Royce P. Bell MV Lectureship, SB Proclaimed Among The Nations The Great Mystery of Godliness

A Great Mystery…Revealed! “ 16 By common confession, great is the mystery of godliness: He who was revealed in the flesh, was vindicated in the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory.” ~ 1 Timothy 3:16 ~

An Orderly Process That Fulfilled Divine Purpose, Promise and Prophecy... u Galatians 4:4 “ 4 But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law…”

u Romans 5:6 “ 6 For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.” l Not an accident, … l Not a coincidence… l Not a fortuitous “fluke”… l But the design, purpose and intent of God (see especially Ephesians 3:4-11)

Seen…and Proclaimed “What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life— 2 and the life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you...

...the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us— 3 what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also…” ~ 1 John 1:1-3 ~ l A Fleshly Body - Hebrews 2:14; 10:5 l A Bodily Resurrection - Matthew 28:1ff l But then, seen ~ONLY~ by His messengers (Gr. aggelos [agg=ang], a messenger, envoy). Consider...

John 14:16-29 “ 16‘ I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; 17 that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you...

18‘ I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 After a little while the world will no longer see Me, but you will see Me; because I live, you will live also. 20 In that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. 21 He who has My command- ments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; …

and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him.’ 22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, ‘Lord, what then has happened that You are going to disclose Yourself to us and not to the world?’ 23 Jesus answered and said to him, ‘If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; 23 and My Father will love him, and We will come to him...

23 and make Our abode with him. 24 He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father’s who sent Me. 25 These things I have spoken to you while abiding with you. 26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you...

27 Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor... fearful. 28 You heard that I said to you, “I go away, and I will come to you.” If you loved Me, you would have rejoiced Now I have told you before it happens, so that when it happens, you may believe.’” ~ John 14:16-29 ~

The Apostles & Prophets Proclaimed Jesus! u The man, Jesus of Nazareth… 34 The eunuch answered Philip and said, “Please tell me, of whom does the prophet say this? Of himself or of someone else?” 35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture he preached Jesus to him. (Acts 8:34-35)

u They ~ and we ~ proclaim His death “ 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes. (1 Corinthians 11:26) u Even when others do so insincerely “ 17 the former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition What then? Only that in every way... Christ is proclaimed; and in this I rejoice.” (Philippians 1:17)

u To present every man complete, by His mighty power, gospel (Romans 1:16) “ 28 We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ. 29 For this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me.” (Colossians 1:28-29)

The Truth for All Men u That all have sinned … “ 9 What then? Are we better than they? Not at all; for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin” (Romans 3:9, cf. 10, 23) l Under sin = guilty under the law l Effect: Fall short of His glory (vr. 23)

u That God commands universal repentance… “ 30 Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, 31 because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead” (Acts 17:30f)

u That Christ ~IS~ the power and the wisdom of God... “ but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness, 24 but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.” (1 Corinthains 1:23f)

u That those who will not believe are destined for condemnation… “ 6 He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned” (Mark 16:16, cf. Romans 3:21-21, 29-30) l Unbelief is all that is required to be condemned; l Faith is action based upon testimony