The Apostle Paul is writing to Timothy. There were most tender links existing between the elder and younger man. Timothy was Paul’s son in the faith. He had led him to the knowledge of the Saviour (1 Tim. 1:18; 2 Tim. 2:1). Doubtless the early teaching of godly mother and grandmother played its part in the blessing of God that came to Timothy. Further, Paul, writing to the Philippian assembly, could say of Timothy, “I have no man like-minded, who will naturally cure for your state” (Phil. 2:20).
It was to no novice that Paul wrote, but one well matured in the truth, one who shared the Apostle’s thoughts and exercises more closely and fully than any.
And yet Paul could write to him as to behaving or conducting himself in the House of God. Surely if this was so, it behoves us to pay great attention to the advice that Paul gave to Timothy—advice not only from one older and more experienced in the things of God, but the advice of the Holy Spirit of God, for the Apostle wrote as under the inspiration of God. No advice could have been more lofty in its character, more helpful in every way.
Romans is the great foundation epistle, and deals with us as individuals in our relation to God. In it we learn to behave ourselves as individuals. If we fail to do that we shall not be able to behave ourselves in a collective character. The House of God gives the collective character of things for there we are the dwelling place of God on earth.
The trainer of colts does not begin by putting them into double harness. They have to learn to behave themselves in single harness. Till they have learned to behave in single harness, no attempt will be made to teach them how to act in double harness. As individuals we have to learn the serious nature of sin, the weakness of the law, that there is no control of self that way, the power of the gospel to salvation, the judgment of the flesh, as witnessed by our baptism, the walking in “newness of life,” the Spirit of God being the only power whereby this can be accomplished.
But whilst learning how to control ourselves according to Romans, we are also placed in relation one to another, and we find ourselves in the House of God. What an immense privilege this is! The believer is in the House of God, and always there. It covers not only our conduct in the assembly when in function, but it stretches out in all our lives, covering our conduct in every sphere, domestically, spiritually, in our contact with the world.
That is seen in the instructions to the bishop or overseer. He is to be able to rule his own house well, for if he cannot do that, he is not fit to rule or guide in the Church of God. So our behaviour in our own houses is part of our behaviour in the House of God. Then the overseer is to have a good report of them that are without. That is to see his deportment in business in contact with tradespeople, with men and women as he comes in contact with them in the ordinary intercourses of life is to be such as to commend him as a Christian. Of course it is possible to be acceptable to worldly people by being worldly oneself. But where a Christian man or woman has to do with the world, whilst maintaining his or her true Nazariteship, such conduct should be theirs as to commend Christianity.
The House of God is not a building that we can enter and leave, but consists of God’s people on the earth. That House is the Church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. The pillar is for proclamation: the ground or base of the truth is the maintenance of the truth practically. We have the whole truth of God in the Scriptures. How far do we proclaim it, how far do we uphold it in practice? Alas! We must look at the Church as a whole and failure is written upon everything. We are naturally apt to look on the little section of Christians we walk with as being the whole and applying everything to ourselves, and often with much complacency that the facts of Church history do not warrant. Our only right attitude is one of brokenness in a day of ruin. Thank God, truth does not alter, but unless we behave ourselves in the House of God, the pillar of testimony will be defective, and instead of holding all the truth of God in true balance we may err as to the ground of the truth, for we repeat it is here the House of God that is the ground of the truth, believers in association with each other.
For instance, take the truth of the one Body of Christ, Christ the glorified Head in heaven, believers the members on the earth. How far has the Church been the pillar and ground of that truth? If it had, then ALL Christians would be walking together in the truth of it. But what is written on the pillar? We find Roman Catholics, Greek Churches, State Churches such as Lutheran in Germany, Zwinglian in Switzerland, National Establishment in this country, the Free Churches so-called, and saddest of all, the truth must be told, that saints separated from systems and professing to carry out the truth of the one body are broken and divided into fragments, and instead of being a witness to the truth of the one body, they are a witness to the ruin of the church more than most.
