Vs. 1-14…Paul is teaching Timothy how to select spiritual leaders (Bishops) for the local assemblies. Before we examine these qualifications it is important that we remember that the Lord Jesus progressively revealed the dispensation of grace to the Apostle Paul. During that approximately thirty year period of ministry important changes occurred. Failure to acknowledge these developments in the program of God will lead to doctrinal error and spiritual confusion. (II Tim. 2:15) God did not initiate the new dispensation “whole-cloth” and then rest as He did in the creation of the world. He progressively unfolded the new program as He phased out the dispensation of the Kingdom and opened up the new dispensation to “whosoever will”. This “provocation ministry” of Paul (Rom. 11:14) as chronicled by Luke in the book of Acts had its unique characteristics. Paul wrote six books of the Bible while conducting his Act’s ministry---Romans, I & II Corinthians, I & II Thessalonians, and Galatians. Some of the key foundational truths contained in these six books are the introduction of the gospel of the grace of God (I Cor. 15:1-4), the preaching of Jesus Christ according to the revelation of the mystery (Rom. 16:25), the rapture of the church (I Thess. 4), the imparting of spiritual gifts to believers by the Holy Spirit (Rom. 12 & I Cor. 12), the ministry of reconciliation (II Cor. 5:17-22) and the appointment of spiritual leaders for the local assemblies (I Cor. 11). The remaining seven epistles introduce advance doctrinal truths that are vital for Christians to function effectively. These seven books will explain in detail God’s purpose and plan for the church, the body of Christ.
Now wait a minute, there is one more change that took place during Paul’s lifetime---the church departed from the faith as set forth by the Apostle Paul (II Tim. 1:15). As a result of the “great departure” Paul advised Timothy that his ministry would transition from “pastoring churches” to teaching “faithful men” sound grace doctrine. The Holy Spirit did not direct Paul to plan a revival at the church; conduct a seminar on how to restore the church; or pray and fast till the church was reformed. Understanding this progressive change in the dispensation of the grace of God is huge.
It is important to take into account the time between the writing of I Timothy and II Timothy. As best I can tell, I Timothy was written about 64-65 AD and II Timothy was written about 66-67 A.D. So, there is a period of 2 to 3 years between the books. That is very important because Paul wrote the “Pastoral Epistles” to explain how spiritual leaders in the first generation of the church, the body of Christ were supposed to minister the Word of God to the saints in the local assemblies. I Timothy 3 lists thirteen qualifications of a Bishop (spiritual overseer). In reality these qualifications were the results of grace doctrine working in the life of a “new creature”. The office of a “bishop” or “elder” was one to be desired by men in the church the body of Christ. Paul, the Apostle of the Gentiles, was led by the Spirit of God to set forth the minimum qualifications for these men desiring to “do the work of the ministry” (Eph. 4: 8-12). Please note that these qualifications relate to the man’s personal character and his effective leadership in his home. His training in an institution of man (seminary or Bible College) is not required. Paul went to great lengths to emphasize that the message he was preaching was not learned from men, but directly from the Lord Jesus Himself. (Gal. 1: 15-18)
So, Paul is giving Timothy instructions on how to care for the church as a spiritual leader. A part of this duty was to “appoint” elders in every city (Titus 1: 5). Deacons were simply assistants/servants to the “bishops”.
- The change shifts from the ministry of “men gifted by the Holy Spirit” to the ministry of a completed BOOK (II Tim. 3:16) able to perfect men who study it rightly divided (II Tim. 2:15).
- The change shifts from gifted men working in local assemblies of people (churches) to finding faithful men willing to learn sound doctrine and who will teach it to other faithful men (II Tim. 2:2).
- The change shifts from gifted men ministering “Jesus Christ according to the revelation of the mystery” and holding an official title in the church (prophet, apostle, teacher, pastor, evangelist, bishop, deacon, etc.) to “soldiers, athletes and farmers” (II Tim. 2:4-7). Paul reminds Timothy that it would take strength in grace to accomplish this ministry. (2:1-2). It takes a good soldier to do this kind of work. Also, like a winning athlete, one who ministers the Word rightly divided must be fully familiar with his “sport”. Many are in the “ministry” who don’t have a clue of what they are talking about. An athlete also does not get distracted by what is going on in the “stands”. He is focused on playing and winning the game. Looking around to see what this or that church is doing “for the Lord” is a sure sign of ignorance. And finally, like a successful farmer, ambassadors of Jesus Christ are to have confidence in the seed they are sowing and have patience for the results to come in.
Find your satisfaction in Christ; not in institutions, religious laws, traditions and ceremonies of men. (Galatians 5:1) Learn to live life as free men, eating from the Tree of Life; not from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. (Col. 3:4… When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.)
Please keep in mind that Paul hated sectarianism (the desire of men to join groups and belong to something other than what God has desired and planned for man’s usefulness to Him). Paul expounds on this in I Cor. 1. He even says that he stopped water baptizing converts because people would say that he baptized in his own name.
Vs. 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.
Paul writes this to put Christians on notice that the Lord Jesus Christ has decided to indwell believers in the dispensation of grace. This verse is not talking about the fact that Jesus was God in the flesh; that doctrine is taught in other passages such as Philippians 2:5-11.
“without controversy”… There is no doubt or disagreement that Jesus indwells believers in the dispensation of grace (Col. 1:27). This is not a debatable question. It is one of the “mystery truths” of this dispensation.
