1 Timothy 3:14-16
Chapter 3
14
Christian Mystery and False Teachers
I give you these instructions, though I hope to see you soon.15
If I delay, you will understand how you should conduct yourself in God’s household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth.
16
How truly magnificent is the mystery of our religion:
He was shown in the flesh,
vindicated in the spirit,
seen by angels,
proclaimed to the Gentiles
believed in throughout the world,
taken up in glory!
Commentaries
Christian Mystery and False Teachers.
At the conclusion of the primary task given to Timothy, the purpose of the letter becomes clear: the transfer of apostolic authority. The vivid description of the Christian community highlights the very mystery of salvation, which the author expresses through a liturgical hymn likely familiar to the letter’s recipients. This hymn, a summary of our faith, affirms that the mystery is not an abstract truth but a person, Jesus Christ. Considering the letter’s context, the hymn has a clear pastoral aim: to reaffirm the core message of the Christian faith, which is already spreading across the world.