no power in heaven, can prevent us from being raised to new life. Thank You, O God, for Your gift of Jesus to us. Amen.

Friday, 22 December 2017

…Justified in the Spirit, 1 Timothy 3:16c

This continues Paul’s poetic offset concerning “the mystery of godliness.” First Paul said that “God was manifested in the flesh.” Next he says that He, meaning Jesus, was “Justified in the Spirit.” There is dissension among scholars whether this is speaking of His own spirit, that which animates Him, or the Holy Spirit. Some, not wanting to be definitive and possibly err say that it is speaking of both.

The same Greek preposition, en or “in,” is used in both clauses so far. Therefore, unless Paul is equivocating on the meaning of the word between clauses (something unlikely), it is speaking of two different aspects of the life of Christ. Rather than being instrumental (by), He was “Justified in the Spirit.” But this justification isn’t purely in form alone (a mode of justification), but rather Paul is surely speaking of a local form of justification; His sphere of life.

God (Jesus) was manifested in the flesh – it is the sphere of physical existence.

Jesus (being God) was justified in the Spirit – it is the sphere of His physical existence.

With this understanding, we can then apply this to His life. First, however, the term “justified” must be explained. Vincent’s Word Studies notes that based on Paul’s use of the word in relation to Christ elsewhere, it should be understood to mean “vindicated.” This is generally agreed by scholars to be the case. And so Paul’s intent is that Jesus was “vindicated in the Spirit” in His advent when he was manifested in the flesh.

This came about through the conduct of His life. On one hand, while in the flesh, He was ridiculed, He was hated, He was attacked, and He was dismissed. He claimed to be God in the flesh, and He was rejected by those who heard His claim. Their rejection however, did not change the truth of the matter at all. There were those who seemed to realize that He was, in fact, God and yet He was crucified and died. Even Mary, His mother, must have had some type of doubts as to what Christ’s nature was when she stood at His cross and watched Him breath His last. And even the heavenly host (including the devil himself) did not grasp what God was doing in Christ. Upon His death, the devil must have thought he was the victor. Surely none could imagine what lay head. It was believed that His life ended in futility, and yet… He was justified in the Spirit.

He was raised from the dead, proving His claims. His manifestation in the flesh (meaning being God) was vindicated. His life of troubles and woes was seen for what they truly were meant to be, and He was vindicated. Those who said He was insane were proven wrong through His resurrection, thus He was vindicated. Everything about Him that was so very misunderstood was realized to be the work of God, and by God Himself.

And this is fully in accord with what the apostles say of Him in their speeches in Acts, and in the New Testament epistles. The Holy Spirit is called, “the Spirit of Christ,” in Romans 8. Again in Galatians 4, the Holy Spirit is referred to as the Spirit of God’s Son. Again and again throughout the epistles, the work of the Spirit and the work of Christ are spoken of interchangeably. Therefore, though having been crucified and died, Christ as Spirit is justified, or vindicated. He was manifested in the flesh – fully Man and yet fully Divine.

The body of support for this vindication actually requires placing all the words of Scripture before a man and saying, “Here, God was manifested in the flesh (a thought which you may find incredible!), but He was justified in the Spirit.” From the first pages of the Bible, through the entire Pentateuch, in the writings, in the psalms, and in the prophets as well, all of Scripture shows what God would do. And when it happened, it could not be believed or understood until the resurrection. But in His resurrection, Christ was JUSTIFIED IN THE SPIRIT. Praise God for His amazing wisdom, revealed in the “mystery of godliness.” Surely it is great.

Life application: If you don’t believe Jesus is God, you have a serious theological meltdown. You have completely missed the entire point of Scripture. God could not have made this any clearer. To miss this point is like missing the fact that trees are made of wood.

