The Person of Christ Presented to the Church of the Living God

From: Miscellaneous Papers By: Edward Denny

• 6 min. read • grade level: 8

BOTH AS THE MYSTERY OF THE FAITH AND THE MYSTERY AND OBJECT OF WORSHIP.

1 Tim. 3:14-16¹⁴These things write I unto thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly: ¹⁵But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. ¹⁶And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory. (1 Timothy 3:14‑16)1TIM 3:14

“THESE things write I unto thee, [hoping to come unto thee shortly: but if I tarry long,] that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God.

“The pillar and stay of the truth (and confessedly great) is the mystery of worship" (ευσεβεια—see 1 Tim. 1:17; 6:16¹⁷Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen. (1 Timothy 1:17)
¹⁶Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honor and power everlasting. Amen. (1 Timothy 6:16). Observe the analogy here between the epithet "GREAT," as applied to the mystery of worship, and the same word in connection with the Church "the mystery of Christ," in Eph. 5:32³²This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. (Ephesians 5:32): "Tins IS THE GREAT MYSTERY: but I speak concerning Christ and the Church.")

IN THREE ASPECTS; NOT, AS ELSEWHERE PRESENTED, IN ASSOCIATION WITH OTHERS.

(Namely,)

(1.) God was manifest in the flesh, (Christ, the seed of the woman—Son of God and Son of man—as He was when on earth, and as He will be forever.)

(2.) Justified in the Spirit, (Christ and His work owned by His Father in resurrection:—" Declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead" (Rom. 1:4⁴And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead: (Romans 1:4)), after He had exchanged His NATURAL body for that which is spiritual and celestial. This is what this phrase "in the spirit" implies.)

(3.) Received up into glory. (Christ seated at the right hand of God.—(Psa. 110:1¹<<A Psalm of David.>> The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool. (Psalm 110:1).) The result of which is, "THE GOSPEL OF THE GLORY," Ευαγγελιον της δοξης, the heavenly gospel, of which Paul was the minister.)

CHRIST IN THREE ASPECTS IN RELATION TO OTHERS

(1.) Seen of angels, (these angels or messengers (αγγελοι—see Luke 7:24; 9:52²⁴And when the messengers of John were departed, he began to speak unto the people concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness for to see? A reed shaken with the wind? (Luke 7:24)
⁵²And sent messengers before his face: and they went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him. (Luke 9:52); Gal. 4:14¹⁴And my temptation which was in my flesh ye despised not, nor rejected; but received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus. (Galatians 4:14); Rev. 1:20²⁰The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches. (Revelation 1:20);) were, we believe, the apostles and others of the CIRCUMCISION of whom Christ was seen after He rose from the dead—witnesses by whom He was preached to the Gentiles; the first of whom was Peter, the apostle of the circumcision; the last, Paul himself, the apostle of the Gentiles.—See 1 Cor. 15:5-8⁵And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: ⁶After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. ⁷After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. ⁸And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time. (1 Corinthians 15:5‑8).)

(2.) Preached unto the Gentiles, (strangers and foreigners; they of the UNCIRCUMCISION, to whom the above angels or witnesses testified.)

(3.) Believed on in the world, (the result of the above testimony in reference to BOTH; even "them which were afar off" and "them that were nigh;" namely, those Jews and Gentiles who form the CHURCH. See—Eph. 2:17¹⁷And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. (Ephesians 2:17).)

CHRIST THE FAITHFUL AND TRUE WITNESS, OR PILLAR AND STAY OF THE TRUTH.

"Thou, O MAN OF GOD, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast PROFESSED THE GOOD CONFESSION [" a faithful saying"—"the truth"—"the faith"—"the doctrine,"—1 Tim. 1:15; 2:4; 4:1, 16¹⁵This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. (1 Timothy 1:15)
⁴Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. (1 Timothy 2:4)
¹Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; (1 Timothy 4:1)
¹⁶Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee. (1 Timothy 4:16),] before many witnesses. I give thee charge in the sight of God, who quickeneth all things, and before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate WITNESSED THE GOOD CONFESSION; that thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Tim. 6:11-14¹¹But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. ¹²Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses. ¹³I give thee charge in the sight of God, who quickeneth all things, and before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession; ¹⁴That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ: (1 Timothy 6:11‑14).)

"Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I AM A KING. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should BEAR WITNESS UNTO THE TRUTH. (1 Tim. 3:15¹⁵But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. (1 Timothy 3:15).) Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice." (John 18:37³⁷Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice. (John 18:37).)

N.B.—The above confession of Christ before Pilate is that which we believe to be referred to in 1 Tim. 6:3³If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; (1 Timothy 6:3), as "wholesome words, even THE WORDS OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST," "the doctrine which is according to godliness" (i.e. ευσεβεια worship). Thus, in the day of His humiliation, He, "the faithful and true witness," refused not to declare what He really was in order to shelter Himself. Thus, in the presence of the Roman governor, the representative of Cæsar, the usurper of all that was rightfully His, He asserted His claims, His royal dignity as King of the Jews, and consequently as Lord of the whole world beside. Such He, as "God manifest in the flesh," of necessity was: and not only so; but, by virtue of the divine dignity of His person, He ("the Truth," as He essentially was,) was God's witness, in the face of Satan the father of lies, to THE TRUTH, its "PILLAR AND STAY," let the world, the flesh, and the devil, rage and oppose as they might. May the Lord by His Spirit enable us more and more to own Him as such! Wholly differing from those who lay it down as a law or a principle (νομιζοντων) that that which is the source to them of gain, even the world, is to be their object of worship (ευσεβεια), may we feel that He who is the true object of worship is the source of great gain! This we believe expresses the meaning of that passage in 1 Tim. 6:5, 6⁵Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself. ⁶But godliness with contentment is great gain. (1 Timothy 6:5‑6), which refers to those who suppose gain to be godliness. Ευσεβεια be it observed, here as elsewhere, should be rendered "worship," not "godliness." As to πορισμος "gain," this we take to be an elliptical expression, meaning that from which profit or gain is derived.

CHRIST THE KING OUR BLESSED OBJECT 'OF WORSHIP.

"Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen." (1 Tim. 1:17¹⁷Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen. (1 Timothy 1:17).)

"The blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honor and power everlasting. Amen." (1 Tim. 6:15, 16¹⁵Which in his times he shall show, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; ¹⁶Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honor and power everlasting. Amen. (1 Timothy 6:15‑16).)

N.B.—Since the above was written we have consulted Bengel's observations on 1 Tim. 3:14-16¹⁴These things write I unto thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly: ¹⁵But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. ¹⁶And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory. (1 Timothy 3:14‑16); and we find that his view of this passage coincides with our own. He shows that the almost universal opinion of the interpreters of his time was, that the subject of which the apostle is treating in chapter 3. ends with the words "the church of the living God" in verse 15; and then that the phrase "The pillar and ground of the truth" in the same verse begins a new paragraph. Besides which, he argues that it is unsuitable to begin a new subject, as in verse 16, with the conjunction "And,"—to read, as we do in our version, "And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness." This, we venture to say, has long been our thought on this last point as well as the former.

“ΠΙΣΤΟΣ Ο ΛΟΓΟΣ”

1 Tim. 4:9⁹This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation. (1 Timothy 4:9).

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