The Church Is The Pillar And Foundation Of The Truth

"I give you these instructions, although I hope I will see you soon.  If I delay, you will know how you ought to conduct yourself in the household of GOD, that is, the Church of the living GOD, which is the pillar and foundation of the truth.  How great, indeed, is the mystery of the divine blessing!

HE was shown in the flesh

and sanctified by the spirit;

presented to the angels

and proclaimed to all nations.

The world believed in HIM:

HE was taken up in glory!"

- 1 Timothy 3:14-16

(The short paragraph reminds us that, if indeed we are in charge of the Church of GOD, we are neither its founders nor its masters.  The Church was born through a merciful intervention of GOD, when HE decided that HIS Son should identify with the human race, as is expressed in this short poem.

Here we use divine blessing for a word that we translated elsewhere as "piety" or "religion" [see 2:2; 4:7; 6:3; 5, 6; 2 Timothy 3:5 and Titus 1:1].  In those years, the word was mostly used to mean a loving attitude toward the FATHER and neighbors, characteristic of true believers who simply imitate GOD's example.

The Church is the pillar and foundation of the truth.  We must understand this phrase as referring to the concepts of that time: from above, from a world in which everything is truth, GOD lowers HIS Truth to the earth, as a column or a visible sign on which we can lean.  In spite of all the infidelities of the Church, GOD uses it to preserve true knowledge of the FATHER, the Son and the Spirit in the world.  Without this knowledge, people cannot be free, nor can humanity reach its maturity.)

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