Statement of Faith
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Part One: Common Confession of the Mystery of Godliness
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. (1 Timothy 3:16)
"The Mystery of Godliness"
The mystery of godliness is that "the Word became flesh, and [tabernacled] among us," (John 1:14) and that the Word which became flesh was "in the beginning...with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being" through the Word, and apart from the Word "nothing came into being that has come into being." (John 1:1-3) As it is said, "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities-all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. He is also head of the body, the [Assembly]; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything. For it was the Father's good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him..." (Colossians 1:15-19) This is Yeshua son of Joseph, the son of David and the son of Abraham.
Though "No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, has declared Him." (John 1:18 NKJ) This only Son is "appointed heir of all things, through whom also [God] made the world. And He is the radiance of [God's] glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power." (Hebrews 1:2-3) "For in Him all the fullness of Deity [tabernacles] in bodily form...and He is the head over all rule and authority..." (Colossians 2:9-10)
And he himself has said, "I am the first and the last, and the living One!" (Revelation 1:17-18) for he is first before all things created, "the firstborn of all creation" (Colossians 1:15), and he is the last, for "He will reign forever and ever." (Revelation 11:15) "Yeshua Messiah is the same yesterday and today and forever." (Hebrews 13:8) This confession is that our hearts may be encouraged, "having been knit together in love, and attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God's mystery, that is, Messiah Himself, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." (Colossians 2:2-3)
He is the radiance of the glory of God, as it is said, God has "shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Messiah," (2 Corinthians 4:6) and Messiah's glory is the glory of God, as it is said, "the glory of Messiah, who is the image of God," (2 Corinthians 4:4) for Messiah Yeshua is "the glory of our great God and Savior," (Titus 2:13) "so that in all things God may be glorified through Yeshua Messiah, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen." (1 Peter 4:11)
"He who was revealed in the flesh..."
Yet this is "He who was revealed in the flesh," (1 Timothy 3:16) as it is said, "although He existed in the form of God, [he] did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man." (Philippians 2:6-7) He was revealed in the flesh, and his flesh is human flesh, as his holy apostles testified, "What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life- and the life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us-what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Yeshua Messiah." (1 John 1:1-3)
And any who denies that Yeshua came as a man is not from God, as it is said, "By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Yeshua Messiah has come in the flesh is from God; and every spirit that does not confess Yeshua [came in the flesh] is not from God; this is the spirit of the anti-Christ..." (1 John 4:2-3)
While He sojourned among us He was baptized in the Jordan, and "after being baptized, Yeshua came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him, and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, 'This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.'" (Matthew 3:16-17) Hence He is called the Son of God, for God has declared, "YOU ARE MY SON, TODAY I HAVE BEGOTTEN YOU" And again, "I WILL BE A FATHER TO HIM AND HE SHALL BE A SON TO ME." (Hebrews 1:5)
Regarding His flesh, it is said, "He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted." (Hebrews 2:17-18) And again, "In the days of His flesh, He offered up both prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears to the One able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His piety. Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered." (Hebrews 5:7-9) "He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross." (Philippians 2:8) And He suffered as a man might suffer, for He was "put to death in the flesh." (1 Peter 3:18) And again, "Messiah has suffered in the flesh," (1 Peter 4:1) leaving us an example "to follow in His steps, WHO COMMITTED NO SIN, NOR WAS ANY DECEIT FOUND IN HIS MOUTH; and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to [God] who judges righteously; and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds [we] were healed." (1 Peter 2:21-24)
He "was vindicated in the Spirit, seen by angels..."
He was vindicated in the Spirit, and "through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God..." (Hebrews 9:14) "This Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, [was] nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death. But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power. (Acts 2:23-24) He was "put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit." (1 Peter 3:18) For this is the confession of His Apostles, "that Messiah died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures." (1 Corinthians 15:3-4) He whom God raised did not undergo decay," (Acts 13:37) as His Apostles confess, "HE WAS NEITHER ABANDONED TO HADES, NOR DID His flesh SUFFER DECAY. This Yeshua God raised up again, to which we are all witnesses." (Acts 2:31-32) He was "declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Yeshua Messiah our Lord." (Romans 1:4) Therefore he says, "I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades." (Revelation 1:18)
Through Yeshua, we "are believers in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God," (1 Peter 1:21) even in "the God of our Lord Yeshua Messiah." (Ephesians 1:17)
He is "Proclaimed among the nations, Believed on in the world..."
He is proclaimed among the nations, "for He Himself is our peace, who made both [Jews and Gentiles] into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, by abolishing in His flesh the enmity..." (Ephesians 2:14-22) And this is the Mystery of Messiah, "that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Messiah Yeshua through the gospel." (Ephesians 3:6) "the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God who created all things; so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places. This was in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Messiah Yeshua our Lord, in whom we have boldness and confident access through faith in Him." (Ephesians 3:9-12) This is "the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret for long ages past, but now is manifested, and by the Scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God, has been made known to all the nations, leading to obedience of faith; to the only wise God, through Yeshua Messiah, be the glory forever. Amen." (Romans 16:25-27)
He was "Taken up in glory."
He was taken up in glory, as he said to his disciples, "I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God." (John 20:17) "Messiah Yeshua is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us." (Romans 8:34) Indeed, he has been "exalted to the right hand of God." (Acts 2:33)
"God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Yeshua EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Yeshua Messiah is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Philippians 2:9-11) "When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much better than the angels, as He has inherited a more excellent name than they." (Hebrews 1:3-4) This is Messiah Yeshua "who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us." (Romans 8:34) This is He who "came forth from the Father," came into the world; and has returned "to the Father." (John 16:28) And he remains seated at the right hand of the Father, who has "PUT ALL THINGS IN SUBJECTION UNDER HIS FEET. For in subjecting all things to him, He left nothing that is not subject to him. But now we do not yet see all things subjected to him." (Hebrews 2:8) Yet we wait in confidence and longing for His coming, "when He hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be abolished is death. For HE HAS PUT ALL THINGS IN SUBJECTION UNDER HIS FEET. But when He says, 'All things are put in subjection,' it is evident that He is excepted who put all things in subjection to Him. When all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself also will be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, so that God may be all in all." (1 Corinthians 15:24-28)
"Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Messiah Yeshua, so that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Yeshua Messiah." (Romans 15:5-6) "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort," (2 Corinthians 1:3), "The God and Father of the Lord Yeshua, He who is blessed forever."