Survey
of the Letters of Paul: 1 Timothy 3:14-15
1 Timothy 3:14-15
14.
These things write I unto thee, hoping to come unto
thee shortly:
15.
But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou
oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God,
which is the church of the living God, the pillar
and ground of the truth.
| Inserted note before point 3:
In Acts 19 we see Paul at Ephesus and
around other locations in Asia speaking
against false gods. Acts 19:26-28 26 Moreover ye see and hear, that not alone at Ephesus, but almost throughout all Asia, this Paul hath persuaded and turned away much people, saying that they be no gods, which are made with hands: 27 So that not only this our craft is in danger to be set at nought; but also that the temple of the great goddess Diana should be despised, and her magnificence should be destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worshippeth. 28 And when they heard these sayings, they were full of wrath, and cried out, saying, Great is Diana of the Ephesians. Paul's preaching in Ephesus cause no small stir, especially among the craftsmen that worked on the Temple of Diana. They are the ones hearing Paul in verse 28 and they were full of wrath against Paul and his doctrine or preaching. All this said to show that the people of Ephesus knew what a pillar is. The use of the word "pillar" is used as a living metaphor in verse 15. And so now, back to the Barclay Commentary and point three: |
(3) The Church is the pillar of the truth
(stulos). In Ephesus, to which these letters
were written, the word pillar would have a special
significance. The greatest glory of Ephesus was the
Temple of Diana, or Artemis.
‘Great is Artemis of the Ephesians’ (Acts 19:28). It
was one of the seven wonders of the world. One of
its features was its pillars.
It contained 127 pillars, every one of them the gift
of a king. All were made of marble, and some were
studded with jewels and overlaid with gold. The
people of Ephesus knew very well how beautiful a
thing a pillar could be. It may well be that the
idea of the word pillar here is not so much support
– that is contained in the word buttress – as
display. Often, the statue of a famous person is set
on the top of a pillar so that it may stand out
above all ordinary things and so be clearly seen,
even from a distance. The idea here is that the
Church’s duty is to hold up the truth in such a way
that all may see it.
(4) The Church is the buttress (hedraio¯ma)
of the truth. The buttress is the support of
the building. It keeps it standing intact. In a
world which does not wish to face the truth, the
Church holds it up for all to see. In a world which
would often gladly eliminate unwelcome truth, the
Church supports it against all who would seek to
destroy it. ~Barclay commentary
Now to the other commentaries:
Verse 14: These things write I unto thee,
hoping to come unto thee shortly:
From Barnes Notes:
These things write I unto thee, hoping to come unto
thee shortly - That is, he hoped to come there to
give instructions personally, or to finish, himself,
the work which he had commenced in Ephesus, and
which had been interrupted by his being driven so
unexpectedly away. This verse proves that the
apostle Paul did not regard Timothy as the permanent
diocesan bishop of Ephesus. Would any Episcopal
bishop write this to another bishop? If Timothy were
the permanent prelate of Ephesus, would Paul have
intimated that he expected soon to come and take the
work of completing the arrangements there into his
own hands? In regard to his expectation of going
soon to Ephesus, see the notes on 1Timothy 1:3;
compare the Introduction to the Epistle [See
our lesson on 1 Timothy 1:3].
Quoted verse:
1 Timothy 1:3
As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I
went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some
that they teach no other doctrine. ~Barnes Notes
From the Adam Clarke:
These things write I - That is: I write only these
things; because I hope to come unto thee shortly.
~Adam Clarke
From the John Gill:
These things write I unto thee - Concerning the
offices of bishops and deacons, their several
qualifications, and the rules of judging of persons
fit for such service:
hoping to come unto thee shortly - at Ephesus. He
could not tell whether he could come or not, and
therefore makes no promise, but hoped he should; and
since it was uncertain, he thought fit to write the
above things for his instruction and use. ~John
Gill
Verse 15: But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know
how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of
God, which is the church of the living God, the
pillar and ground of the truth.
From Barnes Notes:
But if I tarry long - Paul appears to have been
uncertain how long circumstances would require him
to be absent. He expected to return, but it was
possible that his hope of returning soon would be
disappointed.
That thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave
thyself - That is, that he might have just views
about settling the affairs of the church.
In the house of God - This does not mean in a place
of public worship, nor does it refer to propriety of
deportment there. It refers rather to the church as
a body of believers, and to converse with them. The
church is called the “house of God,” because it is
that in which he dwells. Formerly, his unique
residence was in the temple at Jerusalem; now that
the temple is destroyed, it is the church of Christ,
among his people.
Which is the church of the living God - This seems
to have been added to impress the mind of Timothy
with the solemn nature of the duty which he was to
perform. What he did pertained to the honor and
welfare of the church of the living God, and hence
he should feet the importance of a correct
deportment, and of a right administration of its
affairs.
The pillar and ground of the truth - There has been
no little diversity of opinion among critics whether
this phrase is to be taken in connection with the
preceding, meaning that “the church” is the pillar
and ground of the truth; or whether it is to be
taken in connection with what follows, meaning that
the principal support of the truth was the doctrine
there referred to - that God was manifest in the
flesh. Bloomfield remarks on this: “It is surprising
that any who have any knowledge or experience in
Greek literature could tolerate so harsh a
construction as that which arises from the latter
method.” The more natural interpretation certainly
is, to refer it to the former; and this is supported
by the consideration that it would then fall in with
the object of the apostle. His design here seems to
be, to impress Timothy with a deep sense of the
importance of correct conduct in relation to the
church; of the responsibility of those who presided
over it; and of the necessity of care and caution in
the selection of proper officers.
To do this, he reminded him that the truth of God -
that revealed truth which he had given to save the
world - was entrusted to the church; that it was
designed to preserve it pure, to defend it, and to
transmit it to future times; and that, therefore,
every one to whom the administration of the affairs
of the church was entrusted, should engage in this
duty with a deep conviction of his responsibility.
