Question: Would you please explain 1 Timothy 5:24, 25? J. W.
Answer: Paul’s first letter to Timothy is mainly directions for the ordering of the Assembly. He was delegated by the Apostle to appoint the necessary elders and deacons. The above verses are part of his instructions.
Verse 23 is a parenthesis given on account of his carefulness of habits, while his physical condition needed more than water.
Verse 22. He is told to lay hands suddenly on no man, lest he should identify himself with another man’s sins. He was to keep himself pure.
Verse 24. Some men’s sins could be seen at once, and so could be condemned or judged, while others were more hidden, but come out in the end, and they cannot escape the eye of God. It was the same with good works; with some they are all seen on the surface, while others leave it to somebody else to tell. Timothy was thus taught not to be hasty in receiving or appointing any.
This is practical for us also, to keep from haste in receiving with open arms those we do not know except on their own testimony, and so prevent us from bringing trouble on ourselves, or into the gathering to the name of the Lord Jesus.
Question: What is the house of God? U. A. N.
Answer: The house of God with Israel was first the tabernacle in the wilderness, and then the temple in the land, built at Jerusalem. Since then no building or meeting place is called in Scripture, the house of God. It is now composed of people (Eph. 2:22).
It was when Christ was glorified, and the Holy Spirit was sent down as promised (John 7:39; 14:16, 17; 15:26; 16:7, 13), that this came to pass at Pentecost. (Acts 2:1, 33.) From this on, each believer was sealed with the Holy Spirit (Eph. 1:13), and all believers are thus baptized into the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:27), and are thus members of the body of Christ, and members one of another (Rom. 12:4, 5). This is the only membership Scripture knows for believers, and is called the church, which is His body (Eph. 1:22, 23).
The other aspect of the church, as the dwelling place of God by the Spirit, is called the house of God. (1 Tim. 3:15). It is the church, or Assembly of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.
The one hundred and twenty gathered in the upper room at Jerusalem became this house when the Holy Spirit came down and filled the house where they were sitting. In this aspect of the church, men are its caretakers. They are responsible for its building and order, as we see in Paul and others (1 Cor. 3:10). They build it by their teachings, and baptism done in the name of the Lord, and as we go into its history we find, what always happens with anything committed to men, failure comes in and wrong material is introduced; wood, hay, stubble, is built in as well as gold, silver, precious stones. The foundation is right, but the builders have gone wrong (1 Cor. 3:11, 12-17). We find its ruined condition spoken of in 2 Timothy, 2 Peter, Jude, 2 Thessalonians, Revelation 2nd, 3rd chapters. And such parables in Matthew as “the tares,” “the man without the wedding garment,” and “the five foolish virgins,” illustrated its mixture. Then judgment will fall upon the rest after the Lord has come and taken all who were truly converted out of it. What is left behind will be Babylon (Rev. 17), and to this state it is fast hastening (Rev. 18:4).
At the present time 2 Timothy 2 compares it to “A great house,” a mixture of good and bad, and in great confusion. The believer is called to walk in a clean path (Ver. 21), and to follow righteousness, faith, love, peace, with those who call on the Lord sincerely (Ver. 22), and is thus meet for the master’s use.
Though the church, the house of God, has fallen into such ruin, God has not forsaken it. He still dwells down here (Eph. 2:22), and all the privileges of it remain for faith to use and enjoy.
Two or three can have the presence of Christ in their midst, if they are truly gathered to His name (Matt. 18:20). We still have the Word of God for our upbuilding, comfort, and guidance; and the Holy Spirit ever delights to teach us, and to unfold to us, the deep things of God (1 Cor. 2:10, 12). We cannot set up the church anew, but we can walk in obedience to God’s Word.