The Mystery Revealed; Now Conduct Yourself Accordingly

Transition

Paul was writing to Timothy, in Ephesus, who was dealing with a church that was teaching false doctrine and acting in a manner that contrary to the Gospel.

The church in Ephesus had bad orthodoxy (teaching) that was causing bad orthopraxy (practice).

These verses are best understood as a transition from addressing the issues of the Ephesian church to the expected standard of conduct for church members and to exhort Timothy in pastoring the Church in Ephesus.

Behave

This is not a command for moralistic behavior.

This is a command for right teaching controlling the outer behavior.

This is another call to put off the old flesh and put on the new creation.

What needs to be stressed is that a shallow moralistic understanding of “conduct themselves/yourself” should be resisted. ...Paul wants Timothy to minister a message that changes lives, not that confirms the complacent in a presumptuous status quo. Robert Yarbrough

Matthew 23:25–26 (ESV)

25 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. 26 You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean.

2 Corinthians 5:17 (ESV)

17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

Reputation

Our motivation for our conduct is because we are the household of God.

For God

2 Corinthians 5:20 (ESV)

20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.

to act as ambassador — to act as an authorized representative of one sovereign ruler or country to another.

Our actions illuminate our belief and understanding of God.

For Each Other

Our conduct in the church exposes our true feelings for each other.

We (the people) are the church of the living God.

The building is where we worship, it is not the church.

Ephesians 4:1–3 (ESV)

1 I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

Colossians 3:1–17 (ESV)

1 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

5 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 On account of these the wrath of God is coming. 7 In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. 8 But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. 11 Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.

12 Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Pillar and Buttress

This is very specific imagery that would have been clearly understood by the church in Ephesus.

Pillar— a tall, vertical, cylindrical structure standing upright and used to support a structure; in an extended sense can support things like the Earth.

Buttress ( support ) — a structural member used to stiffen, support, and strengthen a framework; perhaps a nautical stay.

We must clearly understand what our pillar and buttress: the Gospel.

1 Corinthians 3:11 (ESV)

11 For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

Revelation 3:12 (ESV)

12 The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name.

The Mystery

This is not a secret message, or secret knowledge (gnosis or gnostic), it is the Gospel.

Romans 16:25 (ESV)

25 Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages

Ephesians 3:7–12 (ESV)

7 Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God’s grace, which was given me by the working of his power. 8 To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, 9 and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things, 10 so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. 11 This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, 12 in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him.

Colossians 1:24–26 (ESV)

24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church, 25 of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, 26 the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints.

The Reminder

Paul closes this with the focus of our motivation: Christ.

Paul uses a corpus or hymn to deliver the message.

In a corpus that emphasizes practical answers to practical questions, this hymn presents pure theology upon which the practical aspects of ministry are based.

William Mounce

In the flesh

Christ took upon flesh.

This is the message of Christmas.

John 1:14 (ESV)

14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Vindicated by the Spirit

Christ was the sinless lamb who was the payment for our sins.

to be vindicated (state) — to be or become shown to be right by providing justification or proof.

Romans 1:4 (ESV)

4 and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord,

Romans 3:24 (ESV)

24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,

Beheld by Angels

Christ’s work on earth involved many angels.

This phase most likely refers to 1 Peter 3:18-20.

1 Peter 3:18–20 (ESV)

18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, 19 in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, 20 because they formerly did not obey, when God’s patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water.

Proclaimed

This is the message of the Gospel that travels around the word.

Matthew 28:19 (ESV)

19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

This can also be looking back on the events in Acts.

Acts 1:8 (ESV)

8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

Acts 2:5–7 (ESV)

5 Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. 6 And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. 7 And they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans?

Believed On

This is people believing in the Gospel.

Acts 4:4 (ESV)

4 But many of those who had heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to about five thousand.

Acts 5:14 (ESV)

14 And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women,

Acts 9:42 (ESV)

42 And it became known throughout all Joppa, and many believed in the Lord.

Acts 11:21 (ESV)

21 And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord.

This is not just believing but trusting.

James 2:19 (ESV)

19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!

Taken up

Christ is reigning from Heaven.

Acts 1:2 (ESV)

2 until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen.

Acts 1:11 (ESV)

11 and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”

He is seated at the right hand of God.

Matthew 26:64 (ESV)

64 Jesus said to him, “You have said so. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.”

Ephesians 1:20 (ESV)

20 that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places,

Colossians 3:1 (ESV)

1 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.

Hebrews 8:1 (ESV)

1 Now the point in what we are saying is this: we have such a high priest, one who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven,

He is seated, because His work is finished.