A note from our Pastor:

”These things write I unto thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly:

But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.”

1 Timothy 3:14-15

Good Morning Dearly Beloved,

Our study verses this week remind us of the situation in which the Apostle was writing to Timothy. It also provides insight into the early followers of Jesus Christ and the growth of what we often refer to as the church.

This epistle was likely written, scholars believe, between 60 and 65 CE. The Apostle had been imprisoned in Rome, but was released and traveled to Ephesus. While in Ephesus he worked with Timothy and the community of believers. Eventually, Timothy was installed as pastor at Ephesus and the Apostle traveled on to Macedonia for continued work. While in Macedonia he receives reports about what is occurring in Ephesus and composes this letter to Timothy to provide him guidance.

This verse serves to remind us of a very important truth — the early church was an organic organization without a set of strict rules to follow. It was a group of people who were focused on spiritual activities and learning about Jesus Christ. What we read as the New Testament was just being written. The teachings of Christ were communicated through oral teachings or the epistles ministers were writing. While the New Testament provides guidelines for how the modern community of believers should function it is important to keep in mind the early believers were focused on Christ and Christ alone.

Thus, when the Apostle wrote to Timothy he says he desires to visit again but his path might not bring him back to Ephesus. Therefore, if he was not able to make it back to work with Timothy and the community of believers in person he wanted them to have some of his thoughts to support them. He wanted to address false teachings, the offices of the church, and other matters surrounding a group which had no guidelines to follow.

It is important to keep in mind though how the Apostle ends this verse. While he focuses a great deal on technical aspects, such as the roles of pastors and deacons, his ultimate reminder is the church is the pillar and ground of the truth of Jesus Christ. In other words, while the Apostle was giving instruction for technical aspects of the congregation meeting his first priority was still them worshipping and learning about Jesus Christ and him alone. How much better off would congregations be today if we remembered this lesson — the meeting together is only valuable so long as the focus is on the teachings of Christ.

Our Prayers are with you daily,

Brother Jeremiah