GLEANINGS FROM THE SCRIPTURES The Temple Of God By Keith L. Estes Temples! We think of soaring spires, of columned aisles, of marble plazas or courtyards. We see mystic, shadowed alcoves where priestly figures walk on errands of religious service. The Jews were all aware of the great temple at Jerusalem, the pride of the Hebrews' heritage. The Greeks and Romans, likewise, admired the great temples erected to their deities. Among them were the fabulous temple of Artemis, or Diana, at Ephesus and the symmetrical temple of the goddess Athena, the Parthenon, at Athens. Paul said, however, that there was a temple of God more enduring and more blessed than any of these. The people who yielded their lives to Jesus were being fitted into a temple in which God, himself, was pleased to dwell. This was not a temple made of marble and granite, wood and mosaic. No, it was a living temple of human personalities who were fitted together and made lovely in the sight of God, He does not dwell in "temples made with hands" (Acts 7:48; 17:24), but He does dwell in the temple made of lives given to His Son. 1 Corinthians 3: 10 reads: According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise master builder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. The foundation of the church, of course, is Jesus. Paul laid the foundation for the life of the Corinthian church in the sense that he had preached among them Jesus crucified and risen from the dead. He had spent more than a year and a half in Corinth, but had now gone on to other areas. The building up of the work there was a task others had to carry on. 3:11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Jesus as the Christ- God's prophet, priest, and king- is the solid rock on which the church rests. All the work and outreach and ministry of Christian people are based on Jesus. When there is trust in or a preaching of anything else as basic truth, the church is in peril. 3:12, 13 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay stubble; Every man's work shall be made manifest; for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. Paul continues his picture of the church as a superstructure. He began by stating that he had laid the proper foundation by preaching Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection for the life of all believers. Others now would build on the foundation. If their teaching was in accord with divinely revealed truth, if it strengthened the believers' faith and led to sincere discipleship seen in unselfish acts of love and devotion, they would be building the church with lasting materials- gold, silver, precious stones. If, however, their teaching led to the weakening of faith, if it divided the body of believers, if it resulted in halfhearted, insincere discipleship, they would be building with cheap and shoddy materials- wood, hay, stubble. Paul uses fire as a symbol of God's judgment. The idea here is not so much that the individual will be purified by the testing as it is that the work done in life will be seen to be either enduring or transient. The fire is pictured not as character forming, but as a means of showing whether or not real work for Jesus has been accomplished. 3:14 If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. Faithful preaching, true discipleship, deeds of helpfulness and unselfish concern, Christ like service- all will be seen to have made men stalwart, unflinching, forgiving, and enduring. This is one of several places where a reward is promised to those who labor to build the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. The collective group of believers, the church, is a temple where God dwells. Ref. The Christian In Community- Adult Bible Class- Standard Publishing Co. Cincinnati, Ohio. Return to Home Page Return to Current Edition Contact us