Part VI

THE HOUSE OF GOD and THE GREAT HOUSE

Now, we get to the heart of the situation in Asia. In the first epistle to Timothy, Paul talks about "the house of God," he identified it as "the church of the living God, the pillar and the ground of the truth" (I Timothy 3:15). That is simple enough! The "house of God" is "the church of the living God," "which is His body" (Ephesians 1:22,23). The "house of God" is the saints! It is NOT a building, NOT an organization, it is NOT the so-called "local church."

When we get to this second epistle to Timothy, Paul now talks about a contrasting "great house" (II Timothy 2:20). When "the house of God" turned from Paul, it turned to "a great house!" This "great house" was NOT "the house of God." It was "Christendom" – the natural enemy of the church.

Note that verse 20 starts with "But" – "But in a great house. . .." Therefore, this "great house" stands in contrast with "the foundation" of verse 19 -- which is Christ. This "great house" has nothing to do with Him, but stands in contrast and contradiction to Him. It's built upon another foundation, other than Christ.


The word "great" here in verse 20 is not the word for "wonderful," as when we might say, "that was a great dinner!" Instead it is the word (Strong's #3173) meaning "big," and also translated as "large." We are not dealing with sort here, but with size. And "sort" (I Corinthians 3:13) is what is at issue in the building of God's house, the temple. But here is man's house, his substitute for the real church. And the emphasis is not on God's issue of sort, but on man's issue of size.

So, we might call this "great house" the "big house." Interestingly enough, "big house" is what we call a PRISON! And that is exactly what this house is. It is religious bandage!



THE MYSTERY OF INIQUITY vs. THE MYSTERY OF GODLINESS

This "great house" was a part of the "mystery of iniquity" (II Thessalonians 2:7) that Satan has used to stand in contrast with, and oppose the one true church, which is "the mystery of godliness" (I Timothy 3:16).



THE MIXED MULTITUDE

This "great house" has a mixture of vessels in it: some to honour, some to dishonour. This is the Babylonian religious system. It is the habitation of devils, every foul spirit, and every unclean and hateful bird!

". . . Babylon. . . the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are maxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies. And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities . . . How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously . . ." (Revelation 18:2-5,7).

A couple of things to note from this passage in Revelation:


This Babylonian system is referred to as "her" and "she." And interestingly enough, the "church" of the this same religious system (Christendom) is also referred to as "her" and "she." Listen as they say, "the church, she is. .. ."

Note another thing, there is a clear relationship between the Babylonian religious system and the nations of the world. They are in bed together ("fornication") for mutual financial advantage, along with the merchants of the world!

Are you a part of a religious entity that has a relationship (fornication) with human government?

And then lastly, we note that there is the divine call to, "Come out of her, my people."

Why are God's people in her? Advantage, prestige, honor, recognition, reputation, and respectability.

But God calls His people out!


Listen to Paul, our apostle, gave the same warning to the Corinthians:

"Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? Or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and of the spirt, perfecting holiness in the fear of God" (II Corinthians 6:14-7:1).


What is Paul calling believers "out" of?

What is the "unclean thing"that believers are not to "touch"?

What is the "filthiness of the flesh and of the spirt" that believers are to "cleanse" themselves from?

It is the Gentile Babylonian religious system!

Is "your church" or "your ministry" is a part of this system? Why not leave it and come out?

SELF PURGING FROM THE GREAT HOUSE

Now, what was Timothy's attitude to be toward this "great house"? Was he to go in and try to turn things around? After all, there were some vessels "to honor" inside. Was he try to "revive" it? Was he to try to get it on the right track? Was he to go in (infiltration) and try to minister to individuals?

What was Paul's instruction?

"If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work" (II Timothy 2:21).

We who name the name of Christ are to depart from religious iniquity, and we are not only to purge ourselves from the vessels of dishonour, but to purge ourselves from all religious participation in the "great house."

PURGE OUT and PURGE THYSELF

The word translated "purge" (Strong's #1571) is only found here and in I Corinthians 5:7. And what an interesting contrast these two verses provide us! In I Corinthians, Paul instructs the saints to "Purge out therefore . . ..", a purging of one from among them. While here Timothy is told to purge himself from the "great house."

THE OUTSIDERS

All of this boils down to the fact that we are the church. We, as the saints of God, are His church – we are God's called-out people. We're the outsiders! This is who and what God has made us in Christ! We're HIS outsiders!

The Hebrews were told:

"Wherefore Jesus also . . . suffered without the gate. Let us go forth therefore unto Him without the camp, bearing His reproach" (Hebrews 13:12,13).

And in the dispensation of grace, Jesus Christ has gone even further "without." Today Christ has hyper-ascended "up far above all heavens" (Ephesians 4:10). He now stands outside of His own creation! He stands there in exile, the only rightful ruler of heaven and earth. And we are seated together with Him there (Ephesians 2:6), as outsiders! He is despised and rejected by the heavens and the earth! And if we live in identification with Him, we will participate in the "fellowship of His sufferings" (Philippians 3:10).


If God has called us out, why do we want to stay in?


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