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eternal power and Godhead" so that the nations of the earth are without excuse
(Rom. 1: 19-23). Yet that is but a step, for in the face of Jesus Christ we see the glory of
God. He came to "declare" the invisible God; He came and said, "He that hath seen Me
hath seen the Father". He was looked upon, and handled, and the conclusion of those
thus privileged is written: "My Lord and my God" (John 20: 28), "This is the true God,
and eternal life" (I John 1: 1, 2; 5: 20). Whatever glimpses we may have obtained
through other mediums of truth, we must all agree that "In Him are all the secret treasures
of wisdom and knowledge" (Col. 2: 3). When one's completeness is found to be in Him,
in Whom all the fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily, the folly of turning aside to vain,
deceitful, philosophy, or of being shackled by tradition, or loaded with ceremonial
ordinances, is apparent.
The mystery of God is Christ. That mystery has been manifested. We thank God that
we have seen not only "eternal power and Godhead", but we have seen "The Father, and
it sufficeth us".
#11.
God was manifested in the Flesh.
pp. 212 - 218
To write a series of articles on the subject of "The Mystery Manifested" and to omit
I Tim. 3: 16 would be futile, yet, if the subject is to be dealt with at all, the problem of
compressing what it is essential should be said into the available space, is somewhat
perplexing. While, as we have said, our problem is partly due to limitations of space, it is
also due to the facts that not all our readers will easily follow the subject, and that in
dealing with Greek manuscripts we need photographs and the use of Greek type. We
have attempted a solution of the last difficulty by giving an illustration (on p.216) of the
Greek words used around which the controversy involved in the passage revolves, and
trust that the better knowledge (which we hope will have been gained) of so vital a
subject will more than compensate the reader for any weariness that the study of evidence
may entail.
We propose then an examination of I Tim. 3: 16 under the following headings:--
(i)
The evidence of the structure of the Epistle as a whole.
(ii)
The meaning of the actual passage itself.
(iii)
The evidence that the A.V. gives the correct reading.
There are two passages in the R.V. in which the hand of the Modernist is evident.
They are I Tim. 3: 16 and II Tim. 3: 16. In the first there is an attack upon the Deity
of Christ, and in the second there is an attack upon the Scriptures of God. We know not
when the storm will break, but we are persuaded that the Enemy of Truth has singled out
these two truths for special attack, and while time and opportunity remain, we desire, as
unto the Lord, to make it plain where we stand on the vital issues involved.