christology, greco-roman religious piety 235
formal analysis of 1 tim 3:16 has received the most attention. the text’s
free-standing, preformed character was first proposed by Johann Jakob
rambach in his 1817 volume Anthologie christlicher Gesänge aus allen
Jahrhunderten der Kirche and cited as such by heinrich holtzman in Die
Pastoralbriefe.70 the na27 indents v. 16, thereby recognizing its preformed
character. the UBSGNT4 does as well. the poetic form is evident. each
line begins with a third person singular aorist passive indicative: ἐφανερώ-
θη... ἐδικαιώθη... ὤφθη... ἐκηρύχθη... ἐπιστεύθη... ἀνελήμφθη. there is
also rhythm and assonance. each line (with the exception of line 3) has
-θη followed by ἐν plus the dative.
debate is about the number of stanzas. the KJV and older translations
treated v. 16 as one stanza of 6 lines that sit in chronological sequence:
(1) the incarnation (“manifested in flesh”) (2) Jesus’ spirit-empowered
ministry (“declared righteous by the spirit/in spirit”), (3) his resurrection
appearances (“appeared to messengers”/“seen by angels,”71 (4) global proc-
lamation of the gospel (“proclaimed among gentiles/nations”), (5) a favor-
able response (“believed in throughout the world”), and (6) Christ’s return
(“taken up in glory”). the difficulty of understanding ἀνελήμφθη ἐν δόξῃ as
anything other than Christ’s ascension has led current interpreters either
to abandon a heilsgeschichtliche sequence or to modify it to fit an incarna-
tion to ascension time-frame.72 “Proclaimed among gentiles/nations” and
“believed in the world” are understood to refer to Jesus’ post-resurrection
command to “go and make disciples” (matt 28:19). the problem, however,
is that the aorist verbs ἐκηρύχθη and ἐπιστεύθη and the location ἐν ἔθνεσιν
assume a post-ascension period of evangelization (acts 1:8).
most consequently opt for a two or a three stanza hymn. the two posi-
tions are reflected in the na27 and the UBSGNT4: the na27 divides the
hymn into three stanzas of two lines each and the UBSGNT4 divides
the hymn into two stanzas of three lines each. in a two stanza analysis, the
first three lines describe Jesus’ earthly ministry (incarnation, ministry, and
resurrection/ascension) and the second three lines depict Christ’s ongoing
70 Johann Jakob rambach, Anthologie christlicher Gesänge aus allen Jahrhunderten der
Kirche (6 vols.; ed. J. f. hammerich; altona and leipzig: hammerich, 1817–1833), 1:33; hein-
rich J. holtzmann, Die Pastoralbriefe kritisch und exegetisch behandelt (leipzig: engelmann,
1880), 329.
71 Whether ἀγγέλοις refers to human or angelic messengers is debated. the when and
where are debated as well. see Kelly, Pastoral Epistles, 91.
72 see, for example, houlden, The Pastoral Epistles, 126. for further discussion, see stott,
1 Timothy and Titus, 107.