[Luke]

1Co 3:16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
1Co 3:17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

Are these verses referring to the individual believers body as the temple of God, or the church (invisible) as the temple of God?

Whichever one it is, what do these verses mean for someone who has defiled the temple of God after salvation?

Hi Luke,

Are these verses referring to the individual believers body as the temple of God, or the church (invisible) as the temple of God?

It is my opinion it refers to the church. The verse uses ye/you (plural) instead of thee/thou (singular), while referring to the temple (singular) and not temples (plural). Ye (plural) are the temple (singular) of God.

Whichever one it is, what do these verses mean for someone who has defiled the temple of God after salvation?

Few people realize that the same Greek word is used twice in this verse. "If any man "phtheiro" the temple of God, him shall God "phtheiro"." God's temple is holy, and if someone does something bad to his temple, God in turn will do that thing to him.

God bless,
Brian

[MC1171611]

Luke, I'd have to say that God is talking here about the chastisement of the Holy Spirit upon disobedient believers or the church as a whole; "The Greek" notwithstanding, "Defile" and "Destroy" are different words with different meanings. Obviously, if God had wanted to say that He'd do the same thing to the person that they had done to His "temple," He would have said that God would "Defile" them as well. Defile != Destroy.

Keep in mind that Paul was speaking to a church full of wickedness and carnality: he might have been warning them that God would punish them as a church for their sin if they didn't straighten up. This tends to make sense to me since the church at Corinth was messed up with a lot of perversion, and God wouldn't deal kindly with His children enmeshed in that garbage.

[Biblestudent]

Originally Posted by BrianT

It is my opinion it refers to the church.

John Wesley's opinon (1 Corinthians 3:16,17):

Verse 16. Ye - All Christians. Are the temple of God - The most noble kind of building, ver. 9.
Verse 17. If any man destroy the temple of God - Destroy a real Christian, by schisms, or doctrines fundamentally wrong. Him shall God destroy - He shall not be saved at all; not even as through the fire."

[Biblestudent]

singular-plural-singular-plural-singular-plural, etc.

Okay, I'll try to make it clear in my mind and let others figure out whether I'm reading and understanding God's Word right.

1 Corinthians 3:16 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 temple ye are.

Questions:
1. Where does the Spirit of God exactly dwell?
a. AMONG believers, without being inside their physical bodies?
b. IN THE MIDST of believers, without being inside their physical bodies?
c. Or, INSIDE THE INDIVIDUAL, PHYSICAL BODIES of all believers who are all members of the Body of Christ?
2. What does "temple of God" mean?
a. Does "temple of God" mean the believer's bodies INDIVIDUALLY?
b. Does "temple of God" mean all believer's bodies CORPORATELY?
c. Does "temple of God" not mean believer's bodies?
d. Does "temple of God" mean believer's bodies INDIVIDUALLY as well as CORPORATELY?
3. What does the passage mean?
a. Does it mean that the Spirit of God indwells the corporate Body (singular) of Christ WITHOUT indwelling the physical bodies (plural) of believers?
b. Or does it mean the Spirit of God indwells every body (singular) of every individual believer (singular), who are all members (plural) of the Body (singular) of Christ?

1 Corinthians 6:15 Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid.
16 What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh.
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 Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?

A perspective from 1 Corinthians 6:15-19:
1. The believers' physical "BODIES (plural) are the "members (plural) of Christ".
2. God forbid that the believers' physical "bodies" ("members of Christ") be made "members (plural) of an harlot (singular)".
3. An individual believer's physical "body" is "the temple of the Holy Ghost".
4. The Holy Ghost is inside the physical body (singular) of all believers (plural).

CONTEXT determines meaning.

1. Believers as a group are called "temple of God" in other passages.
2. Believers as a group are called "body of Christ" in other passages.
3. "Body of Christ", when referring to believers as a group, does not refer to Christ's physical body.
4. "Temple of God", when used in reference to believers as a group, does not refer to one physical body.

5. In 1 Corinthians 6:15, the physical "bodies" are called "members of Christ".
6. In 1 Corinthians 6:19, the physical "body" is the "temple of the Holy Ghost".

7. In 1 Corinthians 3:16,17, believers are the "temple of God".
8. In 1 Corinthians 3:16, the Spirit of God dwells "IN" believers.
If believers are the temple of God, and the Spirit of God dwells "in" believers, where is He exactly "in" - inside their physical bodies, or outside floating in the air?

I think there is a need to identify where the Spirit of God is actually dwelling "IN" so we can know what meaning to give to "temple of God".

