holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience.
5.    "Holding the . . . faith with a clear conscience" (Gr. echontas to mysterion tes pisteos en kathara syneidesei, 1 Timothy 3:9) describes a man of conviction who behaves in harmony with his beliefs. "The mystery of the faith" is the body of doctrine that God has given us by special revelation. Today "mystery" implies knowledge withheld, but in the Bible it often means knowledge revealed.