‘THE PILLAR & GROUND OF THE TRUTH’

Posted by Pastor Greg Allen on February 9, 2025 under 2024 |

Bethany Bible Church Sermon Message, preached February 9, 2025 from 1 Timothy 3:14-16

Theme: The church is—by the design of God—the pillar and ground of the truth in this world.

(All Scripture is taken from The New King James Version, unless otherwise indicated).

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Before we look into the Bible this morning, I’m going to ask that we first look into a hymnal.

We love a lot of the great old hymns of the faith in our church family; and one of them is ‘One Day’, by J. Wilbur Chapman. Written in 1910, it’s a hymn about the story of Jesus—about His birth, about His crucifixion, about His burial, about His resurrection, and about His second coming. There’s a lot of great doctrinal truth in that hymn. And I especially love the chorus … as I suspect that you do, too:

Living, He loved me; dying, He saved me;
Buried, He carried my sins far away;
Rising, He justified freely forever;
One day He’s coming—O glorious day!

Think of those words. In very short form, they give us the gospel—that is, the good news of who Jesus is and what He has done to save us. It’s put in a form that’s easy to remember. That’s why there’s great value in learning those old hymns.

Did you know that the Bible contains what many scholars believe to be ancient, early church hymns? We don’t have the tunes or melodies, of course, but there are certain passages that have all the evidence of being the lyrics to ancient hymns sung in church—lyrics that the Holy Spirit saw fit to incorporate for us in the Scriptures and to sanction as His word. And this morning, we come to one of those passages. In a lot of ways, that old hymn in our hymn book is like it. You’ll find this passage in 1 Timothy 3:14-16; where the apostle Paul wrote to Pastor Timothy and said;

These things I write to you, though I hope to come to you shortly; but if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness:

God was manifested in the flesh,
Justified in the Spirit,
Seen by angels,
Preached among the Gentiles,
Believed on in the world,
Received up in glory (1 Timothy 3:14-16).

Those words at the end of this passage might remind us just a little of the words of that beloved hymn that we often sing. Just like the chorus of ‘One Day’, they tell the story of Jesus—who He is and what He did for us to save us. It’s very hard not to think that the early church would have sang the words of verse 16 together to remind them of the central points of the message of the gospel.

And that leads us to the reason Paul wrote these words to his ministry partner Timothy. He was wanting for Timothy to faithfully set things in order in the church in the ancient city of Ephesus; and to make sure that the church was faithful to the gospel, and that its teaching ministry carefully proclaimed the message of who Jesus is and what He did to save us. In fact, it would be right to say that this passage is the key passage of this first letter of Paul to Timothy. In it, he explained to Timothy why he wrote the letter, what the church that Timothy was serving was supposed to consider itself to be, and what the church was to be very careful to teach.

This passage is one of the most important passages we could study with respect to the life and ministry of the local church—and indeed, the Church of Jesus Christ around the world throughout the ages. It’s as relevant today as ever; and it teaches us that the church is—by the design of God—the pillar and ground of the truth in this world.

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Now; we live in a time in which what church is supposed to be in this world—according to God’s word—has been somewhat lost or obscured. People often think of the church as a helping agency in this world that’s supposed to meet the needs of the poor and underprivileged. And of course, there’s a sense in which that is true. Others think of the church as a social and political change agent that’s supposed to serve as the conscience of society—calling out evil and putting pressure on human power to do right. And there’s a sense in which that, also, is true. But many others think of the whole idea of church as something outdated and irrelevant altogether; and that the work that it was supposed to do in the past is now something that government programs or secular social agencies can do much more efficiently. And that will never be true.

The reality is that the church is to be something that no other organization on earth could ever be. It is the God-appointed witness to the truth in this world. Just think of what the Lord Jesus told us that the church is in this world. In Matthew 5:13-16, the Lord Jesus told His followers;

“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:13-16).

The Lord Jesus taught His followers that the church—as a corporate organization on earth—was left by Him on this world to keep themselves potent in their flavor in this world and to shine upon it the light of the truth about Him. And there is no other institution that can do that. Think of what our Lord said at the end of His earthly ministry in Matthew 28—just before He ascended to the Father;

“All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:18a-20).

And so, this morning’s passage reminds us that, in respect to all the other things that we might be called upon as a church to do, the most important thing—the one thing that is most indispensable and that has been given to no one else on earth but to the church—is to serve as a witness of the gospel of Jesus in this world; calling people to repent of their sins, pointing their attention to the glorious saving that our Redeemer has completed for us, and appealing to them to place their trust in the gospel that has been entrusted to us.

No one else is the pillar and ground of the truth in this world but our Lord’s church of the redeemed.