And yet in spite of this we rejoice to see many spirit-filled lives of men and women, who are seeking to serve the Lord in many ways. We see Christian men and women in associations that are not scriptural, and yet acting in a spirit beyond their associations. It is delightful to meet such. Think of the army of missionaries, who give themselves to the conversion of the heathen and their edification, their building up in Christ, after they are converted.
What then are we to do in this day of ruin? How does Paul seek to help Timothy? It is most significant that he does not elaborate a set of rules, or even give instructions as to right deportment and ways in the church of God. How does he give advice?
He presents Christ to him in a most remarkable and profound way. 1 Timothy 3:16 is one of the great outstanding verses of the Bible. In its contemplation we are lifted far above smallness or pettiness. He speaks of PERFECTION, and sets before Timothy the only perfection that has ever been seen on this earth. He speaks of Christ, the Mystery of godliness. Till His life was lived on earth the perfection of godliness, the acme of piety was never seen. Christ unrolled that before the eyes of those who cared to look and ponder. Still more, the record, the inimitable account of that wonderful life is preserved for us in those four little pamphlets, the Gospels according to Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. How much is packed in those four evangelists, sufficient to occupy a lifetime, nay an eternity, of adoring contemplation.
It reminds one of one’s early school days, when we first learned to write. The exercise book was placed before us. There was the copperplate head-line for us to copy. We did our best to copy the head-line. But when we came to write the second line, instead of copying the head-line, childlike, we copied our own copy. Thus we went all down the page copying our copies, instead of always keeping our eye on the head-line.
May we say it reverently, Christ is our Head-line? Paul’s recipe for behaving ourselves in the House of God is that we see in HIM what true and full godliness is, and that we should seek by the Spirit’s enabling to be like Him. If I behave in the House of God in this way, then I shall indeed behave myself.
In Christ God was manifest, “manifest in the flesh,”—“the mystery of godliness.” Godliness is surely being like God in our ways. There is of course an infinite distance between ourselves and Christ. He was and ever is GOD. But His manhood was perfect, and it is outlined most wonderfully in the four Evangelists, and we are exhorted to follow in His steps (1 Peter 2:21).
Then we read that the Lord was “justified in the Spirit.” Every word He spoke, every step He took, every action He performed, nay His every hidden thoughts, were all pleasing to God, His Father. To each thought, word and deed the Holy Spirit could say, AMEN. It comes as a challenge. Can the Holy Spirit say AMEN to all I think, say and do? It is good to challenge our hearts and consciences as to this, and to seek grace to keep our eyes on the Head-line.
Our Lord was “seen of angels.” What a sight was theirs! To see “GOD manifest in the flesh” was wonderful and strange to their gaze. To see perfect Manhood displaying itself to God’s infinite delight was indeed a lesson to them—one Object on earth utterly pleasing.
It is possible that we are very unaware of the great part that angels play in connection with us. We are told in Ephesians 3:9 that the manifold wisdom of God is seen in the church by principalities and powers in heavenly places. Surely this embraces the angelic hierarchy. What do the angels see in me? may well be an arresting thought. Alas! what pettiness and crookedness they must see.
Christ was “preached to the Gentiles.” Not in His lifetime surely, but the testimony to Him brought many Gentiles to acknowledge Him as Lord. Is this not a hint and more than a hint that a Christian with His eye on the Head-line must be earnest in the gospel? He will catch the spirit of Christ, who preached the gospel to the poor, healed the broken-hearted, preached deliverance to the captives, recovered sight to the blind, and set at liberty the bruised.
“Received up into glory.” Glory was where our blessed Lord found Himself at the end of a faithful life, and this is the end too for His own. It is good to walk in the light of the future. “The path of the just is as the shining light, that shines more and more to the perfect day” (Prov. 4:18). It is sweet to see an aged Christian, nearing the celestial city, ripening, maturing, softening, broadening in his sympathies as the little squabbles of earth fade, and the realities of the heavenly land with their wonder and sweetness fill his soul. May these be the lines we go upon.
Let us have grace to keep our eyes on the gracious, glorious Head-line, and thus influenced in ten thousand ways by Christ we shall learn how to behave ourselves in the House of God.