Living as the Household of God – Part 2

When we planted Grace Baptist Fellowship of Augusta, we were meeting in the Southside YMCA. After one service, our next-door neighbor’s eleven-year-old son had a question for his mom. He asked, “Mom, will Heaven be like church?” To which she replied, “I don’t know. Why do you ask?” He said, “Because if it is, I don’t want to go!”

Before picking up where we left off last week, I want to remind you of a foundational truth concerning the Christian faith: The life of faith revealed and nurtured in the Bible is highly personal, but never merely individual. True salvation, as revealed in the Bible is initially personal, but then it becomes immediately public! We get saved independently, but that ends immediately as we are to become interdependent upon one another as the church of the living God. We are taken out of our self-centeredness and brought into Christ-centered and community-concentrated living. Salvation always places us into a family, a tribe, a body, a nation, a building, a bride, and a temple, called the Church of the living God!

Jesus declares in Matthew 16:18 that He will build His Church. And the Church He is building began and continues to be one that is reborn spiritually, located both locally and universally, defined theologically, matured relationally through the disciple-making process, and is being enlarged globally through DMD’s (Disciples-Making-Disciples) with TWI (Total World Impact). These are all imperfect people, former ex-sinners. The Church isn't a Victorian-styled living room, where everyone is prim and proper, but a Family room where real people with messy lives and many stinky problems live!

The Church of the Living God isn't man‑made or earth‑born.  She is the creation of the Triune God. 

Let’s pick up where we left off in our last study:

1. The Significance of the Church – 3:14-15

Three Pictures of the Church

a. The Household of God - 1Tim. 3:15a, “if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God…”

The desire and design of God is to have a habitation, among His people. It is not to visit occasionally when circumstances permit, and conditions are fulfilled. His desire is a place to live in a Church that has done everything in her power to attract her beloved.

The ultimate design of Jesus' incarnation was to recover Father's right of occupancy in man. Man was made to be a house for God, his Father. He was to experience and reciprocate the love of God, express the light of God, and extend the life of God. He was designed to enjoy intimacy with God and exhibit the image of God, explore and develop the world of God's, and extend the kingdom of God until the righteousness of the Lord covers the earth as the waters fill the sea.

The Spirit-filled church - the people of God - not a material building, but a spiritual building of living stones, is the Now house and life of Jesus on the earth. Through the people of God, the many-sided facets of God’s wisdom; His love and grace and mercy, as it is localized in Christ and personalized in the Holy Spirit, is manifest to men, angels and demons.

b. The Assembly of the Living God – 3:15b, “which is the church of the living God…”

Graham Cooke writes: "When God comes to live, His manifest presence breaks out into the community. Demons fall, strongholds are cast down, and the hard-hearted cry out for salvation. Three thousand souls are saved one day. Faith is alive on the streets because the sick are being healed and the dead raised. Heaven comes to earth in reformation. Laws are changed, unemployment is reduced, and the crime rate falls. Marriages are restored and the divorce rate drops. Domestic violence decreases. Miracles of every description occur as society is turned upside down.

"The windows of Heaven are flung open and God displays His majesty. People share all they possess because the presence of the King generates such confidence and love. No one withholds anything, thus adding to the quality of life.

c. The Supporting Pillar and Firm Foundation of the Truth – 3:15c, “a pillar and buttress of the truth.” 

One modern translation of 1 Timothy 3:15 reads: “But if I’m delayed in coming, you’ll already have these instructions on how to conduct the affairs of the church of the living God, his very household and the supporting pillar and firm foundation of the truth.” 

Paul reminds us of a third significant aspect of the church in verse 15, that is, She is "the pillar and foundation of the truth." 

We are the protectors of God's Word. That's what Paul meant when he said that we are "the pillar and foundation of the truth." When you think of a pillar and a foundation, imagine the temple of Diana in Ephesus, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. It had a massive, shining, marble roof held high with one hundred strong columns all around it, each measuring over 60 feet high. The church at Ephesus to whom Paul wrote would have easily been able to picture this in their minds.

Regrettably, Roman Catholic theologians often use 1 Timothy 3:15 to argue against the Reformation doctrine of Sola scriptura. "See," they say, "the church is the foundation for the truth. Therefore, Scripture is not the only rule of faith and practice, as Protestants say. We must obey church tradition as well as the Bible. The truth rests upon the church, and not the other way around."

While it is clearly evident that Scripture argues for its own authority, Scripture nowhere argues for “authoritative tradition equal with Scripture.” In fact, the New Testament has more to say against traditions than it does in favor of tradition.

