New Living Translation
1 Timothy 3:16
16Without question, this is the great mystery of our faith: Christ was revealed in a human body and vindicated by the Spirit. He was seen by angels and announced to the nations. He was believed in throughout the world and taken to heaven in glory.
1 Timothy 3:16 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)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.
- New International Version (NIV)Beyond 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.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness: He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory.
- New King James Version (NKJV)And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Preached among the Gentiles, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory.
Context of 1 Timothy 3:16
14I am writing these things to you now, even though I hope to be with you soon, 15so that if I am delayed, you will know how people must conduct themselves in the household of God. This is the church of the living God, which is the pillar and foundation of the truth. Without question, this is the great mystery of our faith: Christ was revealed in a human body and vindicated by the Spirit. He was seen by angels and announced to the nations. He was believed in throughout the world and taken to heaven in glory.
Read all of 1 Timothy 31 Timothy 3:16 word by word
Καὶ ὁμολογουμένως μέγα ἐστὶν τὸ τῆς εὐσεβείας μυστήριον, ὃς ἐφανερώθη ἐν σαρκί, ἐδικαιώθη ἐν πνεύματι, ὤφθη ἀγγέλοις, ἐκηρύχθη ἐν ἔθνεσιν, ἐπιστεύθη ἐν κόσμῳ, ἀνελήμφθη ἐν δόξῃ.¶Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- Andκαίkai · andG2532
- without controversyὁμολογουμένωςhomologoumenōs · undeniablyG3672
- greatμέγαςmegas · greatG3173
- isεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
- the mysteryμυστήριονmustērion · mysteryG3466
- of godlinessεὐσέβειαeusebeia · pietyG2150
- Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
- was manifestφανερόωphaneroō · to revealG5319
- inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
- the fleshσάρξsarx · fleshG4561
- justifiedδικαιόωdikaioō · to justifyG1344
- the Spiritπνεῦμαpneuma · spirit/breath: spiritG4151
- seenὁράωhoraō · to see: seeG3708
- of angelsἄγγελοςaggelos · angelG32
- preachedκηρύσσωkērussō · to preachG2784
- the Gentilesἔθνοςethnos · GentilesG1484
- believed onπιστεύωpisteuō · to trust (in)G4100
- the worldκόσμοςkosmos · worldG2889
- received upἀναλαμβάνωanalambanō · to take upG353
- gloryδόξαdoxa · gloryG1391
Cross-references for 1 Timothy 3:16
- Hebrews 7:7And without question, the person who has the power to give a blessing is greater than the one who is blessed.
- 1 Timothy 3:9They must be committed to the mystery of the faith now revealed and must live with a clear conscience.
- Matthew 13:11He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but others are not.
- Romans 16:25Now all glory to God, who is able to make you strong, just as my Good News says. This message about Jesus Christ has revealed his plan for you Gentiles, a plan kept secret from the beginning of time.
- 1 Corinthians 2:7No, the wisdom we speak of is the mystery of God—his plan that was previously hidden, even though he made it for our ultimate glory before the world began.
- Ephesians 1:9God has now revealed to us his mysterious will regarding Christ—which is to fulfill his own good plan.
- Ephesians 3:3As I briefly wrote earlier, God himself revealed his mysterious plan to me.
- Ephesians 6:19And pray for me, too. Ask God to give me the right words so I can boldly explain God’s mysterious plan that the Good News is for Jews and Gentiles alike.
- Colossians 2:2I want them to be encouraged and knit together by strong ties of love. I want them to have complete confidence that they understand God’s mysterious plan, which is Christ himself.
- 2 Thessalonians 2:7For this lawlessness is already at work secretly, and it will remain secret until the one who is holding it back steps out of the way.
- Revelation 17:5A mysterious name was written on her forehead: “Babylon the Great, Mother of All Prostitutes and Obscenities in the World.”
- Isaiah 7:14All right then, the Lord himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’).
- Isaiah 9:6For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
- Jeremiah 23:5“For the time is coming,” says the Lord, “when I will raise up a righteous descendant from King David’s line. He will be a King who rules with wisdom. He will do what is just and right throughout the land.
- Micah 5:2But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, are only a small village among all the people of Judah. Yet a ruler of Israel, whose origins are in the distant past, will come from you on my behalf.
- Matthew 1:23“Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us.’”
Commentaries on 1 Timothy 3:16
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 16And, without controversy - ̔· And confessedly, by general consent, it is a thing which no man can or ought to dispute; any phrase of this kind expresses the meaning of the original. God was manifest in the flesh - If we take in the whole of the 14th, 15th, and 16th verses, we may make a consistent translation in the following manner, and the whole paragraph will stand thus: Hoping to see thee shortly; but should I tarry long, these things I now write unto…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 16And, without controversy - Undeniably, certainly. The object of the apostle is to say that the truth which he was about to state admitted of no dispute. Great is the mystery - On the meaning of the word “mystery,” see the notes on 1 Corinthians 2:7. The word means that which had been hidden or concealed. The meaning here is not that the proposition which he affirms was mysterious in the sense that it was unintelligible, or impossible to be understood; but…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 14-16Verses 14-16 The church is the house of God; he dwells there. The church holds forth the Scripture and the doctrine of Christ, as a pillar holds forth a proclamation. When a church ceases to be the pillar and ground of truth, we may and ought to forsake her; for our regard to truth should be first and greatest. The mystery of godliness is Christ. He is God, who was made flesh, and was manifest in the flesh. God was pleased to manifest himself to man, by…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 16This verse contains a short song or statement of belief that emphasizes the profound religious teaching of early Christian worship. the mystery of godliness: Jesus Christ is the only source of godliness. vindicated by the Spirit: Christ’s resurrection reframes the story as an act of power, following his human life and death. The resurrection confirms his teachings (Romans 1:4). seen by angels: This emphasizes Jesus’s supreme rule in the realm of heaven…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1616. And--following up 1Ti 3:15: 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…Read the comment
Topics related to 1 Timothy 3:16
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on 1 Timothy 3
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Illustrated New Testament
- Burkitt’s Expository Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Family Bible Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- The People’s New Testament
- Robertson’s Word Pictures
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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