This sermon explores the importance of short summaries of the Christian faith as found, for example, in 1 Timothy 3:16, a verse is part of a larger context dealing with how we are to act in God's house -- not the building in which people meet, but God's people and how we are to conduct ourselves as we worship (1 Timothy 3:14-15).
Paul is quoting a familiar saying in 1 Timothy 3:16. Whether it was sung, chanted, or simply recited, we may call it a creed.
As we dealt with the first point, we took up the issue of the text of the New Testament. Did Paul write, "Who (ὅς, hos) was manifest in the flesh," or "God (θεός, theos) was manifest in the flesh"?
I shared the story of German-born, Russian count, Tischendorf, who "obtained" the very oldest complete Greek Testament, now called Codex Sinaiticus. He claimed that the monks at Saint Catherine's Monastery were using old manuscripts to start fires.
If his story is correct, it would point to the likelihood the reason this 4th century document survived is that it had been put on the shelf and unused because it was not as accurate as other constantly used manuscripts.
I then shared why I believe that the oldest manuscripts do not necessarily point to the original writings, because those upon which the vast majority of existing Greek manuscripts are based were worn out over the centuries.
We then looked at the first statement in light of John 1:1-3, 14.
Then we considered how the whole life of our incarnate God was through the ministry of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 1:18; 3:16-17; Romans 1:4).
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After serving Grace Presbyterian Church in Alexandria, Louisiana, Bob was honorably retired on Sunday, September 27, 2015, and given the title "Pastor Emeritus." This was forty years to the day after he became their pastor.
He now works for the Presbytery of the Gulf South as...
