Title: 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 "The Church is God's Temple" By Bob DeWaay It is ironic that in the midst of various pagan temples, Paul calls the gathered church the temple of God. In these verses Paul uses the plural "you." The deities of the pagans had massive structures dedicated to them. The word temple here is naos which would indicate dwelling place of God in His holiness. The Holy Spirit dwells in a people, not a particular building. We discuss the fact that Paul speaks about how we treat the church, not what sort of religious shrine might be desecrated. Paul's "do you not know" rhetorical question is the first of 10 such questions which imply that they ought to be able to come to the correct conclusion based on what they have been taught. The status rivalries that developed in Corinth over their favorite preachers calls into question their understanding of the church. Those who are redeemed and gathered in His name are the temple of God. God dwells in buildings not made with hands (a phrase oft repeated in Acts). To destroy the valid fellowship of believers is to come under the danger of God's judgment. We show that definitions are critical if we are to avoid error and lead people away from the truth.
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