Pillar and Buttress of Truth

Mary Lefkowitz, a professor emerita of Classical Studies at Wellesley College wrote in a New York Times Book Review: “The notion that there are many truths might seem well suited to a diverse society.  But when everyone is free to define truth as he or she prefers, as at present, the result is an intellectual and moral shouting match in which the people with the loudest voices are most likely to be heard.”

Could it be true that we live in a post-Christian age?  This is what some have proposed.  If by that they mean that we live in an age where there is no common Christian consensus, then they are probably right.  There is no doubt that we have moved past the point where there is a Christian consensus in America.  At one time, there was a more common understanding of Christian teaching.  Today, there is a condition that might be described as rank ignorance.

This ignorance is due in part to a lack of teaching by the church, but it also has its roots in the increasing religious diversity and pluralism of our culture.  Whatever the case, we cannot assume that people know what we mean when we use Christian terminology.  Indeed, it would also be a mistake to assume that people in the average church know what we mean.  This is why we need to carefully examine what the Bible says concerning the terms we employ in speaking about Christianity.

We read in 1 Timothy 3:14, “. . . how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth.”  The church is not the pillar and buttress of the truth so that we can feast intellectually upon wonderful ideas.  The church provides us with an environment where we can be challenged to live our lives on the basis of truth we have come to know.  We are told in the Bible that the truth will set us free (John 8:32).  But the truth is not only given so that we can know; it is given so we can live.  And the only way we can be challenged to apply that truth to our lives is in the church – the community of faith.

This is another reason why we must be involved and accountable.  The church is not an optional part of life.  For Christians, the church is a fundamental and foundational way of life.

Thinking biblically about the church means we must change the patterns of thought and behavior that make the church simply a smorgasbord of items from which we can pick and choose based on what appeals to our appetite.  The church is the community of God in which we are placed for our good and His glory.  We are to open our hearts to Jesus and our lives to one another and experience together what we can never experience alone.

The temptation we have in the church is to water down or dilute the truth in order for the truth to be palatable for us.  May we never water down the truth.  May we be about the business of preserving the truth.  After all, it is the truth that sets us free!  And, we can preserve the truth by consistently standing under the word of God.

Tim Stewart on our mission team writes: “Chris Haynes is a member of Hope Community Church, and his ministry is one of the ministries that our church is financially supporting for 2022.  Chris is also working toward ordination in the EPC.  He is located in Prague (Czech Republic) and is the 14th largest city in the European Union.  One part of his ministry is leading the Alpha Course which is a ten-week introduction to the Christian faith. The video topics include: “Is there more to life than this?” ; “Who is Jesus? Why did He die?” ;  “How can I be sure of my faith?”;  “Why and how do I pray?”;  “Why and how do I read the Bible?”;  “How does God guide us?”;  “How can I resist evil?”;  “Why should I tell others about Jesus?”;  “Who is the Holy Spirit?”;  and, “How can I be filled with the Holy Spirit?”.  The training takes place at someone’s home or at a church.  A meal is provided and then they watch that night’s video, and then discuss it.  The Alpha Course is used by most churches in Europe to do evangelism because sharing Christ really has to happen through relationships to be effective here.  Here is a link to a video from Alpha Course Canada that provides a great explanation of Alpha   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMmUxmQrGfI   .

Comfort Care

Missions Team is active keeping in touch with our missionaries and other ministries.  Please keep updated!  You can visit our website and go to the Outreach Page.