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The church of God is the house of the living God (1 Tim. 3:15):
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a. The house of God is the household of God (Eph. 2:19):
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The dwelling place (the house) and the family (the household) are one entity— a group of called, regenerated ones indwelt by God Himself (1 Pet. 1:3; 2:5; 1 Cor. 3:16).
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Just as Christ is not separate from the members of His Body but dwells in them, the Father is not a separate member of His household but is in all the children (Rom. 8:10; 12:4-5; 2 Cor. 6:16).
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The house of God is organic in the divine life, organic in the divine nature, and organic in the Triune God; because the church is organic, the church grows (Eph. 2:21).
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In speaking of the church as the house of God, Paul refers to God as the living God (1 Tim. 3:15):
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The living God, who lives in the church, must be subjective to the church and not merely objective (1 Cor. 3:16).
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Because God is living, the church as the house of God is also living in Him, by Him, and with Him; a living God and a living church live, move, and work together.
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The church as the house of God—the Father's house—is the enlarged, universal, divine-human incorporation as the issue of Christ's being glorified by the Father with the divine glory (John 12:23; 13:31-32; 14:2).
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First Timothy 3:15-16 indicates that the church as the house of God is the manifestation of God in the flesh:
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These verses imply not only that Christ as the Head is the manifestation of God in the flesh but also that the church as the Body is the manifestation of God in the flesh.
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God is manifested in the church, the Body of Christ, and the house of the living God, as His enlarged, corporate expression in the flesh.
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Seeing the vision of the processed Triune God with His work and the result of His work will constitute us into obedient ones who will receive God's blessing (Lev. 26:3-13).
Morning Nourishment
Eph. 2:19 So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.1 Tim. 3:16 And confessedly, great is the mystery of godliness: He who was manifested in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen by angels, preached among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory.
The church is also the house of God (1 Pet. 2:5). By this we do not mean merely that the church is the dwelling of God. This Greek word oikos means not only the house, the dwelling, but also the household.
We as the church are God's house, God's dwelling place. At the same time, we are God's family. Both the house of God and the family of God are one entity, that is, a group of regenerated, called ones, indwelt by God Himself. These called ones, who have been regenerated by God with His life and who are being indwelt by this living God with all that He is, are both God's dwelling place and His family. This is more than an assembly. This is different from a group or organization of people. This is something organic—organic in the divine life, organic in the divine nature, and organic in the Triune God.
Paul says that the church is the house of the living God (1 Tim. 3:15) and that this house grows (Eph. 2:21). (CWWL, 1983, vol. 3, "The Basic Revelation in the Holy Scriptures," p. 426)
Today's Reading
The church has a twofold function. To Christ, the church is the Body; to God, the church is the house. Christ is the Head, and the church is the Body of the Head. This is one function of the church. God is the Father, and the church is His house. This is another function of the church. Just as Christ is the Head and the church is His Body, so God is the Father and the church is His house. The church as the Body of Christ is an organism. In like manner, the church as the house of God is a living entity, a living house.In speaking of the church as the house of God, Paul specifi- cally refers to God as the living God. The living God who lives in the church must be subjective to the church and not merely objective. The God who not only lives but also acts, moves, and works in His house, the church, is living. Because God is living, the church is also living in Him, by Him, and with Him. A living God and a living church live, move, and work together....Therefore, in our meetings, service, and ministry we should give people the impression that the living God is living, moving, speaking, and acting among us. (The Conclusion of the New Testament, pp. 2227-2228)
It was not until recently that I saw so clearly that the goal of God's economy is the enlarged, universal, divine-human incorporation of the consummated God with the regenerated believers. (CWWL, 1994-1997, vol. 5, "The Issue of Christ Being Glorified by the Father with the Divine Glory," p. 351)
First Timothy 3:15 and 16 indicate that the church as the house of God is also the manifestation of God in the flesh—the mystery of godliness. God is manifested in the church, the Body of Christ and the house of the living God, as the enlarged, corporate expression in the flesh.
In Greek, the antecedent of "who" [in verse 16] is omitted but easily recognized. The antecedent is Christ, who was God manifested in the flesh as the mystery of godliness. The transition from "the mystery..." to "who" implies that Christ as the manifestation of God in the flesh is the mystery of godliness (Col. 1:27; Gal. 2:20). This mystery of godliness is the living of a proper church. Such a living is also the manifestation of God in the flesh. (The Conclusion of the New Testament, p. 2233)
Seeing the vision of the processed Triune God with His work and the result of His work will constitute us into obedient ones. (Life-study of Leviticus, p. 539)
Further Reading: Life-study of Leviticus, msg. 60; The Conclusion of the New Testament, msg. 208; CWWL, 1983, vol. 3, "The Basic Revelation in the Holy Scriptures," ch. 3; CWWL, 1964, vol. 3, "The Economy of God," ch. 23