P2 - God's vision for godly womanhood: The richness of the godly woman - 1 Tim 2:9-10

1 Timothy 2:9-10 "Likewise, I want women to adorn themselves with proper clothing,modestly and discreetly, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly garments,10 but rather by means of good works, as is proper for women making a claim to godliness."

Introduction:
In yesterday's post we established the general outline of 1 Timothy 2 and the specific outline of 1 Timothy 2:9-15 in an attempt to capture God's vision for womanhood in the wider context of His overall vision for the people of God. God's overall vision of His people in the church includes His specific visions for godly manhood (1 Timothy 2:8) and womanhood (1 Timothy 2:9). In yesterday's post we ended with the following outline of 1 Timothy 2:9-15, the text that speaks on the subject of godly womanhood:

God's vision for biblical womanhood

1. Richness of the godly woman. 1 Timothy 2:9-10

2. Role of a godly woman. 1 Tim 2:11-15

3. Redemptive purpose of godly women. 1 Timothy 2:15

Today's post aims to explore the first of these points, namely the richness of the godly woman as understood from 1 Timothy 2:9-10 and other scriptures. 

The richness of a godly woman as set forth in the scriptures
The value of a woman of God in the scriptures, in the church, in the home and in society cannot be overstated. 1 Timothy 2:9-10 sets forth the source of a godly woman's beauty and sense of confidence that contrasts with what the world typically says about such matters. 1 Timothy 2:9-10 mentions three words that spell out for us the richness of the woman of God. 

A godly woman embodies honor to God
In 1 Timothy 2:9 we can note the honor to God such a woman brings into the life of others. 1 Timothy 2:9a states - "Likewise, I want women to adorn themselves with proper clothing....". The underlined word "proper" can be rendered "honor" or "that which conveys modesty that is befitting of the person's internal character". In a day and age where women are depicted in dishonorable ways, and in ways that oftentime compromises the respect due to women in general, the woman of God should know how to not only wear clothing that points more to Jesus than herself. According to this text, she ought to adorn her life in the garments of honorable living that causes others to want to draw closer to Jesus. In reading through Jewish literature written in between the Old and New Testaments, this particular word emphasizes people who dress for the sake of communicating honor and respect for themselves and others in the name of the Lord.

A godly woman inwardly demonstrates beauty for God
The second term we see conveying the richness of godly woman hood is in the word we see in 1 Timothy 2:9b - "modestly and discreetly, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly garments....". This notion of "braided hair and gold or pearls" has to do with a particular way in which the women of the culture of that day dressed and carried themselves to attract illicit attention. Now before I go any further, I will say that I am in no way opposing the use of cosmetics as used in typical everyday circumstances, nor is this text. What is interesting about the the word translated "adorn" is the verb "kosmeo" from whence our English word "cosmetics" derives. The word "kosmeo" speaks of arranging things in their proper order, hence the beauty being described here in the text refers to a well-ordered interior spiritual life that in its expression is literally a beautiful life dedicated to God and the benefit of others. The text is not opposing cosmetics, but rather is emphasizing the source of beauty and opposing a certain abuse of outward beautification. Paul is opposing the use of cosmetics and clothing that would cause a woman to be suggestive or to exploit her value as a woman for the sake of temporary financial gain.  We hear all the time how women are negatively and unrealistically portrayed in the media and magazines. 

Where does the woman of God's true beauty derive? To reinforce Paul's point here in 1 Timothy 2:9 about "modestly", the Apostle Peter writes these words in 1 Peter 3:3-4 "Your adornment must not be merely external—braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on dresses; 4 but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God." The term "modesty" refers to a soundness of mind which leads to soundness of heart and thus a beautiful outward expression of life. The type of beauty described here is the type that others would want to have and which can only be obtained by having a walk with God. In other words, the woman of God's interior beauty begins with how she is ordering her mind by the scriptures. As the woman of God cultivates her interior relationship with God, the confidence that comes with the soundness and appeal of true beauty will flow from the inside out. 

Practically speaking, people find themselves wanting to be in the company of a woman of God who balances herself in the matters of the mind, the heart and loving-kindness towards others. When interior beauty is pursued, the outward beauty will follow. So a woman of God's richness is expressed in how she embodies honor to God and internally cultivates a beauty for God but notice a third way we see the godly woman's richness in these verses....

