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.
1 Timothy 3:14-15 ESV
KJV :…the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.
NASB:…the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth.
NIV:..the household of God. This is the church of the living God, which is the pillar and foundation of the truth.
The church of the LIVING GOD is a household, a family, a community of people. Again,
ekklēsía(from 1537 /ek, "out from and to" and 2564 /kaléō, "to call") – properly, people called out from the world and to God. Every family in heaven and on earth derives its name and nature from God according to Ephesians 3, Hudsons Translation.
This ekklesia is the household of God and is the pillar and buttress of the truth.
A pillar is defined as something used as a support. The word buttress (ESV) is defined as something that increases the strength of or justification for; reinforce.
With this we can begin to understand our role within the ekklesia. We support and reinforce by our very lives, words and actions the character and nature of the living God. The privilege of being chosen and invited into this family now carries with it a responsibility to express not ourselves but Him, his thoughts, his ways, his truth.
I would like to consider, from Bishop Elliott’s commentary, the following thoughts ~
First, In the house of God.—The image is from the Old Testament, where “the house of God” denotes, in the first place, the Temple of Jerusalem, and, in the second, the covenant-people. It is here used (in our verse today) for the congregation of believers among whom God dwells—the true and enduring Church of living souls.
Next, The pillar and ground of the truth.—The imagery is here changed, and the “house of God” which the Apostle had just defined to be the Church, or congregation, belonging to the living God, and in the midst of which He was pleased to dwell, is now defined to be “the pillar and ground” (or, basis) “of the truth.”
In the first picture, the Church is painted by St. Paul as a vast congregation, with the living God dwelling in its midst: in the second, the same Church is painted as a massive pillar, holding up and displaying before men and angels the truth—the saving truth of the gospel. (Ellicott).
The Jamieson, Fausett, Brown Bible Commentary adds this thought ~
It is no objection that, having called the Church before "the house of God," he now calls it the "pillar"; for the literal word "Church" immediately precedes the new metaphors: so the Church, or congregation of believers, which before was regarded as the habitation of God, is now, from a different point of view, regarded as the pillar upholding the truth.
The summation of these thoughts would be, we as His household, now steward His truth. This is not subjective. A subjective truth is a truth based off of a person's perspective, feelings, or opinions. His household supports and reinforces His truth.
The psalmist wrote ~ Forever O Lord you word is settled in heaven, 119:89.
From John 17:17 Jesus prays for us to be sanctified in truth, declaring ‘God’s word is truth’.
As those who are a part of His household we have been commissioned by God to carry out His purposes here on this earth. We are the pillars and the supporters of His truth. We are to be his workers here on the earth able to correctly handle the word of truth. We are to be lovers of truth and grow in the knowledge of His truth. We are to proclaim the gospel of truth so others will know the truth, so that the truth they will know, will set them free.
His church ~ a pillar and buttress of the truth.