I Tim. 3:15 ... "I write so that you may know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God."
When someone visits the home of another, he ought to be conscious that he is entering the context of a private world that functions according to its own peculiar habits, tastes, and policies. These may differ a great deal from those to which the visitor is accustomed in his own home. Certain pieces of furniture there may be objects of appreciation rather than objects of utility. Mealtimes and bedtimes have their distinctive schedules. Smoking may not be allowed in the house, and the television may be played only at certain times. Because of such domestic distinctions, the person who wants to please his host and maintain his welcome will be very alert to learn them and very diligent to adapt his behavior to them.
When we are admitted into "the household of God," we must realize we are entering a domain that is not our own. We are neither its designer, builder, or sustainer, nor are we the formulator and executor of its policies. The architect and constructor of this great "house" is God, and thus it is called "the household of God." We must accordingly remember that in His house, "which is the church of the living God," we are His guests, and He is the Host. The code of conduct that must prevail in it is that of God. To try to bring your own style of behavior into that sacred precinct is to act presumptuously and rudely and be irreverent and offensive to God. Such an approach is intrusive and begs countermeasures from God, who indeed preserves the sanctity of His realm.
One who reads the foregoing comments, from both I Tim. 3:15 and this writer, might easily get the idea that the object of interest is human behavior in a church building. But this would be a wrong conclusion. Neither the inspired writer (Paul) nor this uninspired one, has any reference whatsoever to a material structure. Paul was not instructing Timothy, nor other Christians after him, how to conduct themselves within the walls of church buildings. Historians report that Christians did not have buildings devoted exclusively to worship and Bible study activities for more than two centuries after the time of the apostles. The word "church" in the New Testament does not refer to a building, but rather to the body of people redeemed by the blood of Christ, who rules over them as Lord and King. It is to our disadvantage that the word "church" has been degraded in meaning to refer to a physical building.
The phrase, "the household of God," is equivalent to "God's family," or "the kingdom of God," or "the assembly of Christians." What I Tim. 3:15 speaks of, therefore, is a person's conduct as a Christian in the community of other Christians. Whether it be within the precincts of a building dedicated to the purposes of worship and Bible study, or rather at home, at work, at school, on the playground, on the streets, or wherever, a Christian as a member of "the household of God," must be conducting himself by the standard of behavior imposed by God upon His people. This Scripture may indeed be used to correct those who are misbehaving during a worship service within a church building, but it may just as appropriately be applied to a Christian who is exhibiting bad sportsmanship on a basketball court, or who is telling dirty jokes to co-workers at lunch, or who is resorting to road rage on the highway. One of the great purposes for which the book of First Timothy was written, and the rest of the books of the New Testament for that matter, is to instruct Christians in every generation how to behave anywhere, at anytime, and in any set of circumstances. Every Christian must remember always that he is a member of "the household of God," and as such, that he represents that special family in whatever setting he may happen to be.
