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

13For those who have served well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and great boldness in the faith that is in Christ Jesus. 14I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these instructions to you in case I am delayed, to let you know how people ought to conduct themselves in the household of God, because it is the church of the living God, the support and bulwark of the truth. 16And we all agree, our religion contains amazing revelation: He was revealed in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among Gentiles, believed on in the world, taken up in glory.

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 3:2The overseer then must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, an able teacher,
• Deuteronomy 31:23and the Lord commissioned Joshua son of Nun, “Be strong and courageous, for you will take the Israelites to the land I have promised them, and I will be with you.”
• 1 Kings 2:2“I am about to die. Be strong and become a man!
• 1 Chronicles 22:13Then you will succeed, if you carefully obey the rules and regulations which the Lord ordered Moses to give to Israel. Be strong and brave! Don’t be afraid and don’t panic!
• 1 Chronicles 28:9“And you, Solomon my son, obey the God of your father and serve him with a submissive attitude and a willing spirit, for the Lord examines all minds and understands every motive of one’s thoughts. If you seek him, he will let you find him, but if you abandon him, he will reject you permanently.
• Acts 1:2until the day he was taken up to heaven, after he had given orders by the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen.
• Ephesians 2:21In him the whole building, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord,
• 2 Timothy 2:20Now in a wealthy home there are not only gold and silver vessels, but also ones made of wood and of clay, and some are for honorable use, but others for ignoble use.
• Hebrews 3:2who is faithful to the one who appointed him, as Moses was also in God’s house.
• 1 Peter 2:5you yourselves, as living stones, are built up as a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood and to offer spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
• 1 Timothy 3:5But if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for the church of God?
• 1 Timothy 4:10In fact this is why we work hard and struggle, because we have set our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of believers.
• 1 Timothy 6:16He alone possesses immortality and lives in unapproachable light, whom no human has ever seen or is able to see. To him be honor and eternal power! Amen.
• Deuteronomy 5:26Who is there from the entire human race who has heard the voice of the living God speaking from the middle of the fire as we have, and has lived?
• Joshua 3:10Joshua continued, “This is how you will know the living God is among you and that he will truly drive out before you the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites, and Jebusites.
• 1 Samuel 17:26David asked the men who were standing near him, “What will be done for the man who strikes down this Philistine and frees Israel from this humiliation? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he defies the armies of the living God?”

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