[Being] ‘a real credit to this Yeshua-faith’ 1 Timothy 3:13 (MSG)
When the apostle Paul writes to Timothy, one of his young pastors, he wants him to get a clear understanding of how important being part of the Body is. This knowledge would then determine how people conducted themselves. Paul describes the Body in four different ways. 1) As a household: the Body should not be like an organisation, but rather like a family, where each member is loved and valued, and has a place of belonging. 2) As an assembly of the living Yehovah (1 Timothy 3:14), as The Message Bible puts it. The Body is to be Yeshua’ arms to reach out to the world – Body must be alive and not dead! The Body must be active and full of His Ruach. 3) As the pillar of truth; the believers in Ephesus who originally received this letter, would know of the many ornate pillars in the famous temple of Diana. Paul was emphasising that the Body should lift up, and hold up, the truth about the one, true Yehovah, to the world. 4) Finally, he defines the Body of believers as the foundation of truth; a bed of faith, the stable and secure place of refuge, something that is unshakeable. When you understand the high value and calling of what the Body is meant to be, and the truth it stands for, it will affect your behavior and attitudes toward the people around you, and the community you live in. In a time when the Body of Yeshua is being side-lined, take a fresh look at what being the Body really means.