Quote:
Originally Posted by Praxeas
So let me ask, if this was just about a man, what does it mean for that man to be justified in the Spirit?
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The issue is GODLINESS throughout 1 Timothy. Man is justified in Spirit so as to explain how we LIVE BY FAITH. The JUST (justified) shall live by faith, not by self effort of law-keeping, which is living by sight or by flesh. This is how godliness works. We cannot live a JUST LIFE without the grace of the Spirit. Grace is divine empowerment here. Paul is not teaching oneness in
1 Tim 3:16, though he implies oneness for sure. He is teaching how godliness is required and expected of God in our lives from the start of the epistle. Read every chapter and see how he leads up to the third one speaking of GODLINESS.
Even GOD manifest in the flesh HAD TO BE JUSTIFIED NOT BY THAT FLESH but by Spirit, as our example. It is a contrast between being justified by flesh or justified by Spirit.
Paul began the epistle stating that the LAW was intended to make us godly in lifestyle, but Paul found that only through grace were these things abundant. Cp.
1 Tim 1:5 with
1 Tim 1:14.
Romans 8:3-4 shows how the law could not accomplish its purpose, but God did accomplish that purpose of law through Christ. In fact, Paul contrasted walking after the flesh to live a just life from walking after the Spirit in
Romans 8! This is the point of
1 Tim 3:16. We walk after the Spirit to live godly lives and that is what being justified in the Spirit means.
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