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So then, let’s look closer at this passage. First, notice what Paul wrote to Timothy about …

1. THE CONDUCT OF THE CHURCH IN MINISTRY.

In verse 14, he begins by writing some details about his plans. He said, “These things I write to you, though I hope to come to you shortly …” Paul wasn’t able to be personally present with Timothy; or at least, if he was, he wasn’t able to stay long. Many Bible teachers believe that these words were a reference to what was going on in Acts 18:19-21; where, after having spent some time in Corinth with his friends Priscilla and Aquila, we’re told,

And he came to Ephesus, and left them there; but he himself entered the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. When they asked him to stay a longer time with them, he did not consent, but took leave of them, saying, “I must by all means keep this coming feast in Jerusalem; but I will return again to you, God willing.” And he sailed from Ephesus (Acts 18:19-21).

He felt compelled to go; but he planned to come back. And when he did, perhaps he intended to provide some important help to Pastor Timothy. Perhaps he was planning to guide Timothy in getting good godly leaders in place in the church; and perhaps he was also planning to correct those who were teaching error and to defend Timothy in his pastoral ministry.

You know, dear brothers and sisters; the sincere plans of even godly ministers like Paul cannot always be fulfilled. There has to be some allowances for the unexpected. But even if he couldn’t come back like he hoped he would, he wanted to make sure that Timothy knew what he was supposed to do in caring for the church and in protecting the precious doctrine of the gospel the church was to proclaim. And so, in verse 15, he went on to say, “ but if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God …”

And if you will look back at the things that Paul had already written to Timothy, you can clearly see those things spelled out. In 2:1-7; he wrote about how the men of the church were to gather together and lift up ‘holy hands’ in prayer …

for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time … I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands without doubting … (1 Timothy 2:2-8).

The women of the church were also to gather and pray;

… in like manner also, that the women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with propriety and moderation, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly clothing, but, which is proper for women professing godliness, with good works (vv. 9-10).

Paul taught that there was to be a propriety of conduct in the house of God with respect to headship roles in the church. The women were not to teach or hold authority over men … giving due regard to the chains of authority within the church family. He went on to explain what the conduct and qualifications of the bishops of the church were to be—that is the elders and pastors who provide oversight in God’s household. And he also described what the qualifications of the deacons are to be—who provide ministry assistance and needs-meeting leadership in the church.

If we were to even look beyond this passage to the words we find in 4:1-5, we’d see that Paul even gave Timothy the instructions he needed in order to protect the church family from false teachers who would come into the assembly, “giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons” (4:1). And look especially at what Paul said in 4:6;

If you instruct the brethren in these things, you will be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished in the words of faith and of the good doctrine which you have carefully followed (4:6).

So; that was the concern that Paul had in the first few words of this passage; that Timothy know how he and the church family were to conduct themselves in the household of faith. The church is a holy institution—a spiritual entity made up of the saints of God who had been redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ. And so, they must conduct themselves in a manner that’s in keeping with what the church truly is.

And that leads us, next, to consider …

2. THE IDENTITY OF THE CHURCH BEFORE GOD.

We find this in verses 15-16; where Paul said that the church is “the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.”

There are three descriptions the apostle Paul gave of the church in God’s program on earth. First, he said that it’s “the house of God”. And it’s very important that we understand that when Paul speaks of the church as “the house of God”, he’s not talking about the building. In fact, in those ancient times, the church didn’t meet in a building that was dedicated to worship services, but rather in homes. And so, the best way to understand Paul’s words would be as the ‘household’ of God—that is, the family of God into which all His redeemed children are gathered.

If you were to look back to 1 Timothy 3:5, you’d see that he told Timothy to make sure that a bishop—that is, an overseer of the church—was to be characterized by ruling his own household and his own family in a worthy and dignified manner; “for if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?” And that’s a parallel to what the church is before God … His precious family. As it says in Galatians 6:10;

Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith (Galatians 6:10).

We should be very grateful for this wonderful old building. It’s much loved—not only by us but by many others in the community. But it’s not “the house of God”. The true “house of God” is the whole collection people who meet in it—united by a common faith in Christ and by the heavenly Father that we share together. That’s why it’s important that we know how to conduct ourselves in it.

Another thing that Paul says about the church is what we find in verse 15; that it’s that “which is the church of the living God”. The word “church” also needs to be carefully understood. The church, as Paul is using the word, is not a legal institution with a constitution filed with the state records, or that has a name in the phone book. Rather, the word that Paul uses is ekklāsia. You might recognize the word “ecclesiastical” in that. It’s a word that means ‘a special called out assembly’ that was purchased by Jesus’ blood. It’s what the apostle Peter described in 1 Peter 1:17-19;

And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear; knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot (1 Peter 1:17-19).

