INTRODUCTION: A mystery in the Bible is a previously unrevealed truth that was not fully revealed until the New Testament. The mystery that is revealed in 1 Timothy 3:16 is that Jesus Christ was wholly man, and wholly God, or God of very God.
Jesus Christ is according to the Bible, God incarnate in man. The word "incarnate" means: made in the flesh, endowed with a human body; having a human body. The Bible clearly proclaims that Jesus Christ
is God.
I will not attempt to address the various teachings of the so called "Christian" groups (actually cults) who deny
the deity of Jesus Christ. All I know, or anyone knows about God comes from His word the Bible. All the teachings, that teach that Jesus Christ is not God, can be all lumped into one group and labeled "the vain speculations of men." Only God Himself can tell us who He is and He has chosen to reveal this truth about Himself in the Bible. There is no other place to go, but to God Himself. Thus, I will let God speak for himself from the Scriptures.
Lets first look at I Tim. 3:16, " 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. "Without controversy." This means simply "obviously" or "beyond all question."
2. "The mystery of Godliness is great." This denotes the importance and magnitude of this now revealed mystery or truth.
3. The mystery is "God is manifest in the flesh!" This is as straight forward as can be made on the matter. This verse says that God is manifested in the flesh. The Greek word is "phneroo" meaning, "to make visible."
4. Jesus was "Justified in the Spirit." Note it was not the flesh that justified, but the Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ was thus vindicated in the Spirit at His resurrection.
5. Jesus was "Seen of Angels." Angels are spirits, and they saw Christ as spirit.
6. Jesus was "preached among the Gentiles." This denotes the scope of His ministry that He came to save all nations. He was more than the Jewish Messiah, but the Savior of the world.
7. Jesus was "believed on in the world." He being proven to be the Redeemer, He was believed on and accepted as Savior by those who seek after God.
8. Jesus was "Received up into glory." Today Christ is at the right hand of God, making intercession for those who by faith are trusting in Him.
9. This verse is believed to have been a early Christian hymn and could be sung today:
"He appeared in a body, 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. "
I. JESUS CHRIST IS GOD.
A. Jesus was God. Phil. 2:6-11.
1. "Being in the form of God" means: being the same as God in essence and nature.
"essence" means: "that which makes something what it is, its intrinsic, fundamental nature, its essential being."
2. "Thought it not robbery to be equal with God." Paraphrased the verse is saying:
"Who, though of the same nature as God, did not think this something to be exploited to is own advantage." (Ryrie Study Bible, p. 1684)
3. Phil. 2:7 ."..made himself of no reputation."
a. Literally it is saying he "emptied" Himself.
b. Emptying, is the Greek word "KENOSIS", which means Jesus "limited" himself to the level of man. He did not lose any attribute of God, but wavered or veiled His Godly attributes, while he was on Earth.
c. Note he came to Earth as a Servant.
d. "Made in the likeness of man" and "being found is the fashion of a man" are references to Christ's humanity. He was totally a human being.
B. In John 10:30, Jesus said that "I and my Father are one."
1. One is in the neuter gender. This rules out the meaning that they are one in person. Jesus and God are separate persons, but one God, with the Holy Spirit.
2. The verse says they are in perfect unity in their natures and actions.
3. He was saying that He was God. The Jews who heard Him saw a man. They fully understood what He was saying and were so offended my this idea, they took up stones to stone Him.
C. Jesus states in John 4:25-26, that "I am ..he." He was saying He was the Messiah.
D. In John 8:24, Jesus literally said, "you will die in your sins, if you do not believe that, I AM."
1. Note the KJV, prints the "he" in italics, which indicates that it is a word supplied to give meaning. In this case it waters down the statement. Jesus said He was the great "I AM."
2. Exodus 3:14. Moses asks God who he should say has sent him to the Hebrews in bondage in Egypt. God repies, tell them "I AM" sent you.
3. "I AM" means "I am the One who is", or YAHWEH, which means Jehovah God. Further it means, the one who is active and self-existent. The word is used 6823 times in the Old Testament. It also is associated with God's holiness (Lev. 11:44-45), His hatred of sin (Gen. 6:3-7), and His gracious provision of redemption(Isa. 53:1,5,6,10).
4. There can be no doubt, Jesus said He was God.
E. THE PRIMARY OLD TESTAMENT NAMES OF GOD:
1. YHWH or YAHWEH=JEHOVAH: Means, Self-existent One (Ex.3:14) see c. above.
2. ELOHIM Means: Strong one. It is used of the true God and heathen gods. It is a plural word.
3. ADONAI Means: Lord. It indicates the master-servant relationship. ]
4. The Messiah was clearly proclaimed to be God in the Old Testament. Matthew 1:23, "Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us."
a. Isa 7:14, "Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. "
b. Isa 9:6, "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince
of Peace. "
c. Clear the Old Testament says that the Messiah, Jesus Christ, was God and called Him "Immanuel," "The Mighty God," and "The Everlasting Father."
F. Referring to His deity Jesus said, "If ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins." (John 8:24)
II. JESUS WAS WHOLLY MAN.
A. He was born of woman. Gal. 4:4.
1. Jesus was virgin born. Isa. 7:14.
2. Jesus was conceived in Mary by the Holy Spirit. Matt. 1:18-20
3. Jesus was born of Mary. Matt. 1:16, "of whom was born Jesus." The words "of whom" is feminine in gender in the Greek. Jesus was born of Mary, not of Mary and Joseph. This is one of the strongest evidences in the Bible for the virgin birth.
4. His name was to be Emmanuel. Matt. 1:23. Being interpreted this name means "God with us." This baby totally human, was also "God with us."
B. Christ's human attributes.
1. He grew. Luke 2:52
2. Was seen and touched by men. Matt. 26:12, I John 1:1
3. He ate and hungered. Matt. 4:2, John. 24:15.
4. He was thirsty. John 19:28.
5. He grew tired. John. 4:6.
6. He wept. John 11:35
C. He experienced the same emotions as we do. Heb. 4:15.
D. Jesus is the visible form of God.
1. See Heb. 1:2-3, "the brightness of his glory and the express image of his person."
2. What the Father is in His invisible form and essence, Christ became in the visible form.
3. John 14:9, "he that hath seen me has seen the Father."
This statement indicates Jesus and the Father are One. (John 10:30, says "I and my Father are One") John 1:18,
says "no man hath seen God at any time." John 4:24 state "God is spirit." These verses are telling us that God is spirit, and a spirit cannot be seen by physical man. However, when Jesus said, that "he that hath seen me, hath seen the Father," is saying that He was the physical, or visible form of God.
4. Rom. 1:23, states that Jesus was, "the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made unto corruptible man."
5. Christ, in the image of man, as representative of God, was also the image in personal visible form, the exact likeness of God.
E. Jesus was the Creator.
1. John 1:1, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."
a. The "Word" is the Greek word "Logos."
b. John 1:14, says, "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, as the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth." Note that this verse confirms that the Word was Jesus Christ and as verse 1, says Jesus was God.
c. Rev. 19:13, states that the "Logos" is Christ.
2. John 1:3 states, Jesus made the earth. In Gen. 1:1, the Bible states that God, created the Earth, and the Spirit of God, or the Holy Spirit in verse 2, who actually "moved upon the waters." The word "God", is the Hebrew word "Elohim", which is the plural word for God. Thus the Trinity, was active in the Creation.
III. JESUS IS THE SON OF GOD.
A. John 3:16, "God sent his Son." The sonship of Christ is overwhelmingly established in Scripture. See Luke 1:35, John 1:18, 8:36, I John 5:12, II John 3.
B. Sonship denotes personally the Son is the same as the Father. It also show subordination. God in relationship to authority and administration are: first the Father, then the Son, followed by the Holy Spirit.
C. Sonship, is a referencing the actual work of Jesus. Jesus states this in John 4:34, when he said "my meat is to do the will of him that sent me." In John 17:3, Jesus praying to the Father, states He has completed the work the Father had for Him to do.
"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).