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[This is the first in a series of posts on "Scriptures Taken Out of Context and Why They Matter".]

It is commonly stated by Christians (and sometimes even others) that our individual bodies are the "temples of God."   However, the Bible doesn't explicitly say that.

Well, to be more exact, English translations do say "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own..." (1 Corinthians 6:19)  But, the way we in our individualistic culture read this and what it actually says are very different.  The contextual problem here is an issue of language and the context of Paul's whole letter; and, unfortunately, from the ambiguity of the English "you" it is easy to see why people have developed the theological and anthropological view that their bodies are little temples of God.

What the passage says is:  "Do you (plural) not know that your (plural) body (singular) is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you (plural), whom you (plural) have received from God?  You (plural) are not your own(plural). . ."

Now that's quite a bit different than thinking of my individual body as being God's temple.  What Paul is saying is that the whole Corinthian community of believers represents a temple of the Holy Spirit.  If we look at Paul's other uses this makes more sense in the context of his entire letter.  The idea of the community of believers being a single metaphorical or spiritual "building" or "body" is a theme that Paul uses throughout Corinthians and even in some other Pauline works.  Ultimately in 1 Corinthians, it leads up to the metaphor of "the body of Christ" that Paul uses to describe the church itself.   If we are going to look at the body as the temple in context, we need begin reading in verse 3:9, where Paul is concluding a discussion of the works of different ministers/leaders to the Corinthian community:

"For we are God’s servants, working together; you (plural) are God’s field, God’s building. According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building on it. Each builder must choose with care how to build on it. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one that has been laid; that foundation is Jesus Christ.

Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— the work of each builder will become visible, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each has done. If what has been built on the foundation survives, the builder will receive a reward.   If the work is burned up, the builder will suffer loss; the builder will be saved, but only as through fire.

Do you (plural) not know that you (plural) are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you (plural)?   If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person. For God’s temple is holy, and you (plural) are that temple." (1 Cor 3:9-17)

Later Paul also says:

“Do you (plural) not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Should I therefore take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! Do you (plural) not know that whoever is united to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For it is said, “The two shall be one flesh.”

But anyone united to the Lord becomes one spirit with him.

Shun fornication! Every sin that a person commits is outside the body; but the fornicator sins against the body itself. Or do you (plural) not know that your (plural) body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you (plural), which you (plural) have from God, and that you (plural) are not your own? For you (plural) were bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your (plural) body.” (1Corinthians 6:15–20 NRSV)

Notice that when Paul wants to refer to the individual bodies of the Corinthian believers he uses the plural "bodies" in verse 9.   This is an important distinction to note regarding his use of the singular "body" with the plural "you" in other places.  If Paul were using "body" (singular) as a general reference to the individual bodies of his recipients, verse 9 should read something like:  "Do you (plural) not know that your body is a member of Christ?"

And then lastly in 1 Corinthians Paul uses the body (singular) to refer to the entire community of believers in 1 Corinthians 12:

“For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.

Indeed, the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot would say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear would say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many members, yet one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.”

On the contrary, the members of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and those members of the body that we think less honorable we clothe with greater honor, and our less respectable members are treated with greater respect; whereas our more respectable members do not need this. But God has so arranged the body, giving the greater honor to the inferior member, that there may be no dissension within the body, but the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it.

Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.”  (1Corinthians 12:12–27 NRSV)

Paul seems to be very concerned that the Corinthians recognize that they are one.  Together they (we) are the body of Christ, and that body (not each of our individual bodies) is the temple of God.  We also find this concept in other locations.  In 2 Corinthians Paul says, "What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.”  (2 Cor 6:16 emphasis added)  It is because God's presence is within His people that we are the temple.  Ephesians contains a similarly minded passage that can almost be seen as a summary of some of the concepts in 1 and 2 Corinthians:

“So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. In him the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord; in whom you (plural) also are built together spiritually into a dwelling place for God.”  (Ephesians 2:19–22 NRSV)

In summation of the Scriptures on this topic, should be pointed out, however, that Jesus does refer to his own body as a temple of God at John 2:19:  "Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.” 

