Christ’s Vision for the Church (2)
…Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God by the Spirit. Ephesians 2.20-22
Dwelling place of God
Foundational to Christ’s vision for His Church is that it should be a dwelling place where He and His people live together in the salvation He provides.
The New Testament uses the language of “temple” to describe this, primarily because this is what the people of God were familiar with in those days. In ancient Israel, God came to dwell with His people, to meet with them and receive their offerings, and to send them out with His blessing, from the confines of a temple constructed according to God’s own plans.
Similarly, among the Gentile peoples of the Roman world, temples—like the temple of Diana in Ephesus served as a kind of meeting place with the gods, their “home away from home” when they weren’t lolling around as usual on Mt. Olympus.
So it doesn’t surprise us when we see the New Testament freely using the language of “temple” and “dwelling-place” to describe local churches.
We are the temple of the Lord
But, unlike pagan temples and the temple of the Old Testament, the temple which is the Church of our Lord Jesus Christ is not made with hands; it is not a constructed site, at least, not in the first instance. The temple of the Lord is realized in the members of the Body of Christ, in whom Jesus dwells by His Spirit. We who believe are the temple of the Lord (1 Cor. 6.19), both individually and together.
Now this has tremendous significance, in the first place, because it should turn us away from thinking of our churches—of that which Christ would build through us—primarily as physical and material facilities, as we tend to do now: “I go to such-and-such church.” The bricks and mortar and all the furnishings may be useful when the temple of the Lord assembles, but these are not the temple of the Lord in themselves. We should be very careful about attaching the idea of “church” to buildings and real estate. The church and temple of the Lord are the people in whom the Lord dwells by His Spirit. If they think of the buildings that accommodate them rather than themselves as the church and temple of the Lord, this can have serious negative ramifications.
Nevertheless, large portions of the budgets and time of any local congregation go to caring for, keeping up, and using a physical facility. That’s not bad in itself; it can be, though, if when we think of “church” we think in the first instance of the buildings in which we gather as the temple of the Lord.
The temple of the Lord is His own body, which He is raising up, adorning, beautifying, strengthening, and commissioning to the task of advancing the Kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven. It is His people, the Church, who are being sanctified in the truth of God and fitted for the work of ministry and seeking the Kingdom of the Lord.
Under construction
The apostle Paul tells us that a temple of God, properly adorned and maintained, grows in unity and maturity in the Lord Jesus, as pastors and teachers equip church members to do the work of ministry (Eph. 4.11-16). A building and other facilities can aid in this process, but they are not essential. Indeed, in many ways they can distract us from our task by so defining and confining what we do in the name of “our church” that our endeavors consistently look more like the ways of the world than the work of the Lord, more like maintaining and maximizing a building than seeking and advancing a Kingdom not of this world.
Jesus is building Himself a dwelling-place of beauty and joy, one that so reflects His Presence and power that it can seem, at times, to be almost indistinguishable from Him (Ps. 48.1-3, 12-14).
As we build our churches let us not lose sight of the fact that what matters most to the Lord is not the number, shape, and usability of the buildings we erect, but the health, growth, and ministries of the people in whom He has come to dwell.
For the people who believe in Jesus are His temple, the centerpiece of Christ’s vision for the Church. Let us concentrate on building believers up as disciples and witnesses of Jesus and our gatherings of believers as the Body of Christ in our community. Then both levels of temple-building—individual and corporate—will be lined up with Jesus’ vision for His Church.
For reflection or discussion
1. What makes a temple a temple? In other words, when you think of a temple, what feelings, images, or purposes come to mind?
2. How is it possible for each member of a church, and the church as a whole, to be the temple of the Lord? How does this “work together” for the purposes of Ephesians 2.20-22?
3. “Jesus is building Himself a dwelling-place of beauty and joy, one that so reflects His Presence and power that it can seem, at times, to be almost indistinguishable from Him (Ps. 48.1-3, 12-14).” Meditate on those verses. On a scale of 1 to 10, where 10 is the highest, to what extent do these verses describe your church? Explain.
Next steps: What does it mean for you as a church member to be the “temple” of the Lord? Seek the Lord in prayer, asking what you can do to become a better dwelling place for Him.
T. M. Moore
If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment to give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Cor. 4.15).
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Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter.
