1 Timothy 3:16

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes - 1 Timothy 3:16

without controversy = confessedly. Greek. homologoumenos . Only here. great . Emph. godliness . See 1 Timothy 2:2 . God . The Revised Version prints "He Who", and adds in margin, " Theos (God) rests on no sufficient evidence". The probability is that the original rending was ho (which), with the Syric and all the Latin Versions, to agree with musterion (neut.) The Greek uncial being O, some scribe added the letter s, making OC (He Who), which ho thought made better sense. Later another... read more

James Burton Coffman

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - 1 Timothy 3:16

And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness;He who was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, Seen of angels, Preached among the nations, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory. The widely held opinion that this is from some earlier hymn in current use among the earliest Christians is totally without foundation. The supposition is based upon the rather indefinite word which is here rendered "he," but which is also sometimes rendered "which" or "who." Any way it... read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - 1 Timothy 3:16

1 Timothy 3:16. God was manifest in the flesh, &c.— See the parallel passages: The Word, that was God, dwelt among us; and we have seen his glory, John 1:1; John 1:14. He was manifested, and came in the flesh, who was the Son of God, 1 John 3:5; 1 John 3:8; 1 John 4:2. He who was in the form of God, and thought it not robbery to be equal with God, was made in the likeness of men, Philippians 2:6-7. He who is over all, God blessed for ever, was also of the seed of David according to the... read more

Robert Jamieson; A. R. Fausset; David Brown

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - 1 Timothy 3:16

16. And—following up :-: The pillar of the truth is the Church in which thou art required to minister; "AND (that thou mayest know how grand is that truth which the Church so upholds) confessedly (so the Greek for 'without controversy') great is the mystery of godliness: (namely), HE WHO (so the oldest manuscripts and versions read for 'God') was manifested in (the) flesh (He who) was justified in the Spirit," c. There is set before us the whole dignity of Christ's person. If He were not... read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - 1 Timothy 3:14-16

D. The nature of the local church 3:14-16Paul explained his reason for writing this epistle and, in particular, what he had just said. He also prepared for what he would yet say. He did so to impress on Timothy a view of the church that was foundational to all his instructions in this letter."It is now generally recognized that this paragraph is the heart of the Pastoral corpus . . ., which puts the instructions of the corpus into proper perspective." [Note: Mounce, p. 214. Cf. Guthrie, p. 87.] read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - 1 Timothy 3:16

His mention of this message led Paul to glorify it. By common confession among Christians this mystery of godliness is great. It is a mystery in that God has made His plan known to us only by special revelation in the New Testament (cf. Ephesians 3). It is a mystery of godliness in that it leads to and results in godliness in those who accept it. It is great in its preeminent importance and in its worldwide scope.Paul evidently quoted a fragment of a hymn or a statement of the apostolic church... read more

John Darby

Darby's Synopsis of the New Testament - 1 Timothy 3:16

3:16 to (a-23) Or 'has been seen of.' God (m-9) I do not enter on the criticism of this text. It very likely should read 'He who has,' &c. read more

John Dummelow

John Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible - 1 Timothy 3:1-16

Concerning the Officers of the Church1-7. The fourth charge to Timothy, in respect to presbyters.1. Desireth a good work] i.e. a noble occupation.2. A bishop] RV ’the bishop,’ RM ’overseer.’ Some think (see General Intro.) that the terms ’bishop’ and ’elder’ are used interchangeably in these Epistles, as they seem to have been at an earlier date (Acts 20:28; Philippians 1:1). Others, however, think that, at the close of the apostolic age, to which these Epistles belong, the term ’bishop’ was... read more

Charles John Ellicott

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers - 1 Timothy 3:16

(16) And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness.—“And is not simply copulative, but heightens the force of the predication, Yes, confessedly great is the mystery” (Ellicott)—for the glorious truth which the Church of God pillar-like upholds, is none other than that stupendous mystery, in other ages not made known, but then revealed—the mystery of Christ, in all His loving manifestations and glorious triumph. Yes, confessedly great—so great that the massive grandeur of the pillar... read more

William Nicoll

Expositor's Dictionary of Texts - 1 Timothy 3:1-16

Modern Snares 1 Timothy 3:7 I. The snares are always about our feet. They vary in their guise, but their purpose remains unchanged. I want to look at a few of the perils which thus beset the youth of our modern life. (1) There is the snare of materialism. I speak of it not as a theory, but as a life. In Watts' 'Mammon' there is a great pompous figure in heavy scarlet and gold. His face is fat and sightless. Brutal hands and feet are resting carelessly on the Godlike figures of the young. The... read more

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