Regards 1 Timothy 3:16

A common example of wrestling scripture making it to say what it does not say is 1Timothy 3:16 (NASB):

By common confession, great is The mystery of **godliness**.
The KJV reads“God”, (NASB says “HE”)
who was revealed (manifest) in the flesh,

Was vindicated in the Spirit,

Seen by angels,

Proclaimed among the nations,

Believed on in the world,

Taken up in glory.

Yet 1 Tim. 3:16 does not say Jesus is GOD
(the Father, or “God incarnate”, i.e. God became a man).

God “manifest in flesh” is the Father’s Godly NATURE, character and authority in a man, i.e. =>> “the mystery of godliness”.

This passage does not say God became flesh but “godliness” was “manifest in flesh“, literally meaning “made known in flesh” -in a man.

“Godliness” is used NINE TIMES in 1Timothy, and the other eight are applied for believers to manifest, and does not make us God.

• He was justified in the Spirit. God justifies, He needs no justification.
  Romans 8:33 Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies”
• Seen of angels. What did angels see?
  John 1:51… you will see the heavens opened and the angels of God ascending and descending =>on the Son of Man.
• Preached to the gentiles, believed on in the world.
  The message they gave was that Jesus was the Christ, the one promised by God,
  the Christ. And Christ is a “man approved by GOD” Peter told them in Acts 2:22
• Received up into Glory.
  This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven. Acts 1:11.

Thus only a few verses prior Paul said so clearly in 1Timothy 2:5 (NASB)

For there is one God, and one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus.

Advertisement

WHO ARE YOU Lord?

God the Father said who Jesus is:

Matt 3:17… THE FATHER SAID IN A VOICE FROM HEAVEN ” This is my beloved Son ”

Those that had heard from him said:

• Matthew 27:43 KJ21 He trusted in God; let Him deliver him now, if He will have him. For he (Jesus) said, ‘I am the Son of God.’”
• NASB He trusts in God; let God rescue Him now, if He delights in Him; for He said, ‘I am the Son of God.’”

When asked WHO He is AFTER His resurrection, Jesus said:

Acts 22:8

NASB And I answered, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said to me, ‘I am Jesus the Nazarene, whom you are persecuting.’

When Saul met him on the road to Damascus,

Acts 22:8 And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest.

When Paul testified to King Agrippa who Jesus is, he told him what Jesus said who Jesus is:

• Acts 26:15 And I said, Who are you, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom you persecute.
• NASB And I said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting.

John the Baptist said who Jesus is:

John 1:34 And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.

Nathanel said who Jesus is:

John 1:49 Nathanael answered, Rabbi, you are the Son of God;
you are the King of Israel.

Jesus said who Jesus is:

John 10:36 Say ye of him, whom the Father has sanctified, and sent into the world, you blaspheme;

==>> because I said, I am the Son of God?

Martha said who Jesus is:

John 11:27 She said to him, Yes, Lord: I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.

John said to believe who Jesus is:

John 20:31 But these are written, that you might believe
that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.

The angel Gabriel said who Jesus is:

Luke 1:35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon you, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow you: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born from you shall be called the Son of God.

His disciples in the storm-tossed boat said who Jesus is:

Matthew 14:33 Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth you are the Son of God.

Simon Peter said who Jesus is:

Mat. 16:6 And Simon Peter answered and said,
you are the Christ, the Son of the living God.

Paul said who Jesus is:

Acts 9:20 And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues,
that he is the Son of God.

The overcomers confess who Jesus is:

1 John 5:5 Who is he that overcomes the world, but he that believes
that Jesus is the Son of God?

The glorified Christ says to the church who Jesus is:

Revelation 2:18 And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write;

These things says the Son of God,
who has his eyes like a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass…

There are 48 instances where JESUS is “the Son of God”,
but there are ZERO instances of anyone, including Jesus, stating “Jesus is God”.

Shall we juxtapose with the things people teach and believe were never written in scripture? “purge out the old leaven that you may be a new lump.”

Things To Ponder – 1

Things I found in Scripture. You can ponder them.

• Jesus called God the Father ” MY GOD” ==> 14 times.
• and
• He called God, “MY FATHER” ===> 40 times.
• He said the Father was in heaven ===> 30 times.
• He said the angels behold the FACE of His Father.
• He said ” I ascend to my Father and your Father, and my God and your God.”

and the apostles wrote 7 times:

“THE God and Father OF our Lord Jesus Christ”

• Romans 15:6 that with one accord ye may with one mouth glorify **the God and Father OF our Lord Jesus** Christ.
• 2 Cor 1:3 Blessed be **the God and Father OF our Lord Jesus** Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort;
• 2 Cor 10:31 The God and Father OF the Lord Jesus, he who is blessed for evermore knows that I lie not.
• Eph 1:3 Blessed be **the God and Father OF our Lord Jesus Christ**, who hath blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ:
• Eph 1:17 that **the God OF our Lord Jesus Christ**, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him;
• Colossians 1:3 We give thanks **to God the Father OF our Lord Jesus** Christ, praying always for you,
• 1Peter 1:3 Blessed be **the God and Father OF our Lord Jesus Christ** who according to his great mercy begot us again to a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

“My God”:

• Matthew 27:46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is, **MY GOD**, **MY GOD**, why hast thou forsaken me?
• Mark 15:34 Jesus cried with a loud voice, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, **MY GOD** , **MY GOD**, why hast thou forsaken me?
• John 20:17 Jesus said to her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to the Father: but go unto my brethren, and say to them,
• I ascend to MY FATHER and your Father, and **MY GOD** and your God.
  ((Where is the Father??)
• Revelation 3:2 Be thou watchful, and establish the things that remain, which were ready to die: for I have found no works of thine perfected before ** MY GOD**.
• Revelation 3:12 He that overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of
  **MY GOD**, and he shall go out thence no more: and I will write upon him the name of **MY GOD**,
  and the name of the city of **MY GOD**, the new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from **MY GOD**, and mine own new name….

Jesus Christ, whom HE said is “a man”, and whom the apostles said He is “a man”, has God the Father (YHVH) as His God:

HIS GOD:

• Psalm 37:31 The law of his God is in his heart; His steps do not slip.
• Isaiah 50:10 Who is among you that fears the Lord, That obeys the voice of His servant, That walks in darkness and has no light? Let him trust in the name of the Lord and rely on his God.
• Micah 5:4 And He will arise and shepherd His flock In the strength of the Lord, In the majesty of the name of the Lord His God. And they will remain, Because at that time He will be great To the ends of the earth.
• Rev. 1: from Jesus Christ, [who is] the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. to him that loves us, and loosed us from our sins by his blood; 6 and he made us a kingdom of priests ==>>> to his God and Father;