How does one 'destroy the temple' in 1 Corinthians 3:17 ?

[Jethro Bodine]

16Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? 17If any man destroys the temple of God, God will destroy him, for the temple of God is holy, and that is what you are." (1 Corinthians 3:16-17 NASB)

What constitutes destroying the temple of God, his people? We should know so we are careful not to do that, not only for the sake of the person being destroyed, but because of our own destruction, too, right? (This is a question inspired by reba in a recent thread where she brought up the question of a kind of 'univeralism' among believers.)

Thoughts, anybody?

 

[JLB]

If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are. 1 Corinthians 3:17 NKJV

If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are. 1 Corinthians 3:17 KJV

Both defile and destroy are the same Greek word:

Strong's G5351 - phtheirō - defile, destroy

to corrupt, to destroy

1. in the opinion of the Jews, the temple was corrupted or "destroyed" when anyone defiled or in the slightest degree damaged anything in it, or if its guardians neglected their duties
   
   
2. to lead away a Christian church from that state of knowledge and holiness in which it ought to abide
   
   
3. to be destroyed, to perish
   
   
4. in an ethical sense, to corrupt, deprave
   

Here's the way I read it:

If anyone defiles [leads away a christian person from that state of knowledge and holiness in which it ought to abide] the temple of God, God will destroy [destroy; cause to perish eternally] him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.
1 Corinthians 3:17 NKJV

I believe the the "defiler" is a person.

I believe the destruction is by the fire mentioned in context.

13 each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. 14 If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.
16 Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? 17 If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are. 1 Corinthians 3:13-17


The work [people, temple; building of God] must endure the fire.
Not enduring is defined in verse 15 as being burned, or destroyed.

"Burned" in this verse is consumed by fire.

If the work doesn't endure, it will be burned or "destroyed" by the fire, that is kindled by God Himself.


JLB

 

[smaller]

If any believer in temptations doesn't employ/deploy and USE the Promise of Jesus to eternally torture the devil for such intrusions as a reminder to our adversary, they are missing a great reminder from Jesus to do so. That is exactly the purging ourselves that Paul speaks of in 2 Tim. 2:20-21.

Malachi 3:2
But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap:

The temple that Paul speaks of is our own, our body. And yes, it is subject to intrusion by the destroyer, the adversary. Those who are watching from other angles are missing the picture of the temple that Paul used in his writings:

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?

Jesus said no differently about Himself, regarding the Temple being His Own Body:

John 2:21
But he spake of the temple of his body.

Another picture of the same "activity" of Jesus is pictured when he drove out the merchants in the temple. That is an external showing of an internal problem, IN the temple of MAN.

 

[Wrg1405]

Yes I think it applies to the local church and not the individual beleiver (which is addressed in 1Cor 6:19)

Any person who disrupts and destroys the church by divisions, malice, and other harmful acts invites God’s discipline (1 Cor 11:30-32)

Jethro you are right, we need to be aware as to what it means and its consequences for others and ourselves. As for our own destruction (eternal) I wouldn't go that far. I certainly beleive God disciplines.

We need to ensure that we walk the way Jesus had told us. Love your neighbour as you love yourself, do unto others as you would want them to do to you and so on.

If we seek to love the Lord our God with all our soul and our heart.

1 John 3:16
The Outworking of Love
By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.


John 13:31-35
The New Commandment
So, when he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man is glorified, and God is glorified in Him. If God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify Him in Himself, and glorify Him immediately. Little children, I shall be with you a little while longer. You will seek Me; and as I said to the Jews, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come,’ so now I say to you. A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

 

[for_his_glory]

If you are not glorifying God in your body and in your spirit then you are defiling the temple of God as the temple is not made by hands, but that of your own self just as each of us has a personal relationship with Christ we are to guard our self from the devices of Satan who only wants to steal our faith in God.

Mark 7:14-23 and 1Corinthians 6:12-20 is what defiles the temple of God.

 

[reba]

16Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? 17If any man destroys the temple of God, God will destroy him, for the temple of God is holy, and that is what you are." (1 Corinthians 3:16-17 NASB)

What constitutes destroying the temple of God, his people? We should know so we are careful not to do that, not only for the sake of the person being destroyed, but because of our own destruction, too, right? (This is a question inspired by reba in a recent thread where she brought up the question of a kind of 'univeralism' among believers.)

Thoughts, anybody?

Joh 2:18 Then answered the Jews and said unto him, What sign shewest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things?
Joh 2:19 Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.
Joh 2:20 Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days?
Joh 2:21 But he spake of the temple of his body.


Rom_12:4 For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office:
Rom_12:5 So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.

