1 Timothy 3:16

16. And for this truth a powerful pillar is required, for without controversy, and confessedly, it must be conceded, even to the errorists, that its mystery is great. But that it is in no discouraged or apologizing tone that the apostle admits this mystery is clear, not only from the six luminous points through which he next traces the history of the incarnation, but from the inverted form of the proposition, Great is the mystery of godliness; a proposition far sublimer than that which he once heard rung through Ephesus, “Great is Diana of the Ephesians.”

Mystery The same as mystery of the faith in 1 Timothy 3:9. That mystery in a divine religion arising from its transcendent supernaturalism. Of that mystery the incarnation in all its scenes and stages is the centre and sum.

As a mystery of truth it claims our faith and pervades our piety the true rendering for godliness. And this mystery of godliness is the truth, of which the Church of Timothy, being truly its depositary and advocate, is the pillar and basis: its pillar, as a firm defender; its basis, as a true support.

God Of this word, celebrated among scholars, there are in the Greek manuscripts three various readings: God, which, and who. The reading God would render the passage a strong proof-text of the supreme divinity of Christ. The reading which would make it refer to mystery as embracing Christ. But the reading who, has now the, perhaps, unanimous concurrence of scholars. It, then, is a relative pronoun wholly without any grammatical antecedent. To this conclusion commentators like Huther, Alford, Ellicott, Wordsworth, and Fairbairn, as well as critics like Lachmann, Tisehendorf, and Tregelles, are forced.

Connected with this reading is a very interesting history of the text of the Alexandrine MS. in the British Museum. (See our vol. iii, p. 7.) In the Greek the difference between the readings would be very slight to the eye. God and who would be respectively -Θ C and Ο C ; the former being distinguished by two horizontal marks; the one within the letter, and part of it; the other, a sign of contraction above the letter. In the Alexandrine Codex some person (probably Patrick Young, librarian to King Charles I.) had made both the horizontal marks with a fresh pen; for which the reason was assigned that they were both very dim. By this the value of the Codex seemed destroyed as evidence for all future examiners. Dr. Clarke inspected the text, and adopted the conclusion that the new marks were truly a renewing of the old, and that the true reading was God. But in our day the letters have been subjected to a powerful magnifying lens, by Alford, by Wordsworth, and by Ellicott. Their decision is, that what Young may have mistaken for a horizontal mark was the glimmer through the leaf of part of a letter on the opposite page. Huther would account for the relative without an antecedent by supposing that the six rhythmical clauses are so many lines of a primitive Christian hymn. But Alford happily suggests the parallelism of Colossians 1:27, “this mystery, among the Gentiles; which is Christ,” etc. In the present passage the apostle thinks of the mystery as being impersonated in Christ, and so adds his who. The passage, therefore, can no longer be quoted in proof of the absolute deity of Christ; but, rather, as may appear, for his pre-existence.

Manifest in the flesh So he was the eternal Word made flesh. John 1:14. And the same John pronounces him to be antichrist who denies that he has come in the flesh. 1 John 4:2. This was the collision of the apostles with the heretics of 1 Timothy 3:4, “commanding to abstain from meats,” because they held matter to be intrinsically evil, and so denied that a perfect Christ could come in real flesh.

Justified in the Spirit The article to be omitted.

Spirit Christ’s highest nature antithetical to flesh, his lowest.

Justified As the perfect second Adam, as the first was condemned.

Justified As perfectly righteous personally; and as absolutely perfect in the discharge of his Messianic office. Negatively, he was pure from sin; positively, he fulfilled all righteousness. He was on earth the express image of God; showing how God would be and do if God were man.

Seen of angels The whole scene of his incarnate history was transacted beneath the view of the higher intelligences. See our note on 1 Corinthians 11:10. This does not necessarily mean, as Chrysostom, that he had, as second person of the Trinity, been unseen by angels. It only affirms that his incarnate history was under the angelic contemplation. Not merely by glimpses, as we see them in the gospels announcing his birth, strengthening him in the garden, opening his tomb, and attesting his resurrection; but, as we do not see them though they see us, by permanent perception. The three clauses thus far present the incarnate as an observed manifestation; the next three contemplate his Messianic success.

Preached unto the Gentiles Rather, unto the nations, irrespective of race. Such was his commission to his apostles. Matthew 28:19. And so Paul is a teacher of the Gentiles. Chap. 1 Timothy 2:7.

Believed on in the world So that his coming is the world’s great event. It is made a different world by his entering it.

Received up into glory Rather, in glory. His ascension is fully expressed in received up; and at that point the in glory commences.

It is the incarnate Christ in the grandeur of such a history that Timothy is to maintain in Ephesus. It is a summary of the evangelical history, proving Paul to be in truth a fifth evangelist, fully confirming the other four. But against Timothy, and the Church, and this Incarnate, a direful apostasy is soon to muster its ranks, as the verses following will declare.