1 Timothy 3:15

in order that if I ◄am delayed/things prevent me from visiting to you soon►, you will know how believers should conduct their lives and you will be able to teach that to them. I am talking about all those who are members of God’s family, all the congregations that belong to the all-powerful God, all those who uphold/support [MET] the true message.

Translation for Translators

In The King James Version

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.

In Context

14Although I hope that I will come and visit you soon, I am writing these things to you now

16It is certainly true that the message that God has now revealed is very wonderful! From it, we learn this spiritual truth that we say/sing about Christ (OR, We affirm this teaching to be true and very important.) It is what shows us how to live ◄in a godly manner/in a manner that pleases God►. It is what God has now revealed, even though it was not known before. We ◄ affirm/say that it is true► concerning Jesus Christ that, He is the one who appeared on the earth in a human body. God’s Spirit showed/demonstrated that he is/was truly the Messiah (OR, that he always acted righteously); Angels saw him; people preached about him in many nations; People in many parts of the world believed the message about him. God took him up into heaven.

Read all of 1 Timothy 3

Cross References

Deuteronomy 5:26◄Who has/Certainly no human has► remained alive after hearing the all-powerful God speak [MTY] to them from a fire.

Joshua 3:10When they came near, he said to them, “This is how you will know that God, who is all-powerful, is among you, and that he will expel for you the descendants of Canaan, Heth, Hiv, Periz, Girgash, Amor, and Jebus who are now living in that land.

1 Samuel 17:36I have killed both lions and bears. And I will do the same to this heathen Philistine, because he has defied/ridiculed the army of the all-powerful God!

1 Kings 2:4If you continually do that, Yahweh will do what he promised me: He said, ‘If your descendants do what I tell them to do, and faithfully obey my commands with all their inner beings, they will always be [LIT] the ones who will rule [MTY] Israel.’

1 Chronicles 22:13If you carefully obey all the laws and regulations/commands that Yahweh gave to Moses to give to us Israeli people, you will be successful. So be steadfast/strong and courageous. Do not be afraid of anything, and do not become discouraged!

Psalms 42:2I desire to have fellowship with [MET] you, the all-powerful God. I wonder, “When will I be able to go back to the temple in Israel and worship in your presence again?”

Matthew Henry on 1 Timothy 3:15-16

The Mystery of Godliness. ( a. d. 64.) 14 These things write I unto thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly: 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 ground of the truth. 16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory. He concludes the… Read the whole commentary →

This Verse In Other Editions

Study 1 Timothy 3:15