The True Manifestation of God In The Flesh

These things write I unto thee,

hoping to come unto thee shortly:

but if I tarry long, that thou 

mayest know how thou oughtest

to behave theyself in the house 

of God, the pillar are ground of 

the truth. 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.

1Timothy 3:14-16

     Paul writes this most important doctrinal truth: "God was manifest in the flesh" (vs. 16). Note: God was not "manifested" in the flesh, rather "was manifest" in the flesh. The Greek was translated appropriately here: έφανερώθη: third person singular, aorist 1, indicative passive: In the passive voice it means "to be manifested" it looks toward the persons to whom it the revelation is made. God, was manifested in the flesh, singular, it was God justified in the Spirit, it was God who was received up into Glory, and as God in the flesh was seen even of angels. The Critical Text, the one that is used by the NIV, ESV, ASV, NASB, do not have the word "God" was manifested in the flesh, rather: "Who," "Which," or "he," and investigating the variants in this verse shows that the translators used Codex D a very difficult and obscure reading: The Latin text is not the Vulgate, nor yet the Old Latin, which it resembles more closely. It seems to be an independent translation of the Greek that faces it, though the fact that it contains two thousand variations from its accompanying Greek text have led some to doubt this; the Latin text that represents the support of the Vulgate and a part of the Old Latin tradition for a reading, and 88 pc (paucity): a few manuscripts, other that those explicitly mentioned for a given reading, which differ from the Majority text. The other readings that read "God" are many, too many to cite here but an interesting note is that "D2" has the word or God. The external evidence supports the use of the word "God." This might help you to understand why I do not support any Bible that uses the Critical Text for their translation.

     Paul desires to come to see Timothy and until then he instructs Timothy how to conduct himself, not only as in his local Church, but also as an evangelist. Timothy is warned not to substitute what he was taught with another mystery, another Gospel. Paul is not just talking about the local Ephesian Church, but for the Church worldwide, therefore the use of "house of God," rather than the Church of God. 

     May we also glory in the mystery of God, the mystery of godliness, and show its efficacy in our lives. God was manifested in the flesh, to take away our sins by the payment of our debt to Him we could not pay. God was manifested in the flesh to redeem us from all iniquity, and to purify us unto Himself, a peculiar people, we are not our own, we have been bought by a price, therefore while live in this world we are not of this world. We show the fruits of this redeeming, this purifying, by zealous good works, faith is shown by our works, works do not save us, but shows the world what we believe and that we have the Spirit of God in ourselves. These glorious truths, engrave them on your hearts, by an Authentic Christian with Authentic Christian Faith. Whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

When I say into the wicked,

     O wicked man, thou shalt

surely die; if thou dost not 

    speak to warn the wicked 

from their way, that wicked

    man shall die in his iniquity;

but his blood will I require

    at thine hand.

                 Ezekiel 33:8

Be a warning lighthouse

Richard L. Crumb