The Plot Thickens
Mystery of Mysteries
Mystery inside an Enigma
'I cannot forecast to you the action of Russia. It is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma' Winston Churchill, Oct 1939.
vs 1-2 – Encouraging The Ordinary
vs 3 – Exhorting the Extra Ordinary
There is a lot in these 3 little unassuming verses
vs 1-2 – Encouraging The Ordinary
Here we have a:
Pattern for service
Potential of service
We have a pattern of Christian service in the ordinary Christian life
To live the Christian life does not necessitate a special, peculiar set of circumstances.
To live the Christian life does not necessitate:
The dividing of the seas
Calling down fire from heaven
Slaying a giant
Facing lions
Surviving the fire and the flame
In fact the:
Pattern of scripture
Truth of the parables
Indicates that often times particular and privileged sets of circumstances open up only when I have been faithful and proven in the ordinary and mundane experiences of life:
'faithful in a very little, have thou authority over 10 cities.' (Luke 19:17)
Joseph faithful over Potiphar's house before he was placed over the whole of Egypt
Moses caring for the sheep before shepherding souls
Joshua the servant of Moses
Elisha – ploughing with his oxen
Let us not think that the sphere into which we have been placed somehow negates the possibility of service!
Here are people in the most 'restrictive' of experiences naturally speaking, slavery (6:1).
Their opportunity for and the significance of their service is by no means diminished.
Illust: Billy Graham, 2.2 billion heard him preach, 2.2 million came forward in crusades throughout the world, phenomenal numbers. Great, does it get any greater? Mordecai Ham
Mordecai Ham: 'Two young high school boys attended our meeting. They thought that everything I said was directed their way; so they decided to take seats in the choir, where I couldn't point my finger at them. They didn't pretend to be singers, but they wanted to be behind me... One night a man spoke to them during the invitation...Billy and Grady both went to the altar. Billy was saved and Brady dedicated his life to Christian service.'
Billy = Billy Graham
1 convert that reached 2.2 Billion!!!
How much significance would you place on that one convert to Christ?
Let us not think that Christian service is only possible within a narrow range of conditions – if I were in a certain place, if I possessed certain gifts, if I had fewer ties and responsibilities.
This is not true and can be:
Disabling
Discouraging
Deceiving
Distraction (a convenient excuse for opting out)
Service must never be:
Something I am going to do
Something I will do
Something I may do
only if …
To live the Christian life I must live the life which I have as a Christian.
Here are Christians within constrained circumstances, probably unable to obtain more favourable / free circumstances under the yoke (v1).
They became embittered (v2) 'despise'
Their constraining circumstances do not constrain God
Omniscience – knows the circumstances which are best
Omnipotence – He is able to bring those circumstances to bare
Benevolence – Provides the very best circumstances or us
To live the Christian life I must live the life which I have as a Christian! Even in the constrained circumstances of secular service and perhaps even slavery!!
In a practical sense it is apparent that very few people who will pitch up to hear the gospel have as their first contact with the gospel, the message, almost all it is the messenger who is the first point of contact!
This is a pattern in gospel work extending as far back as the ministry of Christ Himself, 'behold I will send my messenger and he shall prepare the way before me.' (Mal 3:1).
To live the Christian life does not necessitate:
The dividing of the seas
Calling down fire from heaven
Slaying a giant
Facing lions
Surviving the fire and the flame
Don't get disheartened or discouraged, the Christian life is equally about the:
Faithful service of a slave girl
Faithfulness of Joseph in prison
Earned run by David (1 Sam 17) – delivering the bread and the cheese, the fall of Goliath being a post script to the willingness of David to run that simple errand! This was what David had come to do, this is what David had agreed to do – deliver the bread and the cheese to his brothers.
Sometimes we are not prepared to do the small thing, the background work, the hidden quite work, but only willing to work in the foreground, take the public place.
Washing the disciples feet
Naaman washing in the the Jordan
Vashti called by Ahasuerus
Let us not be too big to be humble, too big to serve, too big to carry the cross.
If there is no cross there is no crown!