So why does this matter?

It matters because in this case is the scripture not concerned with the individual but with the corporate existence and self-understanding of the church.   Our own culture is obsessed with the individual--personal morality, personal spirituality, personal ethics, etc.  This doesn't seem to be an issue for the biblical authors very often.  The Scripture is more concerned about our life together as the people of God. The church as a gathering of believers is the community where God is present in a special way, and our individual actions have bearing upon that corporate reality.  If I sin sexually I sin against the body--not just my own body, but the Body of Christ.  Paul is also saying in segments of these passages that God is very concerned about someone who would damage the Christian community by singling out persons or gifts for special honor in terms of rank.

Another point to b made is that if you are going to quote something as an important verse (or build whole sermons or doctrines out of them), please be sure you know what the verse says.  Study both the terms used and the context of the passage within the book or letter.  And a great word of advice when reading "you" in the Bible:   always check to see if it is plural or singular.

References

If you would like to do a little of your own research, the totality of NT uses of the word "temple" can be found at: 

Matt 4:5; 12:5–6; 17:24; 21:12, 14–15, 23; 23:16–17, 21, 35; 24:1; 26:55, 61; 27:5, 40, 51;

Mark 11:11, 15–16, 27; 12:35, 41; 13:1, 3; 14:49, 58; 15:29, 38;

Luke 1:9, 21–22; 2:27, 37, 46; 4:9; 18:10; 19:45, 47; 20:1; 21:1, 5, 37–38; 22:4, 52–53; 23:45; 24:53;

John 2:14–15, 19–21; 5:14; 7:14, 28, 32, 45; 8:2, 20, 59; 10:23; 11:56; 18:20;

Acts 2:46; 3:1–2, 8, 10; 4:1; 5:20–21, 24–25, 42; 14:13; 19:27, 35; 21:26–30; 22:17; 24:6, 12, 18; 25:8; 26:21;

Rom 9:4;

1 Cor 3:16–17; 6:19; 8:10; 9:13; 2 Cor 6:16;

Eph 2:21;

2 Thess 2:4;

Rev 3:12; 7:15; 11:1, 19; 14:15, 17; 15:5–6, 8–16:1; 16:17; 21:22

Comments

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Jordan Doolen   |65.70.115.xxx |02-16-2010 08:25 Good read... I especially liked the bit about scripture not being as concerned about the individual as it is the group. Seems like a lot of people miss that point in general. Reply | Quote

Jimmy Doyle   |02-16-2010 11:00 It is easy to do in the English, especially since we are geared towards an individualistic approach to everything anyway. And it is difficult for us to deal with "you mean the Bible isn't just about me and my life?" btw I hate that we lived around the corner from each other and never got together except the one time. How dumb. Reply | Quote

Jordan Doolen   |65.70.115.xxx |02-16-2010 11:07 Agreed. Reply | Quote

Jordan Doolen   |02-16-2010 11:13 To put it another way... I guess people are really "missing the mark" on that one... Reply | Quote

Kori Hurley  - Awww   |69.155.17.xxx |02-16-2010 18:04 Grr i love the way you did that doyle! I get grrrish at people who distrimnate against my tatoos and piercings... you tearning his temple up a lady told me at church the other morning it made infuriated! but i left it alone and told her to have a wonderful day Reply | Quote

Br. James Patrick  - Temple     |216.97.161.xxx |02-20-2010 09:44 You mean, my interpretation that my body is a mega-church isn't entirely accurate?!? Reply | Quote

Gies  - You ruined...   |216.207.127.xxx |03-19-2010 15:55 ...my new Bible study I was writing that is all about pampering ourselves. If my body is the temple I need to make sure it is a glorious temple fit for the KING of KINGS. Therefore, it is worth it for me to spend lots of money on "temple upkeep." Don't worry about those poor people in the world, God will understand their temple didn't have all the looking after mine did... Good article. Reply | Quote

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