The Roman Catholic Church argues that Scripture was given to men by the Church and therefore the Church has equal or greater authority to it. However, even among the Roman Catholic Church’s writings (from the First Vatican Council), you will find the acknowledgment that the Church councils that determined which books were to be considered the Word of God did nothing but recognize what the Holy Spirit had already made evident. That is, the Church did not “give” Scriptures to men, but simply “recognized” what God, through the Holy Spirit, had already given. As A. A. Hodge states, when a peasant recognizes a prince and is able to call him by name, it does not give him the right to rule over the kingdom. In like fashion, a church council recognizing which books were God-breathed and possessed the traits of a God-inspired book, does not give the church council equal authority with those books.

In summary, even though the Bible does not contain the exact words “the written Word stands alone, apart from tradition, as our sole authority for faith and practice,” that principle is found throughout. The Old Testament writers, Jesus, and the apostles consistently turn to the Scriptures as their measuring stick and commend the same standard to all.

The church is assigned to guardianship of the truth of God's Word. Consider two ways in which this should manifest itself.

First, the church has the privilege and responsibility of preserving God's Word: we hold it firm.

From age to age, from generation to generation, we have the responsibility of passing this Word on, holding it fast, and defending it against false teaching that would threaten it, from the first century to the twenty-first century.

Second, the church has the privilege and responsibility of proclaiming God's Word: we hold it high.

Pastor David Platt writes, “Like the columns of the temple, we lift high the truth of the Word. We want this Word to shine so that the world will see and hear and know the only true God. This truth also means that, as the church, there are some things we don't hold high - man's opinions, man's innovations, man's creativity, man's wisdom, and man's possessions. Instead, we lift up one thing: the Word of God. Let us magnify it, amplify it, spotlight it, and spread it - in the church and all over the world.

2. The Supremacy of Christ – 3:16

“Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness: He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory.”

Paul refers to Christ's supremacy in relation to the "mystery of godliness." Since Paul uses the word “godliness” nine times in 1 Timothy, it’s obviously one of his favorite words.

What is the "mystery of godliness"? When Paul talks about a mystery, he is not talking about something unsolved or difficult to figure out. He is talking about something that was hidden for a time but now has been revealed.

There is a connection with “the truth (1Tim 3:15). The phrase “mystery of godliness” could be considered  a paraphrase of that word, i.e. “the truth”. The church is the pillar and firm foundation of the truth, and the truth constitutes the mystery of godliness. The contents of this truth or mystery is Christ, revealed in the gospel as the Savior from ungodliness, and the norm and inspiration of godliness, the divine life in man, causing him to live unto God as Christ did and does (Rom_6:10).

The truth is called a mystery because it was historically hidden, until revealed in the person and work of Christ; also because it is concealed from human wisdom, and apprehended only by faith in the revelation of God through Christ.

The word for “godliness” in this context is not so much referring to the practice of godliness – like righteous acts – but rather the foundation of what is true religion or truly righteous. Paul is referring to a manner of life that is reflective of God’s ways, his word, and will. Think of it this way: “Great is the mystery of what it means to be God-like.” That is what godliness means; it means to be righteous and to be holy. The reality of God making us holy is truly amazing! Listen to how 1 John 3:2 puts it: “Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is”. The glorious design of the gospel is godliness! We shall be like him!

Again, to quote David Platt: “To have godliness is to have a God-consciousness, a God-centeredness that permeates everything you do. Whether you're awake or asleep, or whether you're thinking, dreaming, desiring, talking, eating, or drinking - whatever you're doing - having godliness means being centered around God.”

Before Paul goes on with his practical counsel for young Timothy about how the church ought to behave, he bursts forth into a great hymn. So majestic is the verse, Paul introduces it with a phrase which occurs nowhere else in the Bible: "great is the mystery of godliness." What a magnificent way to herald the condensed summary of the gospel that follows.

Paul was citing part of what was surely a well-known hymn to bring his readers to the point of corporate response. The hymn itself, like many in the New Testament, celebrates Christ's appearance and ministry on earth. The introductory phrase is a call to consider the implications of this grand event, to evaluate our conduct on the basis of what we confess.

The introductory words of the NIV states, “Beyond all question, the mystery of godliness is great,” “Beyond all question” is the Greek word “homologoumenōs” (which literally means, "confessedly") and the hymn piece that follows suggest the idea of a public, solemn agreement or "confession" that the assembly of the believers made by singing or chanting.

