1 Timothy 3:15Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

But the Church is the ground of the truth. Everything accomplished in her is true, not figurative, as was the case in the Church under the Law. Instead of bells, she has brilliant preaching. Instead of precious adornments and sacred vestments, she has a most glorious life, rich in inward fruits. Her High Priest is the Son of God. Her great sacrifice is His Divine Body.

Honor, love, and proclaim the holy Church, your mother, as the heavenly Jerusalem, the holy city of God. She is the one who, in faith, bears fruit and increases throughout the whole world, as you have already heard. The Church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of truth, endures the wicked in the communion of the mysteries. At the end they must be separated from her. Even now she distances herself from them through the incompatibility of their morals with her.

By the phrase "house of God" he means the assembly of believers. For this reason he then uses the word "which." It means: this assembly is the Church of the ever-existing and all-working God. It is the assembly of those who have dedicated themselves to the true God, in contrast to the gods of the impious. Those gods are dead. They do not exist, they are inactive, and they are false.

"The pillar and foundation of the truth."

He says of the Church that she is the pillar of the universe and the pillar of the true faith. She is the foundation and confirmation of faith through works, for works serve as the confirmation of faith.

It stands without the article, precisely as an apposition to what precedes. If it were being connected with what follows, one would have to say ο στύλος, as later: το της εύς. μυσρήριον. All the Fathers of the Church referred the words "pillar and ground of the truth" to the Church. But what do these words mean? The Apostle Paul here calls the Church the house of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. This house of God is not only the place where the glory of God appears, or His dwelling, as the Jerusalem temple was. It is the true building of God, or better, the Body of God, both in the whole and in its parts. It is permeated, enlivened, and knit together by the Spirit of God (Eph. 2:19-22), founded on Jesus Christ, and having the same Christ as its Head. This Church is not only a visible external assembly of people who believe in Christ. She is not only a society of Christians, but something more. She is an invisible spirit, unanimity, faith, teaching, and all else that binds them both to one another and to their Head, Christ. This Church is properly the pillar and ground of the truth. In this spirit and in this teaching, handed down in the Church from age to age, lies the foundation of truth. It remains unchanged in essence, though varied in external form. Or better, it is truth itself. This truth is expressed in the mysteries and divine worship of the Church, which are performed unchangeably according to apostolic Tradition. This truth is preserved by the unbroken succession of the Apostles' successors, the hierarchs.

This lofty and divine property of the Church follows directly from the concept given by the holy Apostle Paul. She is the house of the living God, or of God living in her. Or, to put it another way, she is God's possession and inheritance. In her the Lord God deems men worthy of a special, most intimate, and living communion with Himself, though it is mysterious.

Such a society, taken in its fullness, can be infallible as God Himself is infallible. Yet individual persons at particular times may err and waver. The Lord, who lives and acts in the Church, attains His purposes in her without 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 view? How is it explained, and how is it exposed? Protestant theologians suppose that the words "pillar and foundation of the truth" should be referred not to the preceding words, "the Church of the living God," but to the opening words of the following verse. They read the whole passage in this way: "The pillar and foundation of the truth, and confessedly great is the mystery of piety, consists in this, that God was manifested in the flesh," and so forth.

The aim of this distorted reading is to avoid calling the Church of Christ the pillar and foundation of the truth. For with this title one must plainly acknowledge her infallibility. Protestant communities, though they call themselves Christian, do not confess this dogma, and they reject the authority of Church tradition.

In this case, the only way to discover the truth is to compare the oldest 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 interpreted by the Fathers of the Church unanimously, exactly as it is in the Orthodox Church.

The context itself also shows that the words "pillar" and "foundation" are naturally joined in the Apostle's thought to the preceding concept of the house. The building of a house cannot do without a foundation and various pillars.

Finally, the fact that in the Greek original the word στύλος, "pillar," stands in this passage without the article shows that, according to the character of the Greek dialect, it is used adjectivally. It is therefore a defining word for the preceding term. Thus: what is the house of God, or the Church of the living God? The pillar and foundation of the truth.

This Church is not only an assembly of believers. She is also the spirit, unanimity, and faith that bind them to one another and to Christ. The house of God is the Church of God living in it. Therefore God, as living, cares for order in His own society.

The comparison of the Church to a pillar supporting the roof of a building, and to the stronghold on which the building stands, shows her greatness and indestructible firmness. It also shows her complete security. Therefore the truth entrusted to her will remain eternal, as the Church herself remains eternal.

"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 sure and unalterable pledge 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 life-giving principle. Through 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, as the new interpreter P. Polyansky says, the Apostle presents the Church from three sides. With respect to worship, the Church is the house of God. With respect to the rebirth of each man and of all humanity, she is the Church of the living God, who communicates this life to mankind. With respect to doctrine, the Apostle calls the Church the pillar and foundation of the truth. In this respect the Church is the treasury of truth for all ages and all nations.

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 afterward was revealed not only to them, but also to men of every place and time.

Let us therefore live in accordance with the dignity of this mystery. If a king entrusted some secret to us, would we not regard it as a sign of great favor toward us? Let us tremble that we remain insensible to this benefaction.

The Apostle reminded St. Timothy of this mystery, pointing him to an inexhaustible subject for conversations with the faithful. At the same time, he gave him a powerful weapon for their moral correction, as though saying: reject mercilessly everything inconsistent with this, as falsehood or an admixture of falsehood.