A godly woman emphasizes her character in godly living
1 Timothy 2:10 states in the NASB - "but rather by means of good works, as is proper for women making a claim to godliness." The phrase translated "making a claim" here in the NASB is rendered by other translations (KJV, ESV) as "profess godliness". In other words, women who aim to be consistent women of God desire to have their internal character and outward conduct matching one another. 

In the pagan culture of Ephesus of the 1st century, to which Paul wrote 1 Timothy, women were treated very poorly by men and oftentimes would adorn themselves in suggestive ways or live the kind of lives where they put on outward masks that covered up the brokeness and emptiness they felt on the inside. This warped sentiment that is the result of broken male culture corresponds with what we see going in in today's culture. The potential richness of a woman of God is exchanged for manmade, cheapened views of womanhood. When God's vision of womanhood is embraced by faith in Jesus Christ, the value of women is not only raised but restored to what God had originally planned it to be. Moreover, the richness of women in God's plan actually exceeds what was originally expressed in the opening chapters of Genesis, since in Christ, godly women along with godly men are called to not only bring to order this visible creation, but are also called to co-reign with Jesus in the heavenly realms. (Ephesians 2:5-10). 

How scripture depicts a woman of God flowing in the richness of godly womanhood
So a woman of God is a woman rich in how she embodies honor to God, inwardly demonstrates beauty for God and emphasizes character leading to life in God. Where can we look in scripture to see this richness of godly womanhood in action? I encourage the reader to consider Proverbs 31. Now we won't go into near the detail like we did in 1 Timothy 2:9-10. With that said, we will close out today's post by noticing a general outline of Proverbs 31 that can serve as a map for guiding the reader in seeing how the richness of godly womanhood is communicated in that passage:

The richness of godly womanhood in Proverbs 31

1. Richness of a godly mother communicating wisdom to her children. Proverbs 31:1-9

2. Richness of a godly wife enriching the life of her marriage. Proverbs 31:10-28

3. Richness of a godly woman in her praise to God. Proverbs 31:29-31

P1 - God's vision for godly people: godly manhood & womanhood

1 Timothy 2:9-10 "Likewise, I want women to adorn themselves with proper clothing, modestly and discreetly, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly garments,10 but rather by means of good works, as is proper for women making a claim to godliness."

Introduction:

Today's post begins a series of studies on what God has to say about being a woman of God in the scriptures. 1 Timothy 2:9-15 is one of the most difficult to interpret and yet richest texts on God's vision for godly womanhood in the Bible. In exploring this very profound passage, we will follow the true and tested method of using clearer scriptures to shed light on passages that are harder to understand (called by theologians the "analogy of faith" or "comparing scripture with scripture). Today's post begins with the the goal of offering an overall outline of 1 Timothy 2 and a specific outline of 1 Timothy 2:9-15. If we are going to grasp what God is saying about women of God, we need to understand the larger context 1 Timothy 2. The next couple of posts will then be devoted to unfolding the wealth of truth found within 1 Timothy 2:9-15. 

God has designed the church to be a place to grow a people of God empowered by Him

Whenever you read 1 Timothy 2:1-7, you discover that God has ordained the church to be a place to develop the people of God. Paul is articulating what it means to have God empowered living. He lays out in In 1 Timothy 2:1-7 the vision for such a reality in general, with specific application of that vision focused on Biblical manhood (1 Timothy 2:8) and womanhood (1 Timothy 2:9-15). We can outline 1 Timothy 2 in the following fashion:

God-Empowered Living

1. Biblical defining God-empowered living. 1 Timothy 2:1-8

Such living leads to the following outcomes....

a. Pleasing God. 1 Timothy 2:3-4

b. Powerful Testimony. 1 Tim 2:3-4

c. Profound church life. 1 Tim 2:7-8

2. Biblical specifying God-empowered living. 1 Timothy 2:8-15

a. God's vision for godly manhood. 1 Tim 2:8

b. God's vision for godly womanhood. 1 Tim 2:9-15

The design and intention of God for His church is that it would be a place where sinners are born-anew to be saints by the scriptures in faith and repentance. As the saints of God express their faith publically by believer's baptism, partaking of the Lord's supper, fellowship around the preaching and teaching of the Word and evangelism, the world gets to witness men of God and women of God in action.  As we noted at the beginning of this post, we want to understand specifically what it means to be a woman of God according to the scriptures. Below we offer the following outline of 1 Timothy 2:9-15

God's vision for biblical womanhood

1. Richness of the godly woman. 1 Timothy 2:9-10

2. Role of a godly woman. 1 Tim 2:11-15

In this particular set of verses, Paul will lay out the distinctions that a woman has from men, while communicating the equality of redemptive value men and women have before God. Again, other scriptures can aid in illuminating these truths.

