I Am God's Temple
(S) Scripture
1 Corinthians 3:16-17 (NIV)
16 Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you?
17 If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him; for God's temple is sacred, and you are that temple.
(O) Observation
Paul is writing about the spiritual development of the Corinthian believers. Their disobedience has clouded what God wants to build in them and so Paul writes to correct it. He emphasizes that the Holy Spirit lives in them. Their lives are the temple where God' Spirit dwells. That temple is to be cared for and sacred. What a thought – the Holy Spirit lives in me – I am God's temple, the place where He dwells.
(A) Application
The message this Sunday is about the ministry of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer. How key is it to know that the Holy Spirit dwells in the believer? That is the foundational truth and it affects every other part of our lives. This speaks to our respect, protection and provision for others. They too are or can be temples where God dwells. I am to treat every person with respect and see their lives as sacred trusts from God. On a personal side I am to take care of the temple that I am. This is a personal struggle as I continue to work to lose the excess weight that I carry. Am I treating my body as God's temple? Is the physical condition a reflection of the spiritual condition? Am I guilty of destroying my temple? Today I renew my commitment to losing the excess weight and taking better care of my body. Currently I am down 20 pounds in 10 weeks. As a friend of mine used to say, "That's like taking a glass of water out of the ocean," but it is a start. I have some good friends that are coaching me and a wife that supports me. In time I will achieve the goal. I want my life to glorify Christ in every area.
(P) Prayer
Lord, keep me focused and give me strength to carry on and see this through. I thank you for your presence in me. Let me live by faith in the power of your Holy Spirit. Amen
4 comments:
Pastor Robin....sorry to seem like an exegetical fanatic, but I too used to think that this text referred to "my body" in an individual way. However, after sorting through the text again, I don't believe that Paul is paralleling his earlier words regarding the human body. In this context, I believe he is referred to the broader body; the church. I base that on several things. One, the Greek term for "you" is plural. Two, the reference is an obvious word image pointing back to the images of the Old Testament (temple). Three, the penalty stated in this verse is consistent with the penalty that awaits anyone who works to destroy "Christ's body." Certainly, he will not set out to simply destroy those who destroy all "individual" bodies. If that is the case, then we must deal with other contradictions in Scripture. I like the way the NLT puts it: "Don't you realize that all of you together are the temple of God...?" Perhaps the real warning here is for those who have been placed in positions of authority to use the authority wisely so not to destroy; as well as a warning to those who want to attack Christ's church from the outside. Your point is well taken when applied to other Corinthian texts, but I graciously suggest that it may not be consistent with this text. Your thoughts from a loving admirer..."Bud the Dud!"
I agree with your analysis of this passage. My first thought was that of the greater body and that we are corporately the body of Christ and that is the temple. I was responding to the NIV use of "you yourself" and in that sense I am the temple because God does dwell in me by the Holy Spirit. My thoughts today were about taking care of myself so that I can continue to do effective ministry and not be hampered by self imposed physical ailments.
Thanks for bringing me back to the meaning of the passage and its context in the church.
The Holy Spirit has a wonderful way of speaking through different views of Scripture which is why there are "many sermons" in one text. What a delight to worship a God who surprises us with new discoveries. We grow together through this. Bud
fui criada,na igreja batista,mas agora nao freguento!!as vezes sinto muita falta dos irmao,irmas do hino etc
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