Godly summaries of biblical teaching are inescapable, whatever we may call them. They may be creeds, catechisms, systematic theologies or sermons, but when it is done properly, the result is consistently honoring to God. But of course, we need to take care to learn what “done properly” means from the pages of Scripture itself. Thus, passages in the Bible which summarize the message of the Bible are of great value to us.
And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory (1 Tim. 3:16).
In discussing these things there is no controversy about one aspect. The mystery of godliness is great. Note that what follows is described in two ways. First, it is a great mystery. Secondly, it is a great mystery concerning piety or godliness. But what follows are assertions that we would not typically relate to piety. This is because we have confused moralism with morality, pietism with piety, smarminess with godliness, and, at the end of the day, death with life.
First, God was manifest in the flesh. Secondly, this Jesus was justified in the Spirit through His resurrection. Third, angels saw Him. Fourth, He was preached to the Gentiles. Fifth, men in this dark world actually believed what was preached. Sixth, our Lord Jesus was received up into heavenly glory.
What is the great mystery of godliness? What is the foundation of our salvation? God was manifest in the flesh.
We sometimes do not appreciate the magnitude of the problem here. How could the eternal Word of the eternal Father take on limits? How can infinitude and finitude marry? The doctrine of the Incarnation proclaims frankly and without embarrassment the most stupendous miracle that can be imagined. Veiled in flesh the Godhead see, hail the Incarnate Deity.
But we are dealing with mysteries and miracles, not contradictions. We are not maintaining that Jesus was God and was simultaneously not God in the same respect that He was God. We are saying that our Savior, Jesus of Nazareth, was and is one person, but a person with two natures—divine and human. These two natures do not run together in a confused way, but neither are they separated in such a way as to make Jesus schizophrenic.
That which is predicated of the one nature can also be predicated of the person. “Jesus is God.” That which is predicated of the other nature can be predicated of the person. also “Jesus was from the tribe of Judah.” That which is predicated of the one nature should not be predicated of the other nature. “Humanity is Deity.” This important barrier was established for us in the decision of the council of Chalcedon.
This text also shows us the meaning of ultimate justification. We are told here that “God manifest in the flesh” was “justified in the Spirit.” We are told in Scripture that this justification was accomplished by the Holy Spirit in the resurrection of Christ from the dead. “And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead” (Rom. 1:4). This justification was of Christ, vindicating and declaring who He was and is. But it was also for us, because all that Christ has and is is imputed to us—we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. “Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; but for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification” (Rom. 4:23-25). The power of the gospel is resident here, in this. The power at work within us is the same power that God used in raising Jesus from the dead (Eph. 1:19-20).
So all things are ours. The resurrection of Jesus Christ, which was His justification, was also for our justification. In the declaration that Jesus was the Son of God we are declared to be sons of God. This, incidentally, is not a denial of the doctrine of imputation—rather it is an insistance that we have not yet begun to dream about what has been imputed to us. “Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours; whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours; and ye are Christ’s; and Christ is God’s” (1 Cor. 3:21-23).
So Christ is seen, preached, and believed. When the angels saw the resurrected Christ, they did not see an abstract doctrine. They saw Him. When we preach this, we do not preach a mere doctrine. We preach Him. When sinners believe, they do not just believe a doctrine. They believe Him. What is the difference?
Looked at from the side, all Christian preaching and teaching is made up of nouns, verbs, propositions, questions, and so on. In just the same way, the bread and wine of the Lord’s Supper remain simply bread and wine. If a chemist were to scurry around the Table when we are meeting with Christ there, he would find nothing but the regular stuff. And if a grammarian or logician were to break apart and analyze the “stuff” of preaching, he would find assertions and doctrines, nouns and verbs. He would see the form, but not the power. But saving faith, godly trust, does not stare at. Faith looks through. And so, children of God, behold your God.
The last statement of our scriptural summary is that Jesus Christ was received up into glory. This glory of His is not limited to heaven. He pours it out, He bestows it, He imputes it to us. Everything that can be done with this glory is done, and it is done on our behalf. “But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord” (2 Cor. 3:18). How do we see the glory of the Lord with open face? Where do we meet with Him? Where do we see Him? When do we converse with Him? The gift of faith is why you are doing it this minute. You are hearing the Word. You are preparing for the sacrament. You are celebrating the fact that God was first manifested in the flesh inside the flesh of another, His mother Mary. In this season of Advent, do you see your God?