Series: Great Is the Mystery of Godliness Part 1: The Foundation and Framework of Godliness 1 Timothy 3:14–15 "These things write I unto thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly: But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth." The Apostle Paul wrote his first letter to Timothy while pastoring in Ephesus, a bustling city filled with paganism, trade, and idolatry. Towering above the landscape stood the magnificent Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World — held up by over a hundred marble pillars. It was the pride of the city, the centre of false worship, and the picture Paul uses when he writes that the church is the pillar and ground of the truth. Paul's purpose is simple: the local church must reflect the living God in both belief and behaviour.