Behaving In God’s House (3:14-16)
Neal Pollard
This little section has been observed to be a bridge between the guidelines in 2:1-3:13 and the warnings about false teachers that follow (Lea and Griffin, NAC, 121). In this bridge is Paul’s personal expression of his desire to visit Timothy at Ephesus (14), the statement of purpose for writing (15), and the inclusion of what is almost certainly a hymn about Christ sung by the early church (16). While brief, this is a vitally important section.
Paul’s writing is about personal conduct (15). While that conduct is in relationship to the church as a whole, each one has an individual responsibility in it (cf. Eph. 4:16). Paul says these instructions can be known. “Oida (the word for knowledge here, NP) often connotes not only having knowledge but also being able to understand that knowledge” (Garrett, LTW, np). Paul suggests that the things he wrote about were comprehendible, able to be learned and incorporated. The crux of these “knowable” things is how to behave in God’s house. This applies to both works and word. What a contrast to those who deny that there is objective truth that is objectively knowable (cf. John 8:31-32).
Paul’s writing is about the organization of the church (15). What is the household of God? It is the church, which was established on Pentecost (cf. Acts 2:47; 5:11; 8:1; etc.). It is spoken of here and elsewhere as singular in nature and uniform in belief and practice. It is the church of the living God, a reminder that this distinguishes it from every other organization. This institution is divine in origin (Mat. 16:18), eternal in scope (Eph. 3:9-11), and precious in value (Acts 20:28). Woe is me if I disparage it and speak ill of it, the bride of Jesus (Eph. 5:22-33). Woe is me if I try to alter or remake it in the image of anything else. It is the church, the pillar and buttress of the truth. The church is responsible for standing under and supporting the truth. Do we emphasize this enough? We have a divinely-given responsibility to uphold the truth of Scripture. What of churches who accommodate their beliefs to the shifting sands of society? What of those who bow to the pressures of the world to conform (Rom. 12:1-2)? Now, think of all of this as it relates to the content of this epistle. It contains teaching and positions which many, in the name of Christ, deny and change. Paul wrote 1 Timothy as a countermeasure to such efforts!
Paul’s writing is about the Christ of the church (16). Now to the motivation piece. What will soften our hearts to want to do everything God’s way? Why conform even to unpopular doctrines? Take a gander of the “mystery of godliness.” Godliness is the goal. Jesus is the incentive.
That there is a distinct pattern to this short list in apparent, as Lenski points out: “‘In flesh’ and ‘in spirit’ form a pair. ‘Angels’ and ‘nations’ are counterparts; so also are ‘in (the) world’ and ‘in glory.’ The verbs ‘was preached’ and ‘was believed’ are correlative. ‘Angels—nations—world—glory’ form a chiasm: the angels and the glory are placed first and last, nations and world in the middle, a plural and a singular in each” (609). So there is the universal witness, in heaven and earth, to the unique greatness of Christ. But, there is also a chronological progression in this hymn. Together, they form this wonderful “mystery of godliness.” First, there is the incarnation (John 1:14; Ph. 2:8). Second, there is His vindication. I do not believe Paul is saying Jesus is justified by the Holy Spirit, but instead He Himself in His spirit was justified. How? He was declared righteous by God (Acts 2:36; 5:31; 1 Jn. 2:1). When? At the resurrection (Acts 2:36). Again, Lenski is helpful–“Men had nailed him to the cross, condemned him to the cross as one accursed of God, for to be hung on wood meant to be declared accursed of God; him God raised from the dead, him God thereby declared righteous” (611). Third, there is the angelic witness. Truly, they saw the incarnation and resurrection from heaven. They also testified to both on earth (Luke 2:13; 24:4). Fourth, there is the apostolic proclamation. They were the first to take on the Great Commission (Acts 1:8), a torch soon passed on to all the disciples (Acts 8:4). Fifth, there is the global acceptance. No, not that all who heard believed and obeyed. All will believe some day (Ph. 2:9-11), but not while time still stands (Mat. 7:13-14). But the gospel went to the whole world (Col. 1:23; 2 Th. 1:10). Sixth, there is the glorious ascension (Mark 16:19; Acts 1:9). From His entrance to His exit, Jesus perfectly fulfilled His eternal, divine rescue operation! For all these reasons, He deserves our humble obedience and conscientious effort to follow His revealed will.
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