“…which He will bring about at the proper time—He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen.” 1 Timothy 6:15-16
I am fond of Paul’s doxologies. Not only because they are like freeze-dried sermons, but because they remind me of the old days in the old church. On occasion the pastor would call on one of our white-hairs to pronounce the benediction. One man in particular with a booming baritone voice knew all the doxologies by heart. You’d hear him deliberately start with, “Now unto Him…” Then all those lofty words would usher forth in the sanctuary, echoing off the rafters miles high–to me that is. He’d do all the inflections and modulations to really sing it out. A radio voice on steroids. As a young boy itching to escape mom’s skirt to run the church halls, you knew the service was finally over! That’s why I exclaimed, “Amen!”
Seriously, if I could only memorize and deeply understand the great truths in Paul’s grand conclusions (1 Tim. 1:17, 2 Ti. 4:18, for example), I could forego a seminary training–if I was so inclined. After Paul duly notes the return of Jesus at the “proper time,” not a day too soon, and not a day too late–so apropos these days!–the Apostle launches into a powerful description of the solitary dynasty of one, that of the blessed, the only sovereign, the king of kings, the lord of lords, almighty God, who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, who no man has seen,or even has the capacity to see.
Despite this status, God sent his son to rectify our wretched state, who was in fact seen, suffered a horrible death, was resurrected, and is waiting in the wings to return to center stage–at least on earth.
As such, to our heavenly father be honor and might forever!
And all the people said…
[Wonderful Photo Credit: smithsonian.com]
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