1Co_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?
1Co_12:12 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.
1Co_12:13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
1Co_12:14 For the body is not one member, but many.
1Co_12:15 If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?
1Co_12:16 And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?
1Co_12:17 If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?
1Co_12:18 But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased

Backbiting, gossip , putting our selfs first. egos . arrogance . self pity .. ETC

 

[Jethro Bodine]

If anyone defiles [leads away a christian person from that state of knowledge and holiness in which it ought to abide] the temple of God, God will destroy [destroy; cause to perish eternally] him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.
1 Corinthians 3:17 NKJV

I wonder. Telling believers that no matter how sinfully they choose to live, and for whatever reason, including unbelief, that they are still irretrievably saved, and they then do that, if that is not destroying the temple of God, what is?

 

[JLB]

I wonder. Telling believers that no matter how sinfully they choose to live, and for whatever reason, including unbelief, that they are still irretrievably saved, and they then do that, if that is not destroying the temple of God, what is?

 

[smaller]

I wonder. Telling believers that no matter how sinfully they choose to live, and for whatever reason, including unbelief, that they are still irretrievably saved, and they then do that, if that is not destroying the temple of God, what is?

Telling believers they can make themselves sinless is just as much the lie, if not moreso.

 

[Wrg1405]

I wonder. Telling believers that no matter how sinfully they choose to live, and for whatever reason, including unbelief, that they are still irretrievably saved, and they then do that, if that is not destroying the temple of God, what is?

I can't say that I have ever been told that I can choose to live a sinful lifestyle and be saved and it certainly isn't something I would ever say.
Choosing to do something is totally different from struggling with something.

 

[Jethro Bodine]

I can't say that I have ever been told that I can choose to live a sinful lifestyle and be saved

It's called 'hyper-grace', and it is being pushed right here in cf.net by a number of people who feel compelled to teach the church that even going back to unbelief will not affect your salvation. And it makes me wonder, if someone listens to that message and then shrinks back into unbelief, thinking they won't lose their salvation, how can that not be destroying the temple? If that isn't destroying the temple of God, what is? Is there something else even worse than unbelief that destroys the temple of God, and for which the person who leads others into it in the temple will himself be destroyed for doing so?

Ultimately, what that means is there is no such thing as destroying the temple and that Paul was mistaken when he spoke of the dangers of destroying the temple. I invite FreeGrace , Kidron, gr8grace3 and any other hyper-grace teacher to explain to us what destroys the temple in hyper-grace theology.

 

[Wrg1405]

It's called 'hyper-grace', and it is being pushed right here in cf.net by a number of people who feel compelled to teach the church that even going back to unbelief will not affect your salvation. And it makes me wonder, if someone listens to that message and then shrinks back into unbelief, thinking they won't lose their salvation, how can that not be destroying the temple? If that isn't destroying the temple of God, what is? Is there something else even worse than unbelief that destroys the temple of God, and for which the person who leads others into it in the temple will himself be destroyed for doing so?

Ultimately, what that means is there is no such thing as destroying the temple and that Paul was mistaken when he spoke of the dangers of destroying the temple. I invite FreeGrace , Kidron, gr8grace3 and any other hyper-grace teacher to explain to us what destroys the temple in hyper-grace theology.

As you know I have looked at the hyper-grace teaching which greatly released me in some areas and some I'm not sure I'm in agreement with. This I have posted previously. Even those against this teaching as a whole agree that there is some great stuff in it. Dr Brown who is quite outspoken in his rebuttal of some points. I just want to post something that he has on his website. If you don't Paul Ellis is one of the main proponents of HG.

Dr. Ellis and I have interacted privately via email a number of times, and at some point, I hope to write a rebuttal to his book-length response to my book on hyper-grace, since I found his book greatly lacking at many points, not to mention poorly representing my own position and, at times, misinterpreting the Word.

But we are brothers in the Lord, we celebrate the same death and resurrection of the same Lord Jesus in whom we have forgiveness and redemption, and we are both lovers of grace. In fact, I resonate with so much of what Dr. Ellis has written (he has lots of terrific insights, and he loves righteousness and hates sin) but I believe his teaching is mixed with some serious error as well. (I imagine he feels the same about me.)

He still considers Mr Ellis a brother in the Lord.

 

[smaller]

It's been noted numerous times:

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?

What destroys this body?

Romans 8:10
And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.

 

[JLB]

It's been noted numerous times:

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?

What destroys this body?

Romans 8:10
And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.

And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness... applies to Christians, who have the Spirit within them.

However, it is those who defile the Temple of God, that are destroyed by God.

If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are. 1 Corinthians 3;17

The temple is holy, so those who defile the holy temple by making it unholy, are the one who are destroyed by God.


Are you implying that God destroys all Christians?


JLB

 

[smaller]

Are you implying that God destroys all Christians?

Scriptures are clear that our body is the temple. Our body dies because of sin. Sin is of the devil. 1 John 3:8. We know not only why our temple dies but who is implicated. Our temple body wasn't meant to be permanent. 1 Cor. 15:42-49.

