-Sometimes, you’re in a pickle. Or a pinch. You can’t be there physically, and since you’re better safe than sorry you might need to communicate something important via distance. Via some written form of communication. It’s not ideal, but in a pinch this’ll have to do. Albeit temporary. That was Paul’s situation precisely. There was a chance he was going to be delayed, he wasn’t going to be able to make it to be F2F (face-to-face) with his protege Timothy as quickly as he planned. In other words, for a temporary time being. So he is putting some things of import to pen. Or whatever preferred writing instrument was available to him in that day...
-Conduct in the house of God. God’s family, His people. The Greek word literally means to turn yourself (or something else) about. It’s God’s Hokey Pokey! It is how you conduct yourself, your manner of life, how you turn yourself about in the place/season wherein you are living. In this context, Paul has put Timothy (and those he appoints) in charge of helping this church in Ephesus, God’s household, learn His heavenly Hokey Pokey. And Timothy is the divinely appointed dance instructor. He needs to know (or be reminded of) the particulars of how life in the church should best be lived, how the church needs to function. So Paul’s end game here is to get some kind of church playbook into Timothy’s hands. He needs the user’s manual. And since those are usually written, Paul is not really on ground which is all that shaky.
-But Timothy definitely needed to have a user’s manual, cuz this was no small appliance. Not some modern day plug-and-play device like an iMac, something which will run itself or run through all the particulars of how to function automatically. We are talking about God’s family, the assembly of the living God. This is no Lions Club, no Rotary Club Auxiliary. We’re talking about a living and breathing heavenly entity comprised of many individual living and breathing entities. Unique entities all, destined for glory, wonderful impossibles, fearfully and wonderfully made, to be sure - altho admittedly sometimes you get more of the fearful and less of the wonderful. It’s the family of God, His children, the bride of Christ, on the path to glorious perfection yet full of warts and brokenness. Not yet perfect - yet God’s children nonetheless, precious and redeemed, of incomparable worth - this is indeed a lofty calling, both for those who stand before and lead and for all who belong. And as it is with any family, any household, there are rules of the house. There are do’s and don’ts. There are how-to’s and best practices for those who manage and for all who are members of this household.
-And to that end, this entity which we call the Church of the living God has been entrusted with the Truth of God. Both the guardians of Truth, and the conveyors thereof. Paul calls it the pillar and support of the truth. What exactly does he mean by that? Let not many of you become teachers (i.e. of God’s Truth) - there is a high standard, a high bar set in place for those who would teach God’s Word to His people (James 3.1). Any such teacher must be diligent both in learning and in communicating this Truth to others (2Timothy 2.15). Some suggest that God’s Truth might somehow fall were the Church to not otherwise support it - I don’t think that is what Paul is suggesting here. The Truth of God is eternal - revealed both in the words of Scripture as well as in the glories of the created universe (cf Romans 1.18-20). This is more about a lofty calling than about the potential frailty of Truth. To speak to others about God, to presume to instruct them and guide them in the ways of the Almighty, is truly a weighty and sobering prospect. Or ought to be. Because we are talking about ultimate realities and final destinies, eternal life and death. We are talking about the healthy and proper functioning of a lighthouse in the middle of a mother of a spiritual hurricane to end all hurricanes - a brilliant beacon of truth (AND love!) to a world adrift in darkness. Supporting truth and dispensing love - tangible expressions and confirmations of both, to our neighbors and to the nations. The stakes could be no greater, the call could be no higher. Bearing God’s truth, His love - His image - to the world. Best get real familiar with that User’s Manual...
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