One of the most amazing attributes about the Bible is that every time you read a verse you can see truths not seen before, especially if you read it slowly. To illustrate this, take time to read these words from the apostle Paul and take time to think about them before reading the rest of this article.
Paul said, “I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of God, the pillar and ground of the truth” (1 Tim. 3:15).
“I write so that you may know…” The will of God for our lives is scripted. Holy men of God moved by the Spirit gave us the Scripture. Every word of the Bible is inspired—every word is “God breathed.”
“…how you ought to…” The word ought is far more than a suggestion of a way of living. One definition of this word is binding. His will is scripted and eternal. Remember that what is bound on earth is bound in heaven!
“…conduct yourself…” The word conduct is translated in the KJV as behave. The word yourself emphasizes the personal responsibility we have in what we do. When the Jews failed to listen to God He said, “The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you” (Rom. 2:24). May this never be said of our conduct before the world!
“…in the house of God, which is the church of God…” We may think of a house as a building, but the Bible uses this word to refer to family. We are God’s family. He is our Father, and we are His family, His children. Never forget that God does not have children outside of His family, and that family is the church. This truth emphatically shows that we must be a member of this church in order to be saved. We enter this family by being born of water and the Spirit. We are born of water when we are baptized.
“the church of God, the pillar and ground…” First century Christians understood the importance of pillars, those columns which supported their massive temples. The word ground carries a similar concept of the importance of the foundation and support of buildings. God has given us the church, not a building but an assembling of the saints. Their function is to insure the church is steadfast and immovable.
“…pillar and ground of the truth.” The responsibility of the church is to support the truth that leads men to follow the script for our lives which God has given. There is a script describing how we ought to behave in the church, and the function of the church is to support that life among mankind. Changing or ignoring the script results in the religious division of denominationalism. God help us to know that script and to follow it, for it shows us how we are to follow Him!
-Dan Jenkins
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