1 Timothy 3:14-15
What is written? (ESV)
I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these things to you so that, if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth.
What does it say?
I [Paul] hope to come to you soon, but I am writing so that, if I am delayed, you will know how one ought to behave in God’s household, which is the church of the living God—a pillar and buttress of the truth.
What is its immediate context?
Paul’s letter to a young preacher, Timothy, while preaching at the church in Ephesus. Beginning back in chapter 2, he gives instruction for all saints everywhere (2:1-7) before tackling specific roles in the local church: men (2:8), women (2:9-15), elders (vss 1-7), and deacons (vss 8-13).
How 1 Timothy 3:14-15 is applied across Bible answers
How is Christ’s church defined in the Bible?
Timothy was at the church in Ephesus when Paul wrote "these instructions" about how members (e.g. "people") should conduct themselves in God's church, which is the advocate for "the truth."
While Timothy is physically in Ephesus (one local church), Paul's emphasis throughout the letter is for these instructions to go "every place" (1 Timothy 2:8).
What is Christ’s church called?
Paul refers to the church as the "household of God."
