3:15a
in case I am delayed: Paul knew that there was a possibility that he would not visit Timothy very soon. The Greek verb is active (“I delay”) rather than passive (I am delayed). So it should not be translated as meaning that he might be held back by force. Paul knew that he might himself decide to wait.
3:15b
so that: The connector so that introduces the purpose for which Paul was writing to Timothy. Paul wanted Timothy to know the way to teach the believers even if Paul himself could not come to visit.
how each one must conduct himself: Paul was referring to the way that God wanted believers to behave. He was including himself, Timothy, and all other believers. Paul was especially referring to the way that believers should treat each other.
God’s household: This is a metaphor that refers to the community of believers. Believers are related to each other like brothers and sisters in a family. They are related to God like children are related to their father. Paul used the same Greek word for household here as he did in 3:12b.
3:15c
which is the church of the living God: Paul here used a different description of God’s household (3:15b). It refers to the people who belong to the living God.
church: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as church does not refer to a church building, but to all true believers. Together they form the assembly or community of God’s people. Avoid using a term that might suggest that Paul was referring to a building. Some ways of translating the term church are:
the assembly of God’s people
-or-
the community of God’s people
-or-
God’s family
-or-
God’s people
See also the notes on 3:5b and 5:16c.
the living God: That is, God is alive and active. He is not like idols that never lived. The same phrase occurs in 4:10b. The other NT references are Matthew 16:16, 26:63; Acts 14:15; Romans 9:26; 2 Corinthians 3:3, 6:16; Hebrews 3:12, 9:14, 10:31, 12:22; Revelation 7:2.
3:15d
the pillar and foundation of the truth: This is a metaphor that explains that the church supported and strengthened the truth. The truth (of the gospel) was like a building, and the community of believers was like a pillar and foundation. Just as a pillar and a foundation support and strengthen a building, the community of believers supports and strengthens the truth.
pillar: A pillar is a tall post, usually made of stone, that supports the roof of a building. The same Greek word is used in Galatians 2:9 and Revelation 3:12, 10:1. The picture below shows the way that pillars support the roof of a building.
foundation: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as foundation does not occur anywhere else in the NT. So scholars do not agree about its precise meaning here. There are two possibilities:
(1) It could mean foundation or ground, that is, something that is the base on which a building is erected.
(Berean Standard Bible, New International Version (2011 Revision), God’s Word, Contemporary English Version, New Century Version, King James Version)
(2) It could mean support, bulwark, or prop, that is, something that helps to hold a building up or protects it.
(Good News Translation, Revised Standard Version, New Jerusalem Bible, New American Standard Bible, New Living Translation (2004 Revision), Revised English Bible, NET Bible)
It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). The church is like the foundation of a building. The foundation of a building causes the building to remain strong.
the truth: When Paul mentioned the truth, he was referring to the gospel. See the note on the truth in 2:4b.
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All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible. BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.