Creeds and formulations. 1 Timothy 6.

In this last chapter of Timothy, it's hard to overlook the several formulations Paul uses in the letter. By formulation, I mean what appears to be a saying that was memorized and repeated by those in the church, like we might repeat "The Lord's Prayer." These formulations are reminders that this letter was written at the end of Paul's ministry, when the churches had been in place for a while and were developing routine and liturgy and structure.

Sometimes we react against the idea of structure, but it's essential to everything. God took the void and gave it structure. The church in Acts 2 was just a beginning. In the process of maturing, the realization came that hanging out together all the time was impractical. Worship could take place while working, even in how you did your work. A regular first day of the week gathering became the norm. Jesus' command was to go into all the world and make disciples and most observers think that God used the persecution of the Jerusalem church to help make that happen.

This letter to Timothy is all about church structure, leadership, and practice, especially for Timothy's instruction as he acts as Paul's successor. And sprinkled within the letter is this phrase, "This saying is trustworthy and deserves full acceptance..." (1 Timothy 1:15; 3:1; 4:9) It's also in 2 Timothy and Titus. In addition to this phrase we catch what might be other confessional statements, perhaps the words to hymns, which we can recognize by their dense theological content.

Creedal statements are a tricky topic in churches that have their roots in the Restoration Movement. Let's get a definition first. A simple definition of creed is: a formal statement of religious belief. Here's a slightly expanded version from the Britannica Concise Encylopedia (online): "Officially authorized, usually brief statement of the essential articles of faith of a religious community, often used in public worship or initiation rites." It's the "officially authorized" and "initiation rites" that are at the heart of the disagreement with creeds in Restoration Movement churches. Creeds are statements about God and faith that are based on the Bible, but separate from the Bible. The Restoration Movement was interested in removing whatever divided the church - denominational names like "Lutheran" that implied adhering to man-made systems outside the Bible; rigid adherence to theological viewpoints that were "non-essential"; and creeds. The thinking was that "Creeds divide, but Christians should be able to find agreement by standing on the Bible itself..." (wikipedia entry).

But a creedal-like statement within the Bible becomes authoritative. And so, however these statements developed in the early church, Paul's inclusion of them in this letter to Timothy by God's inspiration, means they are truth to us. I thought it would be a good way to end our reading of 1 Timothy by simply including them here. I'm going to use several translations, chosen not to make a particular point, but for their expressiveness. Be sure to look them up in your preferred translation to see what it says. First, here are the statements identified by Paul as trustworthy sayings.

“Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (v.1:15 NET)

“If someone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a good work.” (v.3:1 NET)

“physical exercise has some value, but godliness is valuable in every way. It holds promise for the present life and for the life to come.” (v.4:8 NET)

And finally, here are the formulations that may have taken the form of hymns or statements/confessions of faith in the churches. (They may also be only Paul's formulations.)

“For there is one God and one mediator between God and human beings, Christ Jesus, himself human, who gave himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed to at the proper time.” (v.2:5,6 TNIV)

“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.” (v.3:16 NASB)

[God is]
“The blessed and sole Potentate,
The King of all who are kings
And Lord of all who are lords,
The sole Possesor of immortality,
Housed in light to which there is no approach,
Whom no human being has seen or ever could,
His is the honor and ruling power forever indeed.” (v.6:15,16 Andy Gaus' translation)

Grace to you.