 

[eddif]

Ya'll are doing pretty good.

Romans 7:25 KJV
I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.

Our temple construction is flesh (temple consrltruction).
But
The operation of the temple is defined by Spirit the Holy as a leading force.
Revelation 3:20 KJV
Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

If we refuse Holy Spirit, and set up Satan in our temple as the leading force in our temple (desired direction - thy kingdom come thy will be done), then God's plan of temple operation is destroyed.

Setting up Satan inside a believer is the desolation sacrilege.

How does a redneck describe all this? With much difficulty.

eddif

 

[smaller]

Ya'll are doing pretty good.

Romans 7:25 KJV
I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.

Our temple construction is flesh (temple consrltruction).
But
The operation of the temple is defined by Spirit the Holy as a leading force.
Revelation 3:20 KJV
Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

If we refuse Holy Spirit, and set up Satan in our temple as the leading force in our temple (desired direction - thy kingdom come thy will be done), then God's plan of temple operation is destroyed.

Setting up Satan inside a believer is the desolation sacrilege.

How does a redneck describe all this? With much difficulty.

eddif

QUITE spot on above. Since you seem to be an aficionado of some of the finer points of scriptural reconnoitering you might appreciate the linking terms here:

Mark 13:
14 But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not, (let him that readeth understand,) then let them that be in Judaea flee to the mountains:
15 And let him that is on the housetop not go down into the house, neither enter therein, to take any thing out of his house:
16 And let him that is in the field not turn back again for to take up his garment.
17 But woe to them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!
18 And pray ye that your flight be not in the winter.
19 For in those days shall be affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created unto this time, neither shall be.
20 And except that the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved: but for the elect's sake, whom he hath chosen, he hath shortened the days.

Having studied this particular chain of text for some decades there are still statements I'm unclear on as to spiritual meanings, vs. 18 in particular. It's an interesting piece of Spiritual work. These are the matters that have kept my rapt interests for a lifetime now, not only to understand, but to apply walk in, because I see who is standing in holy place. That would be my own temporal hangout in the flesh.

 

[eddif]

QUITE spot on above. Since you seem to be an aficionado of some of the finer points of scriptural reconnoitering you might appreciate the linking terms here:

Mark 13:
14 But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not, (let him that readeth understand,) then let them that be in Judaea flee to the mountains:
15 And let him that is on the housetop not go down into the house, neither enter therein, to take any thing out of his house:
16 And let him that is in the field not turn back again for to take up his garment.
17 But woe to them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!
18 And pray ye that your flight be not in the winter.
19 For in those days shall be affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created unto this time, neither shall be.
20 And except that the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved: but for the elect's sake, whom he hath chosen, he hath shortened the days.

Having studied this particular chain of text for some decades there are still statements I'm unclear on as to spiritual meanings, vs. 18 in particular. It's an interesting piece of Spiritual work. These are the matters that have kept my rapt interests for a lifetime now, not only to understand, but to apply walk in, because I see who is standing in holy place. That would be my own temporal hangout in the flesh.

There are physical created things that hide spiritual truths.

Hebrews 6:4 KJV
For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,
5 And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,
6 If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.

When given the choice the flesh is still tempted. The power to escape is provided by him. You actually find springboards.

eddif

 

[smaller]

There are physical created things that hide spiritual truths.

Hebrews 6:4 KJV
For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,
5 And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,
6 If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.

When given the choice the flesh is still tempted. The power to escape is provided by him. You actually find springboards.

eddif

The general understanding has changed my "relationship" with God in Christ. IF I understand scripture presentations and internal reality as described therein, I recognize that I have an intruder in my temple for example, that Paul in the identical way described as "no longer I." That intruder is the most vile sinner that has ever existed. I know when God in Christ looks at me He does not SEE just me. I also know for no uncertain fact that God can and does deal with that adverse agent, ADVERSELY.

God in Christ is NOT a namby pamby JOKE when it comes to engagements. His Precepts are REAL, His Dealings are REAL, His Jealousy is REAL. God will have His Mercy and will use that adversity and adverse agents to prove beyond any doubt, our need of same. It is not always Kumbaya and Amazing Grace how sweet thou art.

An honest witness to the Gospel has two accounts to give. Not just the "oh love me Lord" side.

 

[JLB]

Scriptures are clear that our body is the temple. Our body dies because of sin. Sin is of the devil. 1 John 3:8. We know not only why our temple dies but who is implicated. Our temple body wasn't meant to be permanent. 1 Cor. 15:42-49.

Is that a yes, to my question which ask's: Are you implying that God destroys all Christians?

Please answer directly.

Are you implying that God destroys all Christians? Yes or No?



JLB