1 Timothy 3:14Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Yet do not be surprised that the Apostle, foreseeing all things by the Spirit, shows ignorance when he says, "hoping to come to you shortly," and, "if I am delayed." This belongs to one who does not know. Since he was led by the Spirit and did nothing by his own will among the things he did, it is likely that he did not know this either.

1:6), as you have already heard. The Church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth, endures the evil in communion with the mysteries. In the end they must be separated from her. At present she is separated from them by the incompatibility of their morals with her.

Of course, this is not scientific or philosophical truth, but doctrinal and religious truth. This exalted and divine property of the Church flows directly from the concept that the holy Apostle Paul gives of her. He presents her as the house of the living God, or of God Who lives in her. Or else, he presents her as God's possession or inheritance, in which the Lord God grants people a certain special, most intimate and living, though mysterious communion with Himself. Of course, such a society, taken in its totality, can be infallible as God Himself is infallible, though individual persons at particular times may err and waver. For the Lord Who lives and acts in the Church attains His purposes in her without doing violence to the moral freedom of each individual member of the Church. From the infallibility of the Church it follows that she must be the chief guide of pastors and archpastors to the truth. What important distortion of the Apostle Paul's words about the Church must be kept in mind? How is it explained, and how is it refuted? Protestant theologians suppose that the words "pillar and ground of the truth" should not be referred to the preceding words, "Church of the living God." They refer them instead to the opening words of the following verse. And read the entire passage in this way: "The pillar and ground of the truth, and confessedly great mystery of piety, consists in this, that God was manifested in the flesh," and so forth. The purpose of such a distorted reading of the apostolic words is to avoid calling the Church of Christ the pillar and ground of the truth. With that designation one must plainly acknowledge her infallibility. Protestant communities, although they call themselves Christian, do not confess this dogma and reject the authority of Church Tradition. In this case, the only way to discover the truth is to compare the most ancient manuscripts of the New Testament canon. It turns out that in all of them, as also in the ancient translations, the passage under explanation is read and unanimously interpreted by the Fathers of the Church precisely as it is in the Orthodox Church. The context itself also shows that the words "pillar and ground," or foundation, are naturally joined in the Apostle's thought with the preceding concept of the house. The construction of a house cannot do without a foundation and various pillars. Finally, the fact that in the Greek original the word στύλς, pillar, stands in the passage under explanation without the article shows that, according to the character of the Greek dialect, it is used here adjectivally. It is therefore a defining word for the preceding word. Thus: the house of God, or the Church of the living God, is what? The pillar and ground of the truth.

This Church is not only an assembly of believers, but also the spirit, unanimity, and faith that bind them to one another and to Christ. The house of God is the Church of the God Who lives in it. Therefore God, as living, cares for order in His own society (see P. Polyansky, p. 409). The comparison of the Church to a pillar supporting the roof of a building, and to a stronghold on which the building stands, shows her greatness and unbreakable firmness. It also shows every kind of security, because the truth entrusted to her will remain eternal, as the Church herself remains. "I will build My Church," said Christ, the Head of the Church, "and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it" (Mt. 16:18). "The immutable guarantee that the Church preserves the truth is that she has the Spirit of God. This Spirit of truth always dwells in the Church and constitutes her vital principle. Because of Him she is always in communion with her Head, Who is also the foundation, besides Whom there can be no other." In general, in verse 15, says the newer interpreter P. Polyansky, the Apostle expresses a view of the Church from three sides. First, from the side of worship, the Church is the house of God. Second, from the side of the regeneration of each person and of all mankind, she is the Church of the living God, Who communicates this life to mankind. Third, from the side of teaching, the Apostle names the Church the pillar and ground of the truth. In this respect the Church is the treasury of truth for all ages and all peoples. Concerning the greatest truth itself, that is, the Incarnation of God, St. John Chrysostom exclaims: "Truly this is a great mystery, because man became God, and God became man. This mystery was hidden even from the Angels, and then revealed not only to them, but also to people of all places and times. Let us therefore live in a manner worthy of this mystery. If a king entrusted some secret to us, would we not consider this a sign of his great favor toward us? Let us tremble that we remain insensible to this benefaction." "The Apostle reminded St. Timothy of this mystery, indicating to him an inexhaustible subject for conversations with the faithful. At the same time, he gave him a powerful weapon for their moral correction, as if saying: reject mercilessly everything inconsistent with this, as falsehood or an admixture of falsehood" (Bishop Theophan).

Timothy and all pastors of the Church appointed by him must preserve it unchanged. This mystery consists in this: God accepted human flesh. In His life on earth He received from the Spirit of God an irrefutable testimony to His messianic and divine dignity, being justified in the Spirit. Then, as the God-man, He appeared to the heavenly Angels and was proclaimed to all the nations of the earth. By the latter He was received with faith as Savior, and by the former He was received, after the Ascension, as King, coming in all His majesty. Thus the Incarnation of the Son of God and His reception by heaven and earth is the great mystery on which our piety and our salvation are founded. Consequently, it is the restoration and complete reconciliation of heaven and earth under one dominion (compare Eph. 1:10). This mystery requires zealous guardians.

For the epistle contains important and detailed instructions. On the contrary, they were to serve as consolation for him in the sorrow that this very fullness and detail of instruction might have caused. Seeing this, St. Timothy might have thought: surely my dear father and beloved teacher will not return. Thinking this, he might have begun to grieve. To prevent such thought and such sorrow, the Apostle assures him: I write these things not as a farewell testament, but I hope soon to return to you myself. St. Chrysostom says: "Lest, by giving him instruction concerning such matters, he cast the disciple into grief, the Apostle says: I do not write this because I will no longer come to you. On the contrary, I will come. But if it happens that I am delayed, he says, do not be crushed by this. Thus he writes this to Timothy in order to lighten his grief. As for the others, the Ephesians who would read the epistle, this served to rouse them from inactivity and make them more zealous. For his presence, even if only promised, could accomplish much."