“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.” (I Timothy 3:15)
The great Apostle Paul had spent three years in the city of Ephesus. He had preached and taught so faithfully that when it was time for him to depart, he could say with God as his witness that he was “free from the blood of all men.” (You can read about his Ephesian departure in Acts 20). During those three years, Paul would have seen a huge edifice in the city on many occasions. It was the Temple of Artemis, also called the Temple of Diana, one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world. Nothing in the Mediterranean world rivaled it. Around the perimeter stood 127 pillars that were 60’ in height. The roof was completely supported by these pillars and what a roof it was. Archaeology estimates the roof to be 475’ x 225’, all supported by these pillars. Those pillars held up the whole structure. Perhaps Paul had these pillars in mind when he wrote to young Timothy that the church was “the pillar and ground of the truth.”
Pillars are strong and durable. When the word pillar is used in the Bible, the visual is one of strength and endurance. Israel had been in slavery for 400 years and God raised up Moses to lead them out from Egypt and into the Promise Land. This mass of people was led in the daytime by a pillar of cloud and in the nighttime by a pillar of fire. Nehemiah 9:12 refers to this event. When the cloud/fire pillar moved, then the people moved with it. In the daytime God gave them shade from the sun by the cloudy pillar to walk and if traveling at night the pillar of fire gave light and heat. When the pillars stood still the people stood still. There was a great dependence on these pillars for protection and direction.
Where do we go today for protection and direction? How can we know the right way to make decisions? We are given the answer in the verse above. According to the word of God, it is the church that is the pillar and ground of the truth. I’m fully aware that all churches do not teach truth. There are men and in some instances women, that lead these assemblies who mock the Bible and the deity of Christ and the membership in these churches never even think to rid themselves of these apostates. When I use the term “the church” I’m referring to the assembly of blood-bought Christians that seek to know their Bible, walk with their God in fellowship, and love the brethren, to use the phraseology in our verse “in the house of God.” The word ‘house’ has the idea of a family, a household. The church is to be a household of faith, a family unit, with each of us pulling our own weight, participating in the purpose, direction and goals of the church. It is my conviction that a true church is a church that makes a big deal out of Jesus, the Bible, and the great fundamental truths of Christianity. The truth of Christianity has been proven for two thousand years. Attacks on the church and the Bible are not new. The attacks come by various schemes and devices, but each one of those deceptions seeks to undermine and/or destroy the truth. As long as we preach and teach the word of God truth will stand. The true church should be firm in commitment and loyal to our Lord. Let’s be the pillar and ground of the truth in our community. Let’s make a big deal out of the church because God does.