1 Timothy 3:15 But if I tarry long, that you may know how you ought to behave yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God… I. THE HOUSE OF GOD IS THE DWELLING-PLACE OF GOD. 1. THE HOUSE OF GOD SHOULD BE THE ABODE OF LOVE. The Church is not only the place where the Father dwells, but where His sons and daughters live in mutual confidence under the sway of supreme love to Him. It is this loving confidence which is the essence of a home. A splendid house with luxurious appointments is not a real home if love is not in it. III. THE HOUSE OF GOD SHOULD BE THE SPHERE OF SERVICE. The Church is our Lord's instrument of working. IV. THE HOUSE OF GOD IS TO BE THE MAINTAINER OF GOD'S TRUTH. There seems to be little doubt that Paul meant what the grammatical structure of the sentence states — that the Church, which is the house of God, is also "the pillar and ground (or basement) of the truth." The Church, then, is to be what Christ was, the Witness of the Truth. It is through human experience that the world will know it. God's truth cannot become influential and living if it is left in texts and creeds, in symbols and in formulas. It must enter into men's consciousness; it must become a living experience; it must find expression in character and action, and reveal itself in love, worship, and obedience. (A. Rowland, LL. B.) Parallel Verses KJV: 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. |
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