1 Timothy 3:16– As is avowed

And avowedly great is the secret of devoutness, “which was manifested in flesh, justified in spirit, seen by messengers, heralded among the nations, believed in the world, taken up in glory”.

“The ecclesia of the living God” stands as a pillar for the truth. Namely, the truth that was made known and taught to her by God through revelation through the apostle Paul. And in the ecclesia, that is the popular assembly, the truth is avowed. The word ‘avow’ (homologeo) means from the construction of the word: saying the same thing. He who avows, repeats. Avowing is not a creative process, but reverently repeating what has already been said or written. A man believes with the heart, but confesses with the mouth (Rom.10:9). That makes confession something personal in the first place.

But avowance can certainly also take place together. For example, when the ecclesia collectively says amen to the word that has been spoken (1Cor.14:16). In the above verse, Paul refers approvingly to words that may have been known as song, because the six stanzas he quotes in Greek show clear rhythm and rhyme. It is precisely in singing together “psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs” that the ecclesia confesses “the word of Christ” (Col. 3:16), because in doing so it speaks in unison “with one mouth” (Rom. 15:6).

Delen: