First Timothy 3:15 says that the church is the pillar and base of the truth. At Paul’s time, the buildings around the Mediterranean Sea were supported by pillars, and underneath the pillars there was a base. The pillars were built upon the base, and the whole building was supported by the pillars. Paul said that the church is the pillar. Upon her is the truth of God.
First Timothy 3:16 says that great is the mystery of godliness, which is God manifested in the flesh. God was not only manifested in the flesh at the time the Lord Jesus lived on the earth. That was only the beginning. The manifestation of God in the flesh continues today in the church. Hence, there are two things here that are related to one another. On the one hand, the church upholds the truth of God. This truth is the unveiling of the hidden God. He was manifested in the flesh. This is a great mystery. On the other hand, when the church comes together, what we speak, sing, and preach are words of this great mystery. In another sense, this is also God manifested in the flesh.
Whenever we come together, we should speak, read, sing, and pray the truth. This is the key to the home meeting. It is to pray-read-sing-speak the word of the Bible. In the home meeting, when we say that we want everyone to speak, we mean that everyone should speak God’s word. We cannot speak about everything and anything. The home meeting is not for chatting. It is for the speaking of the truth.
When Paul spoke this word, the church was already in confusion. There were already people in their meetings talking about the genealogies in the Old Testament. You must realize that there is no end to talk about genealogies. There were also those who talked about the Ten Commandments of Moses. It may seem as if all this is most proper and right. But none of this is the great mystery of godliness. None of this is God manifested in the flesh. For this reason Paul said to Timothy, “I exhorted you...to remain in Ephesus in order that you might charge certain ones not to teach different things nor to give heed to myths and unending genealogies, which produce questionings rather than God’s economy, which is in faith” (1 Tim. 1:3-4). Paul urged Timothy to remain in Ephesus just to do one thing: to charge others not to teach anything other than the mystery of godliness.
Even to the children we should not speak too many stories. If we do, we will stray off. Some may say that this kind of speaking is too deep for children. I do not think that is necessarily so. Speak to adults concerning the mystery of godliness. Speak to the young people concerning the same. Even to the children you should speak this also. This is the truth. The church is here to uphold the truth.
When I went to the United States twenty-three years ago, I was already over sixty years old. Many thought that my messages to the Americans were surely influenced by Eastern culture. When they heard me teaching others to call on the name of the Lord, they thought that was the Eastern chanting. They also accused me of preaching pantheism, of telling people that the door is Christ, that the window is Christ, and that even the air and the food are Christ. But my speaking was based on Colossians 2:16-17: “...in eating and in drinking or in respect of a feast or of a new moon or of the Sabbath, which are a shadow of the things to come, but the body is of Christ.” They can accuse no one but their own ignorance of the Bible. Their understanding is fragmentary; they have not studied thoroughly but rather have listened carelessly.
This is nothing new. Two thousand years ago in Paul’s time, the church was just as confused. For this reason Paul urged Timothy to hold this principle: when elders were set up in the church, there was to be this one basic qualification, that they be “apt to teach” (1 Tim. 3:2). The elders must be apt to teach the truth, and this truth is nothing other than God manifested in the flesh.
First Timothy 3:8-9 says, “Deacons...holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience.” The word holding implies steadfastness. The mystery of the faith is the mystery of godliness, which is God manifested in the flesh. According to Paul, the elders in the church must be apt to teach the truth, and the deacons must hold fast the mystery of the faith. First Timothy 5:17 says, “Let the elders who take the lead well be counted worthy of double honor.” Because the elders are so busy, they have no time to make a living. The church should honor them with material giving. Verse 17 continues, “...especially those who labor in word and teaching.” Here we see some who are laboring and toiling in the word. That means they are spending time and effort in studying and learning the word of God.
Paul said in 2 Timothy 3:15-17, “From a babe you have known the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise unto salvation through the faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for conviction, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, fully equipped for every good work.” The perfection which Paul rendered Timothy was completely based on the truth of the Bible. Paul said to him, “The things which you have heard from me through many witnesses, these commit to faithful men, who will be competent to teach others also” (2:2). The truth that Timothy heard from Paul should not be taught by Timothy alone. Paul charged Timothy to commit it to others that they may teach the same also. Furthermore, Timothy must also cut straight the word of the truth (v. 15).