45 Who alone is immortal

Last updated 08/29/15 this study is three pages long

This has not been checked against the internet
Some say that verses 15-16 in some translations say he who does the revealing and he who is immortal is God and
also at the same time Jesus, therefore Jesus is God.
On the face of it this might seem like a valid argument, however I will show that this interpretation is an incorrect
conclusion and that 1 Timothy 6:15-16 does NOT show Jesus to be God.
Your question to ask will be, is the final conclusion supported and proven by the rest of the study?
Whether you agree or disagree, in part or in whole, big or small, please email me any feedback to help improve this
study. I would also appreciate any help with its logic, grammar, typos, editing etc.
Before analyzing the passage in question in 1 Timothy 6:15-16, and the relationship of Christ with God, I am going
to provide some evidence that has to be taken into account when interpreting our passage.

Part 1 The Original Greek

Part 2 Translation differences for vs 15
Part 3 RSV Translation

Part 1 The Original Greek

This is the original Greek text order from the Nestle Aland 27th Edition.
1 Timothy 6:14-15
14 ,
appearing
Lord our Jesus Christ
15

,
which time proper display the blessed and only sovereign the king
of kings
and Lord of
Summary:
It is interesting that vs15 doesn't seem to specifically refer to God from vs13 or Jesus from vs14. It therefore depends
on some other information or the translators interpretation. The information has to be drawn from the rest of the
context.
If you are a Greek scholar and have some other information regarding how this should be presented in English,
please let me know.

Part 2 Translation Differences for Vs15

The translators are divided on who will reveal Christ. Some leave it open to our own interpretation, some signify that
it is Jesus from vs14 and others say that it is God.
God or Jesus
1 Ti 6:15 which in its own time the blessed and only Ruler shall shew, the King of those that reign, and
Lord of those that exercise lordship;
NET 1 Ti 6:15 whose appearing the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, will reveal
at the right time.

1 Ti 6:15 and this will be made manifest at the proper time by the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of
kings and Lord of lords,
These three translations are not specific as to who does the revealing, God or Jesus.

"He" refers to Jesus from Vs14

1901 ASV 1 Ti 6:15 which in its own times he shall show, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings,
and Lord of lords;
AV 1873 1 Ti 6:15 which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and
Lord of lords;
D-R 1 Ti 6:15 Which in his times he shall shew, who is the Blessed and only Mighty, the King of kings and Lord of
lords:
ESV 1 Ti 6:15 which he will display at the proper timehe who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of
kings and Lord of lords,
KJV 1900 1 Ti 6:15 Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings,
and Lord of lords;
LEB 1 Ti 6:15 which he will make known in his own time, the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of those who
reign as kings and Lord of those who rule as lords,
NASB95 1 Ti 6:15 which He will bring about at the proper timeHe who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the
King of kings and Lord of lords,
NKJV 1 Ti 6:15 which He will manifest in His own time, He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of
kings and Lord of lords,
NRSV 1 Ti 6:15 which he will bring about at the right timehe who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of
kings and Lord of lords.
YLT 1 Ti 6:15 which in His own times He shall shewthe blessed and only potentate, the King of the kings and
Lord of the lords,
It would be hard to say that these ten translations refer to anyone other than Jesus. Because of the following
statements in vs16 it then follows that Jesus is God.
God will Reveal
GW 1 Ti 6:15 At the right time God will make this known. God is the blessed and only ruler. He is the King of
kings and Lord of lords.
HCSB 1 Ti 6:15 God will bring this about in His own time. He is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of
kings, and the Lord of lords,
ISV 1 Ti 6:15 At the right time God will make him known. He is the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and
Lord of lords.
NCV 1 Ti 6:15 God will make that happen at the right time. He is the blessed and only Ruler, the King of all kings
and the Lord of all lords.
NIrV 1 Ti 6:15 God will bring Jesus back at a time that pleases him. God is the blessed and only Ruler. He is the
greatest King of all. He is the most powerful Lord of all.

NIV84 1 Ti 6:15 which God will bring about in his own timeGod, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings
and Lord of lords,
NLT 1 Ti 6:15 For, At just the right time Christ will be revealed from heaven by the blessed and only almighty
God, the King of all kings and Lord of all lords.
TNIV 1 Ti 6:15 which God will bring about in his own timeGod, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings
and Lord of lords,
Although the word "God" is not in the original text, these eight translators specifically say that it is God who will do
the revealing.
Summary:
Of these twenty one translations, three could mean that either God or Jesus do the revealing, eleven indicate that
"he," Jesus, does the revealing and eight say that God will do the revealing. It is fairly equally divided depending on
which translation we look at.

Part 3 RSV
For the sake of this argument I have presented the RSV which correctly translates verse 15, according to my
understanding of the original Greek text, without stating who will do the revealing. When read this way the revealer
is revealed by the remaining context.
1 Timothy 6:13-16 In the presence of God who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus who in his
testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession,
14
I charge you to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our
Lord Jesus Christ;
15
and this will be made manifest at the proper time by the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings
and Lord of lords,
16
who alone has immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has ever seen or can see.
To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.
Vs13 In the sight of God and before Christ Jesus.
Vs13 This verse clearly tells us that God is an additional being to Jesus Christ. There are no bible passages that say
"in the presence of God and of the Father" because we know that God is the Father and such a sentence would tell us
that God is not the Father. Here however we have God and we have Jesus, two of them.
Vs14 Until the appearing of Jesus Christ.
Vs15 The term "Sovereign" is in the NT three times, twice referring to human rulers and once here to God.
Vs15 The title "King of Kings" refers at different times to God, Jesus and Artaxerxes Ezra 7:12 and Nebuchadnezzar
Ezekiel 26:7. Jesus, in a similar way to Artaxerxes and Nebuchadnezzar, is given the title and the position next to
God in order that the people have a human King of Kings until all enemies are defeated. 1 Corinthians 15:24-28.
Vs15 The title "Lord of Lords" refers at different times to God and to Jesus only.
Vs16 "Immortality" is in the bible three times, here once and twice in 1 Corinthians 15:53-54 where humans are
predicted to receive new bodies with immortality at the Day of Judgment.
Vs16 The only other use of "immortality" applies here to the one who no one has ever seen who is God.
Vs16 Jesus died because he didn't have immortality.
Vs16 This verse says "whom no one has ever seen." Because many people saw Jesus for thirty years we know that the other
statements in this verse and also verse 15 cannot be referring to Jesus.
Because of the context, any of the translations that say or imply that Jesus is the one who does the revealing in verse 15 are
incorrect translations.

Summary:
Nothing in the original Greek signifies that Jesus is God.

The bible translators are divided and have widely differing viewpoints, which on its own makes this verse on its own
far to ambiguous to use as doctrine.
However it is because of the context that nothing in 1 Timothy 6:13-16 says that Jesus is God