Weekly message: Are
you the pillar holds the base of truth as the Church Rev.
Katherine Liu Bruce Christian Arts Ministries: Biblical Precepts & Gospel
Music 6/8/2019
Are
you the pillar holds the base of truth as the Church?
The Church’s one foundation is Christ Jesus
her Lord, the pillar supports the building and the base holds the pillar. The
house of God is the church of the living God, the pillar and base of the truth.
(1 Tim.3:15). Metaphoric speaking, the pillar supports the building, and the
base holds the pillar indicates that the church is such support and holding
base of the truth. Today, how can you approve that you as church (Elders,
Overseer, and Deacon) hold the base of the truth and approve that you are sons
of light, reflects His bright light and the image of God?
According
to Apostle Paul’s teaching in 1Timothy 3: 1-13, he appointed out the
qualification, characteristic, and responsibility of being overseers and
Deacons for the Church’s administration. He said,
Faith is the
word: if anyone aspires to the overseership, he desires a good work. The
overseer then must be without reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, of a sober mind, orderly,
hospitable, apt to teach; not an excessive drinker, not a striker, but gentle,
not contentious, not fond of money. One who manages well his own house, having
his children in subjection with all gravity. But if one does not know
how to manage his own house, how will he care for the church of God? Not a new
convert, lest being blinded with pride he fall into the judgment suffered by
the devil. And he also must have a good testimony from those outside that he
may not fall into reproach and the snares of the devil. (1Tim3:1-7)
In
Greek έπίσκοπον interprets as overseer, in Chinese days, “Jian-Du”, one who
watches over the welfare of others; (1) of Christ guardian, keeper (1Pet.2:25);
(2) of church leaders bishop, overseer, pastor (1Tim.3:2).[1] In
Greek word is composed of over and seer. An overseer in a local church is an
elder. (Acts20:17, 28). The two titles refer to the same person, elder indicating
a person of maturity, and overseer denoting the function of an elder. It was
Ignatius in the second century who taught that an overseer, a bishop, is higher
than an elder. From this erroneous teaching came the hierarchy of bishops,
archbishops, cardinals, and the pope. Also this teaching was the source of the
Episcopal system of ecclesiastical government. Both the hierarchy and the
system are abominable in the eyes of God.[2]
Apostle
Paul’s perspective of being an overseer (έπίσκοπον,elder, Jian-Du), ten
characteristic as follows,
He must 1) Keep in a simple and pure married
life, the husband of one wife. Free from the tangle of a complicated and
confused marriage. This demands a strong self-controlled, moderate. 2) A strong
restraining of the temper. 3) Yielding, approachable, mild, reasonable. 4) Considerate
in dealing with others, without strictness. 5) Not a drunkard. 6) Not violent
but gentle. 7) Not quarrelsome but
peaceable. 8) An elder must be
pure in matters related to money; for money is a test to all men, especially
since the church fund is under the elders’ management (Acts11:30). 9) An elder
must be right with himself, with his family, with the church and with those
outside-the society. And according to the context, an elder must be right in
intention, in motive, in character, in attitude, in word and in deeds. 10)
A new convert cannot be an elder, for he may fall into the judgment suffered by
the devil is due to the pride of the elder himself, falling into the snare of
the devil is occasioned by the reproach from the outsiders. An elder should be
alert not to be proud, on the other, that he may avoid the devil’s
entanglement.
Apostle
Paul also points out the qualification of Deacons in 1Tim3:8-13,
Deacons must
similarly be grave, not double tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for base gain; holding the
mystery of the faith in a pure conscience. And these also must first be proved; then let them minister if they
are unreprovable. Women similarly
must be grave, not slanderers, temperate, faithful in all things. Deacons must
be husbands of one wife, managing
their children and their own houses well. For those who have
ministered well obtain for themselves a good standing and much boldness in
faith, which is in Christ Jesus. (1Tim.3:8-13)
“Deacons”
in Chinese literary says, “Zhi-Shi` ” he must 1) not double tongues, when the
deacons contact and serve the saints in the church, may easily be
double-tongued, in being this, he lives out the nature of the devil and brings
death into the church life. For a serpent is double-tongued.
2) Not addicted to wine, for being addicted to
wine is a sign of being unable to control oneself. A deacon in the local church
service must exercise self-control in a full way.
3)
Deacon must the husband of one wife.
4)
Women deacons must not slanderers, for slanderers are same as double-tongued,
which demonstrate the nature of the devil and corrupt the church life.
5) A
deacon should not see gain from his rendering of service to the saints. To seek
such gain is to be greedy for base gain. As 1Tim.6:5-6 states, “perpetual wrangling of men corrupted in mind
and deprived of the truth, supposing godliness to be a means of gain. But
godliness with contentment is great gain.” The word “gain” refers mainly to the blessings in this age-godliness
plus self-sufficiency and the ability to dispense with greediness and the cares
of this age. A deacon shall not has an unhealthy interest in controversies and
quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil
suspicions and constant friction between men of corrupt mind, who have been
robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial
“gain”. In contrast to the material gain of the heretics (v.5), the Christian
finds his gain of a nonfinancial sort, godliness and contentment. Or
self-sufficiency, which results from an inner satisfaction with the situation
that God has ordained for him.
Apostle Paul emphasized that both position in
the church an elder (overseer) and deacon require reliability of managing
money, fund or property.(Acts11:30). And they shall not think that godliness is
a means to financial “gain”. In contrast to the material gain of the heretics,
the Christian finds his gain of a nonfinancial sort, godliness and contentment.
Or self-sufficiency, which results from an inner satisfaction with the
situation that God has ordained for him.
The Church’s one foundation is Christ Jesus
her Lord, the pillar supports the building and the base holds the pillar. (1
Tim.3:15). The church is such support and holding base of the truth. “Truth” in
1 Tim.3:15 indicate to the real things revealed in the New Testament concerning
Christ and the church according to God’s New Testament economy. The church is
the supporting pillar and holding case of all these realities. Church should be
such a building that holds, bears, and testifies the truth, the reality of
Christ and the church.
My friends, as servant of God, and body of
Christ, we are the supporting pillar and have responsibility to hold the base
of the truth. To be the pillar we all have to give accountability to Heavenly
Father in that day. And we all will face Christ’s judgment of our work, deeds,
word, conducts and testimony. Are you the overseers or Deacons in
your church? How can you approve that you are trustworthy and handle the money
in pure manner? How can you gain the trust from your congregation? May the Word
of God purifies our hearts, deeds, and work! And to be a good example for each
other, for we all are the sons of light reflects His image and like clay in the hand of the potter. (Jer.18:6).
Bibliography,
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[1] Timothy
Friberg, Barbara Friberg, and Neva F. Miller et al., eds. Analytical Lexicon
of the Greek New Testament.1st ed. (Victoria BC: Trafford
Publishing, 2005),167
[2] Witness Lee. The New Testament (R.V.) (Anaheim,
CA: Living Stream Ministry, 1985),978
