SEV Biblia, Chapter 3:15
y si no fuere tan presto, para que sepas cmo convenga conversar en la Casa de Dios, que es la Iglesia del Dios viviente, columna y base de La verdad.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - 1 Timothy 3:15
Verse 15. But if I tarry long] That is: Not withstanding I hope to come to thee shortly, and therefore do not feel the necessity of writing at large; yet, lest I should be delayed, I write what I judge necessary to direct thy conduct in the Church of God. The house of God] This is spoken in allusion to the ancient tabernacle; which was God's house, and in which the symbol of the Divine Majesty dwelt. So the Christian Church is God's house, and every believer is a habitation of God through the Spirit.
The Church of the living God] The assembly in which God lives and works; each member of which is a living stone, all of whom, properly united among themselves, grow up unto a holy temple in the Lord.
The pillar and ground of the truth.] Never was there a greater variety of opinions on any portion of the sacred Scripture than has been on this and the following verse. Commentators and critics have given senses and meanings till there is no meaning to be seen. It would be almost impossible, after reading all that has been said on this passage, for any man to make up his own mind. To what, or to whom, does the pillar and ground of the truth refer? 1. Some say to Timothy, who is called the pillar, &c., because left there to support and defend the truth of God against false doctrines and false teachers; and is so called for the same reason that Peter, James, and John, are said to be pillars, i.e. supporters of the truth of God. Gal. ii. 9.
2. Others suppose that the pillar and ground of the truth is spoken of GOD; and that ov esti, who is, should be supplied as referring immediately to qeov, God, just before. By this mode of interpretation the passage will read thus: That thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the Church of the living God, WHO IS (ov esti) the pillar and ground of the truth. How God may be fitly termed the pillar and ground of truth, requires no explanation.
3. Others think that the words should be understood of the CHURCH of the living God; and in this case the feminine relative htiv esti, which is, must be repeated immediately after ekklhsia, the Church. The house of God is the Church of the living God; WHICH (Church) IS the pillar and ground of the truth. That is: The full revelation of God's truth is in the Christian Church. The great doctrines of that Church are the truth without error, metaphor, or figure. Formerly the truth was but partially revealed, much of it being shadowed with types, ceremonies, and comparatively dark prophecies; but now all is plain, and the full revelation given; and the foundation on which this truth rests are the grand facts detailed in the Gospel, especially those which concern the incarnation, miracles, passion, death, and resurrection of Christ, and the mission of the Holy Spirit.
4. Lastly, others refer the whole to to thv eusebeiav musthrion, the mystery of godliness; and translate the clause thus: The mystery of godliness is the pillar and ground of the truth; and, without controversy, a great thing. This gives a very good sense, but it is not much favoured by the arrangement of the words in the original.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 15. But if I tarry long , etc.] Or should long delay coming, defer it longer than may be expected; let it be observed that these things are written, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God ; that is, the church of God, as it is afterwards explained; called a house, in allusion either to an edifice, it being a spiritual house built of lively stories, or true believers, upon the foundation Jesus Christ, and who also is the door into it; the pillars of it are the ministers of the Gospel; and the windows are the ordinances, and which also are the entertainment in it: or else to a family, as this is sometimes called the household of God, and of faith; the family named of Christ, of which he is the master; and in which are fathers, young men and children; in which ministers are stewards; and which is regulated by good and wholesome laws: and it is called the house of God, because as an edifice, it is of his building and repairing, and in which he dwells; and as a family, is what he provides for. Now the above things were written to Timothy, that he might know bow to order and manage things in this house and family; what became him to do himself, in the character he was; and what persons to direct in the choice of to be officers in it. And of this house it is said, which is the church of the living God ; in opposition to, and distinction from the houses and temples of idols, which are inanimate and senseless creatures; whereas the true God is the living God, has life in himself, essentially, originally, and independently, and is the author and giver of life to others. It is added, the pillar and ground of the truth ; which holds forth the truth to be seen and read of all, as pillars that bear inscriptions; and which supports and maintains truth, as every true church of Christ does so long as it remains so; though truth is the pillar and ground of the church; for if once truth is gone, a church is no more so: rather therefore Timothy himself is here designed; and the sense is, that what was written to him was with this view, that he might the better know how to conduct himself in the church of God, as a pillar and ground of truth, to hold it forth and to secure it: ministers of the Gospel are called pillars, ( Galatians 2:9) and that with greater propriety than the church itself, which is before called an house: though it may be best of all to understand it of Christ as incarnate, the great mystery of godliness; who as he is the ground and foundation of the church, and all believers, so he is the foundation of all true doctrine; and particularly the doctrine of his person, as truly God and truly man, is the pillar and ground which supports all other truths, and without which they fall to the ground: and so