3. Redemptive purpose of godly women. 1 Timothy 2:15

More tomorrow....

What Jesus is doing now in Heaven, and why it is important to Christians here on earth

Hebrews 1:3-4 And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4 having become as much better than the angels, as He has inherited a more excellent name than they.

A Brief Overview of Christ's Completed work as the Lamb of God
The Old Testament looked forward to the completion of salvation, from the picture of His completed work in the passover lamb of Exodus 12:21 to the Prophecies about Him being the lamb in Isaiah 53:7.  It is only fitting for God to use the Passover as a picture of Christ's finished work, since the Red Sea deliverance itself was a "once and for all event" in the Old Testament.  With the lamb imagery used repeatedly in the Old Testament, we come to the New Testament and see John the Baptist heralding Jesus Christ as "the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world", thus showing the portrayal of the Lamb of God.  In Acts, the Epistles and Revelation we witness the explanation of Christ's finished work as the Lamb of God in passages such as Acts 8:32-33; 1 Corinthians 5:7; 1 Peter 1:18-19 and Revelation 5:12. 

Zeroing in on Christ's continuing work
The Bible is very clear that Christ's work of redemption is once and for all completed. (1 Peter 3:18)  But what about now? Is Jesus doing anything now in Heaven?  Hebrews 1:1-2 tells us what Jesus did when He came from Heaven to earth in his incarnation, died on the cross and raised from the dead.  Through the scriptures, particularly the Gospels, we see the complete work of Jesus Christ.  However Hebrews 1:3-4 shows us the sequel to the empty tomb.  Jesus Christ ascended to Heaven to begin his post-ressurection ministry as the Mediator between God the Father and Christians as the Prophet, Priest and King.  1 Timothy 2:5 states - "there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, theman Christ Jesus."1 

Christ's continuing ministry pictured and predicted
Just as we saw in Christ's completed work, we have pictures and predictions in the Old Testament of what would be Christ's continuing work following His resurrection.  Three offices were created by God in the Old Testament to communicate His character and will to Israel - namely that of the prophet, the priest and the king.  In Deuteronomy 17 & 18 we see Moses communicate all three of these offices:

1. Deuteronomy 17:15 "you shall surely set a king over you whom the LORD your God chooses, one from among your countrymen you shall set as king over yourselves; you may not put a foreigner over yourselves who is not your countryman."

God through Moses is looking forward some four centuries into the future, predicting the days of King Saul, David, Solomon and other kings.  Through this picture and prediction would come forth the Ultimate King.  Scores of verses could be cited to demonstrate the fact that Jesus Christ was to be the Ultimate King.  When He ascended, Jesus was declared to had inaugurated His reign on David's throne over His church. Peter proves this in his first sermon in Acts 2:30 “And so, because he was a prophet and knew that GOD HAD SWORN TO HIM WITH AN OATH TO SEAT one OF HIS DESCENDANTS ON HIS THRONE".  The Apostle Paul in Colossians 1:15-20 affirms this same truth.  Hebrews 1:3-4 above tells us that Jesus Christ, right now, reigns as King.  We of course understand in other scriptures that there will be a day when Christ returns to physically manifest that reign both visibly and physically. However understand that as King, Jesus Christ is continually reigning as the King of individual Christians and His church.

2. Deuteronomy 18:1 “The Levitical priests, the whole tribe of Levi, shall have no portion or inheritance with Israel; they shall eat the LORD’S offerings by fire and His portion."

The Levitical Priesthood had already been functioning for some 40 years in Israel, however Moses wanted to reinforce to the people of their need for mediators.  The priest throughout the Old Testament was to represent the people's interests before God.  Hebrews 1:3 plainly tells us: "after He had provided purification for sins, He sat down".  Jesus Christ is the believer's Eternal High Priest.  Hebrews 7:24-25 plainly states - "but Jesus, on the other hand, because He continues forever, holds His priesthood permanently. 25 Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them."  

