The Church is the Pillar and the Ground of Truth

By Andrew M. Connally

 "The church is the pillar and the ground of the truth," (I Timothy 3:14-15).  This passage along with countless others testifies to the obligation of the congregations of God's people to maintain His Truth.  It demands the militancy of the church.  It authorized its polemic power.  Far too few Christians have even understood or accepted such a role for the church.  The church has a "war-like spirit," as far as error is concerned.  She is "controversial in nature" when her enemies are faced.  She wages constant, incessant war with all the forces of evil.

 This phrase "pillar and ground of the truth" has been translated in various ways over the years.  Yet, always the idea of strength, support and defense of God's truth shows forth.  Let us notice a few such translations: "the pillar and foundation of the truth,"  ".and support of the truth," ".and buttress of the truth," ".and bulwark of the truth," ".and mainstay of the truth," ".and stay-the prop and support of the Truth," ".and the base of that is true," ".and foundation upon which the truth rests."  With such being true is it any wonder that God commands His children to "contend earnestly for the faith, which was once for all delivered to the saints."

 While our permissive society has greatly contributed to our unconcern, lukewarmness, mediocrity and general indifference concerning the truth and our stand concerning it, we feel there is still a more basic reason than this.  That is, so many do not understand the source and basis of religious truth and further, they do not understand the church's role as defender and propagator of that truth.  They view the church as an insipid stepchild to other organizations greatly in need of their help if the church is to survive.  The "All-Sufficiency" of the church has not entered their minds not do they live in view of this glorious concept!

Jesus Christ Our Completeness

 Jesus Christ is the fullness of an Omnipotent, Omniscient and Omnipresent God.  He is the "fullness of the Godhead," and the Christian's completeness.  Paul affirms, "For in Him all the fullness of deity dwells in bodily form, and in Him you have been made complete." Hence, Jesus is "not a partial revelation, but complete; not a partial indwelling of God, but full.  All the power, wisdom and knowledge of God; all the love, mercy, tenderness of God; all of God's hatred of sin and wickedness; all the fullness of deity summed up in Him."  Absolutely nothing is lacking in any was whatsoever!  Christ is what God is.

 Jesus Christ is the channel through which all blessings flow.  "Every spiritual blessing" is found in Him (Ephesians 1:3).  The mysteries have been revealed, (Ephesians 1:8-10).  Jesus has the preeminence and glory in all things for He is their creator, (Colossians 1:16-17).  He existed prior to them, (Colossians 1:16-17).  He is their sustainer, (Colossians 1:17).  In Him are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge hidden (Colossians 2:3).  He then becomes everything that the Christian needs now and forever!

The Christian Complete in Christ

 But more than this, in Christ the Christian is made full!  For "in Him you are made complete."  (Colossians 2:10).  Absolutely nothing is lacking nor can anything be supplied by another!  For "in Christ" we are a "new creation," (II Corinthians 5:17).  We were "dead," but now are we "alive in Him," (Ephesians 2:1-5).  All of our sins have been forgiven, in Him, (Ephesians 1:7).  In Him the Law has been done away (Colossians 2:14; Ephesians 2:14).  There is nothing to fear, either from philosophy or death (Col. 2:8, 2:15).  Jesus has bound the strong man, (Matt. 12:29), and destroyed his work, (I John 3:8), and brought to nought his power, (Hebrews 2:14-15; Rev. 1:18).

 Therefore, the Christian stands "complete-full" in Christ.  He has nothing to fear for no one or anything can add to his completeness in Christ.  Nothing in heaven or on earth can touch him, neither angels, principalities, powers, rulers or Satan himself has anything to offer us!  Christ is Lord!  The "fullness of God" and "in Him we are made full"!

The Church-The Fullness of Christ

 The church was in the eternal purpose of God, (Eph. 3:1-13).  The church is the "fullness of Christ" as Christ is "the fullness of God."  Hence "the church is the fullness of Him that filleth all in all" (Eph. 1:22-23).  Just as God has provided "every spiritual blessing" in Christ, (Eph. 1:3), and "summed up all things" in Him (Eph. 1:10) and the church is the fullness of Christ (Eph. 1:23), then, whatever God has provided in Christ is provided through the Church!  Every single provision made by God for the needs of man through Christ is realized in the church!

 The church contains all the "alive with Christ," (Eph. 2:1-10).  The church is all the body of the reconciled, (Eph. 2:11-18).  All the reconciled are in Christ and in the church.  Therefore, all out of Christ are out of the church and out of the reconciled, hence, they are lost!  The church is the temple of God, a habitation for God in the Spirit, (Eph. 2:19-22).

 Therefore, "unto Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever.  Amen," (Eph. 3:21).  The place of the church could be of no greater importance in our lives.  It's being in the eternal purpose of God stamps a lie to the pre-millennialists' theory of the church being a substitute or an after-thought.  The revealing of the mystery forever answers the false claims of Mormons and all other modern revelationists.  There is nothing to be revealed nor is there a vacuum to be filled.  All the good works prepared by God for us to walk in, in Christ, shows that Masonry or any club or fraternal order has nothing to offer the Christian, in order to make him full or complete.  The glory and honor belong to God and Christ "in the church."  Therefore, the church is sufficient to do everything God wants done on this earth, as far as salvation is concerned.

Jesus Christ-The Source

 Jesus Christ "came to seek and save the lost," (Luke 19:10).  He became the source, the only source of "salvation," (acts 4:12), "truth," (John 14:6), "light and life," (John 14:6).  Jesus established His church to do this very thing, (Matt. 16:18).  He died for this institution, (acts 20:28).  He empowered the church by the Great Commission to search the earth for honest men who desire salvation, (Mark 16: 15-16; Matt. 28:18-20).  The body of Christ, the church was to make men complete, (Eph. 1:22-23).  Its mission is to save the souls of men (Luke 24:45-49).  The only means of doing this is by evangelism.  But evangelism is accomplished by word and deed! The word of God and the deeds authorized by Him become the avenue of salvation.  The word convicts and converts, (Acts 9:5-12).  The righteous acts of the saints turn men to God, (Matt. 5:13-16).  God is the source of all truth and the church becomes the dispenser of truth among men, (I Tim. 3:15).

 Dearly Beloved, God is depending on you!  For we alone of all men have been entrusted with the unsearchable riches of Christ.  No other group, church or institution has been so endowed.  In a very real sense we are the only hope the world has.  For without us, and the truth we defend and proclaim - they Die!

 Therefore, the church and the "pillar and ground of the truth" is all sufficient to do all things necessary for the combating of all error in all generations throughout all time.  She is empowered to save souls and bring men to completeness in Christ that cannot be done in any way whatsoever, except through the church of the living God!