A note from our Pastor:

“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 Timothy 3:16

Good Morning Dearly Beloved,

This week we continue with our study of the various elements of the mystery of godliness which the Apostle Paul outlines in this verse. If you have not read the previous studies on this verse I encourage you to go back and read the entire study. This verse is packed with meaning and it deserves the time for careful consideration.

Great is the mystery of godliness: preached unto the Gentiles

The Apostle Paul, though not one of the original apostles, was selected by God, called out of the life he was living, and sent to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles. Due to the mission and purpose he had been given it is no surprise that he includes this element as one of the mysteries of godliness. It was of great importance to the Apostle and certainly captured in his mind the fullness of the message of Jesus Christ.

In 2023 (almost 2024) the idea of Jew and Gentile is foreign and not easily understood. The world we live in is defined by hundreds of nationalities. But in the mind of the 1st-century Jew, this was not the case. They understood the difference between Roman, Greek, and other cultures but race and nationality were either Jew (as defined by lineage tracing back to Abraham) or Gentile (non-Jew no matter the nationality). In the mind of the Jews, there was a wall between Jews and Gentiles. In short form, the wall for the Jews was they were chosen by God and the Gentiles were heathens.

As a result, the concept of the truth of God being preached through Jesus and then his apostles to the Gentiles was a significant hurdle for Jews to overcome. In reality, it violated their sense of exceptionalism which is always something a culture will react violently to. The violent reaction of the Jews was to call for the death of Jesus and almost all of the original apostles. That same violence would eventually reach the Apostle Paul as well.

It is important to remember how Jesus fulfilled the prophecies of the Old Testament and preaching the gospel until the Gentiles was part of that prophecy. In Isaiah 49:6 it was prophecied that Jesus would be the servant of God to raise up the Jews which would believe but would also be a light to the Gentiles. Thus, those who studied the Old Testament should have been aware this mystery of godliness would occur.

Finally, the truth being preached unto all mankind (Jew and Gentile) was necessary to align with the truth of eternal salvation. In regards to eternal salvation, God chose a people from all nations, races, ethnicities, etc., and secured them in the covenant of election. When Jesus came to the earth he died for all of those same people without the loss of one. Thus, if God has a people in every corner of the earth who are redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ he was also going to share the truth of their salvation with them.

Our Prayers are with you daily,

Brother Jeremiah