The Order of the House: 1 Timothy 2-6

1 Timothy 2‑6  •  2 min. read  •  grade level: 10
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(Chapters 2-6)
In order for Timothy to present the order of the house to the saints, he needed to have a good understanding of it himself. Paul wrote this epistle for that very purpose. He said, “These things write I unto thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly: but if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how one ought to conduct oneself in God’s house” (chap. 3:14-15). This being the case, in chapters 2-6, Paul sets before Timothy the order of the house and the proper conduct suited to each sphere in it. The three spheres of privilege and responsibility in the house of God—priesthood, office, and gift—are taken up one at a time, and the due order for each is carefully outlined. Timothy was then to use this pattern as his guide in leading the saints in a line of conduct that would be suited to the house.
In a similar way, Ezekiel was given the pattern of God’s house for the coming millennial kingdom of Christ. He was to “show” the “pattern” of the house to "the house of Israel," to the end that they would be “ashamed of their iniquities” (Ezek. 43:1010Thou son of man, show the house to the house of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities: and let them measure the pattern. (Ezekiel 43:10)). By discovering what God’s order was for His house, the people of Israel were to learn how far off they had gotten from God's ideal, and it would produce repentance in them. The Lord not only wanted Ezekiel to “show” the people the pattern of the house; he also wanted the people to “measure” it for themselves. Measuring would suggest having something more than an intellectual understanding of truth of God's house. It would be something deeper, involving a personal acquaintance with this truth. This is an exercise that we all need to have in connection with God's house today.