1 Timothy 3:15

1 Timothy 3:15 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.
• New International Version (NIV)if I am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God’s household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth.
• English Standard Version (ESV)if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth.
• New King James Version (NKJV)but if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.

Context of 1 Timothy 3:15

13If a deacon serves God's people well, then people will respect him as a good person. He will become strong to tell people about his faith in Christ Jesus. 14I hope to come to visit you soon. But anyway, I want to write these things to you now. Then, even if I cannot come to you soon, you will know how people in God's family should live. That family is the church of God, who lives for ever. God's family, the church, teaches God's true message and keeps it safe. 16Yes, the message that God has shown us about Jesus Christ is very great. We all agree to this: God showed him to us as a man. God's Spirit showed that he always did what was right. Angels saw him. People taught his message in many countries of the world. People in the world believed in him. God took him up to be with himself in heaven.

1 Timothy 3:15 word by word

ἐὰν δὲ βραδύνω, ἵνα εἰδῇς πῶς δεῖ ἐν οἴκῳ θεοῦ ἀναστρέφεσθαι, ἥτις ἐστὶν ἐκκλησία θεοῦ ζῶντος, στῦλος καὶ ἑδραίωμα τῆς ἀληθείας.¶Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Butδέde · thenG1161
• ifἐάνean · ifG1437
• I tarry longβραδύνωbradunō · to delayG1019
• thatἵναhina · in order that/toG2443
• thou mayest knowεἴδωeidō · to perceive: understandG1492
• howπῶςpōs · how?!G4459
• thou oughtestδεῖdei · be necessaryG1163
• to behave thyselfἀναστρέφωanastrepho · to live/returnG390
• inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• the houseοἶκοςoikos · house: householdG3624
• of Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
• whichὅστιςhostis hētis ho6ti · who/whichG3748
• isεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• the churchἐκκλησίαekklēsia · assemblyG1577
• of the livingζάωzaō · to liveG2198
• the pillarστῦλοςstulos · pillarG4769
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• groundἑδραίωμαhedraiōma · foundationG1477
• of the truthὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• of the truthἀλήθειαalētheia · truthG225

Cross-references for 1 Timothy 3:15

• 1 Timothy 3:2For that reason, a leader of the church must live a life that everyone knows is good. He must be the husband of one wife. He must think seriously about how he lives and he must control himself well. He must be someone that people respect. He must be happy to have visitors in his home. He must be a good teacher.
• Deuteronomy 31:23Then the Lord made Joshua, the son of Nun, the new leader. He said to Joshua, ‘Be strong and very brave! You will lead the Israelites into the land that I have promised to give them. I will be with you to help you.’
• 1 Kings 2:2‘Soon I will die, as everyone must die one day. Be strong and brave, as a man should be.
• 1 Chronicles 22:13You will be successful, if you carefully obey the Lord's commands and rules. Those are the laws that the Lord gave to Moses for Israel. Be strong! Be brave! Do not be afraid, but continue to be strong!
• 1 Chronicles 28:9As for you, Solomon, my son, keep near to your father's God. Be happy to serve him faithfully in every way. The Lord knows what you are thinking. He understands all your thoughts. If you turn to him, you will find him. But if you turn away from him, he will leave you alone for ever.
• Acts 1:2Those are the things that Jesus did before God took him up into heaven. Jesus had chosen some men to be his apostles. With the power of the Holy Spirit he told them what they must do.
• Ephesians 2:21He makes the whole building stand together strongly. In that way, all God's people together become like a special house that belongs to the Lord.
• 2 Timothy 2:20In a big house, there are different kinds of dishes. There are some dishes that people have made from gold or from silver. They see those dishes as valuable things. There are also dishes that people have made from wood or from clay. Those dishes are not special things and they may get dirty.
• Hebrews 3:2That is what God sent Jesus to do. Jesus did everything that God wanted, just like Moses. Moses served God well when he was the leader of God's people long ago.
• 1 Peter 2:5You yourselves are also like stones that are alive. God is using you, like stones, to build a house where his Spirit lives. You will serve him like his special priests who offer sacrifices to him. God will be happy with the spiritual offerings that you give to him, because you belong to Jesus Christ.
• 1 Timothy 3:5A man must know how to take care of his own family. If he cannot do that, he will not be able to take care of God's people in the church.
• 1 Timothy 4:10So that is why we work to serve God well. We continue to work, even when we have trouble. We do this because we believe that God will help us. He is the one who lives for ever and who saves all people. Certainly, he saves those who are believers.
• 1 Timothy 6:16God alone lives for ever. He lives in very bright light that nobody can come near. Nobody has ever seen God. Nobody is able to see him. So we praise him! He will rule for ever with great authority! Amen! This is true.
• Deuteronomy 5:26The God who lives for ever has spoken to us from the middle of the fire. Has anyone ever heard him speak like that and then continued to live?
• Joshua 3:10The God who lives for ever is with you. He will certainly chase the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites and Jebusites out from this land. Then you will have their land. The Lord will show you that he will certainly do this.
• 1 Samuel 17:26David asked the men who were standing near him, ‘If someone kills this Philistine soldier and takes away the shame from Israel, what gift will he get? He is an unclean Philistine! He must stop insulting the army of our God, who lives for ever.’

Commentaries on 1 Timothy 3:15

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 15But if I tarry long - That is: Not withstanding I hope to come to thee shortly, and therefore do not feel the necessity of writing at large; yet, lest I should be delayed, I write what I judge necessary to direct thy conduct in the Church of God. The house of God - This is spoken in allusion to the ancient tabernacle; which was God's house, and in which the symbol of the Divine Majesty dwelt. So the Christian Church is God's house, and every believer is a…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 15But if I tarry long - Paul appears to have been uncertain how long circumstances would require him to be absent. He expected to return, but it was possible that his hope of returning soon would be disappointed. That thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself - That is, that he might have just views about settling the affairs of the church. In the house of God - This does not mean in a place of public worship, nor does it refer to propriety of…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 14-16Verses 14-16 The church is the house of God; he dwells there. The church holds forth the Scripture and the doctrine of Christ, as a pillar holds forth a proclamation. When a church ceases to be the pillar and ground of truth, we may and ought to forsake her; for our regard to truth should be first and greatest. The mystery of godliness is Christ. He is God, who was made flesh, and was manifest in the flesh. God was pleased to manifest himself to man, by…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 15God’s household: The earliest churches were churches that met in homes (Romans 16:5; 1 Corinthians 16:19; Colossians 4:15; Philemon 1:2). They followed similar rules of behavior to Greek and Roman households (see study note on 1 Tim 3:4–5). Breaking the rules brought shame to the whole household and its leader. The same applies to the church (compare Ephesians 2:19–22; Hebrews 3:6; 10:21; 1 Peter 4:17). the pillar and foundation of the truth: This idea…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1515. But if I tarry long--before coming to thee. that--that is, I write (1Ti 3:14) "that thou mayest know," &c. behave thyself--in directing the Church at Ephesus (1Ti 4:11). the house of God--the Church (He 3:2, 5, 6; 10:21; 1Pe 4:17; 1Co 3:16, "the temple of God"; Ep 2:22). which is--that is, inasmuch as it is. the church--"the congregation." The fact that the sphere of thy functions is "the congregation of the living God" (who is the ever living Master…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Timothy 3:15

• Church
• House
• Minister, Christian
• Truth

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• House of God
• Bishop
• Blameless
• Controversy
• Covetous
• Degree
• Hospitality
• Mystery

Commentaries on 1 Timothy 3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings