In our passage the apostle Paul tells us very clearly why he wrote this letter to the church. He says in 3:14, “I am writing these things to you so that, (15) 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.”   

This passage of scripture can be divided into 3 parts:

1. The Elders (v.1-7)
2. The Deacons (v.8-13)
3. The Congregation (v.14-16)

Elders bring the flock to green pastures and still waters when they help members know Jesus more and increasingly reflect his glory together.

Deacons, too, have a crucial role in the life and the health of the local church, but their role is different from the elders’. The biblical role of deacons is to take care of the physical and logistical needs of the church so that the elders can concentrate on their primary calling.

in 1 Timothy 3:15, the apostle Paul gives three metaphors of the church—three ways God views it. The church is:

1. a family,
2. the church (assembly) of the living God, and
3. the support (pillar) and buttress (foundation) of the truth.

The church is God’s family. It is full of brothers, sisters, mothers, and fathers (cf. Matt 12:48-49).

The reality that the church is God’s family should affect how we treat each other. Are you showing this family love to the members of your church? This also implies openly sharing problems and hardships. It means bearing the burdens of others. It means working hard to reconcile when conflicts arise. It means always seeking the best for others, as one would with a mother, father, brother, sister, son, or daughter.

Discussion Questions:

1. What does Paul’s three metaphors teach us about God’s mission for the church?
2. How should we apply the fact that we are God’s family?
3. How have you experienced your horizontal relationships reflecting your vertical relationship and vice versa? Are there any relationships God is calling you to make right so you can be closer to him (Matt 5:23-24)?
4. How can churches and individual Christians fulfill God’s call to be the pillar and foundation of the truth?