Graham preached for us this morning. Sometimes funny and sometimes very moving but always excellent.
1 Timothy 3 Part 2
From last week:
Leadership is character. Our character is not God’s gift to us, it is our gift to God, it is our worship.
See Romans 12:1-1
Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God- this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is- his good, pleasing and perfect will.
This week:
People should know how to behave because it is God’s household. Verse 15ff is the “because” of the previous verses.
Because - The theme of unity continues as Paul draws their gaze to the greatness of the church.
1) The house (household) of God
Hebrews 3:1-6
Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess. He was faithful to the one who appointed him, just as Moses was faithful in all God’s house. Jesus has been found worthy of greater honour than Moses, just as the builder of a house has greater honour than the house itself. For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything. Moses was faithful as a servant in all God’s house, testifying to what would be said in the future. But Christ is faithful as a son over God’s house. And we are his house, if we hold on to our courage and the hope of which we boast.
Hebrews 10:19-22
Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.
1 Peter 4:17
For it is time for judgement to begin with the family of God; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God?
1 Corinthians 3:16
Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you?
Temple of Ephesus
Ephesians 2:22 And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.
Ephesus was the home of the Artemisian, the Temple of Diana (also known as Artemis), a wonder of the world. See Acts 19 for Paul’s marvellous yet difficult time in Ephesus, The introduction of power with disciples filled with the Holy Spirit, extraordinary miracles (verse 11) and a riot (verse 23 ff).
Here in his letter to Timothy Paul is declaring that the invisible church is greater than the temple of Diana.
See Hebrews 12:18-24 “You have not come… But you have come to Mount Zion…”
The church, the congregation of the living God. “Living God” is compared to the dumb and lifeless idol, Diana of Ephesus.
2) Pillar and foundation of the truth.
This is the church he speaks of. Though the pillar of the church rests upon Christ, in this world the non-believers see the church. The church is the pillar that carries the truth that the future church rests upon. Each generation needs the previous one that has supported and preserved the message of God.
3) Mystery
If we could know all things about God he would be no bigger than our understanding. A God without mystery is no God at all.
Yet this is not about God being a mystery. It is about godliness being a mystery. The God who call for character is the one who shapes character.
See Galatians 5:22-23
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
See 1 Corinthians 2:7-14
No, we speak of God’s secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
However, as it is written:
No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him-but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man’s spirit within him? In the same way no-one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.
Conclusion
Timothy has been reminded of the glory of the church in which he labours. These are the high stakes Timothy must fight for. This is the ‘because’ of verse 15. This is the reason why unity in the church is so important.
