The ministry of Ephesians 4:11 is divided into two groups, thus:

Apostles and prophets.

Inspired and foundational.

Evangelists, pastors and teachers.

Uninspired and continuous.

In 2 Timothy, the successor to Paul is the evangelist (2 Tim. 4:5,6),

and the successor to the prophets is the teacher (2 Tim. 2:2).

Another use of the figure of a foundation is found in 2 Timothy 2:19,

'Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure'.  The R.V. reads here,

'Howbeit the firm foundation of God standeth'.  We have already referred to 1

Corinthians 3:10,11 and the following comparison with 2 Timothy, chapter 2,

may be helpful:

The foundation (3:10,11).

The foundation (19).

Gold, silver, wood, etc. (3:12).

Gold, silver, wood, etc.

The trial dokimazo (3:13).

The approval dokimos (15).

Reward, or suffer loss (3:14,15).

Show (paristemi) the judgment seat

Work abides (3:13,14).

Workman that need not be ashamed

He himself shall be saved (3:15).

The Lord knoweth them that are His

Resurrection doubted (15:12).

Resurrection misplaced (18).

We are left in no doubt, in 1 Corinthians 3, as to the Foundation

intended there; it is Christ, 'for other Foundation can no man lay'.  Neither

should we have doubt when we read 2 Timothy 2:19.  Yet many wise and good men

have entertained many varied ideas on this point.  Perhaps the most insidious

is that which confuses the foundation with the superstructure, and, relying

upon the A.V. of 1 Timothy 3:15, speaks of the foundation as though it could

be the Church.  If we rest satisfied with the A.V. rendering of 1 Timothy

3:15 we may be found among those who maintain that 'the church is the pillar

and ground of truth', but if we go beneath the surface, we shall find

sufficient evidence to revise such an idea.  First of all, this Church of 1

Timothy 3:15 is not conceived of as the spiritual, universal church, but is

called 'the house of God', concerning which Timothy was exhorted and

instructed as to how he should behave himself when present 'in it', and this

fifteenth verse is at the conclusion of a section entirely devoted to a local

church, probably held in the house of a bishop (1 Tim. 3:1 -5).  Now it is

unbelievable that such an assembly should ever be indicated as 'the pillar

and ground of truth'.  Nowhere in the whole range of New Testament teaching

is such an idea to be found.  If we ignore the punctuation of the English

versions, recognize the fact that a change of theme is indicated in 3:16,

omit the article that has been added by the A.V., we shall arrive at the