"...if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in
the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and the ground of the
truth." (I Timothy 3:15)
Some things are by their nature inseparably linked. A man cannot live without oxygen.
A fish cannot live out of water. Fornication ceases where there is no lust. Equally true is
this following statement: The church of Christ cannot exist when it does not uphold the
truth.
The passage atop this column credits the church with being the pillar and ground of the
truth. One might mistakenly assume this means the truth ceases to be where there is no
church. In fact, it is the church which is reliant upon the truth for its existence. The truth is
the seed from which the church grows. The truth is the source of faith, the power of
salvation and the force of sanctification. Congregations can decay and die spiritually, the
truth itself cannot die or cease to be.
"...having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word
of God which lives and abides forever, because 'All flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man
as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, and its flower falls away, But the word of the
Lord endures forever.' Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you." -I
Peter 1:23-25
The church relies on the word of God for its existence. Without the word, we have no
foundation, no direction or purpose. And as the pillar and ground of truth, without the truth
we have nothing to stand for and nothing to support. I urge you to think seriously about
how you----as a member of the church---value, desire and seek to obey the word of God.
Written January 5, 1997 in bulletin publication "Fellow Partakers" by Robert Hudson
(Editors Note: As all are aware by now, brother Robert departed this life December
15, 1997. He is truly missed I know by the Marrtown Road congregation in
Parkersburg, where he labored as evangelist, and by the Ohio Valley. Many knew
him from his frequent visits to Gospel meetings in this area. Certainly a commentary
on how much Robert loved the truth.
Brother Robert submitted an article to this publication in time past and was a
supporter of this work. We appreciated Robert’s sincere interest in spiritual things
and a zeal for wanting to do what is right. We extend our sincere sympathies to his
wife and daughter as well as his mother, sisters and other family members at this
time.