“the mystery of godliness”… The word “mystery” does not mean mysterious or vague; God has clearly told us what He is doing (Eph. 3). Mystery means something that was hidden but now revealed. This is defined in I Cor. 2:6-10…Paul tells us that God’s “hidden wisdom” was hidden in time past; but now He hath revealed it to us (vs. 10). We hear people say… “God works in mysterious ways.” No where does the Bible say this. If there is something that happens that we can not explain we attribute it to God working in mysterious ways. In other words, what we as Christians should know (mystery truth/sound doctrine) ---we don’t know; what we can’t know we think we know…God works in mysterious ways. He has clearly revealed to us what He is doing today and what He wants us to know that will transform our lives (Rom. 12:1-2).
In Deut. 29:29 Moses is telling the nation of Israel that God has some things (secrets) that He has not revealed to them. Therefore, Israel is not accountable for those things; but the things He has revealed to them they were responsible for---to do them.
The “mystery of godliness” is not “Christ-likeness” as many think and teach today; it is “Christ life-ness”. Please do not forget that the greatest imitator of Jesus in the Bible is Satan (the “Anti-Christ”) during the tribulation. Therefore, we should not desire to be imitators of Jesus, we should desire to manifest His life through ours.
Remember this trilogy: Christ gave His life for you, so He could give His life to you, so He could live His life through you. This is sound doctrine taught by your Apostle in II Cor. 4:7…”we have this treasure in earthen vessels that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us.” Why did God put “this treasure” (eternal life) in earthen vessels? So the power and wisdom of God may be on display in us. Before the death of Christ on the Cross, the power of God was put on display by miracles, signs and wonders in the nation of Israel. After the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, God chose to put His wisdom and power on display in individual believers. (I Cor. 1:17-24)
In I Cor. 2:4-10 Paul tells us that had Satan known “it”, he would not have crucified the Lord of glory. What is the “it” Satan did not know??? The “hidden wisdom”, the mystery truth. Satan was not ignorant that Jesus would be crucified, he was ignorant of what the death of Christ would result in for the nation of Israel and God’s unprophesied agency in the earth---the church, the body of Christ.
The Cross work of our Lord Jesus Christ was the greatest display of His wisdom and power ever; even greater than His work in creation. Yet Paul tells us in II Cor. 13:4 that Jesus was crucified in “weakness”. This is important in that Jesus appeared to be totally helpless on the Cross. No one helped or rescued Him. Similarly, Paul goes on to tell the Corinthians that “we are weak in Him” nevertheless, we can manifest the life of Jesus. We are the “weak ones” yet we have this treasure (eternal life) in earthen vessels (II Cor. 4:7). That is the “mystery of godliness”…God manifest in the flesh. God is on display in us to the world. Unbelievers do not read the Bible. As a matter of fact, Christians don’t read the Bible!!!
II Cor. 4:8-11 goes on to state that the pressures of life will come to the Christian and it is our opportunity to manifest Christ to the world. It is not Christ living in me therefore I need to try harder to be a good Christian---go to church, be religious, or keep the Law. It is …Christ’s life in me affects my life (Gal. 2:20).
Paul uses the word godliness eleven times in his epistles: I Tim. 2:2; I Tim. 2:10; I Tim. 4:7; 4:8; 6:3; 6:5; 6:6; 6:11. A good definition of godliness is “proper worship of God”. Paul contrasts scriptural godliness with unscriptural improper worship (counterfeit godliness) in II Tim. 3:5. On the outside, counterfeit godliness will look like the real thing; but it is only a “form of godliness”. The only way you can know the difference is by the Word of God. Sound doctrine from rightly divided scripture is our only means of identifying godliness vs. a form of godliness. Churches are focused on “a form of godliness”. The belief today is …“Join a local church, get baptized, tithe, attend faithfully and presto; you will be a godly Christian!”
I Tim. 3:16 is telling the Christian that godliness is the very life of Jesus in you (manifest in the flesh); counterfeit godliness is a believer or nonbeliever trying to serve God with human effort. The church of our Lord Jesus Christ has historically worshipped God with a “form of godliness” which is a counterfeit and therefore unacceptable to God. Col. 3:4 makes this very clear… When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. God does not desire that we be “Christ-like”; He desires Christ’s life living out of our life. Can you live the Christian life? The correct answer is no. Jesus is the only One in history to live the Christian life perfectly. Why not then let Him live His life through you??? Christ’s life sustains our inner man particularly during the hardships of life (II Cor. 4:8-11). Christians have been taught that if you live a good Christian life in obedience to God, He will bless you with so many great circumstances in life---good health, nice car, a raise, etc. But if you are disobedient, He will chastise you. Paul blows that teaching out of the water in the aforementioned passage. He says we can generally expect bad circumstances in our lives as Christians; it is in these circumstances that God puts the believer on display to the world. Does the life of Christ shine forth from you or do you get exhibited. Most Christians think that God is manifest when we are at church; He is manifest in the flesh. We will never make it trying to live like a Christian. Letting the life of Christ shine through us while we are living our lives in the flesh is the challenge that every Christian must “work out” (Phil. 2:12). We are called to do both as Paul explains in Romans 7: 15-25. Do not confuse “manifest in the flesh” (our physical bodies) with living our lives in the “flesh” (carnal nature). Christ wants to be manifested in our physical bodies in our day to day living.
Paul lists his religious credentials in Philippians 3 and then says he counts them but dung. He learned that trying to live a religious life is not the acceptable way to worship God. In verse 10 he says that he wants to “know Him”. Paul wrote this after personally seeing the Lord Jesus on several occasions and after writing the books of Romans, I & II Corinthians, I & II Thessalonians, and Galatians; surely he knew the Lord! Here is what I believe he meant by the statement “that I may know Him”; Paul knew more about the Lord Jesus than any other man that ever lived, but he still wanted to know more. The truth is---the more you know about what Jesus is doing, the more you want to know.
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