1 Timothy 3:15

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. BUT IF I TARRY LONG - before coming. THAT - i:e., I write (1 Timothy 3:14) "that thou mayest know," etc. BEHAVE THYSELF - in directing the church at Ephesus (1 Timothy 4:11). THE HOUSE OF GOD - the Old Testament (Numbers 12:7; Hosea 8:1) and the New Testament Church ...

15_How thou oughtest to conduct thyself: _By this mode of expression he commends the weight and dignity of the office; because pastors (66) may be regarded as stewards, to whom God has committed the charge of governing his house. If any person has the superintendence of a large house, he labors night and day with earnest solicitude, that nothing may go wrong through his neglect, or ignorance, or carelessness. If only for men this is done, how much more should it be done for God? _In the house of God _There are good reasons why God bestows this name on his Church; for not only has he received us to be his children by the grace of adoption, but he also dwelleth in the midst of us. _The pillar and foundation of truth _No ordinary enhancement is derived from this appellation. Could it have been described in loftier language? Is anything more venerable, or more holy, than that everlasting...

14-16 The church is the house of God; he dwells there. The church holds forth the Scripture and the doctrine of Christ, as a pillar holds forth a proclamation. When a church ceases to be the pillar and ground of truth, we may and ought to forsake her; for our regard to truth should be first and greatest. The mystery of godliness is Christ. He is God, who was made flesh, and was manifest in the flesh. God was pleased to manifest himself to man, by his own Son taking the nature of man. Though reproached as a sinner, and put to death as a malefactor, Christ was raised again by the Spirit, and so was justified from all the false charges with which he was loaded. Angels ministered to him, for he is the Lord of angels. The Gentiles welcomed the gospel which the Jews rejected. Let us remember that God was manifest in the flesh, to take away our sins, to redeem us from all iniquity, and to puri...

Verse 15. _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. Commenta

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 see

EXPOSITION 1 TIMOTHY 3:1 _Faithful is the saying _for _this is a true saying_,_ _A.V.; _seeketh _for _desire_,_ _A.V. FAITHFUL IS THE SAYING (see above, 1 Timothy 1:15, note). This manifestly refers to what follows, not, as Chrysostom and others, and margin of the R.V., to the saying which precedes, in 1 Timothy 2:15. SEEKETH (ὀρέγεται); literally, _stretches out his hands after_._ It _is peculiar in the New Testament to the pastoral Epistles and the Epistle to the Hebrews, though common in classical Greek (see...

BUT IF I TARRY LONG,.... Or should long delay coming, defer it longer than may be expected; let it be observed that these things are written, THAT THOU MAYEST KNOW HOW THOU OUGHTEST TO BEHAVE THYSELF IN THE HOUSE OF GOD; that is, the church of God, as it is afterwards explained; called a house, in allusion either to an edifice, it being a spiritual house built of lively stories, or true believers, upon the foundation Jesus Christ, and who also is the door into it; the pillars of it are the ministers of the Gospel; and the windows are the ordinances, and which also are the entertainment in it: or else to a family, as this is sometimes called the household of God, and of faith; the family named of Christ, of which he is the master; and in which are fathers, young men and children; in which ministers are stewards; and which is regulated by good and wholesome laws: and it is called the hous...

CHURCH Church (visible), Summary: The passages under this head (1 Corinthians 10:32); (1 Timothy 3:15) refer to that visible body of professed believers called, collectively, "the Church," of which history takes account as such, though it exists under many names and divisions based upon differences in doctrine or in government. Within, for the most part, this historical "Church" has existed the true Church, "which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all (Ephesians 1:22); (Ephesians 1:23); ( See Scofield) - ...

III. CONCERNING THE HOUSE OF GOD CHAPTER 3 _ 1. The overseer (1 Timothy 3:1)_ 2. The deacon (1 Timothy 3:8) 3. The house of God and the mystery of Godliness (1 Timothy 3:14) 1 Timothy 3:1 As stated before, the Church is viewed in these pastoral Epistles as the house of God. The holiness which becomes this house is to be maintained and expressed in a practical way. The different directions given as to overseers and deacons demonstrate what God esteems highly, and what He expects of those who are saved by grace, and who constitute His House. Paul wrote these instructions to his son Timot

(_c_) 1 Timothy 3:14. THE AIM OF THE INSTRUCTIONS. The purpose of such directions, written lest Paul's visit be delayed, is to teach men proper behaviour in God's household (_cf._ Hebrews 3:6), the Church, by which the truth is upheld and protected against error. And how great is that revealed truth with which our religion is entrusted! It is nothing less than Christ Himself (John 14:6; Colossians 1:27), who was manifested in the Incarnation and vindicated by His Resurrection (Romans 1:4), who was made known to angels and men; and whose work received