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1 Timothy 3:16b – God’s Son

The angel tells Mary that she will giver birth to the Son of the Most High. (Grok)

He appeared in the flesh…

Summary: There are probably a million things to say about Jesus appearing in the flesh. We will focus on just a few.   

At the perfect point in history, the following conversation took place in a small town half way between the Mediterranean Sea and the Sea of Galilee: 

“Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High.” (Luke 1:30-32)

“‘How will this be,’ Mary asked the angel, ‘since I am a virgin?’” (V 34)

“The angel answered, ‘The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.'” (V 35)

This was no ordinary conversation. Mary, a young girl, was pledged to be married to a man named Joseph. In those days, marriages were a two-part affair. When a couple was pledged in marriage, they were in effect already married. The second part happened after the husband had finished building a house for the new couple. Then he could bring his bride home and consummate the marriage.

For Mary to become pregnant during the first part, the pledge, was a scandal. This was not supposed to happen. Joseph could divorce her for this, and he was going to, until God changed his mind. 

And so it happened that the young bride’s first child was not her husband’s. Instead, it was God’s Son. 

The child was born and grew to become a man. And then he died. And he stayed dead for three days until, in a glorious burst of God’s power, he was raised from the dead and still lives today. 

During his time here on earth, he appeared in the flesh, both before he was crucified and after. 

While he was here, he made sure we knew who he was. He told his disciples directly, “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30). 

God. 

Here among us. 

In the flesh. 

Amazing!

Application: Marvel at the humility of God, to become one of us. 

Food for Thought: How does seeing God in the flesh change how we think of him? 

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1 Timothy 3:16a – Unusual Clarity

A portrait of Jesus Christ against a backdrop of confusion (Grok)

Beyond all question, the mystery from which true godliness springs is great:

Summary: Paul is pointing us to a ‘mystery’ that only God understands the answer to. For our part, it is enough to see and believe.   

It must be a challenge, even for God, to communicate with us. After all, God is an eternal being (Psalm 90:4). His ‘living memory’ spans all of time. He created everything there is (Genesis 1:1), which means that even our highest form of math and the farthest reaches of our science barely scratch the surface of God’s knowledge. 

For an eternal being, the supreme eternal being who created all things, his thoughts are necessarily more complete, comprehensive, and accurate than anything even the most brilliant human being could hope to achieve during our puny lifetimes (Isaiah 55:9). 

What seems obvious to God is a mystery to us. And yet, God continues to find ways of helping us understand the truth. The Bible is a collection of writings that explain the truth in hundreds, and perhaps thousands of different ways. All we have to do is accept that God is smarter than we are and believe what he tells us. 

Where does ‘true godliness’ come from?

For anyone who loves God above all else, this is an important question. If we love God, we want to honor and respect him. If we love him, we want to be like him. To fail at any of these things is painful because we not only bring shame upon ourselves but also upon our Father as well. 

The answer to this question is simply this: Jesus. (The rest of this verse is all about Jesus!)

If we let Jesus into our lives, the Holy Spirit fills us with hope and transformation (Romans 12:2). We begin to change. True godliness becomes part of who we are. Godliness is a seed that takes root and grows. The ‘fruit of the Spirit’ is what we see happening on the outside (Galatians 5:22-23). 

Which brings us to another question: If the ‘secret’ to true godliness isn’t really a ’secret’ at all, why does the Bible seem so complicated? 

The answer to that question has to do with human nature. As long as we live in the flesh, we are bound to struggle with sin (Romans 7:21-25). If we are not constantly keeping our eyes on God, we are in danger of falling away (Matthew 13:21). This is why Jesus and the Bible speak with unusual clarity.

Application: Read God’s Word, believe, and act accordingly.  

Food for Thought: Why does the Bible have so many warnings about ‘falling away?’

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1 Timothy 3:15b – Family Portrait

A portrait of God’s family. The picture frame is gold and ornate. The picture shows Jesus in the background, arms out, embracing his family. There is a holy glow emanating from him. The people in front of him are his family; all ages, all races. (Grok)

…  God’s household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth. 

Summary: God’s Word paints a picture connecting three things into one very important picture.   

Personally, I enjoy the verses like this one. In this passage, Paul provides us with a definition. In fact, he provides us with three! He ties together three important points in a simple equation. 

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1 Timothy 3:14-15a – Good Conduct

Picture of a "Good Conduct" award. (Grok)

Although I hope to come to you soon, I am writing you these instructions so that, if I am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God’s household…

Summary: Yes, God cares about us and what we do. Paul helps us understand what God expects of us.    

What a blessing that Paul took time to write down his ‘instructions’ for God’s household! 

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1 Timothy 3:10 – The Test

They must first be tested; and then if there is nothing against them, let them serve as deacons.

Summary: It turns out that testing deacons is very similar to testing overseers. They have a lot in common.   

This is an intriguing passage! How do you “test” someone who aspires to be a deacon? 

In verse eight, Paul moves from his instructions about overseers into a discussion about deacons. He begins with the words, “In the same way…”

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1 Timothy 3:9 – The Eyes of Faith

Closeup of a man's eyes. (Grok)

They must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience. 

Summary: Paul’s reference to the “deep truths of the faith” and a “clear conscience” point to things that only the eyes of faith can see. 

When we read Paul’s words, we are always looking through the lens of the translators who make it possible for us to read the Bible in English. Translating from Greek is not an easy task, and translators sometimes have to make hard choices when selecting their words. 

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1 Timothy 3:8 – Deacons

A picture in the style of a Bible illustration showing the deacons (Acts 6:1-7) serving food to the widows, and the apostles preaching God's Word. (Grok)

In the same way, deacons are to be worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging in much wine, and not pursuing dishonest gain. 

Summary: Paul’s introduction to the work of a deacon leads us to wonder, “What is a deacon, anyway?”   

When Paul begins with “In the same way…” he means in the same way overseers are worthy of respect (1 Timothy 3:4), deacons should be worthy of respect. 

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