That’s what “the church of God” is. And notice that it’s the church of the “living” God. He’s the one who always lives and upholds His church. He’s the one who gives life and strength to the people He has redeemed in it. He’s the one who guarantees that every member of this household will be in His eternal presence forever—living before Him eternally with joy.

And there’s another thing that Paul says about the church—and it’s truly remarkable. He says that it is “the pillar and ground of the truth”. Think of it. A “pillar” is something that supports something else and lifts it up so that all may see it. Back in the days of the ancient Greek games, the prize for a race was placed on top of a pillar; so that all who ran in the race could see it and be inspired to win it. Or there would be times when a pillar was used to lift up a statue so that all the people could observe it and admire it. And that’s what the church of our Lord is. It’s the “pillar” of the truth … holding it up high so that all can see it and believe it. And what’s more, it’s also the “ground” of the truth; that is, the foundation and firm footing of it in this world. God has established His church through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ; and that church is—so long as it exists in this world—what the truth rests upon.

There will never be a time in this world—in this age of grace—in which the church will not exist on earth. All kinds of forces throughout history have sought to eradicate it. And in times to come, the devil will even inspire his wicked world ruler—the antichrist—to attack it and viciously seek to eliminate its influence in this world. But it will never happen. The church will always be on this earth to serve as “the pillar and ground” of the truth. As Jesus told His disciples;

“Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” So they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:13-19).

And notice very carefully what it’s “pillar and ground” of. It’s not just ‘truth’ in an abstract sense. It’s specifically “the” truth—the truth for this world that is from God—the truth that leads men and women to faith in Jesus Christ. This shows us …

3. THE MESSAGE OF THE CHURCH TO THE WORLD.

Notice what the apostle Paul told Timothy in verse 16; “ And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness …” And then we find this wonderful hymn:

“God was manifested in the flesh,
Justified in the Spirit,
Seen by angels,
Preached among the Gentiles,
Believed on in the world,
Received up in glory”.

This is called “the mystery of godliness” because it constitutes a message that God has graciously given to the world—a message of salvation that leads to eternal godliness—a message that the world could not have in any way known about unless God Himself had revealed it. And He has entrusted it to us; so that we can lift it up high, and set it down firmly upon the ground of this world.

There are six great points to this message—at least as they’re outlined to us in this ancient hymn. The first is that “God was manifest in the flesh.” Some translations have it simply “Who was manifest in the flesh” as if to tell us that the eternal Son of God—in a glorious and mysterious way—became flesh. This speaks of His incarnation. As the apostle John put it;

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:14).

The glorious truth that we proclaim is that God the Son—the second Person of the Triune Godhead—at a point in time, set His glory aside and became ‘infleshed’. He became a Man without ever ceasing to be God; so that God truly was “manifest in the flesh”.

Second, we’re told that He was “justified in the Spirit”. That means that He was declared righteous and shown to be ‘sinless’ in His earthly life. As the Father said of Him at His baptism,

“This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17).

The Holy Spirit preserved Him so that there was no sin found in Him; and so that He was therefore able to be our perfect Sin-Bearer on the cross.

Third, He was “seen by angels”. This may mean that throughout the life of our Lord—and even at the time of His agony in the garden and His suffering at the cross—the angels of heaven beheld Him. They marveled and wondered at God in human flesh—suffering on the cross for our sins. But I suspect that there could be another meaning. The word “angels” also means “messengers”; and it could be that this speaks of the apostles—who lived with Him, and observed His life, death, burial, and resurrection. As the apostle John said in 1 John 1:1-4;

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life—the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us—that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. And these things we write to you that your joy may be full (1 John 1:1-4).

Fourthly, we’re told that He was “preached among the Gentiles”; or, as it can be translated, “preached among the nations”. After Jesus was raised from the dead, He told His apostles,

“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

And indeed they were!—so much so, in fact, that fifthly, He was “Believed on in the world.” His name is honored and glorified and believed on for salvation all around the world. As Jesus Himself testified,

“And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come” (Matthew 24:14).

And lastly, we proclaim that He is “received up in glory”. He has gained the complete victory over sin and death. And it’s from the right hand of God the Father that He will one day return to this earth as King of kings and Lord of lords to judge the whole world in righteousness.

What a message it is that has been entrusted to us! It’s the Good News that the world needs to hear it from us! We need to behave like what we are—“the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth”!

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Let’s close by singing the words of the chorus from that old hymn—which is the gospel:

Living, He loved me; dying, He saved me;
Buried, He carried my sins far away;
Rising, He justified freely forever;
One day He’s coming—O glorious day!

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