3. Deuteronomy 18:18 ‘I will raise up a prophet from among their countrymen like you, and I will put My words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him."

Prophets had been ministering on the earth for centuries on the earth.  According to Scripture, we know that Enoch, the seventh from Adam, was the first recorded prophet in the Bible. (Genesis 5:23; Jude 14)  Abraham, the father of the Hebrew nation, was a prophet and of course Moses was the greatest prophet of his day. (Genesis 20:7 & Exodus 4:15) However there was a Prophet whom was not only being pictured but predicted.  It wasn't later prophets like Isaiah or Jeremiah - rather there was to be an Ultimate Prophet who not only by His words and actions, but by His very being was the complete revelation of God to people.  Peter directly connects Deuteronomy 18:18 to Jesus Christ in Acts 3:21-22 - "and that He may send Jesus, the Christ appointed for you, 21whom heaven must receive until the period of restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time. 22“Moses said, ‘THE LORD GOD WILL RAISE UP FOR YOU A PROPHET LIKE ME FROM YOUR BRETHREN; TO HIM YOU SHALL GIVE HEED to everything He says to you." Furthermore, in our opening passage in today's blog we find Jesus functioning as "the Prophet" who by nature is the very God whom He reveals through the scriptures. (Hebrews 2:1-4)

Jesus Christ's ministry explained and applied
So why is it so important for you and I as Christians to understand the continuing ministry of Jesus Christ? First of all, as our King, Jesus reigns to protect us, as Priest He repesents us before the Father in prayer and as Prophet He reveals God's Person and will through the scriptures.  Secondly, we as Christians understand our own identity through this three-fold identity of Jesus Christ's continuing ministry.  Think about it, at salvation was were seated positionally as co-kings with Jesus in the heavenly realms. (Ephesians 2:6)and will one day take part in a judgment of the fallen angelic realm when Jesus returns. (1 Corinthians 6:3) According to 1 Peter 2:9-12 we are identified as a Kingdom of priests, lifting up prayers to God on behalf of others.  Then together as the church we function through the word of God preached and taught as the prophetic mouthpiece.  We are His presence here in this world, calling men, women boys and girls unto repentance. (2 Corinthians 5:15-21; 1 John 4:17)  If Jesus Christ were not continually ministering as the Prophet, Priest and King at the right hand of God, we as Christians would fail in our faith and faithfulness.  But because He ministers continually, we too will continue on and persevere to the very end. 

End Notes:______________________

1 As theologians throughout the ages have explored Jesus present ministry on behalf of His people, they have used the term "session" to summarize His three-fold office as Prophet, Priest and King. Just as a a baliff in a courtroom announces that "court is now in session" upon the seating of the judge at the bench, Christ too is seated at the right hand of power, co-equal with the Father. As He stated in Matthew 28:18 - "All power has been given to me on Heaven and on earth." 

How the Deity of Jesus Christ leads us to knowledge of the Trinity

2 Corinthians 13:14 “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all.”


Introduction
The term "Trinity" is doctrinal shorthand in bringing together the Bible’s revelation of God. Think of the term as being composed of two words: "Tri" meaning "three" and "unity" meaning one. The Baptist Faith and Message 2000, the doctrinal statement of the Southern Baptist Convention, defines the Trinity: “The eternal Triune God reveals Himself to us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, with distinct personal attributes, but without division of nature, essence, or being.”

Three major truths comprise this very important Biblical teaching of God as Trinity. I will list them for the reader's convenience and then we will consider the second major truth in today's post: The Deity of the Son.

1. God is One God (Monotheism)
2. The Deity of Jesus Christ
3. The Personality of the Holy Spirit

Today's post aims to show that the Biblical affirmation of Christ's Deity sets the stage for affirming the Trinity.

