Growth in Community
1 Timothy 3, understood within the context of Paul’s First Letter to Timothy at large, and 1 Corinthians 14 both serve to convince me of the need for structure in the local church. Without such structure, and especially in light of the bigger picture of 1 Timothy, there is no way to protect God’s people against wolves in sheep’s clothing. May the people of God be ever watchful to not follow ‘every wind of doctrine.’ (Ephesians 4:14). Notice from the context of Ephesians 4 how the church is to protect itself against being “blown around by every wind of doctrine”: it can only be done when the saints of God are committed to mutual edification in the context of a structured body of Spirit-empowered individuals. A growth that is not pursued ‘together’ is not true growth. I do not at this moment possess it, but I am seriously thinking about picking myself up a copy of Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s seminal work, Life Together.
