1 Timothy 3:15 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Bible Comments

The house of God, which is the church, &c.— Dr. Benson renders this, that thou, who art the ground and pillar of the truth, mightest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the church of God. Dr. Doddridge observes, that though many good critics refer this descriptive clause to Timothy, agreeably to that figure by which St. Peter is called a pillar, Galatians 2:9. (compare Revelation 3:12.) yet he thinks, had this been the construction, the accusative case would have been used to agree with the word σε, understood; and therefore he chooses to read the sentence as follows: "That so the whole system of evangelical truth may be considered as resting on this pillar and basis, (as the word εδραιωμα may signify;) that thou mayest know how it becomes thee to converse in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth: 1 Timothy 3:16. And confessedly, great is the mystery of godliness, namely, what follows; that God was manifested, &c."—Bengelius and others understand the passage nearly in the same manner.

1 Timothy 3:15

15 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 groundb of the truth.