Did you hear about the 911 operator who one day answered a call from a frantic-sounding man who said, βMy wife is in labor and her contractions are only a minute apart!β When the operator asked, βIs this her first child?β the man replied, βNo, you idiot, this is her husband!β A clear case ofΒ mistaken identity!
We often see another case of mistaken identity when men read Paulβs words in I Timothy 3:16:
βAnd 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.β
Most commentaries insist that Paul is speaking about the Lord Jesus, and itβs true HeΒ wasΒ God βmanifestβ in the flesh (John 1:14). But it wasnβt a βmysteryβ that God would be manifest in the flesh of the Lord Jesus, it had been prophesied (Isa. 7:14 cf. Mt. 1:23). Paul is actually talking about βthe church, which is His Bodyβ (Eph. 1:22,23). Today God is manifest inΒ ourΒ flesh (II Cor. 4:10,11). This was βa great mysteryβ (Eph. 5:32), hence βgreat is the mystery of godliness!β The word βgodlyβ meansΒ God-like,Β and Christ wasnβtΒ likeΒ God, HeΒ wasΒ God!Β WeβreΒ the ones who are supposed to be godly! This understanding fits the context better too, for Paul had been talking about the church (I Tim. 3:1-14),Β notΒ the earthly life of Christ.
Those who believe Paul is speaking about Christ here say that God was βjustified in the Spiritβ in Matthew 3:16. But the Lordβs baptism didnβtΒ justify God, itΒ identified Christ! (John 1:31-34). But GodΒ wasΒ justifiedΒ in us.Β You see, for thousands of years men thought God wasΒ unjustΒ in saving adulterers and murderers like David. But our apostle Paul explained how God could be βJust,Β andΒ the Justifier of him which believethβ when He explained how ChristΒ paidΒ for our sins by becoming our βpropitiationβ (Rom. 3:26).
Itβs true that Christ was βseen of angelsβ (Matt. 4:11; Luke 22:43; Acts 1:9,10) but this was no mystery either (Ps. 91:11 cf. Mt. 4:6,7). ItΒ wasΒ a mystery, however, that the Body of Christ would evenΒ existΒ (Eph. 3:1-9) let alone be seen of angels (Eph. 3:10). In addition, God was definitelyΒ notΒ βpreached unto the Gentilesβ when Christ was here on earth (Matt. 10:5,6; 15:24; Rom. 15:8). But HeΒ wasΒ preached to the Gentiles by Paul (Rom. 15:16; Eph. 3:8 etc.), and by members of the Body of Christ ever since.
Finally, God wasnβt βbelieved on in the worldβ when Christ preached Him, but He was believed on in the world through Paul (Col. 1:6). And while God was βreceived up into gloryβ in Christ (Mark 16:19), the Lordβs ascension was no mystery (Ps. 68:18). But itΒ isΒ a mystery thatΒ weβllΒ be received up into glory (I Cor. 15:51,52). I know Paul says God βwasβ received up into glory, and we havenβt yet been raptured, but Paul wasΒ a prophet,Β and the prophets saw future things so clearly they often spoke of them in the past tense (cf. Isa. 53:5-12).
There areΒ plentyΒ of verses that teach the deity of Christ (Isa. 9:6; John 1:14; 10:30; Col. 2:9), so donβt try to force that precious doctrine onΒ thisΒ verse! Instead, remember that in the dispensation of grace, if God is not manifest inΒ yourΒ flesh, He is not manifest inΒ anyoneβsΒ flesh. So live your life in such a way that others will question their disbelief in God. source