The Deity of Jesus Christ

As we already mentioned, God is one in His being, a belief that is referred to as “mono-theism”. And now as we probe the text of scripture, we discover that in terms of His identity, God is not only revealed in the Person of the Father, but also in the Second Person – the Son. Old Testament passages such as Psalm 2:7 reveal the Eternal Pre-existence of the Person of the Son sharing in conversation with the Person of the Father. By referring to the Person of “The Son”, scripture is stating that whatever characteristics and qualities the Father has, the Son has in equal measure. When Jesus came to this world through the virgin birth, He revealed Himself to be God in human flesh. John 1:14 clearly states: “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” When Jesus walked on this earth, He lived as a man Who ever remained fully God. During His ministry Jesus made this statement in John 10:30 “I and the Father are one.” After three and a half years of doing miracles, preaching sermons and developing relationships with people, Jesus would be arrested and then die on the cross as a man. Though fully man, Jesus as the Person of the Son demonstrated His willingness and Love as the fully Divine Redeemer. When He raised from the dead, the belief of Jesus being fully God in human flesh became fully solidified in the hearts and minds of His followers.  Thomas’ response to Jesus in one of His post-resurrection appearances proves this in John 20:28:  “My Lord and My God”.  

Later on Paul in 1 Corinthians 8:6 tells us - "yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him."  As you explore the New Testament, Jesus Christ is asserted many times in the New Testament as being God. In John 8:58 for example He uses the Divine Personal name from the Old Testament to identify Himself to his opponents: “before Abraham was, I AM.”  Not only is He the Creator, as revealed in this verse, but He is also the Savior of the world sent by the Father as spoken of in 1 John 4:14. 

Inasmuch as the New Testament continued to assert the first truth of God being one God, the reality of Christ’s full Deity was clearly revealed in the New Testament. Both truths led the combined witness of the New Testament to communicate the shared unity between the Father and the Son. Such a profound revelation would provide the cornerstone for getting the early followers of Jesus Christ to correctly interpret God’s Triune nature. 

With the Oneness of God, or Monotheism still in place, as well as the uncontested Deity of Jesus Christ soundly affirmed in the New Testament, the foundations for the Biblical doctrine of the Trinity were set in place. Because Jesus Christ is fully God and shares in the same Divine nature as the Father, the only remaining truth to affirm is the Personality of the Holy Spirit and His sharing in the same Deity with the Father and the Son. This is why the Deity of Jesus Christ leads to the full truth of God in His Triune nature.

Jesus is all you need

Colossians 1:13-14 "For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins."

Introduction: The year I saw the Milky Way
It was not long after my family and I had moved to Florida in 2004 that 3 hurricanes barreled their way across the terrain of Central Florida where we lived. Our house was located in the storm paths of the three storms.  The first one in particular, Charley, came to where we were as a strong category 2 storm, with sustained winds of between 115-120 m.p.h. Power was knocked out for over a week in a 150 mile radius.  It was in the heat of August and we had some families staying with us who had been displaced by the storms. I can recall one night after a particularly long and hot day going outside to get some fresh air.  It was so dark outside you could hardly see your hand in front of your face.

As I looked up I was awestruck by what I saw. I could not believe my eyes, but their, stretched across the sky was the Milky Way Galaxy in all of its pristine glory. Every star, every color was present.  I literally felt like I had been taken up in a spacecraft and set in orbit around the earth. With no light pollution, I could behold a celestial object that only one in seven people can still see on our globe today. For hours I stared until my neck hurt from the strain. Stars, cosmic dust clouds and various dark and light bands were seen across the night sky. I could had spent an entire month if possible, staring at the Milky Way's vastness, not exhausting the estimated 400 billion stars that comprise our galactic home.

When I peer into Colossians 1:13-20, I feel like I am peering into an endless galaxy of Divine revelation.  Paul's point for writing Colossians was to convey the fact that Jesus is enough.  He is fighting against a group of heretics who believe you have to add ritual or experience or pagan practice to the equation.  Anytime you and I try to add to Christ we end up subtracting. As foolish as it would be to think of lighting a match to improve upon the experience of witnessing the brightness of the Milky Way Galaxy, so it is in thinking we can ever add to Jesus Christ.  Yet in our everyday world and Christian lives, we find ourselves attempting to try out different fads in the hopes of feeling better and avoiding what we perceive to be boredom.