[Biblestudent]

1 Corinthians 3:16 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 temple ye are.

Looking at the passage again:

1. All believers are the "temple of God".
2. The Spirit of God dwells "in" all believers.
3. "Any man" who defiles the "temple of God" will be destroyed by God.
4. The "temple of God" is holy, and this "temple" are believers.

Question:
How exactly does the Spirit of God dwell in "believers" (plural)?
Can "temple of God" refer to all believers corporately?
Can "temple of God" refer to the physical bodies of believers individually?

Opinion
I believe the primary meaning of the passage is this:

The Holy Spirit indwells the bodies of believers for they are the temple of God. If a believer himself defiles his own body, which is the temple of God, God will destroy even him; for the temple of God is holy.

This interpretation is illustrated in 1 Corinthians 5:5 and seems to be confirmed in 1 Corinthians 6:19,20.

If this interpretation is wrong, then we will learn more here as this thread lengthens; but I think I've said most, if not all, that I have to say.

[Biblestudent]

Originally Posted by Biblestudent

John Wesley's opinon (1 Corinthians 3:16,17):

Verse 16. Ye - All Christians. Are the temple of God - The most noble kind of building, ver. 9.
Verse 17. If any man destroy the temple of God - Destroy a real Christian, by schisms, or doctrines fundamentally wrong. Him shall God destroy - He shall not be saved at all; not even as through the fire."

The quote was just to show another man's opinion, not necessarily mine.

[stephanos]

Originally Posted by Biblestudent

The quote was just to show another man's opinion, not necessarily mine.

Also keep in mind that this would fit in with what is said in the book of Jude:

For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ. (Jude 1:4 KJV)

The funny thing is that Rob Bell, and Donald Miller come to my mind as I meditate upon these Scriptures. I'm not sure if these wolves have denied Lord Jesus, but Unitarians sure do. It are these sorts of folks that I believe these Scriptures speak of when they speak of defiling the Temple (the Church age temple that is).

Peace and Love,
Stephen

Hi Kiwi Christian,

1 Corinthians 6:19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.

Bro. Brian, you believe that "body" in the passage above, mentioned twice, is a reference to the body of Christ, the church, and NOT the individual Christian. So, how do you explain verse 20 where it says "in your body, and in your spirit"? You say "your body" is the church, what is "your spirit" if not the spirit of an individual believer?

I think the corporate words of Paul can also apply in an individual sense as well, but there is a reason Paul said "your (plural) body" "and "your (plural) spirit" instead of "your bodies" and "your spirits". As for "your spirit", perhaps it is the common "spirit of faith" (2 Cor 4:13), unity, truth, etc.

I have considered what you say about the pronouns, and agree that in some verses it is referring to the corporate body as a temple, but I also believe that every Christian's body is a temple of the Holy Ghost.

I never see "a" temple (or multiple temples) mentioned. It's always "the" temple. Our bodies are members/parts of the temple, not individual temples.

God bless,
Brian

Hi Biblestudent,

Questions:
1. Where does the Spirit of God exactly dwell?
a. AMONG believers, without being inside their physical bodies?
b. IN THE MIDST of believers, without being inside their physical bodies?
c. Or, INSIDE THE INDIVIDUAL, PHYSICAL BODIES of all believers who are all members of the Body of Christ?

C and also D. In the midst of believers, while being inside their physical bodies.

2. What does "temple of God" mean?
a. Does "temple of God" mean the believer's bodies INDIVIDUALLY?
b. Does "temple of God" mean all believer's bodies CORPORATELY?
c. Does "temple of God" not mean believer's bodies?
d. Does "temple of God" mean believer's bodies INDIVIDUALLY as well as CORPORATELY?

B.

3. What does the passage mean?
a. Does it mean that the Spirit of God indwells the corporate Body (singular) of Christ WITHOUT indwelling the physical bodies (plural) of believers?
b. Or does it mean the Spirit of God indwells every body (singular) of every individual believer (singular), who are all members (plural) of the Body (singular) of Christ?

B is true, but the passage is about the first half of A.

A perspective from 1 Corinthians 6:15-19:
1. The believers' physical "BODIES (plural) are the "members (plural) of Christ".
2. God forbid that the believers' physical "bodies" ("members of Christ") be made "members (plural) of an harlot (singular)".
3. An individual believer's physical "body" is "the temple of the Holy Ghost".
4. The Holy Ghost is inside the physical body (singular) of all believers (plural).

I don't see how you arrived at the conclusion in 3. Paul said "your body is the temple" not "your bodies are temples".

The Holy Spirit indwells the bodies of believers for they are the temple of God.

Or do you mean you believe "The Holy Spirit indwells the bodies of believers for they are temples of God"? There is a subtle difference.

God bless,
Brian