In our translation, the verse of the song begins with "God was manifested in the flesh." But virtually all contemporary translators use "Who" or "He," because the word "God" is not in most manuscripts. The "Who" or "He" obviously refers to Christ, and it is most likely that Paul is quoting only a part of the stanza in which Christ has already been mentioned.

The mysteries concerning Jesus Christ are profound. Paul wants us to learn that the mystery of godliness has everything to do with Christ, and that the greatness of the mysteries of the gospel is demonstrable and "undeniable." This is the truth that the church is called to uphold in the world: the saving mystery of the gospel of Jesus Christ.”

The mystery of Jesus Christ is described in six lines that sound like part of an early creed, confession, or catechism. Because the lines are rhythmic, and because their first words all rhyme, it is often thought that this verse formed part of an early Christian hymn:

In order to capture their liturgical quality, Walter Lock has put these lines into English verse:

In flesh unveiled to mortals' sight,
Kept righteous by the Spirit's might,

While angels watched him from the sky:
His heralds sped from shore to shore,

And men believed, the wide world o'er,
When he in glory passed on high.

Paul's desire to see the Ephesian Christians act the right way in the household of God (3:15) was not simply a call to good behavior. It was a call to act in accordance with the truth of who Christ is and what He has accomplished through His life, death, resurrection, and ascension.

Christ is the manifestation of God-centeredness, or to put it another way, godliness has been disclosed to us in Christ. But how does Jesus reveal the mystery of godliness? Answer: He displays the majesty of God.

The supremacy of Christ is spelled out in six related truths in this passage.

1. The Son of God was "manifested in the flesh" (v. 16). To put it another way, Jesus Christ isGod in the flesh.
2. He was verified by the Spirit. The Holman Contemporary Study Bible says that Jesus was "vindicated" by the Spirit, and in this context, it points us to the work of the Spirit in affirming that Christ was God's Son. Jesus' baptism in Matthew 3:16-17 is a good example of this truth, where we see the Spirit descending on Christ, affirming that He was indeed the Son of God. Ultimately, however, the resurrection was the decisive indication of Christ's vindication by the Spirit. Romans 1:4 says that Jesus was "declared to be the powerful Son of God by the resurrection from the dead according to the Spirit of holiness." 
3. Christ was praised among the heavens. The Son of God was seen and savored by angels. Angels sang at His birth (Luke 2:13-14), they announced His resurrection (Matt 28:1-7), and they witnessed His ascension (Acts 1:9-11). The angels testify to Christ's glory.
4. Christ was proclaimed across the earth. He was "proclaimed among the nations”. Beginning with the early disciples and continuing until today, the Lord Jesus Christ has been proclaimed among the peoples.
5. Christ is the Savior of all the world. He was "believed on in the world." All over this world people are believing on His name and experiencing God’s salvation from the penalty of their sins.
6. Christ displays the majesty of God by reigning as the King over all the universe. Jesus was "taken up in glory" to the Father's right hand. Behold the mystery of godliness!

In telling us these truths in verse 16, Paul was not only proclaiming who Jesus is, but he was also saying to the church, "Realize what this means for you, for godliness in your life and godliness in the church." This is the awe-inspiring reality that Christ lives within you! This Christ, the Son of God incarnate, the One who was verified by the Spirit, raised from the dead, praised among angels, proclaimed across the earth, believed on as Savior, and crowned as King over all the universe, lives in you. Let that soak in. The Son of God resides in you, giving you power, strength, and grace. Godliness, or the God-centered life, is nothing more than the overflow of Christ in you.

There is a powerful application here for all of us who follow Christ. Perhaps some of you are going through a difficult time? Christ lives within you. Are you struggling in weakness? Christ is strength in you. Are you bruised and battered? Christ is healing in you. Are you confused and not sure what to do? Christ is peace in you. Are you wondering if you can overcome the things you are dealing with right now? As 1 John says, "The One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world" (4:4). He is life. He is strength. He is hope in you. He is "Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Col 1:27). Jesus has conquered sin, death, and the grave, and He now reigns from heaven as the ascended Lord. Because He lives in you, you have nothing to fear.

The God-centered life is the Christ-empowered life. Returning to Paul's words in verses 14-15 concerning our identity as the household of God, we need to realize what these truths mean in the context of the church. These truths about Christ and the gospel should radically change the way we live and the way our churches function. There is nothing like the church in all the world, no other body more significant in all of history, nor will there ever be.

I’m so glad I’m a part of the Family of God, the church of the living God, the pillar and sure foundation of the truth!