Many churches have some statement of faith or confession that they adopt as a unifying belief. A common one is the “Apostles’ Creed”* (despite the name, it did not originate with the apostles, but came about in the fourth century). Some churches recite this in their worship services.
We might agree with the content of the Apostles’ Creed if we are careful how we define the terms. However, rather than adopting a man-made confession like this, we should go to the Bible. Paul expressed a statement of faith about Jesus in his first letter to Timothy:
“By common confession, great is the mystery of godliness: He who was revealed in the flesh, was vindicated in the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory” (1 Timothy 3:16).
He said this was a “common confession” among Christians, and these points were “without controversy” (KJV) in the first-century church. This is what they believed, and we must believe these things as well.
So what is this “mystery of godliness”? By using the term “mystery,” Paul referred to something that was previously hidden but has now been revealed. They all pertain to spiritual truth. In this article, we will examine this “common confession” and see what we should believe about Jesus.
Revealed in the Flesh
This is about Jesus’ INCARNATION. He was God in the flesh, which is why the angel was able to announce that His name would be called “Immanuel,” which means, “God with us” (Matthew 1:23). Jesus partook of flesh and blood in order to carry out the Father’s work (Hebrews 2:14-15), which included His death on the cross.
The fact that Jesus was “revealed in the flesh” also implies His pre-existence. He was “in the beginning…with God” (John 1:1) before coming to earth. Jesus made this point when He told the Jews, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am” (John 8:58).
Vindicated in the Spirit
This refers to the RESURRECTION of Jesus from the dead. He was “vindicated” or “justified” (KJV) through this. He was “declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead” (Romans 1:4). Jesus’ resurrection proved that His claims about Himself were true. On one occasion, Jesus claimed to be equal with the Father, and the Jews sought to kill Him for it (John 5:17-18). On another occasion, He described Himself as the “I am” – a title used by God when He appeared to Moses – and the Jews wanted to stone Him to death for saying it (John 8:56-59). Yet His resurrection shows that He was who He claimed to be.
The resurrection of Christ also proves that we have hope after death. He is the “first fruits of those who are asleep” (1 Corinthians 15:20). Paul wrote, “But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you” (Romans 8:11).
Seen by Angels
This occurred IN HEAVEN before Jesus came to earth. While there, the angels saw Him. Then after He came to earth, angels announced His birth: “And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased’” (Luke 2:13-14).
At certain times, angels also ministered to Jesus while He was on the earth. This happened after His temptation in the wilderness (Matthew 4:11) and prior to His crucifixion (Luke 22:43). Then, after His death, they witnessed His resurrection (Matthew 28:1-6) and ascension (Acts 1:9-11).
Proclaimed among the Nations
This is about the apostles’ carrying out the GREAT COMMISSION, in which Jesus told them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation” (Mark 16:15). The Jews received this message first (Romans 1:16), but then it went everywhere as the apostles served as Jesus’ “witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth” (Acts 1:8).
This proclamation was a message of salvation. Paul said that “the gospel…is the power of God for salvation” (Romans 1:16), and God welcomes anyone who meets His conditions for salvation. Peter declared this to Cornelius (a Gentile) and his household: “I most certainly understand now that God is not one to show partiality, but in every nation the man who fears Him and does what is right is welcome to Him” (Acts 10:34-35).
Believed on in the World
This describes the GROWTH OF THE CHURCH. As we noted in the previous point, the apostles were to “preach the gospel to all creation” (Mark 16:15), and they did. They were so diligent in their efforts that Paul, writing about thirty years after the church was established, was able to say that the gospel had been “proclaimed in all creation under heaven” (Colossians 1:23).
This belief that spread throughout the world was that Jesus had been made “both Lord and Christ” (Acts 2:36) and that He possessed “all authority” (Matthew 28:18). The proof of this through the resurrection of Christ was so irresistible that many Gentiles believed (1 Thessalonians 1:9-10) as they heard the words of the apostles.
Taken Up in Glory
This refers to Jesus’ ASCENSION into heaven. We already noted that the angels witnessed this, but the apostles were there as well (Acts 1:9). Jesus has been “exalted to the right hand of God” (Acts 2:33), having received authority over His kingdom (cf. Matthew 28:18).
However, Jesus did not just ascend into heaven; He is returning as well. The angels at His ascension told the apostles, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven” (Acts 1:10-11). When He returns, it will be to “judge the world in righteousness” (Acts 17:31). Therefore, we must be ready for our appointment before His judgment seat.
Conclusion
In the Lord’s church, we do not have creeds and confessions that we recite like other churches do. But we do have beliefs that are universally held. They were taught by the apostles and written down in the New Testament. These facts should be “without controversy,” and because of them we have the hope of salvation.
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* The Apostles’ Creed (Wikipedia)
