TEMPLE CORPORATE versus TEMPLE INDIVIDUAL?
Lev 26:11, 12 And I will set my tabernacle among you: and my soul shall not abhor you. And I will walk among you, and will be your God, and ye shall be my people.
Job 18:5, 6 Yea, the light of the wicked shall be put out, and the spark of his fire shall not shine. The light shall be dark in his tabernacle, and his candle shall be put out with him (linked with the candlestick (church) being removed).
Pro 13:9 The light of the righteous rejoiceth: but the lamp of the wicked shall be put out.
John 2:19 -21 Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days? But he spake of the temple of his body.
We have received, from a friend, these Old Testament passages as having a bearing on whether the New Testament temple of God or the Lord pertained to the church or to the individual saint. These O.T. links seem a bit weak, but who can dispute the fact that Jesus’ used His physical body as a temple? And then there is the fact that Corinthians was written not only to the church at Corinth but also to the saints and the sanctified. We would like for the brethren, belonging to whichever camp, whether Brider or Invisible churcher, to explain their take as to the temple of the Lord or God as are found in the Ephesian and Corinthian passages and to give some kind of rationale’ as to why they think it is such.
1 Cor 1:2 Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:
Ultimately, in the highly disputed discussion of the invisible, mystical church versus the local church only position, the metaphors of the “body,” the “bride,” the “flock,” the “building,” and the “temple” enter into the discussion. As metaphors, the body, the bride, and the flock seem fairly straight forward as being emblems or metaphors of the local church but not actual male, female, or animal entities. Nevertheless, the temple metaphor is not as easily proved as to whetherthat metaphorrefers to a corporate group of believers (church) or individual saints or both or each at times.
1 Cor 3:9 - 18 (9) For we are labourers together with God: yeare God'shusbandry, yeare God's building.(10) According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. (11) For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. (12) Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; (13) 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. (14) If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. (15) If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. (16) Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? (17) If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which templeye are. (18) Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise.
Paul’s continual use of the word “ye” (plural) seems to have some bearing in some passages as to whether the temple of God is corporate or an individual saint. Here an argument might be made either way. Can a saint be destroyed? Can a church me destroyed. What constitutes defiling the temple of God whatever it is. Is a saint God’s building, or is the church God’s building?
2 Cor 6:15 – 19 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? (16) And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? forye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. (17) But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. (18) Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. (19) What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghostwhich is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
Still, the temple of God here is referred to as “them” and “my people,” which means to me that, at least here, the temple of God is a corporate entity, the local church. I guess the temple of God could be stretched to mean all the saints, but I don’t think so. However, Paul seems to make a distinction between the temple of the living God and the temple of the Holy Ghost. Clearly, the temple of the Holy Ghost here is the body of the individual saint.
Eph 2:19 – 22 (19) Now thereforeye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; (20) And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; (21) In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: (22) In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.
Here, there can be no question that the temple of the Lord is fitly framed together and builded together. We are anxious to hear the brethren’s take on the matter. Something to THINK about.
– by Herb Evans