1 Timothy 3:14–16 “Christ the Mystery”

1 Timothy 3:14-16 NIV

Suggested Praise Songs:

• Christ is Enough – Hillsong Worship
• Cornerstone – Hillsong
• Here Again – Elevation Worship

Resources for Family Worship (with Children):

• God’s Story | Jesus – Lesson for Kids
• The Lord’s Plans | Holy Land Adventure: Egypt VBS | Group Publishing – Song for Kids
• You Forgive Me | Holy Land Adventure: Egypt VBS | Group Publishing – Song for Kids
• He Is the Light | Stellar VBS | Group Publishing – Song for Kids
• Discussion Questions for Children & Youth arelocated in the section after Explanation, Meditation, and Prayer (at the end of this email/blog).

Explanation:

The Apostle planned to visit Ephesus again by way of Macedonia. However, since he could not be certain of the timing, he sent this letter ahead (v. 14). The purpose of this letter was so that “you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God’s household” (v. 15). Here, the Apostle compares the church to a family (“a spiritual family”). The church belongs to the “living God” and is “the pillar and foundation of the truth.” With this expression, the Apostle likens the church to a temple building. The church is, in other words, a “temple built of people.”

The word eusebeia, translated as “godliness” (v. 16), can also be translated as “religion” or “faith.” The word mystērion, translated as “mystery,” is a term Paul often used to refer to the mysterious works of God that cannot be fully known by human beings. The phrase “beyond all question” can also be translated as “there is no denying its greatness.” This may have been a subtle rebuttal to the chant “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians” (Acts 19:28), which was one of Ephesus’s civic boasts regarding the goddess Artemis.

The confession about Jesus Christ that follows in verse 16 pairs what happened on earth with what happened in heaven. First, He appeared in the flesh (earth) and was vindicated by the Spirit (heaven). Second, He was seen by angels (heaven) and proclaimed among the nations (earth). Third, He was believed on in the world (earth) and was taken up in glory (heaven). The event of Jesus Christ was a “heavenly event” that “took place on earth.” That is why it is a mystery: what happened on earth alone cannot fully reveal who He is.

Meditation:

The Apostle Paul called the event of Jesus Christ a “mystery.” A “mystery” usually means “something unknown,” but in Paul’s usage, it means “something that cannot be fully known.” The reason for this is clearly revealed in the confession about Jesus Christ in verse 16.

He is fully human and yet the Son of God. He acted within history, yet He transcends history. Through the Holy Spirit, He is still at work even now, and when the time is fulfilled, He will appear again. Because He came into history in the flesh, we can know something about Him. But that alone is not enough to truly know who He is. We must also understand the events that happened to Him in heaven in order to grasp His full identity. This is why the Apostle called Jesus Christ a mystery.

Since Christ is a mystery, the church is also a mystery. Compared with other groups or associations in the world, the church may look like nothing. From a merely human perspective, Jesus was just a carpenter from Nazareth, a wandering preacher. In the same way, the church, seen only from its human side, may look like an insignificant gathering of ordinary people. Yet the mystery of God has been entrusted to the church. No matter how humble it may appear, the church is the body of Christ, God’s gift to this earth.

Today, even believers themselves often take the church too lightly. They think of it as a disposable commodity. When those who gather as the church think that way, it is no surprise that unbelievers treat it as something insignificant as well. But if we remember that the church belongs to the living God, and that it is the pillar and foundation of the truth, Jesus Christ, then we will approach the church with reverence and serve it with awe.

Prayer:

Lord, Head of the Church, who continues the ministry of the Incarnation through the church, corrects our attitude toward Your church. Keep us from being swayed by the human and visible aspects and help us to see the mystery You have entrusted to the church, so that we may become Your holy church. Amen.

Discussion Questions for Children & Youth:

Key Point: Jesus Christ is a mystery—fully human and fully God, working both on earth and in heaven. Because Christ is a mystery, the church is also a mystery. Even though the church may look ordinary, it is God’s gift and the body of Christ. We should treat the church with reverence and gratitude.

• For Preschool-Elementary
  • What makes something a “mystery” to you? Can you think of something that’s hard to understand but still true?
  • The Bible says Jesus is both human and God. How does that make Him special?
  • Why do you think God wants us to treat the church as something precious and not just “ordinary”?
    
• Youth
  • Paul calls Jesus a “mystery.” What does it mean to you that Jesus is both fully human and fully God?
  • The church can look ordinary or weak from the outside. What does it mean to you that the church is still God’s gift and the body of Christ?
  • How might remembering that the church belongs to the “living God” change the way we talk about, treat, or serve in the church?