Timothy to Hebrews - The Preterist Archive

First Timothy III. 16. 85
ohog deov as otvX,oc: and Idpatcjfxa ; but when it is observed that
the literal expression clmrcli precedes the new metaphors, and that
in both metaphors there is a different allusion, the impropriety will
not appear so great. Mack has ah-eady referred to 1 Cor. iii. 9,
God's husbandry, God's building, although the case is not quite
parallel.
Ver. 16,— "And confessedly great is the mystery of godliness,
etc." says the apostle, and he proceeds to unfold the contents of
tliis mystery. We have already seen, that the transition to the
following section lies in the designation of the church as the pillar
and ground of the truth; for if we regard these words as referring
to what precedes, we can see no immediate occasion for such a designation
of the church, as Schleiermacher also has remarked. If
now the apostle, in the view of what he has further to say, joins
the predicates pillar and ground of the truth with what goes before,
we shall be at no loss, with Schleiermacher, as to the connexion
of our verse with what precedes and what follows, but may
consider the words, and confessedly great, etc., as the description
of the truth which is committed to the church as a treasure to be
guarded by it. It is the design of the apostle to shew Timothy
the excellence of that house in which he is a servant, and what
could be more suitable to this design than that the truth which
has its historical existence in the church should be represented in
its inherent greatness ? " The stay and fortress of the truth is the
church ; and (the aai stands first with emphasis),* confessedly great
is this truth whose supporter she is." '0(j,oXoyoviJ,Evo}g [leya—
says the apostle, i. e., without contradiction great, confessedly great,
so as not to
be doubted—of course only among those to whom this
IxvoT. is a revealed mystery. The word 6//. occurs only here in the
New Testament, but often in the profane writers, Josephus and others.
Compare further on the interpretation of the idea, infra on og. The
mystery of godliness—the apostle here styles that truth a mystery
accessible only to piety (comp. on ver. 9), in opposition to the error
to which, because it is wanting in piety, this is a sealed mystery
(iv. 2). Even in the case of godliness, this mystery, although
revealed, yet surpasses all knowledge; and this designation seems
to me to be selected here, chiefly from regard to the wondrous
excellence embracing heaven and earth, of him who is its essential
import. Compare on this sense of iivoTripLov, Eph. y. 32 (and
Harless on the passage), then Eph. iii. 19, comp. with ver. 18,
where we are conducted to a more profound understanding of
this mystery. The apostle proceeds forthwith to unfold the constituent
parts of this acknowledged mystery of godliness. Here,
* Huther understanda the kol as bringiBg forward into prominence the predicate
which foliows.