1 Timothy 3.15-16-Paul Gave His Instructions In Chapters Two And Three In Case He Was Delayed And Presents The Mystery Of Godliness
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Sunday May 22, 2011
1 Timothy: 1 Timothy 3:15-16-Paul Gave His Instructions In Chapters Two And Three In Case He Was Delayed And Presents The Mystery Of Godliness
Lesson # 72
Please turn in your Bibles to 1 Timothy 3:14.
1 Timothy 3:14 I am writing these things to you, hoping to come to you before long; 15 but in case I am delayed, I write so that you will know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth. (NASU)
“But in case I am delayed” expresses a hypothetical possibility in which Paul is delayed in visiting Timothy and the Ephesians.
Thus, it is saying that if possibly Paul is delayed at the present time, he is writing at the present time to Timothy and the Ephesians in order that they would know for certain how they ought to conduct themselves in the household of God.
“I write so that you will know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God” denotes the obligation, necessity, responsibility, or duty of the Ephesian believers to conduct themselves in the household of God according to what Paul taught in 1 Timothy 2:1-3:13.
“Household” is the noun oikos, which is used in a figurative sense for the Christian community as God the Father’s family.
He uses oikos in 1 Timothy 3:15 to express the idea that the Christian community is God’s family with a specific identity and with those in authority as well as each member having a responsibility to conduct themselves according to the Father’s will.
“Which is the church of the living God” emphasizes that the Christian community is unique and divine in character in contrast with the pagan world it lives in the midst of.
The apostle wants to emphasize with the Ephesian Christian community that in contrast to the legalistic and lifeless religiosity of the Judaizers whose false teaching has infected their community, their worship of God is a living relationship and fellowship with the Triune God.
“The pillar” is the noun stulos, which is used by Paul in an architectural metaphor describing the Christian community as lending visible support to the truth, i.e. the gospel just as a pillar lends to a building (Towner, page 275).
The idea with the word is that when the Christian community in Ephesus obeys Paul’s instructions that are found in 1 Timothy 2:1-3:13 they will support the truth, i.e. the gospel just as a pillar lends support to a building.
“Support” is the noun hedraioma, which describes the Christian community as favoring actively the truth of the gospel.
The idea with the word is that when the Christian community in Ephesus obeys Paul’s instructions that are found in 1 Timothy 2:1-3:13 they will support the truth, i.e. the gospel just as a foundation is an underlying base of support for a building.
“The truth” is the noun aletheia, which refers to the revelation of the Father’s character, ways and will.
Therefore, the word refers to the truth of God in an objective sense as a body of knowledge containing the revelation of God’s character and nature, His ways and His will for His children and specifically, aletheia is a synonym for the gospel.
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. (NASU)
“By common confession, great is the mystery of godliness” explains in specific terms the meaning of the noun aletheia, “of the truth” that concludes 1 Timothy 3:15.
It speaks of the fact that the entire Christian community in Ephesus is obligated to acknowledge or affirm the truth of this confession or first century apostolic affirmation by both their words and conduct.
“Great is the mystery of godliness” describes the revelation of Jesus Christ as superior in importance to the heathen religions including the worship of Artemis whose center was in Ephesus.
Biblical Christianity is superior to all the world’s religions because it is based upon an historical person, Jesus Christ who performed extraordinary, supernatural deeds, which is confirmed by witnesses and evidence unlike the heathen religions of the world.
Christianity is based upon Jesus Christ the truth whereas the heathen religions of the world are based upon the lies of Satan’s cosmic system.
“Godliness” is the noun eusebeia, which means “the way of godliness or godly living” and is not used here of the Christian as was in previous instances in First Timothy but rather it refers to the Lord Jesus Christ as indicated by the six line hymn that follows and specifies what Paul means by “the mystery of godliness.”
Therefore, “godliness” refers to the fact that Jesus Christ perfectly exemplified godly living through His earthly life or in other words, He perfectly exemplified conduct that brings honor to God and is according to His will.
“The mystery” is the noun musterion, which is also used of Jesus Christ as indicated by the six line hymn that follows and specifies what it means.