this clause may be read in connection with the following words, thus; the pillar and ground of the truth, and without controversy, is the great mystery of godliness, &c. And this way of speaking is used by the Jews, both of persons and things; so Zebulun is said to be hrwth dwm[ , the pillar of the law; and it is said of the great sanhedrim in Jerusalem, they are the root of the oral law; and they are harwhh ydwm[ , the pillars of doctrine; and from them go forth the statutes and judgments unto Israel; and the same is said of things as of persons. Maimonides says f53 , the foundation of foundations and the pillar of wisdom, is to know that there is a first Being, that gives being to all beings; and R. Sangari, another of their writers, says, f54 there are two things which are hrwth ydwm[ , the pillars of the law; the one is, that the law is from God; the other is, that it is received with a faithful (or sincere) heart, from the congregation: to which may be added, that it is said that the mystery of faith is amwyqw arq[ , the root and ground of the world; all which may serve to illustrate this passage.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 14-16 - The church is the house of God; he dwells there. The church holds fort the Scripture and the doctrine of Christ, as a pillar holds forth proclamation. When a church ceases to be the pillar and ground of truth, we may and ought to forsake her; for our regard to truth shoul be first and greatest. The mystery of godliness is Christ. He is God who was made flesh, and was manifest in the flesh. God was pleased to manifest himself to man, by his own Son taking the nature of man Though reproached as a sinner, and put to death as a malefactor, Chris was raised again by the Spirit, and so was justified from all the fals charges with which he was loaded. Angels ministered to him, for he is the Lord of angels. The Gentiles welcomed the gospel which the Jew rejected. Let us remember that God was manifest in the flesh, to tak away our sins, to redeem us from all iniquity, and to purify unt himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. These doctrines mus be shown forth by the fruits of the Spirit in our lives __________________________________________________________________
Greek Textus Receptus
εαν 1437 δε 1161 βραδυνω 1019 5725 ινα 2443 ειδης 1492 5762 πως 4459 δει 1163 5904 εν 1722 οικω 3624 θεου 2316 αναστρεφεσθαι 390 5745 ητις 3748 εστιν 2076 5748 εκκλησια 1577 θεου 2316 ζωντος 2198 5723 στυλος 4769 και 2532 εδραιωμα 1477 της 3588 αληθειας 225
Vincent's NT Word Studies
15. I tarry long (bradunw). Only here and 2 Pet. iii. 9.
Thou oughtest to behave thyself (dei anastrefesqai). The verb ajnastrefesqai only here in Pastorals. In Paul, 2 Cor. i. 12; Eph. ii. 3. The reference is not to Timothy's conduct as the A.V. impliest but rather to the instructions which he is to give to church members. Rend. how men ought to behave. See on conversation, 1 Peter i. 15.
House of God (oikw qeou). An O.T. phrase, used of the temple. More frequently, house of the Lord (kuriou); see 1 Kings iii. 1; vi. 1; 1 Chronicles xxii. 2, 11; xxix. 2, etc. Applied to the church only here. Paul has oijkeiouv thv pistewv Hebrews householders of the faith (Gal. vi. 10), and oijkeioi tou qeou householders of God (Eph. ii. 19), signifying members of the church. Christians are called naov qeou sanctuary of God (1 Cor. iii. 16, 17; 2 Cor. vi. 16); and the apostles are oijkonomoi household stewards (1 Cor. iv. 1). So of a Bishop (Titus i. 7). See also Heb. iii. 6.
Church (ekklhsia). See on 1 Thess. i. 1.
Pillar and ground of the truth (stulov kai edraiwma thv alhqeiav). Stulov.pillar, in Paul only Gal. ii. 9. In Apoc. iii. 12; x. 1. Edraiwma stay, prop, better than ground. N.T.o . o LXX, o Class. The kindred adjective eJdaiov firm, stable, 1 Cor. vii. 37; xv. 58; Col. i. 23. These words are in apposition with church. 106 The idea is that the church is the pillar, and, as such, the prop or support of the truth. It is quite beside the mark to press the architectural metaphor into detail. By giving to eJdraiwma the sense of stay or prop, the use of the two words for the same general idea is readily explained. The church is the pillar of the truth, and the function of the pillar is to support. 107
Robertson's NT Word Studies
3:15 {But if I tarry long} (ean de bradunw). Condition of third class with ean and the present active subjunctive of bradunw, old verb, to be slow (usually intransitive), from bradus (slow, dull, #Lu 24:25), in N.T. only here and #2Pe 3:9. {That thou mayest know} (hina eideis). Final clause with hina and second perfect active subjunctive of oida, to know. {How men ought} (pws dei). "How it is necessary for thee" (supply se more naturally than tina, any one). Indirect question. {To behave themselves} (anastrefesqai). Present middle (direct) infinitive of anastrefw, old verb, to turn up and down. See #2Co 1:12; Eph 2:3. {In the house of God} (en oikwi qeou). Probably here "household of God," that is "the family of God" rather than "the house (or temple) of God." Christians as yet had no separate houses of worship and oikos commonly means "household." Christians are the naos (sanctuary) of God (#1Co 3:16f.; 2Co 6:16), and Paul calls them oikeioi tou qeou (#Eph 2:19) "members of God's family." It is conduct as members of God's family (oikos) that Paul has in mind. {Which} (hetis). "Which very house of God," agreeing (feminine) with the predicate word ekklesia (church). {The church of the living God} (ekklesia qeou zwntos). Probably here the general church or kingdom as in Colossians and Ephesians, though the local church in verse #5. {The pillar and ground of the truth} (stulos kai hedraiwma tes aleqeias). Paul changes the metaphor again as he often does. Those words are in apposition to ekklesia and oikos. On stulos, old word for pillar, see #Ga 2:9; Re 3:12 (only other N.T. examples). hedraiwma, late and rare word (from hedraiow, to make stable) occurs here first and only in ecclesiastical writers later. Probably it means stay or support rather than foundation or ground. See #Co 1:23; 2Ti 2:19 for similar idea. See also #Mt 16:18f.