A word on applying the scriptures to your life
Here is a question: why do people go on vacations to spots such as the Grand Canyon or Disney world? Do they go with the expectation of taking away 2 or three bullet points that they can plug into their everyday lives once they get back into the normal routine? No. The point of such trips is to become smaller and to be blown away and get away from it all.  Have you ever tried sharing with someone, say a co-worker, your time away at a vacation? It is impossible to capture the experience in a short 30 second conversation, and yet the impact of the experience makes you feel exhilarated and refreshed.


I think too often in today's church world we only think of Bible application in terms of life application.  Now don't get me wrong, life application is very important, and there ought to be some point in a lesson or a sermon where a "take-away" or "point of application" is easily discerned.  Yet the scripture isn't only about applying principles and formulas, it is also about blowing us away and bring us to the point of worship.  


Such "worship points of application" are necessary, otherwise our Christian life becomes nothing more than "duty, duty, duty". Whenever we look at sections such as Colossians 1:13-20, we ought not to approach it from the stand point of "what can I get out of this" in so much as "how much can I tell Jesus that I delight in Him." We need both "life-points of application" and "worship-points of application".  We need practical and awe-inspiring, and books of the Bible like Colossians give us both.


Worship point of application
As we consider Colossians 1:13-20 in brief, let me suggest to you the following worship point of application: Jesus Christ's Supreme Revelation is your Wonderful fulfillment. Let us take a few moments and gaze in wonderful at this galaxy of revelation - Colossians 1:13-20.


Jesus Christ is your wonderful fulfillment in what He does. Colossians 1:13-14
Jesus Christ is the Divine King in 1:13, Who became man in 1:14.

Jesus Christ is your wonderful fulfillment in what He is. Colossians 1:15-17
Jesus Christ is the New Adam Who is also the Creator of all things with the Father.

Jesus Christ is your wonderful fulfillment in Who He is. Colossians 1:18-20
He  is Lord over His church in 1:18-19. He is the Savior of His church by the blood He shed as Perfect Man in 1:20.

Closing thoughts
Being that the point of this post was to convey the sense of awe and worship over Jesus Christ - your wonderful fulfillment, and being that the Revelation of Himself is the wonderful fulfillment of the Christian life, I leave you with the lyrics of the hymn: "O Worship the King" by Robert Grant, who lived from 1737-1806:

1. O worship the King, all glorious above,
O gratefully sing God's power and God's love;
our Shield and Defender, the Ancient of Days,
pavilioned in splendor, and girded with praise.

2. O tell of God's might, O sing of God's grace,
whose robe is the light, whose canopy space,
whose chariots of wrath the deep thunderclouds form,
and dark is God's path on the wings of the storm.

3. The earth with its store of wonders untold,
Almighty, thy power hath founded of old;
hath stablished it fast by a changeless decree,
and round it hath cast, like a mantle, the sea.

4. Thy bountiful care, what tongue can recite?
It breathes in the air, it shines in the light;
it streams from the hills, it descends to the plain,
and sweetly distills in the dew and the rain.

5. Frail children of dust, and feeble as frail,
in thee do we trust, nor find thee to fail;
thy mercies how tender, how firm to the end,
our Maker, Defender, Redeemer, and Friend.

Seeing Jesus in Revelation 1

Revelation 1:1 "The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must soon take place; and He sent and communicated it by His angel to His bond-servant John"

In the 66 books of the Bible we discover some 200 or so titles of Jesus Christ.  Of those 200 or so titles or descriptions, nearly 40 of them are found in Revelation 1.  The Book of Revelation is an incredible book, insofar that it reveals Jesus Christ most profoundly, personally and powerfully.  In today's blog I want us to sketch out the five ways we encounter Jesus Christ here in Revelation 1.

1. Jesus Christ the Savior. Revelation 1:1,5,7,13, 18
As much as the Book of Revelation focuses upon Jesus Christ's Second Coming, reference is often made to the accomplishments of His first coming.  For example, we are reminded in Revelation 1:5 that He is the resurrected "firstborn" from the dead Who has ascended to inaugurate His reign in Heaven over His church.  As the term "firstborn" suggests, Christ is the rightful heir of all things.  As you come to Revelation 1:7, mention is made of how the tribes of the earth will see Him who was "pierced". This particular verse is a reminder that even in His now glorified humanity, Jesus still bears the marks of crucifixion.  Jesus Himself testifies in Revelation 1:18 that He is the Living One who was once dead but Who is alive forever more.

