Mystery of faith
"The mystery of faith"and"a mystery of faith"are phrases found in different contexts and with a variety of meanings, either as translations ofGreekτὸ μυστήριον τῆς πίστεως(tò mystérion tês písteos) orLatinmysterium fidei,or as independent English phrases.
Two English translations of 1 Timothy 3:9
[edit]The phrase "the mystery of faith" is given as a translation of the phrase "τὸ μυστήριον τῆς πίστεως" in1 Timothy 3:9in two English versions of the Bible: theWycliffe Bibleand theDouay–Rheims Bible.This translation of the text is exceptional, since far more numerous are the Bible versions that render the phrase as "the mystery of the faith",[1]while others still have phrases like "the deep truths of the faith" (New International VersionandNew International Reader's Version); "the secret of the faith that God made known to us" (New Century Version); "the revealed truth of the faith" (Good News Translation); "the mystery of the Christian faith" (God's Word Translation); "the true faith that God has now made known to us" (Easy-to-Read Version); "what God has shown us about our faith" (Contemporary English Version); "the faith that has been revealed" (Common English Bible); "the secret of the faith" (Young's Literal Translation); "God's plan and what we believe" (Worldwide English).
The passage in question requiresdeaconsto hold to this "mystery of faith", "the deep truths of the faith", "the true faith that God has now made known to us" or however else it can best be expressed.Richard C. H. Lenskiidentifies it with "the mystery of godliness" mentioned in verse 16 of the same chapter.[2]According toWitness Lee,it is mainly Christ and the church.[3]This mystery, Andrew Louth says, interrogates us rather than being questioned by us.[4]Barnes' Notes on the Bible identifies the word "the faith" in this context with "the gospel", a view with which Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible agrees, as does the People's New Testament, while Clarke's communion on the Bible remarks that one manuscripts gives, in place of "the faith", "the resurrection of the dead, which is one of the greatest mysteries of the faith.[5]Floyd H. Barackman says that in this passage "the faith" refers to the whole of the New Testament.[6]
Theosophical idea
[edit]Arthur Edward Waitewrote that in theZohar,which is the foundational work of theJewishKabbalah,there lie embedded fragments of a mystical work,Sepher ha-bahir,an anonymous work of Jewish mysticism, attributed to the 1st century, behind which Waite discerned "a single radical and essential thesis which is spoken of in general terms as 'The Mystery of Faith'."[7]The Mystery of Faith, he said, is represented by the letter of theTetragrammaton[8]and is identical with the Mystery of Sex.[9]He saw the Mystery of Faith as underlying also popular Christian devotion, such as the veneration ofrelics,and the doctrine of theEucharist,[10]and the legends of theGrailas telling that "the secret words, which were of the essence of the Mystery of Faith, had passed out of all common knowledge".[11]
Theological term
[edit]In theology, an article of faith or doctrine which defies man's ability to grasp it fully, something that transcends reason,[12]is called "a mystery of the faith".[13]TheCatechism of the Catholic Churchspeaks of theTrinityas "a mystery of faith in the strict sense, one of the 'mysteries that are hidden in God, which can never be known unless they are revealed by God'",[14]and it declares: "The mystery of the Most Holy Trinity is the central mystery of Christian faith and life. It is the mystery of God in himself. It is therefore the source of all the other mysteries of faith, the light that enlightens them."[15]The Church itself is "a mystery of the faith".[16]
Ludwig Feuerbachapplied the phrase "the mystery of faith" to belief in the power of prayer.[17]
"The Mystery of Faith" is used in the title of some books as a reference to the totality of the doctrine of theEastern Orthodox Church[18]or of theCatholic Church.[19]More frequent are books of that title that refer to Roman Catholic doctrine on theEucharist,[20]which was the subject also of apapal encyclicalbyPope Paul VI,whoseincipitwasMysterium fidei(Latinfor "mystery of faith" or "mystery of the faith" ).[21]
The phrase "a mystery of faith", rather than "the mystery of faith", appears also with reference to the Eucharist, as in the title of a book by Joseph M. Champlin.[22]
Translation of a phrase in the Roman-Rite Mass
[edit]Since November 2011, the phrase "mysterium fidei" in theRoman Riteliturgyof theMassis officially translated as "the mystery of faith", while from 1973 to 2011 the English phrase used as an equivalent was "Let us proclaim the mystery of faith".
