1 Timothy 3:14, 15 Although I hope to come to you soon, I am writing you these instructions so that if I am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God’s household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth.
Chapter 3 of 1 Timothy is taken up with instructions regarding appointing elders, deacons and the women to work in the churches. Towards the end of the chapter, in verses 14 and 15, Paul says Although I hope to come to you soon, I am writing you these instructions so that if I am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God’s household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth. There is more that could be said about elders and deacons and such matters but there is enough here to show us how people ought to conduct themselves in the churches. Paul uses three or four terms to refer to a church. He begins with God's household. One way to think of a church is as a family or household over which God himself rules. That is why he says (4, 5) that an elder must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him and asks If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church? The church or assembly of the Living God again stresses God's headship and leadership even when the church is called an assembly. He is no figurehead either for he is the living God. The final expressions are perhaps the most interesting. A church is the pillar and foundation of the truth. These two pictures vividly speak of the church as the upholder and supporter of the truth, using architectural terms. This is part of the reason why the church has such importance in God's economy and why its officers must be chosen with such great care and why these men and women must be marked by holiness and integrity. A right understanding of the church is fundamental for a pastor and all others who serve in it.
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