THE PHANEROSIS OF CHRIST
The cry of the deepest in man has always been to see(know) God NOT to go to some far country.
This was the cry of Moses and the cry of Job, the cry of psalmist and of prophet; and to the cry there is heard the distant sound of approaching answer. In the fullness of time the Son stepped forth with the startling proclamation that He Himself was the appearing of God before men. (Jn. 14:7-10, 1 Tim 3:16).
This bring us to a Greek word associated with the "comings" of the Lord. The noun is PHANEROSIS and the verb PHANEROO. This word means "to appear" or "manifest."
The word PHANEROO is often used WHEN SOMEONE IS MANIFESTING SOMEONE ELSE , as when the Son manifested the Father, or when we manifest the indwelling Christ in our lives.
When the pen of inspiration employs the word PHANEROO it speaks not so much of God manifesting Himself TO us, but, rather, God manifesting Himself THROUGH us!
.."I have MANIFESTED (phaneroo) Thy name unto the men which Thou hast given Me" (Jn. 17:6).
It is someone manifesting someone else - the Christ and His body becoming the manifestation of GOD in the earth.
Let us consider a few examples where the word PHANEROO is used.
"I have MANIFESTED (phaneroo) Thy name unto the men which Thou hast given Me" (Jn. 17:6).
"Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be MADE MANIFEST (phaneroo) in our body" (II Cor. 4: 10).
"When Christ, who is our life, SHALL APPEAR (phaneroo), then shall ye also APPEAR with Him in glory" (Col. 3:4).
"And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was MANIFEST (phaneroo) in the flesh..." (I Tim. 3:16).
"For the life was manifested... that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was MANIFESTED (phaneroo) unto us" (I Jn. 1:2).
"In this was MANIFESTED (phaneroo) the love of God toward us, because that God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him" (I Jn. 4:9).
It is important that we keep in mind the enlightening truth that the Greek word PHANEROO, used of Christ's appearing, is most often used when someone is manifesting someone else, as when the Son manifested the Father, or when we manifest the indwelling Christ in our lives. The sons of God are apprehended to BECOME GOD'S CHRIST, that they, too, may REVEAL THE FATHER ( 1 John 3:1-3).
To be continued...