In this context, the phrase, spoken or sung after theWords of Institution,refers to "the entire mystery of salvation through Christ's death, resurrection and ascension, which is made present in the celebration of the Eucharist". As originally inserted into the words of consecration, perhaps in reaction to the denial byManichaeismof the goodness of material things, it may have been an expression of the Catholic Church's belief that salvation comes through Christ's material blood and through participation in the sacrament, which makes use of a material element.[23]
References
[edit]- ^These includeKing James Version,New Jerusalem Bible,New American Bible,English Standard Version,21st Century King James Version,American Standard Version,Darby Translation,Holman Christian Standard Bible,Jerusalem Bible,Lexham English Bible,New American Standard Bible,New King James Version,New Living Translation.
- ^Richard C. H. LenskiInterpretation of St Paul's Epistles to Timothy, Titus, and Philemonp608 2008 "3:9 calls 'the mystery of the faith' is here termed 'the mystery of the godliness', but here the hymn lines state just what is meant."
- ^Witness LeeLife-Study of 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemonp49 "Th God (Col. 2:2) and the church as the mystery of Christ (Eph. 3:4)."
- ^Donald WiebeThe irony of theology and the nature of religious thoughtp19 1990 "As Louth puts it with respect to theology," the mystery of the faith is not ultimately something that invites our questioning, but something that questions us. "33"
- ^"1 Timothy 3:9 They must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience".bible.cc.
- ^Floyd H. Barackman,Practical Christian Theology(Kregel Academic 2001ISBN978-0-8254-2380-2), p. 521
- ^Annie WoodBesant (editor),Theosophist MagazineOctober 1914-December 1914, p. 89
- ^Waite,The Secret Doctrine in Israel,p. 56;Holy Kabbalah,p. 222
- ^Waite,The Secret Doctrine in Israel,p. 253;Holy Kabbalah,p. 392
- ^Waite,The Holy Grail, Its Legends and Symbolism,pp. 327, 330
- ^Waite,Hidden Church of the Holy Grail,p. 643
- ^Ludwig Feuerbach,The Essence of Christianity(reproduction by Cosimo 2008ISBN978-1-60520-443-7), p. 138
- ^Thomas Merton,Spiritual Direction and Meditation(Liturgical Press 1960ISBN978-0-8146-0412-0), p. 94
- ^Catechism of the Catholic Church,237ArchivedMarch 3, 2013, at theWayback Machine
- ^Catechism of the Catholic Church,234ArchivedMarch 3, 2013, at theWayback Machine
- ^Richard M. Hogan,Dissent from the Creed(Our Sunday Visitor 2001ISBN978-0-87973-408-4), p. 286
- ^Ludwig Feuerbach,The Essence of Christianity,p. 126
- ^Hilarion Alfeyev,The Mystery of Faith(Saint Vladimir's Seminary Press 2011ISBN978-0-88141-375-5
- ^Michael J. Himes,The Mystery of Faith(St Anthony Messenger Press 2004ISBN978-0-86716-579-1
- ^Tadeusz Dajczer,The Mystery of Faith(Paraclete Press 2010ISBN978-1-55725-686-7
- ^EncyclicalMysterium fideiArchivedMay 11, 2012, at theWayback Machine
- ^Joseph M. Champlin,Eucharist: A Mystery of Faith(Paulist Press 2005ISBN0-8091-4363-1)
- ^Edward McNamara, "The Mystery of Faith" inZENIT News Agency,7 October 2014