Although the matter of godliness is mentioned repeatedly in the two Epistles to Timothy, few Christians know the true meaning of the word godliness. The traditional understanding is that godliness is piety, pious behavior or conduct, or a reverent attitude toward God. However, this definition is inadequate, especially when considered in the context of 1 Timothy 3:16, which says, “Great is the mystery of godliness.” Godliness may be defined as godlikeness, that is, to be like God, to be in the likeness of God. According to this definition, we need to have a living in the likeness of God, a behavior that bears the likeness of God. In other words, we need to behave in such a way that others can see the likeness of God in us. However, godliness is something deeper than having the likeness of God. Godliness is the manifestation of God in the flesh. This definition is based on verse 16. Godliness is the manifestation of God Himself, not merely something like God. It is not that our behavior and living should merely bear the likeness of God but that God Himself should be manifested in us.
When the Lord Jesus was living on earth, He was a typical man with flesh and blood. He was raised in Nazareth, a small town in the despised region of Galilee. He was a man without form or beauty. Isaiah 53:2-3 says, “He has no attracting form nor majesty that we should look upon Him, / Nor beautiful appearance that we should desire Him. / He was despised and forsaken of men, / A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.” Although Jesus was such a man, God was manifested in Him. In Him—in His walk, in His living, and in His whole life—others could see the manifestation of God in the flesh. This is godliness. It is not that Christ’s daily walk merely bore the likeness of God; rather, God Himself was manifested in Christ in His living. He lived in the flesh, but something divine, excellent, and wonderful was manifested in His flesh. God Himself was manifested in Jesus. The manifestation of God was seen in a man’s daily walk. This is godliness.
In 1 Timothy 3:15-16 the manifestation of God in the flesh denotes not only Christ but also the church. Verse 16 begins with the conjunction and, which connects verse 15 to verse 16. Verse 15, which refers to the church, says, “If I delay, I write that you may know how one ought to conduct himself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and base of the truth.” Beginning with the word and, verse 16 indicates that the church is not only the house of God and the pillar and base of the truth but also the great mystery of godliness, which is the manifestation of God in the flesh.
We know that the manifestation of God in the flesh refers to both Christ and the church, because Christ is the Head, and the church is His Body. Since Christ as the Head is the manifestation of God in the flesh, the church as His Body is surely the same.
Furthermore, verse 16 lists preached among the nations before taken up in glory. However, Christ was taken up in glory in His ascension before He was preached among the nations. Therefore, taken up in glory here must refer not only to Christ’s ascension but also to the church’s rapture. This indicates that the Christ spoken of in this verse is the corporate Christ—the Head and the Body. Justified in the Spirit, seen by angels, preached among the nations, and believed on in the world refer not to the church but exclusively to Christ. Nevertheless, the last item in verse 16 refers also to the church, which will one day be taken up in glory.
We may think that the ascension of Christ is one thing and that the rapture of the church is another, later thing. We may not realize that the ascension of Christ is connected to the rapture of the church. The ascension of Christ is the receiving of the Head into glory, and the rapture of the church is the receiving of the Body into glory. There is a corporate new man with Christ as the Head and the church as the Body. Today the Head is in the heavens, but the Body is on the earth. Christ the Head has entered into glory, but the church, His Body, has not yet entered into glory. One day the Body will be received into glory just as the Head has been received into glory.
The manifestation of God in the flesh is not only with Christ but also with the church. If we are meeting in the spirit, there will be the manifestation of God in the flesh. First Corinthians 14:24-25 indicates that if we have a normal, proper Christian meeting, when an unbeliever enters, he will say, “Indeed God is among you.” Our meetings are a mystery to others. Here we have no worldly amusement or entertainment, but we have the mystery of godliness, the manifestation of God in the flesh. To outsiders this is a mystery. The church is not only the house of the living God and the pillar and base of the truth but also the mystery of godliness, the manifestation of God in the flesh. It is something in the flesh, yet it is the manifestation of God. Thus, it is a mystery.