2. Jesus Christ in His Deity.  Revelation 1:1,7,8,9,10,13-17
When Jesus came the first time, He came through the virgin birth to assume fully humanity.  As a man Jesus could die.  However as God at the same time, the value of what He accomplished was infinite.  The Divine titles we see associated with God in the Old Testament are assigned to Jesus here in Revelation 1.  Perhaps one of the clearest examples is the title "Alpha and Omega" in Revelation 1:8.  In Isaiah 44:6 we read these words - "Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel and his Redeemer the Lord of hosts, 'I am the First and the Last; besides me there is no god."

3. Jesus Christ the Priestly Mediator.  Revelation 1:5-6,13
In scripture we see Jesus occupying three offices in His representation of believer's before the Father's throne.  First He is our King, who right now rules over His church in Heaven and Who is coming back to set up His throne here on earth. (Colossians 1:15-20; Revelation 1:5) Secondly, Jesus Christ is the Believer's High Priest, representing us to God the Father. (1 John 2:1-2; Revelation 1:7)  Then thirdly He is the Prophet Who is the Full Revelation of the Invisible Father and the fullness of the Godhead in bodily form. (Colossians 2:9; Hebrews 1:1-3; Revelation 1:12-16) These three offices represent the three major offices found throughout the Old Testament scriptures, indicating Jesus came to fulfill the pictures, patterns and predictions of revelatory thought.  Each office mediated to the nation of Israel something true about God Himself. What the Son does as the Divine three-fold office holder, He mediates not merely something about God, He mediates the very essence of God Himself in human flesh.  Consequently, Jesus also mediates to the Father the redeemed humanity for which He ever lives, intercedes and for which He paid the purchase price with His blood. 

4. Jesus Christ the King. Revelation 1:5,6,8,20
Though we have already shown Jesus as the King, the title "Ruler of the Kings of the Earth" is worth mentioning. (Revelation 1:5)  In the study of Bible prophecy scholars use a little phrase "already/not yet" to explain prophecies wherein an event has been begun but has not yet reached its full manifestation.  Thus Christ is ruling right now in Heaven over His Kingdom in a spiritual sense and over the church in particular.  In some sense He is already reigning in Kingly authority over the Kings of the earth.  However He has not yet fully manifested this reign, and won't until He returns as revealed in Revelation 19-20 to set up His 1,000 year Millennial Kingdom.

5. Jesus Christ the Prophet. Revelation 1:6,16 
As the "Prophet", Jesus Christ brings God to us because of the fact He is God Himself.  Throughout the New Testament we see Jesus ascribing to Himself Deity. (John 8:58)  He tells Phillip in John 14:9 "If you have seen me, you have seen the Father."  The Apostle Paul writes in both Philippians 2 and 1 Timothy 3:15-16 that in essence, Jesus Christ is "God in Human Flesh".  Jesus Christ is the Prophet Who is the Full revelation of the invisible God. (Hebrews 1:1-2)  Jesus Christ as God in Human Flesh shares in the same Undivided nature with the Father.  1 Corinthians 8:6 for example tells us that the Father is the One "from whom all things exists" and the Son at the same time is the One "through Whom all things consist".  In addition to the New Testament, the Old Testament hints at the fact that even in His pre-incarnate state (before the flesh state), the Son made various appearances and revealed the glory of the invisible God to the patriarchs and prophets. (Isaiah 6 compare John 12:41; Proverbs 30:4-5)

Jesus Christ - God, God and man, still God & man, coming again - Colossians 1:13-22

Colossians 1:13 "For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son."

In Paul's letter to the Colossians, the overall theme is: "Finding Fulfillment in Christ's Supremacy". Colossians 1:13-22 depicts one of the richest and most detailed descriptions of Jesus Christ found anywhere in the New Testament.
Below I want to sketch out in outline form some of the doctrinal treasures that we can mine concerning the person and work of Jesus Christ. It is my prayer that you would find fulfillment in this full length mirror view of Jesus Christ.

