My wife and I were reading 1 Timothy 3:14-15 together. We were reading the NIV, which says, “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 truth.”
As we discussed this passage, we realized that one of us had read it thinking that the church was the pillar and foundation of truth, and the other read it thinking that God was the pillar and foundation of truth. As we looked back at the text, we saw that the English translation was ambiguous. And it’s not just the NIV. The KJV and CSB has the same wording. NRSV has “bulwark” instead “foundation.” NASB and LSB has “support.” NET has “support and bulwark” instead of “pillar and foundation. ESV says “a pillar” instead of “the pillar.” But all of them have the same construction that leads to the ambiguity.
The Greek behind the English text is not ambiguous. Greek nouns have something called a “case.” If the noun has an additional word, like an adjective or another noun, that describes that same noun, it will be in the same case. So in this verse, “church” is in the nominative case, and “living God” is in the genitive case. Since “pillar” and “foundation” are in the nominative case, they must be describing “church” rather than “living God.”
Since there is no ambiguity in the Greek, it would be a better translation if the English were not ambiguous.
Some translations that remove the ambiguity:
“It is the church of the living God and the backbone and support of the truth.” (CEB)
“After all, the church of the living God is the strong foundation of truth.” (CEV)
“And God’s church is the support and foundation of the truth.” (ERV)
“This is the church of the living God, which is the pillar and foundation of the truth.” (NLT)
How would you translate this verse?
Better Bibles Blog 
1Tim 3:14-15
“3:14 These things I write to you, hoping to come to you shortly;
3:15 but if I wait long, that you may know how men ought to behave themselves in ELOHIM’s house, which is the qahal of the living ELOHIM, the pillar and foundation of the truth.”
Excerpt From
BTC epub 20Jan24
https://www.btc2023.net/1-prologue
Great discussion, Don.
Here’s how I translated these verses in The Better Life Bible:
“I’m hoping to visit you soon but if I get delayed, I want you to know how to help others follow God’s advice so they’ll realize how effective it is and encourage others to follow it.”
Hi Dan,
The word in the Greek is ekklesia. Hence there is no doubt it is referring to the Hebraic “Qahal”; which is translated in the Septuagint as ekklesia. (The Greek NT writings are simply the (bi-lingual) writer’s internal translation of the Hebraic events and accounts, as witnessed or recounted to them).
shalom.