Daily Meditations on the Bible / We stand with Israel
The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith…
Summary: Paul’s statement about “later times” leads us to wonder what he means by “abandon the faith.”
Believe it or not, this passage is a troublemaker.
Continue reading “1 Timothy 4:1a – For or Against?”
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.
Continue reading “1 Timothy 3:16 (All) – All About Jesus”
[He] was taken up in glory.
Summary: To be ‘taken up in glory’ suggests that someone was there to give glory to Jesus. Who, what, and how become the quest in this meditation.
The last line of Paul’s poetic description of “the mystery from which true godliness springs” is that Jesus was “taken up in glory.”
Continue reading “1 Timothy 3:16g – Glory, Glory! “
[He] was believed on in the world…
Summary: This passage confronts us with the core challenge of the Gospel message: Do you believe in Jesus?
I sometimes have to laugh at how my mind works. When I read the passage for this meditation, I wondered, “What is the difference between ‘believed on’ and ‘believed in’?”
Continue reading “1 Timothy 3:16f – A Most Important Question”
[He] was preached among the nations…
Summary: This line in Paul’s poetic tribute to the mystery of godliness is potent. The key to God’s plan for saving humanity is that everyone should hear the Good News of Jesus Christ.
If you lived back in the days of Jesus, how would you get the message of God’s love to people?
Continue reading “1 Timothy 3:16e – Among the Nations”
[He] was seen by angels…
Summary: As we drill down into this passage, the idea of being seen by angels expands our appreciation of who Jesus is and what he has done.
Have you ever been seen by an angel?
I ask that question because to understand what Paul is saying here, we need to know the answer.
Continue reading “1 Timothy 3:16d – Seen by Angels”
[He] was vindicated by the Spirit…
Summary: Vindication is an interesting word. In this passage, it means something a little different from how we might use the word today.
The word “vindicated” in this passage is key to understanding the meaning.
Continue reading “1 Timothy 3:16c – Vindication”
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:
Continue reading “1 Timothy 3:16b – God’s Son”
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.
Continue reading “1 Timothy 3:16a – Unusual Clarity”
… 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.
Continue reading “1 Timothy 3:15b – Family Portrait”