Hobby horse day

December 29, 2021 (Wednesday)

 

Warning: today is “hobby horse” day. You remember those rocking horses when you were a kid. You could rock like crazy but never get anywhere. Welcome to my world, today.

 

I’m heartbroken over the many things we take out of context when we read the Bible. Most of these things are not significant, but they are repeated mindlessly like memes. Today’s subject is “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple.” [1 Corinthians 3:16 – 17 NIV] I’m guessing, if I quoted “you are a temple of the Holy Spirit” most people would not have a clue what it really means.

 

One of the most common errors is thinking “your body is the temple…” Good verse. Different meaning. Read it carefully. “YOU yourselves are God’s temple.” Nothing about the physical body. Here is where some basic tools will help you understand the meaning. The “you” in verses 16 and 17 is plural. Paul is talking about a collective, group, or community… NOT an individual.

 

The old adage, “context is king,” carries weight when understanding these verses. Paul is addressing division and conflict in 1 Corinthians 3. Commenting on divisions based on work and personality, Paul uses this example, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God made it grow.” [1 Corinthians 3:6 CEB] People are different, our gifts are different, but different is just different. Different is neither good nor bad when it comes to God’s work. Paul is saying it doesn’t matter who does what, we all have the same purpose.

 

At this point, there is a reference to two of Paul’s favorite images of the church, “We are God’s coworkers, and you are God’s field, God’s building.” [1 Corinthians 3:9 CEB] The farming illustration is universal: planting, watering, and reaping. The details of buildings around the world are different, but they all have a foundation in common. Paul continues: “…  Each person needs to pay attention to the way they build on it. No one can lay any other foundation besides the one that is already laid, which is Jesus Christ.” [1 Corinthians 3:10b – 11 CEB]

 

In this thing we call “church,” Jesus is the only foundation and God is the only one who gives growth and eventually harvest. From the Greek text, the NLT is the closest, “Don’t you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you?” [1 Corinthians 3:16] Paul is talking about the church. If you want, “the body” of Christ.

 

Paul’s warning is: “God will destroy anyone who destroys this temple.” [1 Corinthians 3:17a NLT] In the Corinthian church, destroying the temple was in the form of false teaching, “cliques,” and an emphasis on religious practice (speaking in tongues). Whatever it looks like, it’s destroying the church.

 

These are habits and attitudes that form naturally when we are immature and ignorant of our ways. When we are not self-aware (emotional intelligence) bad things happen. Possibly the main symptom of being unhealthy is thinking we are wise, smart, or right, “Stop deceiving yourselves. If you think you are wise by this world’s standards, you need to become a fool to be truly wise.” [1 Corinthians 3:18 NLT]

 

Let’s not point fingers. That’s a symptom as well. Avoiding honestly looking in the mirror is another red flag.