"The Mystery of Godliness" 8/26/25

Dear brothers & sisters,

The people of God confess a glorious mystery revealed: the mystery of godliness. 

What is the source of a godly life? 

The Apostle writes to Timothy, quoting what may have been an early Christian hymn or creed.

“Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness: He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory.” - 1 Timothy 3:16

The Church's confession is emphatic. Godliness does not exist in a vacuum, but flows forth from the gospel like a stream gushing up from the ground. Paul's purpose in writing this letter was to leave Timothy with instructions about how to live in the House of God (see 3:15). But before he writes about what godly living looks like, the Apostle wants him to understand that godliness comes by way of a person. This is why the creed begins “Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness, HE...” The mystery is this, that godliness has been revealed to us in a PERSON, for apart from the LIVING GOD BECOMING MAN there is no godliness in man.**

The confession of the Scriptures is that God "was manifested (revealed or made known) in the flesh", that is in a human body, not leaving His divine nature (cf. Colossians 2:9), but taking on human nature. Thus, though his deity was veiled or hidden (in some respects), he remained fully God.

This mystery of God incarnate, through whom we may be renewed in the image of God, was:

vindicated by the Spirit 

seen by angels

proclaimed among the nations

believed on in the world

taken up in glory

And the testimony of these things is recorded in the accounts of the apostles.

Brethren, we are nothing without his life-giving power. Unless the divine life be grafted into the soul of man we have no godliness. Forget not the source of godliness when you seek to honor God in your daily life. Remember the mystery of godliness that God became a man to redeem lost humanity, so that we might live by the power of His Spirit. He lives today in glory that you might live (for Him and through Him) in godliness today. 

Consider then, how he would have you to live in the strength of his power.

In Christ's Service,

Matt

**The He in v16 is referring back to the living God in v15.