1 Timothy 3:16 (WEB)
Without controversy, the mystery of godliness is great: God was revealed in the flesh, justified in the spirit, seen by angels, preached among the nations, believed on in the world, and received up in glory.
Catechism · 3
In the Age of the Church
“In the newness of the Spirit, they also composed hymns and canticles in the light of the unheard - of event that God accomplished in his Son: his Incarnation, his death which conquered death, his Resurrection, and Ascension to the right hand of the Father.” — Catechism footnote: Cf. Phil 2:6-11; Col 1:15-20; Eph 5:14; 1 Tim 3:16; 6:15-16; 2 Tim 2:11-13.
The Fall
“For "the mystery of lawlessness" is clarified only in the light of the "mystery of our religion".” — Catechism footnote: 2 Th 2:7; I Tim 3:16.
The Son of God Became Man
“Such is the joyous conviction of the Church from her beginning whenever she sings "the mystery of our religion": "He was manifested in the flesh."” — Catechism footnote: 1 Tim 3:16.
Fathers and councils · 29
Origen
- Origen, Against Celsus III.31Book III
“But if it be recorded that my Jesus was received up into glory, I perceive the divine arrangement in such an act, viz., because God, who brought this to pass, commends in this way the Teacher to those who witnessed it, in…” — editor's note: Cf. 1 Tim. iii. 16.
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Gregory of Nyssa
“…vague conjectures, but that we might be convinced that God has truly been manifested in the flesh, and believe that to be the only true “mystery of godliness,” which was delivered to us by the very Word and God, Who by Himself spake to His Apostles, and that we might receive the teaching concerning the transcendent…” — editor's note: 1 Tim. iii. 16.
Read the whole comment“How then was it that “God was manifested in the flesh”?” — editor's note: 1 Tim. iii. 16. Here, as elsewhere in Gregory’s writings, it appears that he read θεὸς in this passage.
Read the whole comment“And hence it is that all who preach the word point out the wonderful character of the mystery in this respect,—that “God was manifested in the flesh,” that “the Word was made flesh,” that “the Light shined in darkness,” “the Life tasted death,” and all such declarations which the heralds of the faith are…” — editor's note: 1 Tim. iii. 16, where it would appear that Gregory read θεός; not ὅς.
Read the whole comment“…nature, he gives in other words a fairly distinct correction of such an error, when he calls Him “mediator between God and men” and “man,” and “God,” that, from the fact that both are predicated of the one Being, the fit conception might be entertained concerning each Nature—concerning the Divine Nature,…” — editor's note: The reference is perhaps to 1 Tim iii. 16, but more probably to 1 Tim. ii. 5.
Read the whole comment“…He Who is truly unchangeable and immutable “alone hath immortality,” and dwells in light that cannot be attained or approached by the darkness of wickedness: but all things that participate in death, being far removed from immortality by their contrary tendency, if they fall away from that which is good, would, by…” — editor's note: Cf. 1 Tim. iii. 16.
Read the whole comment“…appearing of Jesus Christ the great God and our Saviour,” and to Timothy, proclaims in plain terms, “God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the spirit.”” — editor's note: 1 Tim. iii. 16 (reading Θεός, or, if the citation is to be considered as verbal, ὁ Θεός).
Read the whole comment“The presiding ministers of the “mystery of godliness” have need of a system in their instructions, in order that the Church may be replenished by the accession of such as should be saved, through the teaching of the word of Faith being brought home to the hearing of unbelievers.” — editor's note: 1 Tim. iii. 16.
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Athanasius of Alexandria
“Study too the context and ‘turn to the Lord;’ now ‘the Lord is that Spirit;’and you will see that it is the Son who is signified.” — editor's note: 2 Cor. iii. 16, 17. S. Athanasius observes, Serap. i. 4–7, that the Holy Ghost is never in Scripture called simply ‘Spirit’ without the addition ‘of God’ or…
Read the whole comment“And with these proofs, how, O Arians, misunderstanding the passage in Deuteronomy, did you venture a fresh act of irreligion against the Lord, saying that ‘He is a work,’ or ‘creature,’ or indeed ‘offspring?’ for offspring and work you take to mean the same thing; but here too you…” — editor's note: The technical sense of εὐσέβεια, ἀσέβεια, pietas, impietas, for ‘orthodoxy, heterodoxy,’ has been noticed supr. p. 150, and derived from 1 Tim. iii. 16. The…
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Theodoret of Cyrus
“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.”” — editor's note: 1 Tim. iii. 16. Theodoretus shews no knowledge of the reading * for * in this famous passage accepted by our revisers with the marginal comment “The word God…
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Ambrose of Milan
“But forasmuch as then the Seraph came down in a vision to the Prophet, whilst Thou, O Lord, in revelation of the mystery hast come to us in the flesh, do Thou, not by any deputy, nor by any messenger, but Thou Thyself cleanse my conscience from my secret sins, that I too, erstwhile unclean, but now by Thy…” — editor's note: St. Ambrose contrasts the appearance of the Seraph to Isaiah in a vision with our Lord’s appearance to men in everyday life, in the flesh, see Is. vi. 6, 7,…
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John Chrysostom
“And wonder not that Paul saith in another place, “God was manifested in the Flesh” ( 1 Tim. iii. 16 ); because the manifestation took place by means of the flesh, not according to (His) Essence.” — the author cites it
Read the whole comment“Wherefore He saith, “and ye have seen Him”; just as it saith, “was seen also of Angels.” ( 1 Tim. iii. 16.)” — the author cites it
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Leo the Great
“For what is so calamitous as to wish to destroy all hope of man’s salvation by denying the reality of Christ’s Incarnation, and to contradict the Apostle who says distinctly: “great is the mystery of Godliness which was manifest in the flesh?”” — editor's note: 1 Tim. iii. 16: the reading here is quod manifestum est in carne, in agreement with the general Western usage.
