The Church: The Pillar and Buttress of the Truth

In his book on “The Arctic,” Barry Lopez reports that in the far northern waters different types of ice, though side by side, will sometimes appear to be flowing in opposite directions. This is not, however, merely an optical illusion. The shallow ice is often driven by the winds and surface currents, while the icebergs, with most of their bulk hidden beneath the surface, are driven by the deeper currents of the sea.

One of the most remarkable and profound descriptions in the New Testament of the church is that it is described as the pillar and buttress of the truth (1 Tim 3:15), which means we have the responsibility to be so deeply rooted in truth that we are not driven by the surface winds of the culture in which we are living.

John Albert Bengel, a contemporary of John Wesley said in this regard, “Scripture is the foundation of the Church: the Church is the guardian of Scripture. When the Church is in strong health, the light of Scripture shines bright; when the Church is sick, Scripture is corroded by neglect; and thus it happens, that the outward form of Scripture and that of the Church, usually seem to exhibit simultaneously either health or else sickness; and as a rule the way in which Scirpture is being treated is in exact correspondence with the condition of the Church.”

Today on the Lord's Day, please continue to pray that we will continue to become people of the Scriptures--as individuals, families, and corporately as a body.