Potential:
Note the potential recognised by Paul in every life so lived
The potential for God
The potential for the mundane
The potential in:
Naamans little maid
Widow's handful of meal
5 loaves and 2 fishes of a young lad
Influence of an Esther
It is possible to serve God in difficult circumstances
Difficult circumstances may well be the very best circumstances for me to serve God in, they may provide the very greatest potential for me to serve God
Serving in these circumstances may well have unexpected consequences, not only in the service for others, but equally for the servant! Service is only possible, genuine service is empowered by drawing from the resource of love. How do I love my brother? How do I love? Service, dedicated service produces love (6:2), service that cements that appreciation of 'faithful and beloved.' - 1 Co13:4-7; cf. David's mighty men (2 Sam 23:15ff) and their devotion beyond commandment. Do you want to love someone? Serve them! Here are believers moved from resentment (6:2) to esteem their brothers (6:2).
Mystery in the enigma:
At the heart of 1 Timothy there is mystery (1 Tim 3:16) – Great mystery, the mystery of Godliness; 'God manifest in the flesh.'
Christ in the revelation of His Person
'manifest' : phanero – from the word to shine
Here is the outshining of God in a person – Christ.
6 phrases concerning Christ; 7 truths concerning Christ:
Deity & Humanity – Revelation and incarnation
Resurrection / justification
Angelic observation
Evangelical declaration
Salvation
Ascension and session
A noteable element missing? Crucifixion?
Why?
This is the revelation of the person / character of Christ, rather than of the work of Christ.
As a consequence of seeing this we note that salvation is in and by a person, not by a creed, prayer nor a statement of faith.
It is a person who is declared to the gentiles, believed on in the world and it is a person who saves!
Mystery in a mystery (6:3)
'doctrine according to godliness'
'godly teaching' (NIV)
'teaching which is in agreement with true religion' (BBE)
'the teaching that promotes godliness' (HCSB)
'words of our Lord Jesus Christ'
Certainly words in Gospels
Particularly Luke's gospel?
Matthews gospel would be extant too
Marks gospel maybe a little later
Johns gospel a good bit later
Yet all of the scriptures in a sense fall within the remit of this phrase (1 Peter 1:11; 1 Co2:16).
Consider the words of the Lord Jesus Christ in Johns gospel:
chp 1 to 8 – Life
chp 8 + 9 – Light
chps 12 ff – Love
What is it like to listen to these words?
Life:
Provision of Life – Regeneration (John 3)
Satisfaction of Life – well of water (John 4)
Proof / evidence / demonstration of life (John 4:50)
Substance / sustainer of life (John 6:35,58)
Light
John 8 – Revealing Sin (8:7ff; 8:12ff; 9:39ff)
John 9 – Revealing Christ (John 9:35ff)
Love
John 13:1 ff
The 'mystery inside the enigma'
The deep mystery of 1 Timothy 3:16: 'mystery of godliness' was God revealed in the flesh, that is the flesh of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Here is the mystery within the mystery; that the godliness of Divine character, revealed in Christ is to be revealed in His people, in our character.
An encounter with Christ, with His word and by His Spirit is not merely educational, it is transformational.
The effect of this is on the believer:
Life (John 7:38)
Light (John 12:36)
Love (13:34 – 35; 15:12)
The mystery of godliness: God revealed in His Son is reflected in His people.
1 Timothy reflects the same pattern as that of the tabernacle:
Sin and broken laws (chp 1)
Saviour (chp 1)
Sacrifice and redemption (chp 2)
Holy of Holies and ark of the covenant (chp 3)
Sanctuary service (chp 4)
Wider service amongst the saints (chp 5) and world (chp 6)
As a reflection of the pattern of the tabernacle, 1 Timothy thus becomes a reflection not only of a PLACE but also of a PERSON (John 1:14)!
The Saviour of chp 1 is a Person
The Sacrifice and redemption of chp 2 is a Person
The Holy of Holies in chp 3 is a Person
The lamp and loaf of chp 4 point us to Christ (4:6)
The battle of chp 5 is for the hearts and souls of men and women for Christ (5:11,15)
Thus in chapter 6 we are being brought to likeness to Christ (6:3).
Outline notes from a Bible teaching message in our series of systematic bible studies in 1 Timothy, available for free audio download or to listen online,
Yours by God's grace in Christ
Dr J Stewart Gillespie