Read the whole comment“But “the form of a slave” by which the impassible Godhead fulfilled a pledge of mighty loving-kindness, is human weakness which was lifted up into the glory of the divine power, the Godhead and the manhood being right from the Virgin’s conception so completely…” — editor's note: Sacramentum magnæ pietatis, 1 Tim. iii. 16: cf. Bright’s note 8.
Read the whole comment“What therefore in all of us is the heritage of condemnation, is in Christ “the mystery of godliness.”” — editor's note: Sacramentum pietatis, the regular Latin version of 1 Tim. iii. 16.
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Ephrem the Syrian
“They that had proclaimed the Son Holy, by and by saw Him when He was reviled among the gainsayers; He bore the contempt and taught praise.” — editor's note: Is. vi. 2; Mat. xxvi. 53; 1 Tim. iii. 16.
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Basil the Great
“While the unwritten traditions are so many, and their bearing on “the mystery of godliness” is so important, can they refuse to allow us a single word which has come down to us from the Fathers;—which we found, derived from untutored custom, abiding…” — editor's note: 1 Tim. iii. 16.
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Augustine of Hippo
“For this is “the great mystery of godliness, which 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.”” — editor's note: 1 Tim. iii. 16
Read the whole comment“For “this is the great mystery of godliness which was manifested in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.”” — editor's note: 1 Tim. iii. 16. On account of the well-known textual controversy among Biblicists, this passage, as quoted by Augustin, is so far valuable, as it shows us how…
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John Cassian
“Let us ask the Apostle himself, who elsewhere to teach the same thing uses words of the same force, saying: “And evidently great is the mystery of godliness, which was manifested in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached to the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up in glory.”” — editor's note: 1 Tim. iii. 16. Quod manifestum in carne. The true reading is pretty certainly ὅς, see Westcott and Hort, Greek Testament, vol. ii., p. 132. The neuter ὅ is…
Read the whole comment“Who also filled with righteousness (justitia) that which was created: for it says ‘He appeared in the flesh, was justified in the Spirit.’” — editor's note: 1 Tim. iii. 16.
Read the whole comment““And evidently great is the mystery of Godliness, which was manifested in the flesh, was justified in the Spirit.”” — editor's note: 1 Tim. iii. 16.
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Hilary of Poitiers
“Ye who trisect Christ into the Word, the soul and the body, or degrade the whole Christ, even God the Word, into a single member of our race, unfold to us this mystery of great godliness which was manifested in the flesh.” — editor's note: 1 Tim. iii. 16.
Read the whole comment“…which 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.” — editor's note: 1 Tim. iii. 16.
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Gregory of Nazianzus
“For the mystery of godliness belongs to those who are willing, not to those who are overpowered.” — editor's note: 1 Tim. iii. 16.
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Tertullian
“Now, that the very Lord Himself of all might, the Word and Spirit of the Father, was operating and preaching on earth, it was necessary that the portion of the Holy Spirit which, in the form of the prophetic gift, had been through John…” — editor's note: “It is most certain that the Son of God, the second Person of the Godhead, is in the writings of the fathers throughout called by the title of Spirit, Spirit…
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Clement of Alexandria
“1 Tim. iii. 16.” — the author cites it
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Cross-references · 34
Cited together in Against Eunomius VIII.5 and 1 other place.
Cited together in Against Eunomius VIII.5.
Cited together in Against Eunomius IV.1.
Cited together in Catechism §385.
Cited together in Catechism §463.
Cited together in Orations Oration 12.
Cited together in Orations Oration 12.
Cited together in On the Incarnation of the Lord, Against Nestorius V.12.
Cited together in Against Eunomius XI.2.
Cited together in Against Eunomius XI.2.
Cited together in Against Eunomius II.1 and 1 other place.
Cited together in Against Eunomius IV.1 and 1 other place.
Cited together in Against Eunomius XI.2.
Cited together in Against Eunomius XI.2.
Cited together in Against Eunomius XI.2.
Cited together in Against Eunomius XI.2.
Cited together in Against Eunomius V.3.
Cited together in Against Eunomius IV.1.
Cited together in Against Eunomius IV.1.
Cited together in Catechism §385.
Cited together in Catechism §385.
Cited together in Against Eunomius IV.1 and 1 other place.
Cited together in Against Eunomius V.3.
Cited together in Against Eunomius IV.1.
Cited together in On the Incarnation of the Lord, Against Nestorius V.12.
Cited together in Catechism §385.
Cited together in On the Incarnation of the Lord, Against Nestorius VII.17.
Cited together in The Great Catechism Chapter 2.
Cited together in Catechism §385.
Cited together in Against Eunomius V.3.
Cited together in Against Eunomius II.1 and 1 other place.
Cited together in Against Eunomius V.3.
Cited together in Letters Letter 38.
Cited together in Catechism §385.