Today’s Reading:
1Timoty 3:16
“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 he world, received up into glory.” (1Timothy 3:16)
In ancient Ephesus there is the temple of Artemis, (another name for Diana) with 127 pillars. These pillars were said to have been made of ornate and carved of solid marble and some were overlaid in gold and studded with jewels. This temple is one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. When Timothy received Paul’s letter, he was serving as a pastor in the church of Ephesus. The pillars of magnificent buildings are usually have inscriptions, poems, connected to import information or event of history in the lives of great heroes, generals or gods. These information would be there as long as the pillars are still standing. It would tel the stories to successive generations are always.
Now Paul uses the metaphor of the writings on the pillars to refer to the church of the living God as the pillar and foundation of the truth of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ (v. 15), being based on the fact that the foundation supports the truth and the pillar elevates it. The church is the body on which the truth is supported and modelled. This makes the statement clearer that the church, which is the house of God must continue to proclaim God’s deeds and the truths about him to the end. In essence, the impressive pillars of the temple of Diana would serve as a reminder to Timothy that the real pillar of the church is our Lord Jesus Christ, which supports and proclaims the truth.
This inspiration of the metaphor made Paul to present the godliness of God as a mystery, a truth that the world cannot understood without the intervention of God himself, but which God is calling upon apostles, pastors and ministers of the Word to uphold. Today’s passage speaks about Jesus and expressly gave the key points about Christ as follows:
Christ appeared in a bodily form referring to his incarnation, this is a truth without which our salvation is not possible.
Jesus was born in Bethlehem, grew like a normal child in Nazareth, and as an adult, he was a Galilean in the midst of Galileans.
He was vindicated by the Holy Spirit, seen by the angels at his baptism in the river Jordan. This event mark the commissioning of His earthly ministry (Mark 1:9-13)
The believers in Ephesian were witness to the fact that Jesus was preached among the nations and was believed on in the world.
And the climax of the church is the proclamation of the truth about his resurrection, then he was taken up in glory.
All that Paul is telling us today is that these truths must be guarded, and proclaimed by the church until Jesus’ second appearing, because it is the pillar and foundation on which the truth of our faith stands upon. It is our identity in Christ. It is the inscription that should be on the tablet of our heart. This is the time more than any time that all believers should come out for Jesus Christ, more than when we first believe. Because the time is very short. It will come like a robber in the night with giving any notice.
If you are reading this and you have not surrendered your life to Jesus Christ, do so now because without it you cannot proclaim the mystery of his holiness. If you would like to surrender your life to Jesus Christ now, repeated these prayers after me. “Father, thank you for the precious blood of Jesus that was shed on the cross for the remission of our sins. I confess that I have sinned and come short of your glory. Forgive me in the name of Jesus Christ. As from this moment, I surrender my totality to Jesus Christ as my Lord and Saviour. Guide and keep me as the apple of your eye from Satan and the world. Thank you for forgiveness of my sin, in Jesus name.” Father, thank you for anyone that says this prayer. I hand over such a person to your fatherly care. Henceforth, put the mark of ownership of the blood of Jesus. I congratulate you for that bold step and I pray that the Holy Spirit would lead you to a living church where you would be nurtured to maturity in Christ, if Jesus tarries.
OLUFUNMILAYO TITILOLA ADEKUSIBE
Prayer:
Thank you, Father, for the grace to serve Jesus Christ, fill me with your Holy Spirit and give me the boldness to stand before kings to proclaim Jesus Jesus chirst, in Jesus name.
I take authority over all power of darkness in its ramification, in Jesus name.
Father, let the blood of Jesus work for me, speak for me, and cleans me from all unrighteousness, in Jesus name.
Father, let the blood of Jesus give me a place among the sanctified, daily renew my strength and build me up as a true solder of Christ, in Jesus name.
Father, let the spirit of brokenness, forgiveness, tolerance, genuine repentance, understand, submission, humility watchfulness and burden for perishing souls be release up me and my family, in Jesus name.
We pull down the stronghold of powers holding the soul of men captive, by the power in the blood of Jesus Christ, in Jesus name.
O Lord, dismantle every man-made agenda for the body of Christ and our nation Nigeria, in Jesus name.
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