I. Jesus Christ is God. Col 1:13
In the Old Testament, we read in Isaiah 43:11 “I, even I, am the LORD, And there is no Savior besides Me." Jonah 2:9b tells us: "salvation is from the LORD". With those verses noted, when we read that God (the Father) in Colossians 1:13 transfers believers from the Kingdom of darkness into the Kingdom of His Son, we understand Paul assigning equality of power to the Son. We can place this biblical teaching in the following logical form:

-Premise #1: God alone has the authority to grant salvation

-Premise #2: The Son has the authority (i.e His Kingdom) to grant
salvation

-Conclusion: Therefore The Son is forever God with the Father

Paul combatted his opponents in the Colossian church who denied that Christ was ever God from all eternity. 

II. Jesus Christ God and man. Colossians 1:14-15
Colossians 1:13 reminds us of what Christ was like before he came into this world to take upon Himself full humanity. Because Jesus Christ has been forever God, this means He has the authority to provide salvation. However as God, Christ could not die - thus He had to take upon Himself a second nature - a second way of expressing His existence - namely humanity.

In Colossians 1:14, as well as the parallel passage of Ephesians 1:7, we have redemption (through His blood), the forgiveness of sins. Because Jesus Christ is God - he is Almighty to save and because he is man - he is able to save.

In regards to being the "firstborn" over all creation, this phrase does not mean Christ was the first creature (contra Jehovah Witnesses). Rather the statement points us back to what Christ became in his humanity as the "New Adam". (Romans 5:11-21) Old Adam had been the original heir to creation, and forfeited that in his rebellion in the garden. Just as a man lost the title deed to earth, Christ came as Eternal God in human flesh (i.e "the New Adam") to lay claim to what the enemy had stolen. When He returns, He will come to possess what He legally won at The Cross. What is it that Jesus won? the title deed to this world that had been lost by the first Adam. (Revelation 5)
In contrast to those who taught that Jesus was some type of spirit being, Paul full asserted the true humanity of Jesus Christ.

III. Jesus Christ is still God. Colossians 1:16-19
So when Jesus came into this world to become a man, did His Divine nature change or cease to be a reality? In contrast to his opponents, the Apostle Paul argues that Christ in His Deity underwent no change whatsoever. Though He temporarily chose to not to operate exclusively from His Divine attributes while on this earth (Philippians 2:5-11); yet He never ceased being God. (Colossians 2:9)

As God, the Person of the Son had, did and still holds together all of creation. While ministering on this earth, the Son chose to operate through His acquisition of a human nature in the virgin birth. (Luke 1:35; Philippians 2:5-11) As a man, Jesus Christ the Son got tired, sweated and got hungry. On the cross, the Son experience genuine death and suffering as a man. As God at the same time, He excercised and still does excercise rule not only over creation (Colossians 1:16-17) but also the church (Colossians 1:18).

Jesus Christ never ceased being God, since with the Father and Spirit He retained control of our universe. In His humanity the person of Christ looked up through His Deity and saw the wrath of His Father on sin, while in His deity he looked down through His humanity and willingly endured the wrath and separation he experienced as man for our sin. (Colossians 1:19) One person, The Son, died as a man on the cross and this same Person, as God, possessed the authority to lay down his human life and raise it up again from the dead. (John 10:17)

IV. Jesus Christ is also still man, and coming again. Colossians 1:20-22
So when Christ ascended into heaven, did he still remain fully man? Paul's answer is affirmatively "yes"! Colossians 1:22 plainly states - "yet He now has reconciled you in His fleshly body". This truth is important, since the Bible teaches Christ's full, visible, bodily return. In contrast to the Jehovah Witnesses, who teach that Christ's resurrection brought forth a spiritual, non-physical body - Paul is saying here that Christ's body, now glorified, is a physical one.

This is crucial, since the resurrection and redemption of the believer's body is a cornerstone of the biblical teaching of salvation. If Jesus' physical resurrection had not occurred, statements such as 1 John 3:2 would not make sense: "Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is."

These statements by Paul in Colossians served to combat the ancient heresy in Colosse that the material world was totally evil, and thus was never going to be redeemed or restored. Christ's resurrected humanity communicates that God's plan for redeeming His people and the physical creation will not be thwarted.

Conclusion
As Eternally God, Christ, has with the Father and the Spirit forever been the Author of salvation. In becoming man, Christ came to provide salvation through the shedding of His blood as man. By still being God, Christ demonstrated that he never changes and has the authority to provide salvation. By still being man, Christ lives to be the mediator between believers and God. We look forward to His return as the one who is God and man.