The Great Mystery (in part) Those who are employed in the house of God must see to it that they behave themselves well, lest they bring reproach upon the house of God, and that worthy name by which they are called. Ministers ought to behave themselves well, and to look not only to their praying and preaching, but to their behavior: their office binds them to their good behavior, for any behavior will not do in this case. God is the Living God; He is the Fountain of Life, He is Life in Himself, and He gives Life, breath, and all things to His creatures; in Him we live, and move, and have our being, 25 Nor is He worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things. Acts 17:25 (NKJV); 28 for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring.’ Acts 17:28 (NKJV). The Church is the house of God, He dwells there; the Lord has chosen Zion, to dwell there. “This is my rest, here will I dwell, for I have chosen it;” there may we see God’s Power and Glory, 2 So I have looked for You in the sanctuary, to see Your power and Your glory. Psalm 63:2 New King James Version (NKJV). It is the great support of the church that it is the Church of the Living God, the True God in opposition to false gods, dumb and dead idols. As the Church of God, it is the pillar and ground of truth; that is, either, The Church Itself is the pillar and ground of Truth. Not that the Authority of the Scriptures depends upon that of the Church, as the papists [Roman Catholics] pretend, for Truth is the pillar and ground of the Church; but the Church holds forth the Scripture and the Doctrine of Christ, as the pillar to which a proclamation is affixed holds forth the proclamation. Even to the principalities and powers in Heavenly places is made known by the Church the Manifold Wisdom of God, 10 to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, Ephesians 3:10 (NKJV). Others understand it of Timothy. He, not he himself only, but he as an evangelist, he and other faithful ministers, are the pillars and ground of truth; it is their business to maintain, hold up, and publish, the Truths of Christ in the church. It is said of the apostles that they seemed to be pillars, 9 and when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that had been given to me, they gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. Galatians 2:9 (NKJV). Let us be diligent and impartial in our own inquiries after Truth; let us buy the Truth at any rate, and not think much of any pains to discover It. Let us be careful to keep and preserve It. “Buy the Truth, and sell It not [23 Buy the truth, and do not sell it, Also wisdom and instruction and understanding. Proverbs 23:23 (New King James Version)], do not part with it on any consideration.” Let us take care to publish it, and to transmit it safe and uncorrupted unto posterity. When the church ceases to be the pillar and ground of truth, we may and ought to forsake her; for our regard to truth should be greater than our regard to the church; we are no longer obliged to continue in the church than she continues to be the pillar and ground of truth. The New Matthew Henry commentary on 1 Timothy 3:15
Posted on: Wed, 05 Mar 2014 02:18:27 +0000
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