“who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen” (1Tim 6:16).
Who’s the greatest? Sports fans continually debate the best team of all-time. The ’72 Dolphins or ’85 Bears. Who’s basketball’s G.O.A.T.? Who you got, Kareem or Michael? Marvel and DC fans fill the interweb with rants about the most powerful superheroes.
According to the Apostle Paul there’s one Person so phenomenal, so staggering, so astonishing that there is zero doubt He’s the most breathtaking Being that’s ever existed in the universe. Check out His awesome qualities. Totally eternal and completely unkillable. Absolutely unapproachable. An appearance so dazzling you can never really see Him. Fame and reputation exceeded by no one. Unlimited and never-ending power.
If you haven’t figured it out yet, Paul is talking about God. Specifically God the Father. In a letter to his spiritual son Timothy, the apostle reminds him of Whose team he’s on. Our Heavenly Dad “who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen” (v16).
Paul wants us to remember exactly Who’s got out back when the chips are down.
Think of the Father this way. The First Person of the Trinity possesses such mind-bending qualities that we can best describe Him by what he’s not. Immortal. Inaccessible. Invisible. Invaluable. Inexhaustible.
As with anything in the Bible, context is critical for this passage. Flip back the pages of history to the first century. Specifically, around 62 to 64 A.D. The scene is a church in a large port city of Ephesus on the west coast of what we know as Turkey. Paul planted this church on one of his legendary Mediterranean tours. A few years later, Tim is in the process of putting out a blazing doctrinal dumpster fire.
After the apostle left town to tell others about Jesus, false teachers distracted folks in the Ephesian church from following Christ with a toxic stew of religious urban legends, limitless family histories, conspiracy theories, outright lies, and downright demonic doctrine (1Tim 1:4; 4:1-2). Paul began straightening out the mess but had a divine assignment over in Macedonia and put young Pastor Tim in charge (1Tim 1:3).
This entire letter contains the apostle’s instructions and encouragement to his protege in Ephesus. What a great reminder that what we read in the Bible aren’t a bunch of fairy tales or mythical stories invented to inspire. The book we call 1st Timothy is a real letter to a real person in a real place facing real problems. Here in this verse, Paul wants Pastor Tim to get his eyes off the earthly problem and up on Great Big God. (Hint, hint. We should do the same.)
First of all, God “alone” (v16) is the only One who possesses these qualities. He’s unique. One of a kind. He slams the door on any other pretenders or contenders in the book of Isaiah, “I am the LORD, and there is no other, besides Me there is no God” (Is 45:5). All of the qualities that follow are unique to God and God only. Think of it this way. He holds the exclusive divine copyright and trademark on all of them.
First of all, only God “has immortality” (v16). The Greek word here is athanasia, which literally means the “undeath.” It describes something or someone who has endless existence, everlasting, or undying. God is the one who never dies. He is the only one who always exists. Back when Moses stumbled on a supernatural brush fire, God tells the Big Mo that His name is in fact “the Great I Am” (Gen 3:14). The One who always was and always will be. He’s the Undeath.
He’s totally immortal.
Not only can you not kill Him, you can’t get anywhere near Him. He “dwells in unapproachable light” (v16). The word in the original language here (Gr. aproristos) simply means inaccessible. You’ve heard folks say, “Don’t go there!” (usually accompanied by a wagging finger and shaking head). Well, when it comes to God, it’s “Can’t go there!”
God’s light is so incredibly intense that we can never get anywhere near Him. An expensive pair of Oakleys or Ray-Bans won’t help. Welders goggles aren’t enough. Or in the words of Smashmouth, you might as well be walking on the sun! You simply can’t get near Him.
He’s absolutely inaccessible.
God’s blinding light is just one reason why “no one has ever seen or can see” (v16) Him. Paul uses a word (Gr. horao) that means so much more than laying your eyes on our Heavenly Father. He’s talking about not just observing but perceiving, understanding, and experiencing the physical presence of God. You can literally translate this phrase “no one has the power to experience Him.”
Jesus tells a Samaritan divorcee how His Dad is “spirit” (Jn 4:24). Flip back to Exodus for the time Moses asks God for just a peak at His glory (Ex 33:18-23). Can’t do that, says Almighty God. Wouldn’t end well for any mortal man. Without some sort of supernatural protection, God’s holy presence is 100% fatal. You’re not seeing or experiencing God. The Father is so blindingly brilliant that you’re never catching a glimpse of Him.
He’s completely invisible.
Paul says that as we stand in jaw-dropping awe of our Heavenly Father’s immortality, inaccessibility, and invisibility, “to Him be honor and eternal dominion” (v16). “Honor,” or the Greek word time’, means worth or value given someone or something. It’s the idea of reverence, respect, fame, or great price. Remember when Jesus Himself got the Rodney Dangerfield treatment back in Nazareth? “A prophet has no honor (Gr. time’) in his own hometown” (Jn 4:44).
God’s value is completely off the charts. Jesus gives a two powerful illustrations comparing knowing God with buried treasure in a field and the most expensive pearl on the planet. He is priceless. He is precious. There’s nothing that comes close to His worth.
He’s positively invaluable.
Ultimately, God the Father also has “eternal dominion” over the entire universe (v16). There are no term limits in heave. He’s always and forever in charge. And He’s no weak or wimpy ruler. He has what Paul likes to call kratos or “dominion.” This is incredible force, power, strength, or might. God has complete control and absolute authority.
The crazy thing is that He uses His supernatural power for those who place their trust in His Son. A few years back, the apostle told his Ephesian friends about “the immeasurable greatness of His power (Gr. kratos) toward us who believe” (Eph 1:19). Our Heavenly Dad has unlimited capacity. He’s the ultimate source of renewable energy.
He’s utterly inexhaustible.
So we’ve just described God who never dies, we can’t go near, who can’t be seen, who’s richer than Bill Gates and makes a nuclear reactor look like a AA battery. That’s all pretty awesome but, on the surface, doesn’t seem to do much for you and me. That’s exactly where Christ comes in.
Jesus made the immortal mortal so that I could live. The Son of God willingly gave up His life and tasted death so I don’t have to (Is 53:4-6; 2Cor 5:21).
Jesus made the inaccessible accessible so that I could come near. Because He faced temptation but never sinned, Jesus allows me to approach God’s unapproachable throne (Heb 4:15-16).
Jesus made the invisible visible so that I could see God. The Rabbi/Carpenter is “the image of the invisible God” (Col 1:15). When the disciples asked Christ to show them His Dad, He says one look at the Son is exactly the same as looking at the Father (Jn 14:7).
Jesus paid the invaluable price for my sin that cost Him everything. He willingly emptied His wallet to cover the expense of my rebellion with His precious blood that’s more valuable than any precious metal (1Pet 1:18-19).
Jesus gives me the inexhaustible power of His grace that will never run out. His overwhelming strength is tailor-made for my underwhelming weakness (2Cor 12:9-10). His grace never runs out. Never. Ever.
What a great read.
ReplyDeleteThanks for checking it out. Appreciate the kind words.
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