This word refers to the fact that Jesus Christ fully disclosed what godly living is all about or in other words, He fully and perfectly revealed to the human race how they need to conduct themselves in order for their conduct to bring honor to God.
“He who was revealed in the flesh” is used of the incarnation and subsequent earthly life of the Son of God, i.e. His First Advent.
“Was vindicated in the Spirit” refers to the omnipotence of the Holy Spirit raising Jesus of Nazareth from the dead on the third day in fulfillment of the Old Testament Messianic prophecies and according to the Father’s will.
This act “vindicated” Jesus of Nazareth in the sense that it demonstrated that His claims that He was the Son of God were true and that the accusations of His enemies were false and that His execution was a travesty of justice.
The resurrection vindicated Jesus of Nazareth’s claims that He was the Son of God and that faith in Him alone was the only way to receive eternal salvation and escape eternal condemnation.
This vindication is mentioned in Acts 2:22-36, 3:11-15, 4:10-12, 10:34-43, Romans 1:4, 1 Corinthians 2:1-9, Ephesians 1:20-21, Philippians 2:5-11, Colossians 2:8-15, and 1 Peter 3:21-22.
“Seen by angels” is a reference to the Lord Jesus Christ being observed by angels at His resurrection, ascension and session, thus, they bore witness to His vindication.
That not only the ascension of Christ is in view but also the resurrection and session of Christ is indicated by the fact that the elect angels observed and were witnesses to the resurrection of Christ (Matthew 28:1-2; Luke 24:5-7, 23; John 20:12).
They also were present at His ascension and observed it (Acts 1:10-11) as well as at His session in heaven since they worship Him in heaven (Ephesians 1:20-23; Philippians 2:6-11; Colossians 2:15; Hebrews 1:6-9; Revelation 4).
“Proclaimed among the nations” refers to the Christian community led by the apostles, prophets, evangelists and pastor-teachers publicly proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ as heralds in a dignified and authoritative manner which commanded the respect and attention of the unsaved Jew and Gentiles who were exposed to it.
“Believed on in the world” refers to heathen Gentiles making the non-meritorious decision to trust or place one’s absolute confidence in the merits of the person of the Lord Jesus Christ and His substitutionary spiritual and physical deaths on the Cross and resurrection in order to receive the gift of eternal life.
“Taken up in glory” refers to the ascension of Jesus Christ, which is the vertical transfer of the glorified, resurrected human nature of Jesus Christ to the third heaven by means of the omnipotence of the Father.
This hymn is presented by Paul because of the situation with certain pastors, who he mentions in chapter 1, who were teaching false doctrine and whose conduct was ungodly as a result.
1 Timothy 3:14-16 emphasizes that the gospel is based upon an historical person, Jesus Christ and historical events, namely, the death, resurrection, ascension and session of Christ.
This passage makes clear that the Christian way of life is based upon or rooted in this person and these events.
The Christian is identified with Christ in these events through the baptism of the Spirit in order that they may be delivered from sin and Satan.
The gospel not only presents Christ but also these events and their spiritual significance, not only to the unsaved but the saved as well.
This stands in stark contrast to those pastors in Ephesus who fell victim to the teaching of the Judaizers and as a result were involved in misinterpreting the genealogies of Genesis resulting in myths (1 Timothy 1:3-4).
They were also teaching the Ten Commandments and not the gospel.
Consequently, by abandoning the gospel, they were falling back into their former manner of life as unbelievers and were not experiencing their deliverance.
Therefore, the content of the hymn stands over and against the false teaching of the Judaizers and those pastors who adhered to their teaching.
Those teaching false doctrine were practicing “ungodliness” by virtue of the content of their teaching which was based upon lies.
Those obeying the gospel were practicing “godliness” simply by virtue of the content of the gospel, which was based upon the truth that is found in Jesus of Nazareth, who is the Christ.
1 Timothy 3:14-16 is the centerpiece of the epistle since it governs the behavior of the church.
In other words, the content of the gospel, which is about the death, resurrection, ascension and session of Christ governs the behavior of the church.
