{"id":2486,"date":"2023-03-30T07:58:38","date_gmt":"2023-03-30T11:58:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/js1cd06kre.onrocket.site\/?p=2486"},"modified":"2023-03-30T07:59:19","modified_gmt":"2023-03-30T11:59:19","slug":"i-timothy-316","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/glennsreflections.com\/index.php\/2023\/03\/30\/i-timothy-316\/","title":{"rendered":"I Timothy 3:16"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

To listen to this reflection as a podcast, <\/em>click here<\/a>.

Every day during this season of Lent we\u2019re looking at one of the \u201c3:16\u201d verses of the Bible, spotlighting some of the significant theological statements that happen to fall on the 16th<\/sup> verse of the third chapter of a number of Old and New Testament books. <\/em>
 
\u201cBeyond all question, the mystery from which true godliness springs is great:
 
He appeared in the flesh,
    was vindicated by the Spirit,
was seen by angels,
    was preached among the nations,
was believed on in the world,
    was taken up in glory” (I Timothy 3:16).
 
Today\u2019s verse is unique among all the \u201c3:16\u201d options. 
 
It\u2019s essentially six lines of poetry thrust into the middle of a correspondence between an experienced Christian leader and a young apprentice (traditionally, Paul and Timothy). 
 
Scholars have long suggested that these words probably existed prior to the composition of this letter.  If you\u2019re writing to a friend this weekend, imagine quoting Shakespeare in order to illustrate a point, or reciting the lyrics of a popular song that communicate exactly what you want to say. 
 
Such \u201cpre-packaged\u201d biblical statements are sometimes called doxologies<\/em>.  Other examples include Philippians 2:5-11 and I Corinthians 15:3-8.  That term is comprised of the Greek words doxa<\/em> (\u201cglory, splendor, grandeur\u201d) and logos<\/em> (\u201cword\u201d or \u201cspeech\u201d).  So a doxology is a means of speaking a special word about God\u2019s glory and splendor.  Word-bundles of this sort were often used liturgically \u2013 that is, as components of a worship service. 
 
Those of us with a mainline church background may be acquainted with what has come to be called the<\/u><\/em> Doxology \u2013 four lines of praise sung by the congregation at some point in the service (\u201cPraise God from whom all blessings flow\u2026\u201d).  Despite the definite article, however, it\u2019s just one of many expressions of praise composed over the centuries.
 
I Timothy 3:16 might also be considered an early Christian creed.   
 
The word \u201ccreed\u201d comes from the Latin credo, <\/em>which means \u201cI believe.\u201d A creed aims to express, in as few words as possible, what\u2019s worth believing \u2013 essentially, what\u2019s worth living for, and by extension, what\u2019s worth dying for.  As the following examples demonstrate, you don\u2019t have to be religious to have a creed.
 
The personal creed of 1960s psychedelic drug advocate Timothy Leary was just six words:  Tune In, Turn On, Drop Out. <\/em>
 
Robert Ingersoll, known as the 19th<\/sup> century\u2019s Great Agnostic, expressed his deepest convictions in four sentences:
 
Happiness is the only good.<\/em>
The place to be happy is here.<\/em>
The time to be happy is now.<\/em>
The way to be happy is to make others so.<\/em>
 
Here are few others:
 
Spiderman: \u201cWith great power comes great responsibility.\u201d
U.S. Army Rangers:  Sua Sponte<\/em> (Latin for, \u201cI do this willingly\u201d)
United States Marines: Semper Fi<\/em> (Latin for, \u201calways faithful\u201d)
U.S. Air Force Pararescuers: \u201cThese things we do, that others may live.\u201d
Dom Toretto (Vin Diesel\u2019s character in the Fast and Furious<\/em> movie franchise): \u201cYou don\u2019t turn your back on family, even when they do.\u201d
 
So if I Timothy 3:16 is really a doxology or a creed, what does it proclaim?
 
It appears the author decided to spotlight a half dozen truths about Jesus. 
 
\u201cHe was manifested in the flesh\u201d (that speaks of the Incarnation, God becoming a human being).  \u201cVindicated by the Spirit\u201d (scholars suggest this probably refers to his resurrection).  \u201cSeen by angels\u201d (this may refer to Jesus\u2019 appearance in the spirit world between Good Friday and Easter morning).  \u201cProclaimed among the nations\u201d (a reference to the Great Commission, the disciples\u2019 global mission to spread the Good News).  \u201cBelieved on in the world\u201d (Jesus is someone worthy of our deepest loyalty).  \u201cTaken up in glory\u201d (his ascension 40 days after the empty tomb). 
 
We might even say this \u201c3:16\u201d verse is a Cliff\u2019s Notes version of the life of Jesus \u2013 the very kind of thing a young disciple might commit to memory.
 
In the end, Christians aren\u2019t called to entrust themselves to a slogan.  Or a laundry list of laws.  Or a set of practices.  Or even a polished, doctrinally precise creed. 
 
We entrust ourselves to a person<\/em> \u2013 an actual person whom we believe has no equal in human history.  And what we believe about Jesus will make all the difference in the world.
 
When it comes to your own life, what do you believe? 
 
That\u2019s not the same question as, \u201cTo what beliefs do you formally subscribe?\u201d or even, \u201cWhat do you say <\/em>you believe?\u201d  It\u2019s actually rather easy to discern your true beliefs.  As we\u2019ve noted before, all you have to do is answer, with fearless honestly, three questions:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. How do I spend my time?<\/li>
  2. How do I spend my money?<\/li>
  3. What do I daydream about?<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Look at your VISA bill.  Look at your calendar.  Look into the mirror and take stock of your fondest desire \u2013 what you hope, more than anything else, might one day happen in your own life and in the world. 

    That\u2019s what you really believe in.

    Narrowing the gap between what I say <\/em>I believe and what I actually <\/em>believe \u2013 and calibrating both with God\u2019s deepest dream for this shattered planet, as represented by the life, death, and resurrection of his Son \u2013 will take the rest of our lives.

    But it\u2019s the one thing worth living for.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    To listen to this reflection as a podcast, click here. Every day during this season of Lent we\u2019re looking at one of the \u201c3:16\u201d verses of the Bible, spotlighting some of the significant theological statements that happen to fall on the 16th verse of the third chapter of a number of Old and New Testament books.  \u201cBeyond all question, the mystery from which… Read more »<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2487,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[571,579,580],"class_list":["post-2486","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-316-verses","tag-creed","tag-doxology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/glennsreflections.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2486","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/glennsreflections.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/glennsreflections.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/glennsreflections.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/glennsreflections.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2486"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/glennsreflections.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2486\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2489,"href":"https:\/\/glennsreflections.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2486\/revisions\/2489"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/glennsreflections.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2487"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/glennsreflections.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2486"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/glennsreflections.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2486"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/glennsreflections.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2486"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}