"GREAT IS THE MYSTERY OF GODLINESS"
1 Timothy 3:16

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"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."

"And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness." A "mystery" (Greek musterion) in the New Testament sense of the word is not something mysterious, as in the modern English sense of the word. Rather, it is truth that the natural senses cannot apprehend, and which can be made known only by divine revelation, in the manner and time appointed by God, and only to those whom He is pleased to reveal it (as in Matthew 13:10-17; Colossians 1:26f). We may define mystery as "truth formerly concealed but now revealed". This "mystery of godliness" is the "mystery of the [Christian] faith" (as in v.9), or the "mystery of God incarnate". As Paul here explains it, this mystery is of a divine person, being the revealed truth of Christ in all His immeasurable greatness, and as God has revealed Him to men who otherwise could not have known Him. This mystery is "without controversy", which term may be translated "confessedly", meaning that it is the common confession of all believers in God. To deny any part of this mystery is to deny God and His Christ, which is ungodliness. Paul here expresses this mystery of Christ in six lines (which formed a hymn sung in the apostolic church).

I. "manifested in the flesh." God in the person of Christ became incarnate! Christ is the Son of God (Psalm 2:2, 7), therefore God the Son. He co-exists with His Father in eternity, and is the Creator of the universe (John 1:1f). He therefore is co-eternal and co-equal with God His Father, and deserving of all the praise and honor due to the Father (John 5:23). But in order to save fallen man, He assumed humanity with all its weaknesses and infirmities. He came in the likeness of sinful flesh in order to condemn sin in the flesh (Romans 8:3; Philippians 2:5-9; John 1:14; Hebrews 2:14f). What love and condescension! He who is all became nothing; the creator of man became the son of man and lived as a man; the lord of the universe became the servant of all; the richest of all became the poorest of all; the possessor of all glory was reduced to the basest shame; the law-giver became the law-keeper; the sinless one became the sin-bearing one.

II. "justified in the Spirit". Men despised and rejected Him (Isaiah 53:3). They in their rage plotted against Him (Psalm 2:1-3). They said, "We will not have this man to reign over us. ... Away with Him! Crucify Him!" (Luke 19:14; John 19:15). They killed Him like the worst of criminals. But His Holy Spirit vindicated (or "justified") Him, for He was "declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead" (Romans 1:4).

III. "seen by angels". Even angels around God's throne have never seen His divine nature. But they saw Him in His humanity (e.g., Matthew 4:11). Reference here is to the fact that although men saw the resurrected Christ with eyes beclouded with some disbelief (Mark 16:11, 13f; Luke 24:13-16), angels saw Him clearly as their resurrected Lord (Matthew 28:1-7).

IV. "preached among the Gentiles". Christ in His earthly ministry preached among the Jews (Matthew 15:24). But after His resurrection He commissioned His preachers to "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature" – even Gentiles (Mark 16:15), "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations" (Matthew 28:19). Salvation is not only for Jews.

V. "believed on in the world". When the resurrected Christ is preached among all the nations, regenerated men from all the nations trust in Him as their Lord and Savior (Isaiah 2:1-3). Peter therefore declares, "In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him" (Acts 10:35).

VI. "received up in glory". Many men still reject Him. But God has received Him in the glories of heaven, saying to Him, "Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool" (Hebrews 1:13). He who completed His work as God manifested in the flesh is now the exalted God-Man reigning in all His glory over all. Do you confess this mystery?

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