In I Timothy 1, the Apostle Paul interrupts his flow of instruction to Timothy to break out into a tremendous doxology. After speaking by way of personal testimony about Christ’s mercy to sinners, Paul said, “Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen” (verse 17).
Short bursts of praise such as this one are called by Bible scholars doxologies. The Greek word for doxology simply means “a word of praise.”
Many scholars suggest with good evidence that these doxologies of the New Testament are some of the earliest examples of Christian hymnody. Many of them are poetic in structure and style. It could very well be that this doxology in I Timothy 1:17 is actually a hymn written by Paul and intended to be sung in the churches of the first century!
This particular doxology reveals the importance that we as God’s children study and meditate upon the attributes of God; His very attributes are the subject of this doxology! It is profitable to consider each of the important aspects of God Paul listed here—these are some of the attributes of the glorious God that we serve!
The King
First, Paul extolled God as “the King.” He is not a king. He is the King! Our God is sovereign, and He rules over kings, nations, and even over the Roman emperor. Because God is the King, we can give Him our unreserved allegiance and trust.
Eternal
God is not merely the King. He is “the King eternal”! Here Paul highlighted God’s attribute of eternality. His dominion has no end, and He is from everlasting to everlasting. Because God is eternal, we can have the confidence that our God will be consistent and faithful in every generation.
Immortal
Immortality means that our God is not subject to decay and death. The Lord Jesus, even in His death upon the cross, was immortal. As prophesied in Psalm 16, God’s “Holy One” would not see corruption. Because God is immortal, we can be confident that, as His children, we will inherit a blessed immortality.
Invisible
The Apostle Paul also declared that God the Father is “invisible.” God cannot be seen by human eyes except as He willingly manifested Himself in the Person of His Son and our Savior, Jesus Christ. In I Timothy 1, Paul exalted God the Father in His attribute of transcendence, which means He is far above all human understanding and cannot be crafted by human hands.
The Only Wise God
Men can be wise in a limited way as their minds are shaped by the Word of God. However, God Himself is “only wise.” He is the source of all wisdom. Before Him, the wisdom of man is foolishness to God. Because God is “only wise,” we can trust His counsels absolutely.
Be Honour and Glory for Ever and Ever. Amen.
In light of the attributes that the Apostle Paul mentioned, our response to God should be one of praise. God is worthy of all honor. He is deserving of the highest glory. Thus, we can and should praise Him for ever and ever!
The attributes of God are not merely given for our contemplation and instruction. They are revealed to us so that we can accurately and faithfully praise Him for all that God is. He is transcendent, yet He has graciously revealed Himself to us so that we can join with all our hearts in this doxology written 2,000 years ago. May we sing it meaningfully and exultantly now and forever!
