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1Ti 3:16. Θεὸς, God) He had called Him Man, ch. 1Ti 2:5. He now compensates for what might there seem to have been derogatory to Him, calling Him here God.[26] (See however Apparat., p. 710, s.) [Ed. II., p. 400, seqq.]; for even the greatness of the mystery depends especially (even most of all) on the greatness of the subject, God. Paul, writing to Timothy and Titus, whose faith was greatly advanced, calls the Father Saviour, and in turn the Son God; and he subjoins three pairs of predicates, in which the whole economy of Christ, from His departure to His return or assumption, is summarily comprehended. The sum of these predicates, viz. He was taken up in (to) glory, is ascribed to the same Subject, God, in Psa 47:5-6; and this one place compensates for the ambiguity in the reading of Paul, if any such there be, in this passage.-ἐφανερώθη ἐν σαρκὶ, was manifested in the flesh) The same verb occurs, 1Jn 1:2; the same noun, Joh 1:14. This manifestation applies to the whole economy of Christ, who was at one time conspicuous (visible) to the eyes of mortal men.-ἐδικαιώθη ἐν πνεύματι, was justified in the spirit) Christ, while He was manifest in the flesh, walked among sinners and men subject to death. He was thought to be just such a one as any of themselves, and in reality bore their sins; but afterwards, by His death which He endured in the flesh, He abolished sin, that had been laid upon Him, and claimed for Himself and His people eternal righteousness, with the entire approbation of the Father, withdrawing from the sight of men, and entering into the spiritual and glorious state, which was suitable to His righteousness, by His resurrection and ascension. See respecting the notion of flesh and spirit, Rom 1:3-4; 1Pe 3:18, note.[27] He was in this sense justified in the spirit. At the most precious and actual moment of His death, He ceased to be mortal, and to be burdened with the sin of the world. Comp. on the righteousness and justification of Christ, Mat 3:15; Luk 7:35; Joh 19:30; Joh 16:10; Act 22:14; Rom 6:10; Rom 6:7; Heb 9:28; Isa 1:8; 1Jn 2:1. And He Himself, going in spirit to the spirits in prison, preached that righteousness, and from that time powerfully put it forth into exercise (operation): comp. Rom 4:25. This clause accords with the passage of Peter already quoted; as the expression, He was preached among the Gentiles, with 1Pe 4:6.-ὤφθη ἀγγέλοις) He was seen, chiefly after the resurrection, by angels, good or even bad; of whom the former were at the same time made acquainted with His dispensation [the plan of redemption by Him], the latter were struck with terror, Eph 3:10; in which passage the mention of angels, properly so called, is in consonance with this summary of Paul here.-ἐκηρύχθη, was preached) This elegantly follows. The angels enjoyed the most immediate admission to Christ (“the Lord of angels”); the Gentiles, in their admission, were the furthest removed (in the greatest degree (“afar off,” Eph 2:17). And the foundations of this preaching, and of the faith existing in the world, were laid before Christ was taken up (“received up”) into heaven; Joh 17:18. The preachers and first believers were as it were the seed of the rest.-ἐπιστεύθη) He was believed on.-ἐν κόσμῳ) in the world, i.e. the whole world. [A circumstance calculated to fill us with astonishment.-V. g.] The world, or globe, is opposed to heaven, into which He, being God, was taken up. He fills all things.-ἀνελήφθη ἐν δὁξῃ) was taken up in glory [“received up into glory,” Engl. Vers.]) Supply, And He is now in glory, and comes in glory. The first thing is, manifest in the flesh; the last, He was received up in glory. These things even, especially refer to the greatness of the mystery. Even this single expression, He was taken, or received up, confutes what Artemonius has on this passage, Pref. p. 27.
[26] Θεὸς of the Rec. Text has none of the oldest MSS. in its favour, no version as early as the seventh century; and as to the fathers, ex. gr. Cyril of Alex. and Chrysostom, quoted for Θεὸς, see Tregelles on the printed text of N. T., in which he shows these fathers are misquoted. Theodoret, however, does support it. Liberatus, Victor Tununensis (both of 6th cent.), affirm that Macedonius, under the Emperor Anastasius, changed ὃς into Θεός in order to support Nestorianism. AC corrected, G, read ὃς. So Memph. and Theb. The old Latin fg and Vulg. have quod, referring to μυοτἡριον, taken as a personal designation for the antecedent. The Syr. Peschito, and in fact all the versions older than the seventh cent., have the relative, not Θεὸς. D(Δ) corrected, alone of the uncials, favours ὃ. The silence of the fathers of the fourth cent., though Θεὸς would have furnished them with a strong argument, is conclusive against it.-ED.
[27] Flesh and Spirit do not denote strictly the human and divine nature of Christ respectively; but either of the two, according as it is His state of life among men, or as it is His glorified state with God.-ED.
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