Lord God, the most obvious thing found in all of Scripture is that You stepped out of eternity and manifested Yourself in the flesh. Nobody could have believed it, and surely those who were told still had doubts. Mary looked at the lifeless body of Christ and must have wondered what You had done. But all was vindicated in the resurrection. Every doubt can be dismissed, every naysayer is proven foolish. Great is the mystery of godliness, O God. But once it is revealed, it is marvelous. Thank You, O God, for Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Thursday, 21 December 2017

God was manifested in the flesh, 1 Timothy 3:16b

This may be one of the most contested lines of all in the New Testament. It either says, “God was manifested in the flesh,” or “He was manifested in the flesh.” The difference comes down to whether the Greek letters Ὃς (He who) are correct, or if it was Θεὸς. The possible reason for the difference would be a contraction of the word Θεὸς to Θς. The reason it cold be such a contraction is that if a word was contracted, a line would be placed above the letters to show it was a contraction. This occurs in some ancient manuscripts, but it then it is believed by some that the line was added later. Microscopic evaluations of the manuscripts have been made, but the controversy remains. And yet, it shouldn’t.

If this is “He who,” it is speaking of either God or Christ. Some versions simply say, “Christ was revealed” (NLT). This is because the following lines are obviously speaking of Christ. The question then comes down to whether the true reading is “God,” and thus it is an explicit reference to the Deity of Christ, or it is speaking of Christ, without any hint of a comparison to His divine nature. In the end, it really doesn’t matter, except to those who have a presupposition that Christ is not God. To anyone who simply picks up the Bible, and reads it without any presuppositions, it is as apparent as the rising of the sun on a clear day that Jesus is God incarnate, something implied in this verse, even if it says “He who.”

To say, “He who was manifested in the flesh,” implies that the Being in question preexisted; there was existence prior to His time in the flesh. Understanding that, and taking all of the rest of Scripture in proper context, the incarnation of God in human flesh is the only logical conclusion of what is being relayed. One must disregard countless references to the incarnation, both implicit and explicit which are found elsewhere, in order to say that the One being referred to is a created being.

This One existed, and then He appeared in the flesh of a human body. He is the One who was promised at the very fall of man in Genesis 3:15. He is the One anticipated thousands of times in the writings of the Old Testament. He is the One who is exactingly described by the authors of the gospels. He is the One explained time and again in the epistles, and who is the center of every theological explanation of what God has done in the stream of human existence. He is the One revealed in John’s apocalypse, the book of Revelation, who is worshiped and adored by the heavenly host. He is the One to whom the final sentence of Scripture is devoted. He is Jesus our God. The use of “God” or “He who” by Paul is important, but it is not at all necessary to determine Deity of the reference for the sound reader of Scripture. Those who come to this verse and who will then use it to argue against the Deity of Jesus Christ have already proven themselves biblically illiterate fools. Whether implicit or explicit, the truth remains that “God was manifested in the flesh.”

One thing is certain, the writers of the gospels and epistles all believed that Jesus is God. One, of countless examples of this, is to be found in Luke’s gospel. In Luke 8, we read the following –

“Now the man from whom the demons had departed begged Him that he might be with Him. But Jesus sent him away, saying, ^39 ‘Return to your own house, and tell what great things God has done for you.’ And he went his way and proclaimed throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him.”

Jesus told the man to “tell what great things God has done for you.” Luke then explains how the man took this literally by speaking of the great things Jesus [meaning “God”] had done. This is not an isolated instance. The words of Scripture are clear. Jesus is God.

Life application: If you struggle with the Deity of Jesus Christ, you need reread the Bible without any presuppositions, praying first to God that He will reveal to you the truth of the matter. His Deity is so obviously referred to that you will literally overflow with notes pointing to this truth.

Your word, O Glorious God, tells us that You were manifest in the flesh in the Person of Jesus Christ. What a marvelous story of love! What an incredible story of glory. For those who saw and believed, how blessed they were. For those of us who have heard and believe, how much more blessed are we! And so we proclaim that Jesus is Lord, to Your glory. Amen.