1 Tim 3:16, part 1

I’m Glad I Know Who Jesus Is
Part 1
1 Tim 3:16

1. Analysis of the Passage

a. This is an ancient hymn of the church, one inspired by the Holy Spirit

(1) In the original, there is a natural rhythm to it
(2) It is meant to give a theological definition to the Truth delivered to the saints, and preserved and defended by the church—3:14-15

b. Each line is organized the same way in the original, with a verb in the aorist tense followed by a noun

(1) The aorist tense is a snapshot, a moment in time.
(2) But these things did not all happen at a moment in time as man sees it—but to God, each one was a done deal before He made the worlds.

c. Each line tells a different doctrine about Who and What Jesus is
d. Each line is vital for our salvation, for Christ’s mediation, for our reconciliation
(1) God was revealed in flesh
(2) The Holy Spirit vindicated Christ’s Ministry
(3) The Angels witnessed everything
(4) Christ was preached
(5) People believed
(6) Christ Ascended

e. Why are these events so important?

(1) Christianity is a fact-based faith
(2) Our faith is not about religious feelings and being uplifted
(a) The purpose of church is not to make you feel good about yourself and to give you some words of comfort.
(b) The purpose of the church is to attack the gates of Hell and rescue the perishing.
(c) The purpose of church is to be the training ground for people equipped to take the Gospel to every corner of this town, this county, this region, this sate, this nation, and this world.

(3) Our faith, first and most of all, is about real things that happened in real time to real people—and the apostles and other early church leaders are constantly telling us this in the Bible.

(4) Two examples
(a) Stephen’s sermon—Acts 7—here is a man on trial for his life, and he gave them a HISTORY lesson!
(b) Paul’s declaration of faith—1 Cor 15:1-11
(5) So, an attack on the facts is an attack on salvation
(6) This is why every cult group winds up with some kind of works salvation

2. The Great Mystery: "And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness…”

a. First, What is a Mystery in the Bible?

(1) It is something that was concealed, but is being or is going to be revealed (Mark 4:11) "And He said to them, "To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to those who are outside, all things come in parables,"

(2) The Gospel is a mystery since eternity past—

(a) (Rom 16:25) "Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the world began"

(b) (1 Cor 2:7) "But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory,"

(c) (Eph 3:9) "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;"

(3) The New Testament contains several of these mysteries—things previously concealed that are now being revealed.

(4) Resurrection and rapture is a mystery revealed by Paul—(1 Cor 15:51-52) "Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed; 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed."

(5) Part of the mystery is that Christ dwells in us through the Holy Spirit (Col 1:26-27) "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."

(6) There is also a mystery of Evil—the development of the kingdom of the antichrist. (2 Th 2:7) "For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way."

b. Context: 3:14-15

(1) The “faith once delivered to the saints” (Jude 3) has in it “some things hard to understand…” 2 Pet 3:15, indeed it includes deep teachings which are for mature believers (1 Cor 2:6-16)

(2) The basic facts that one must believe to be saved, however, are very simple: Rom 10:8-9 "But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" (that is, the word of faith which we preach): 9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved."

c. But, believers are not to remain babes—Heb 5:12-14

(1) The list of deep doctrinal truths found in 1 Tim 3:16 is thought by most commentators to be from an early confession of faith, or perhaps from an early hymn of the faith
(2) This list of facts about Who and What Jesus is constitutes the outline of what we call Christology

d. There is no argument about one thing, this is a great mystery
(1) What is a mystery? A mystery is something which was unknown before and which is now being made known, such as God’s revelations to Paul concerning the nature and meaning of the New Testament Church.

(2) “Godliness” the idea that God became flesh is a great (mega) mystery—but the point is, that it has all been revealed.

e. Jesus the Revelator!
(1) John 1:14-18
(2) Rev 1:1-2
(3) Heb 1:1-2
(4) The point—Jesus, in His Life, Person, and Work, has revealed the great mystery of the Gospel, and the church, the pillar and ground of the Truth, is supposed to be the bulwark, the fortress, the defender of the Truth.

3. God was manifested in the flesh

a. He, Jesus, the Messiah, was manifested in flesh

“…The verb is used by Paul elsewhere of the incarnation (Romans 16:26; Colossians 1:26) as well as of the second coming (Colossians 3:4). ..” A. T. Robertson

b. The incarnation, the Son of God coming in human flesh, has these key elements, each of which cult groups and liberal theologians attack.
(1) He was pre-existent, in fact, He is eternal, the Alpha and the Omega—Mal 5:2, John 8:58, Rev 1:8
(2) He was and is God—John 1:1
(3) He did not cease to possess His Deity while on Earth, but He took on something extra—humanity—Phil 2:5-11

(4) He came into this earth as a real man, from the moment of conception in the virgin’s womb, what is really striking about Him is that physically, there was nothing striking about Him.

(5) He was made in all points like us—but without sinè He had no sin, He did no sin, He knew (personally) no sin—Heb 4:15-16


c. This is a key doctrine of the Bible, and has been much abused and attacked. The basic areas of attack have been:

(1) Attack #1èTo say that Christ was only a man, though with a special relationship with God (Ebionism). In this version of the Gospel, as in the false teachings of Joel Hemphill, there really is nothing special about Jesus but that He had faith.

John 1:1-3 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made."

John 8:24 ""Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.""

John 8:58 "Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.""

John 20:28 "And Thomas answered and said to Him, "My Lord and my God!""


(2) Attack #2èTo say that Christ was not a man, that He did not come in the flesh, but that He was an illusion, a totally spiritual being who only appeared to be human—Docetism –Heb 2:17-18 "Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. 18 For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted."

(3) Attack #3èTo say that Christ was less than fully God, that He was created—Arianism—(John 1:3) "All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made."

(4) Attack #4èTo say that Christ was a man who became God—adoptionism –Micah 5:2 ""But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, From everlasting.""

(5) Attack #5èTo say that Christ had a sin nature—Heb 4:15-16 "For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need."

d. Why have these attacks been launched against the doctrine of Christ’s Person?

(1) Because the mystery of lawlessness (2 Thes 2:2) has also been revealed and is working to keep men and women, boys and girls, from Salvation in Christ.

(2) The spirit of Antichrists is already in the world—1 John2:18-23—attacking our Faith

(3) And because if He is not who the Bible says He is, He cannot do what the Bible says He can.