Beyond all question, the mystery from which true godliness springs is great:
He appeared in the flesh,
was vindicated by the Spirit,
was seen by angels,
was preached among the nations,
was believed on in the world,
was taken up in glory.
Summary: Looking back at the whole passage allows us to consider what it really is.
Before we move on, let’s take a moment to look at this verse as a whole.
Paul doesn’t explain where this saying or poem came from or how it was used. At the time Paul was writing this, there was no “New Testament” as we know it today. Instead, they seem to have relied heavily on ‘word of mouth’ and the Holy Spirit.
Paul’s entire letter to Timothy is essentially a collection of instructions on how to run a church. The “sayings” provide foundational truths like “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15) and “Whoever aspires to be an overseer desires a noble task” (1 Timothy 3:1).
This passage goes a bit further.
It sounds almost like a hymn or perhaps a creed. If it is a creed, a formal statement of beliefs, then it is quite complete. God’s Son becomes flesh, is vindicated, seen, preached, believed, and exalted. If you had to fit an explanation of what Christianity is all about on the back of a business card, it is hard to improve on 1 Timothy 3:16.
The only thing missing are the explanations Scripture gives of how it all works. Which raises the question, “What is needed to be saved?” Do you need to know what repentance is to repent? Does a person need to understand how sanctification works to be sanctified?
Or, is it all about Jesus?
Is the Scripture true that says “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved”? (Romans 10:13, Joel 2:32)
Jesus says, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” (John 10:27) Is it any more complicated than all that?
From the standpoint of an overseer, yes. They have to be able to discern the good from the bad. Much of what is in Paul’s letter to Timothy addresses this topic. Yet, when it comes to our faith in Jesus as individuals, is it about what we know or who we know?
Application: Trust in Jesus.
Food for Thought: From the standpoint of the average believer who is not a church leader or a theologian, what is the most important thing for them to know?
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