¹⁴I am writing these things to you, hoping to come to you before long; ¹⁵but in case I am delayed, I write so that you will know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth.

Without question, Paul clearly states the reasons for everything he writes in this letter: to make sure Timothy is fully instructed about proper behavior in the local church, particularly the leadership about which he just wrote. The church in his time was still developing. The form of leadership (plurality of shared leadership) was in place, but the understanding of leadership character needed developing. The book of Acts records what happened in the early church, but Paul’s writings tell us how and why the church should function in God’s prescribed way.

Biographically, we note that Paul intends to revisit Ephesus but realizes that may not happen. Either way, he wants this teaching to reach them. So he delegates Timothy to convey this to them. The instruction is not just for Timothy, in which case Paul would have written explicitly about how “you” should conduct “yourself.” Instead, he uses a Greek form that is broader, as most modern translations render this: “how one ought to conduct himself.” This falls under the mandate Paul later writes: “In pointing out these things to the brethren, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus . . .” (1 Tim. 4:6).

Just as the church was important to God, so it was to the apostle Paul. And so it should be for all who claim to follow Jesus. Paul describes the fellowship of believers in three ways. We are the household of God. This is why we often refer to our fellow Christians as brothers and sisters. The church is more than a civic club; we are a family, with God as our Father and Jesus as our eldest brother. It is our household because we belong to God, and it is His household.

We are “the church of the living God.” The word for church, “ekklesia,” is a general term for a gathering of people, but in this context, the gathering is of those who belong to God. When Paul had last spoken to the Ephesian elders, he described the value the Lord placed on them as “the church of God which He purchased with His own blood” (Acts 20:28). He paid a high price for this family of His.

Finally, the church is the pillar and support of the truth. God may use seminaries, Bible colleges, and traveling preachers to help, but God entrusts the truth of the Word to the local church to protect and propagate. And as members of the church, we must know and stand on the truth.

Lord, help me be a strength and support to Your family, the local church.