“great is the mystery of godliness”
(1 Tim 3:16a, NKJV)
We have spent a long time focusing on the horns of the altar, and the specific negative meaning thereof. From Scripture we understand that the horns can play a role of scattering and confusing (Zech 1, among others), and this acquired a typological weight of those aspects that in the outer court falsely bind us to a “different gospel” and subsequently to a “different spirit”, which is not the Holy Spirit, thus unknowingly binding us to a “different Christ” (2 Cor 11:4). In the previous teaching we found that it is the driving force which becomes the “mystery of lawlessness” in the lives of believers. This of course opposes “the mystery of godliness” ( 1 Tim 3:16).
The bronze altar is the place where “the mystery of godliness” should be manifested. But because this does not happen, deception is rife, robbing believers from life in abundance (John 10:10). But what does this “mystery of godliness” entail?
1 Tim 3:16 (WNT) defines it as follows – “And, beyond controversy, great is the mystery of our religion– that Christ appeared in human form, and His claims justified by the Spirit, was seen by angels and proclaimed among Gentile nations, was believed on in the world, and received up again into glory.” The CEV translates it contextually – “Here is the great mystery of our religion: Christ came as a human. The Spirit proved that he pleased God, and he was seen by angels. Christ was preached to the nations. People in this world put their faith in him, and he was taken up to glory.”
In what is clearly “the doctrine which is according to godliness” (1 Tim 6:3) we are shown, step by step, how it is possible that ordinary, fallen people can become “partakers of the divine nature” (2 Pet 1:4). With this in mind, Paul states in his letter to Titus (1:1, LITV), that the chosen ones of God can receive “(the) full knowledge of the truth according to godliness” For most people this may seem like the absolute basic principles of salvation, but in correctly understanding it lies a spiritual synergy which has the power to completely transform your life, “as his divine power has given to us all things which relate to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that has called us by glory and virtue” (2 Pet 1:3, Darby).
- Sela: Please pray and think about 2 Pet 1:3, quoted above.
- Read: 1 Chr 7; Jer 33; Eph 3
- Memorise: Jer 33:10; Eph 3:10 (try and integrate these Scriptures with today’s teaching).