On the construction of the passage, Bloomfield
Rosenmuller, and Clarke, may be consulted. The word
“pillar” means a column, such as that by which a
building is supported, and then any firm prop or
support; Galatians 2:9; Revelation 3:12. If it
refers to the church here, it means that that is the
support of the truth, as a pillar is of a building.
It sustains it amidst the war of elements, the
natural tendency to fall, and the assaults which may
be made on it, and preserves it when it would
otherwise tumble into ruin.
Quoted verses: ...speaking of pillars
Galatians 2:9
And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be
pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me,
they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of
fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and
they unto the circumcision.
Revelation 3:12
Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the
temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I
will write upon him the name of my God, and the name
of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which
cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will
write upon him my new name.
Thus it is with the church. It is entrusted with the
business of maintaining the truth, of defending it
from the assaults of error, and of transmitting it
to future times. The truth is, in fact, upheld in
the world by the church. The people of the world
feel no interest in defending it, and it is to the
church of Christ that it is owing that it is
preserved and transmitted from age to age. The word
rendered “ground” - εhedraiōma - means, properly, a
basis, or foundation. The figure here is evidently
taken from architecture, as the use of the word
pillar is. The proper meaning of the one expression
would be, that truth is supported by the church. as
an edifice is by a pillar; of the other, that the
truth rests “on” the church, as a house does on its
foundation. It is that which makes it fixed, stable,
permanent; that on which it securely stands amidst
storms and tempests; that which renders it firm when
systems of error are swept away as a house that is
built on the sand; compare notes on Matthew 7:24-27.
Quoted verse:
Matthew 7:24-27
24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of
mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise
man, which built his house upon a rock:
25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and
the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it
fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine,
and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish
man, which built his house upon the sand:
27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and
the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it
fell: and great was the fall of it.
The meaning then is, that the stability of the truth
on earth is dependent on the church. It is owing to
the fact that the church is itself founded on a
rock, that the gates of hell cannot prevail against
it, that no storms of persecution can overthrow it,
that the truth is preserved from age to age. Other
systems of religion are swept away; other opinions
change; other forms of doctrine vanish; but the
knowledge of the great system of redemption is
preserved on earth unshaken, because the church is
preserved, and because its foundations cannot be
moved. This does not refer, I suppose, to creeds and
confessions, or to the decisions of synods and
councils; but to the living spirit of truth and
piety “in” the church itself. As certainly as the
church continues to live, so certain it will be that
the truth of God will be perpetuated among people.
~Barnes Notes
Now the Adam Clarke:
But if I tarry long - That is: Not withstanding I
hope to come to thee shortly, and therefore do not
feel the necessity of writing at large; yet, lest I
should be delayed, I write what I judge necessary to
direct thy conduct in the Church of God.
The house of God - This is spoken in allusion to the
ancient tabernacle; which was God’s house, and in
which the symbol of the Divine Majesty dwelt. So the
Christian Church is God’s house, and every believer
is a habitation of God through the Spirit.
The Church of the living God - The assembly in which
God lives and works; each member of which is a
living stone, all of whom, properly united among
themselves, grow up unto a holy temple in the Lord.
The pillar and ground of the truth - Never was there
a greater variety of opinions on any portion of the
sacred Scripture than has been on this and the
following verse [verse 16]. Commentators and
critics have given senses and meanings till there is
no meaning to be seen. It would be almost
impossible, after reading all that has been said on
this passage, for any man to make up his own mind.
To what, or to whom, does the pillar and ground of
the truth refer?
| Inserted note here: I believe the previous commentary in Barnes Notes concludes better on this part of the verse and at the same time, each of the four points you are about to read could be applied in part. |
1. Some say to Timothy, who is called the pillar,
etc., because left there to support and defend the
truth of God against false doctrines and false
teachers; and is so called for the same reason that
Peter, James, and John, are said to be pillars, i.e.
supporters of the truth of God. Galatians 2:9 [which
we quote above].
2. Others suppose that the pillar and ground of the
truth is spoken of God; and that ὁς εστι, who is,
should be supplied as referring immediately to Θεος,
God, just before. By this mode of interpretation the
passage will read thus: That thou mayest know how
thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God,
which is the Church of the living God, Who Is (ὁς
εστι) the pillar and ground of the truth. How
God may be fitly termed the pillar and ground of
truth, requires no explanation.
3. Others think that the words should be understood
of the Church of the living God; and in this case
the feminine relative ἡτις εστι, which is, must be
repeated immediately after εκκλησια, the Church. The
house of God is the Church of the living God; Which
(Church) is the pillar and ground of the
truth. That is: The full revelation of God’s truth
is in the Christian Church. The great doctrines of
that Church are the truth [without error].
Formerly the truth was but partially revealed, much
of it being shadowed with types, ceremonies, and
comparatively dark prophecies; but now all is plain,
and the full revelation given; and the foundation on
which this truth rests are the grand facts detailed
in the Gospel, especially those which concern [Christ
coming in the flesh], miracles, passion, death,
and resurrection of Christ, and the [purpose]
of the Holy Spirit.
4. Lastly, others refer the whole to το της
ευσεβειας μυστηριον, the mystery of godliness; and
translate the clause thus: The mystery of godliness
is the pillar and ground of the truth; and, without
controversy, a great thing. This gives a very good
sense, but it is not much favored by the arrangement
of the words in the original. ~Adam Clarke
I like how the Barnes Notes concludes when it says,
"The meaning then is, that the stability of the
truth on earth is dependent on the church."
God is maintaining and spreading the truth through
the Church of God; the Body of Christ through the
power of the Holy Spirit.