Paul is going to make a statement today that is the foundation of truth. With six brief lines he's going to provide the basic message of the gospel, the message upon which the church is founded.
"Although I hope to come to you soon, I am writing you these instructions so that, if I am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God's household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth." (1 Timothy 3:14-15) Paul left Timothy in Ephesus while he went into Macedonia, so he is likely writing to Timothy from Macedonia. He hopes to visit Timothy again soon, but in case he can't, he wants to give him instructions to pass along to the church.
Paul refers to the church itself as "the pillar and foundation of the truth" because the church is founded on the gospel. If there were no gospel, there would be no church. The Lord Jesus said the same thing as Paul when He commented on the Apostle Peter's declaration that He was "the Messiah, the Son of the living God". (Matthew 16:16) Jesus said that on this foundation (this "rock", meaning the statement Peter made) He would build His church. (Matthew 16:18) So we see that the church is built on the foundation of the gospel message, and in that sense the church itself is a sure foundation of the truth. The church is both a physical building where people can hear the truth, and the church is also its members who are to go out into the world and share the truth
"Beyond all question, the mystery from which true godliness springs is great: He appeared in the flesh, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory." (1 Timothy 3:16) When Paul refers to this powerful statement as a mystery, he doesn't mean it cannot be understood. In fact, he's explained the gospel here in very simple terms. In consulting Strong's Greek Concordance we find that the word Paul uses is the Greek "musterion" which is used to indicate an idea that only those who have been instructed in religion or who are spiritually enlightened can understand or, within the Judeo-Christian context, something which is "of God: the secret counsels which govern God in dealing with the righteous, which are hidden from ungodly and wicked men but plain to the godly."
The reason Paul refers to the gospel message as a mystery is not because is cannot be understood, but because it can only be accepted by those who seek to be godly and it can only be fully understood and celebrated by those who accept it. Naturally, a person who has no interest in godly living will have no interest in knowing God's commandments, in understanding His plan of salvation, or in learning about Jesus Christ. In Paul's first letter to the believers of Corinth he sums up why the things of God seem mysterious to the ungodly: "The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit." (1 Corinthians 2:14) A person who has no desire to know the living God or to understand who He is may try to read some of the Scriptures and may conclude that they are "foolishness". If he is unwilling to allow the Holy Spirit to guide him into the truth, his mind and heart are going to be closed off. We have to read God's holy word with a willingness to be taught by the Holy Spirit or else we aren't going to get anything out of it.
To use an example from daily living, when I was in school I hated math. (Well, actually, I still hate working with numbers.) But because I disliked math and had no interest in it, I wasn't open to learning anything about it. My mind was closed off to it. I did only enough to get by, finishing my final math class with a D average. I knew I was never going to choose a career where I'd have to work with numbers, so I put the minimum amount of effort into my math classes in school. I said to myself, "None of this math stuff is ever going to matter." But unfortunately we can't take this same attitude when it comes to our spiritual future, although many people do take this attitude. We are sinners and we need salvation, so we can't say to ourselves, "None of this religious stuff is ever going to matter."
The truth of the gospel matters very much, so much that the Lord Jesus promised, "If you hold to My teaching, you really are My disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." (John 8:31-32) From what does the truth set us free? It sets us free from bondage to the law---from trying to obtain salvation by works. It sets us free from the heavy burden of our sins. It sets us free from living to please our carnal nature and enables us to live in a way that satisfies our spiritual nature. In the end, it sets us free from judgment and grants us eternity in the presence of our Savior.
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