March 03, 2022 – Thursday
1 Timothy 6:16 NIV
16 who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen.
Comment.
The above is a concluding verse ending with Amen of Paul charging Timothy on what he is to do. The preceding verses are, 11 But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 13 In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you 14 to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 which God will bring about in his own time—God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, ending with our verse of the day, 16 who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen.
It is interesting that God the Father above is referred to as King of kings and Lord of Lords as we also often refer to Jesus. This is neither incorrect or wrong for Revelation 17:14 says, They will wage war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will triumph over them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings—and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers, and again in Revelation 19:16 which says, On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: king of kings and lord of lords,
showing us once again Father and Son are One.
However, our interest today is in verse 16’s description of God as who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. About who alone is immortal we need to understand that even though holy angels and the souls of man are immortal, only one alone can be said to have immortality or to be immortal because all others have their immortality through His will. Then about whom no one has seen or can see, this refers to created beings for as John 1:18 also tells us, No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.
The Father lives in unapproachable light, that is unapproachable by mortal man for Matthew 5:8, Jesus tells us Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. This then makes sense of Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary which says, That light is unapproachable to creatures, except in so far as they are admitted by Him, and as He goes forth to them. It is unapproachable on account of its exceeding brightness. If one cannot gaze steadfastly at the sun, which is but a small part of creation, how much less can mortal man gaze at the inexpressible glory of God. Of the known suns in the universe, our sun is considered to be a small sun, but it could hold one million earths inside if it were hollow. At the same time our sun contains 99:8% of the mass of our solar system. With this in mind recall Psalm 104:2 which says, The Lord wraps himself in light as with a garment;he stretches out the heavens like a tent. Unapproachable indeed.
Knowing what we now know of the Father and the Son, we like Timothy have to decide Jesus and Jesus alone is worthy of worship and complete devotion and commitment. Paul has done his best to make sure Timothy and we know who Jesus is and why we should be worshipping Him. We have His gospel and the clear knowledge that He and the Father are one.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, With the knowledge You have provided through Your Word, and the love and mercy though Your Son, let me be forever thankful and glad while humbling myself before You. – In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
RileyD, nwJ
Riley D. Driver – Pastor
Calvary Chapel of Dayton
in Beavercreek