Church Life is Shaped by the Gospel (1 Timothy 3:14-17)

In 1 Timothy 3:14-17, we see that the churches life is shaped by the Gospel.  

Church life is shaped by obeying God’s Word.  Verse 14 tells us why Paul was writing, so that Timothy, and the church, might know how to have things in order. Paul isn’t wiring advice from one friend to another, he’s writing Scripture as an Apostle. And we must listen and obey. A Gospel shaped church is a church that knows the Bible, and preaches, prays and sings the Bible, a church that obeys the Bible and is shaped by the Bible. A church that will compare what the world says and what the Word says and follow the Word no matter what the personal, corporate or cultural cost. A church shaped by the Gospel is a church shaped by the Bible.

A Gospel shaped church remembers their standing before God. Paul describes the church as the household of God, the church of the living God. What a mess we get into when we forget that the church is about God and not about us! When our preferences and our desires take precedence over the designs and desires of God. There are all sorts of good things that the Church can be doing, all sorts of things that people within the church think it probably should be doing, but since it’s God’s household, He needs to be the One who has the final say. The church is the pillar and buttress, or support, of truth. God’s truth, not our truth. A Gospel shaped church remembers it’s place before God.

And finally a church shaped by the Gospel will be filled with people who know Jesus. It seems as though Paul changes subjects or gets confused here doesn’t it? He says ‘great indeed is the mystery of godliness,’ and then starts talking about a person. But godliness is simply knowing and growing in your relationship with Jesus, and this only really happens in the midst of a local church. So Paul doesn’t change the subject from church, to godliness to Jesus. Those three are one! We need to know the Jesus who walked on the Earth, the greatest and most real man there ever was. We need to know the Jesus who was vindicated at His baptism and in every miracle by the Spirit of God. We must believe in the glorious Jesus who was seen by angles, and who has been believed upon in the world as the Gospel spreads, the Jesus who will return from Heaven just as He arrived there. The Gospel shaped church doesn’t believe in a safe Jesus, a plastic Jesus, a Jesus who above all just wants us to be happy, a Jesus with perfect hair. The church that has it’s life shaped by the Gospel believes in the Jesus of the Bible.

Church Leaders are Shaped by the Gospel (1 Tim 3:1-13)

First Timothy is Paul’s instruction manual for church life, and Christian life. First Timothy shows us what lives ruined and rebuilt by the Gospel look like.1 Timothy 3:15 tells us that Paul wants to remind Timothy, and us, how to behave in the household of God. He had hoped to come and see Timothy sooner, but hadn’t been able to. What a blessing we’d have missed if Paul’s travel plans had remained intact! He’s already taught us about how to deal with false teachers, he’s taught us about the different roles that men and women have in the church, and now he’s going to teach us about what leading and living in the church itself looks like. Verses 1-13 tell us that the churches leaders must be shaped by the Gospel, and verses 14-17 tell us that church life is shaped by the Gospel.

The first two sections of chapter three deal with overseers, or pastors, and deacons. It’s pretty clear that the early church had a structure much the same as the one we use. Of course our deacons don’t do exactly the same thing as Timothy’s did, but the principles are the same. In verse one Paul says that this saying is ‘trustworthy,’ that’s his way of saying ‘pay attention, listen up at the back, this is important.’ Then he lists the standards for Pastors, and the standards for Deacons. The lists for the two are much the same apart from one difference, verse 2 says Pastors must be able to teach. They have to, morally and intellectually, be able to handle the Bible and explain what it says. Deacons don’t have to do that, although at Trinity we’re blessed with Deacons who are able to teach as well as their normal responsibility.

The men who lead the church must live lives shaped by the Gospel. In verses 2-5 and verse 8, we see they must meet a high moral standard. It’s a noble task, and we can’t just slouch our way into it. They must be ‘above reproach,’ they must be a one woman man. They must be dignified and disciplined, not violent, or argumentative, or greedy for money. Essentially, he must stand out from the world. When the world is angry, he must be calm, when the world is basking in immorality, he must be loyal to his wife, when the world is obsessed with the dollar, he must be obsessed with purity.

Overseers and deacons must also prove that they believe the faith. This sounds obvious, but if Paul included it in both lists, in verses 6 and 9 then it must have been an issue for Timothy. It’s certainly been an issue for the global church in the past. Overseers obviously must believe what they are to teach, but deacons too, even though they are not required to teach must hold fast to the truth.

These men who lead the church must also be a good example to those around them. Verses 4 and 12 teach us that church leaders need to lead their own households well. Their wives and children should be in church and growing in the faith, as far as it depends on them. Paul’s logic is obvious, if a man can’t lead his own house, what chance has he got of leading God’s house well? These men should be well thought of by outsiders. A church can’t grow if it’s leadership is setting a bad example. A church can’t grow if the man leading it isn’t well thought of. Why would be come to that man’s church? When we do these things well, we’re given great assurance of our faith. When we don’t fall into disgrace, when they serve well, they have a great reason for believing that their faith is growing, and that their lives are shaped by the Gospel.