“In the words, ‘I hope to come’ and ‘but if I delay,’ the Apostle reveals ignorance, because speaking in this way is proper to one who does not know,” says Saint Chrysostom.

Saint Paul, like all the Apostles, acted zealously and tirelessly in fulfilling the work laid upon him. He formed plans and considered means. But at the same time he surrendered both the course of the work and success in it to the will of God. To every step he planned he added, “If by the will of God I am prospered.”

He entrusted everything to God’s guidance, which could give an entirely different direction to his movement than the one he thought to take, as he had already experienced more than once. “Therefore, since he was led by the Spirit in all things and did nothing by his own will among the things he did, he spoke so indecisively,” says Saint Chrysostom.

Blessed Theodoret writes, “Neither the divine Prophets nor the God-wise Apostles foresaw everything. What was useful, the grace of the Spirit revealed to them. This is also shown by the ignorance expressed in the Apostle’s present words. Having said, ‘I hope to come,’ he added, ‘but if I delay.’ For often some need, or a notification from above, detained him. Therefore he says, ‘I write this, teaching how those entrusted with care for others must conduct themselves,’ because by the house of God and the Church he meant the assembly of believers.”

“How one ought to conduct oneself,” αναστρεφεσθαι, means how to behave, how to carry oneself in relation to others, and how to act upon them, “in the house of God,” that is, in the Church or society of believers.

A shepherd shepherds. What kind of shepherd is one who does not shepherd? His work is to be among those pastured and to act: to teach, edify, correct, console, sober, protect, and “order the Church,” says Ambrosiaster, or the flock of believers. The Apostle’s instructions now are directed to this.

What was said before this is, as it were, a preface to the instructions that follow. The house of God, the Church of the living God, is the society of believers.

God is everywhere, but in the Church He is in a special way. He is within each of the believers, and through this also in their whole assembly, not outwardly but inwardly. He gives life to all, animates all, and unites them both with one another and all with Himself.

God the Father promised, “I will dwell in them and walk among them,” 2 Cor 6:16. God the Son assured us, “Behold, I am with you all the days,” cf. Mt 28:20. Of the Holy Spirit testimony is given: “You are the temple of God, and the Spirit of God dwells in you,” cf. 1 Cor 3:16.

The tri-hypostatic God, living and creating, dwells in the assembly of believers, in the body of the Church. The Savior revealed this mystery when He said, “I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you,” Jn 14:20. Let us add from other places: by the grace and action of the Holy Spirit.

“Do not say that people gathered the Church. She is God’s work, the work of the living and fearful God, not of dead and powerless gods, such as the gods of the Greeks,” says blessed Theophylact.

“She is ordered by God, dedicated to God, and has God dwelling in herself,” says Oecumenius.

But the Church also has God dwelling in herself in a special way, not as a material house has its owner. Such a house is not in union with the one living in it, nor does it feel how he lives. But the Church, given life by the God Who dwells in her, is joined to Him by a living union. She feels Him living in herself, and feels also that she lives by Him. Therefore she is more truly His house.

God makes Himself a house out of souls, turning them to Himself, purifying, sanctifying, and filling them. Filling all with Himself, He joins all into one, both the living and the departed, holding all in living unity with one another.

This Church is the pillar and ground of the truth. For she is the Church of the living God, Who is the God of truth, or Truth itself. Therefore everything in her is true. The confession of faith is true; sanctification by the mysteries is true; grace bestowed is true; life according to God, created by God in her, is true; God’s help is true; the promises that give life to those who labor in the house of God are true.

Everything in her is true, and do not seek truth anywhere else. There are certain likenesses of truth outside her, but real truth is only in her. Rejoice and bless God, Who makes truth present in the Church, and Who has made you a partaker of His truth and a fellow initiate of it.

The words “pillar and ground” express the firmness, immutability, and unchangeableness of the truth. But the Church is an assembly of men, who are usually changeable. How, then, is she the pillar and stronghold of the truth?

The Church is such as the house of the living God, the One Who alone is true, and as a union of men made divine. The true sons of the Church are men, but not as merely men. All men, because of the fall, are not true men. Those who enter the Church become true men by the grace of God.

Truth takes up its dwelling in their whole being. Therefore from them should proceed only truth. The living and true God Who dwells in them accomplishes all this.

The Church is the pillar of truth as standing firmly and unshakably in the truth and preserving it. She is the ground of truth as the one who brings rest to minds when they are troubled by an intruding falsehood.

Therefore one is obliged to regard as true what the whole Church holds, and to resolve arising perplexities by the voice of the Church, expressed through a council of pastors.

Our interpreters, among other things, carry through here the thought that the holy Christian Church is truth in relation to the Old Testament Church, in which everything was her shadow.

Blessed Theophylact writes, “The Church is the habitation of truth. For everything performed in her is true, not shadow-like, allegorical, or typological, as was what existed in the Church under the Law. Instead of bells, she has the bright-shining preaching. Instead of costly adornments of the sacred garments, she has a most glorious life, rich in inward fruits. Her high priest is the Son of God. Her great sacrifice is His divine Body.” This is abridged from Saint Chrysostom and Oecumenius.