3:16

the sacred secret of this godly devotion: This is the only place in the Scriptures where these two expressions, “sacred secret” and “godly devotion,” occur together. (See study notes on Mt 13:11; 1Ti 4:7.) Paul here focuses on this sacred secret: Could any human live a life of perfect godly devotion? When Adam selfishly rebelled against Jehovah in Eden, he failed in that regard. So the question was full of meaning for his descendants. For some 4,000 years, the answer was a mystery, or a secret. No imperfect descendant of Adam and Eve could keep perfect integrity. (Ps 51:5; Ec 7:20; Ro 3:23) But Jesus, a perfect man like Adam, showed godly devotion in every thought, word, and action, even under the most severe tests. (Heb 4:15; see study note on 1Co 15:45.) His personal attachment to Jehovah was based on unselfish and heartfelt love. By setting a perfect example of godly devotion, Jesus provided the answer to this sacred secret for all time.

godly devotion: For a discussion of the expression “godly devotion,” see study note on 1Ti 4:7; see also study note on 1Ti 2:2.

‘He . . . in glory’: The phrases within the single quotes may have been taken from a well-known saying or possibly from a song sung by the first-century Christians. (Compare study note on Eph 5:19.) Scholars base this conclusion on the structure, the sentence rhythm, and the parallelism of the original Greek text.

was made manifest in flesh: This phrase applies to Jesus, apparently from the time of his baptism in the Jordan River. (See study note on Mt 3:17.) At that moment, Jesus of Nazareth became Jehovah’s Anointed One, or Messiah. Though his origin was in heaven, Jesus was a perfect flesh-and-blood human and often referred to himself as “the Son of man.”​—Mt 8:20; see Glossary, “Son of man.”

was declared righteous in spirit: This phrase refers to the time when Jehovah resurrected his Son from the dead to life as a spirit. (1Pe 3:18) Upon resurrecting Jesus, Jehovah granted him immortal life. (Ro 6:9; 1Ti 6:16) God thus confirmed that Jesus had proved righteous in every way.​—See study note on Ro 1:4.

appeared to angels: After his resurrection, Jesus appeared to unfaithful angels, or demons, and pronounced God’s judgment on them. (1Pe 3:18-20) These angels, the ones who rebelled in Noah’s day, are now in figurative bonds. They exist in deep spiritual darkness, and they are apparently restrained from materializing in human form.​—2Pe 2:4; Jude 6.

was preached about among nations: After Pentecost 33 C.E., Christians began preaching to circumcised Jews and proselytes, including those who had been living among the Gentile nations. (Ac 2:5-11) Later, the message was spread among the Samaritans. (Ac 8:5-17, 25) Then, in 36 C.E., Peter witnessed to Cornelius and other uncircumcised Gentiles who had assembled in the home of Cornelius. (Ac 10:24, 34-43) Paul, Timothy, and other missionaries later declared the good news in Asia Minor and Europe. (Ac 16:10-12) About 60-61 C.E., Paul could write that the Christian message had been “preached in all creation under heaven.”​—Col 1:23 and study note; see also Ac 17:6; Ro 1:8; 15:24, 28; Col 1:6; App. B13; and Media Gallery, “Pentecost 33 C.E. and the Spreading of the Good News.”

was believed upon in the world: The first-century Christians spread the good news about Jesus “to the ends of the earth.” (Ac 1:8 and study note) As a result, people in various parts of the world became believers. For example, in the book of Acts, we read of new believers in Pisidian Antioch, Lystra, and Iconium (Ac 13:48; 14:21, 23), Philippi (Ac 16:12, 33, 34), Thessalonica (Ac 17:1, 4), Beroea (Ac 17:10-12), Athens (Ac 17:16, 34), and Ephesus (Ac 19:17-20).

was received up in glory: Here Paul refers to Jesus’ ascension to heaven. (Ac 1:9, 10) Jehovah placed Jesus at His right hand, giving him more glory than any other creature in the universe.​—Mt 28:18; Joh 17:5; Php 2:9; Heb 1:3, 4.