Daily Devotions
1 Timothy
"The church of the living God..."
Text: 1 Timothy 3:15
A CORRECT VIEW OF THE CHURCH
The Apostle Paul had a very lofty view of the Church. He sought to pass this understanding of the church to Timothy. Paul’s view of the church is wonderfully preserved in this text.
“…the house of God, which is the church of the living God,
the pillar and ground of the truth.”
1 Timothy 3:15
1. A wrong view of the church
a) This is potentially disastrous.
b) Any defective view must be addressed and corrected.
2. A right regard for the church must take into consideration the following:-
a) “The house of God”
i) There is a strong personal element here.
ii) The church is more than just “an institution”.
iii) It is more than just a physical building.
iv) It is to be seen as the “house” or even “home” of God.
v) This is where God domiciles!
b) “The church of the living God”
i) The church is an assembly.
ii) It is an assembly of believers who have been called out of the world.
iii) Together, believers form “the church”.
iv) It is where the living God is to be found.
v) He is not just a doctrine taught in the Church.
vi) He is personally present among His people.
c) “The pillar”
i) This represents strength.
ii) The church well represents the strong presence of God.
d) “And ground of the truth”
i) The word “ground” is to be understood as “the foundation”.
ii) The truth is a reference to the revealed truth given by the Lord (The Scriptures).
The Word of God must have a central place in the church of God!