CHAPTER ONE

THE PILLAR AND BASE OF THE TRUTH

TWO ASPECTS OF THE CHURCH

In the two Epistles to Timothy there are a number of unusual expressions not found elsewhere in the New Testament. First Timothy 3:15 says, “I write that you may know how one ought to conduct himself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and base of the truth.” In this verse two aspects of the church are covered: the church as the house of the living God and the church as the pillar and base of the truth. According to this verse, the church is the house not of the holy God, the righteous God, or the almighty God, but of the living God. The living God is full of life. If the church is to be the house of the living God, it must be full of life; it must be a house of life. The church is also the pillar and base of the truth. The house is full of life, and the pillar bears the truth. If we are serious about knowing how to behave in the church, we must know that the church is the house of the living God and the pillar of the truth.

Throughout the years of the Lord’s recovery in this country, the church has been a testimony of life. We thank the Lord that the churches in His recovery are full of life. Although the churches are a house of life, there has been a shortage in regard to the pillar in front of the house. At the front of the temple in the Old Testament were two pillars signifying strength. Without the pillars the temple would not have given the impression of strength. Houses with pillars always convey such an impression. The church should be not only a house full of life but also a pillar of truth. My burden in this chapter is to emphasize the fact that the church must have these two aspects, the aspect of life and the aspect of truth.

According to God’s economy, everything has two aspects. If the church has only the aspect of life, the church is not complete. For example, if I had just one leg, it would be rather difficult for me to stand up, much less to walk. But with two legs I can stand and walk normally.

THE NEED TO EMPHASIZE THE TRUTH

From the time the Lord’s recovery came to this country, we have laid great stress on life. For example, the one hundred twenty messages of the Life-study of Genesis are all concerned with life. However, we have not adequately emphasized the truth. I take the responsibility for this. Now we need to emphasize truth as well as life.

TRUTH AS THE SHINING OF THE LIGHT

It is significant that in 1 and 2 Timothy life is not mentioned nearly as often as truth. Truth is spoken of again and again (1 Tim. 2:4; 3:15; 4:3; 6:5; 2 Tim. 2:15, 18; 3:8; 4:4). The reason for this is that these Epistles were written during a time of degradation. When the church is degraded, there is darkness; and when there is darkness, there is the need for the truth. Truth is the expression of light, just as grace is the expression of love. Whenever light shines, we receive truth. Light shines in darkness. In 1 and 2 Timothy, two books dealing with degradation, truth is mentioned often because during a period of darkness there is the need for the shining of the light, the expression of the light.

Truth is the shining of light. Wherever there is light, there is God, for God is light (1 John 1:5). When the light shines upon us, it becomes the truth. In Romans 8 Paul encourages us to walk according to the spirit, but in John’s second and third Epistles, also written in a time of degradation, John speaks of walking in the truth. Although in his other writings John emphasizes life, in these two Epistles he speaks much about the truth. For example, in 3 John 4 he says, “I have no greater joy than these things, that I hear that my children are walking in the truth.” Whenever we are in a time of degradation and darkness, we need the shining of the light so that we may know how to walk in the proper way.

PRESERVED 
BY THE FOUNDATION OF LIFE

We have pointed out that 1 Timothy 3:15 reveals two aspects of the church—the house of life and the pillar of the truth. During the past sixteen years of the Lord’s recovery, we have devoted our full attention to the aspect of life, paying little attention to the pillar of the truth. For this reason it was possible for certain evil ones to creep in to undermine the recovery. From the first half of 1974, an undermining work has been going on. What deception there has been! Nevertheless, the Lord’s recovery has been preserved because in the past the foundation of life was laid. Because of this foundation, many who had been deceived could quickly turn back to life. If they did not have the foundation of life within them, I do not think they could have turned so fast. Those intent on overthrowing the recovery regard this foundation as the Elden-hall influence. Praise the Lord for the Elden influence! How I appreciate it and love it!

It seems that for a period of time we were carried away to Babylon. This took place in a very subtle way. But now we have been brought back. Hallelujah! We have not been liberated, but we are genuinely free. In less than two months the Lord turned the situation and set us free. Do you know what brought us back from our captivity? It was the foundation of life that had been firmly laid in the past. The enemy touched this foundation, but he could not shake it. Instead, he injured himself. Because in city after city there is the foundation of life, the enemy’s attempt to undermine the churches has not been successful. The churches have been preserved by the foundation of life.