"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
Along with Hebrews 10:26-27, 1 Corinthians 3:17 has struck terror into generations of Christians. Because of failure to properly understand what is being said, far too many Christians have given up in sadness, thinking these passages are saying something they are not. And Satan is all too eager to help a person believe doctrinal error is actually truth. So, it these thoughts have troubled you, read on.
If we look at what Paul is speaking about throughout the first four chapters of First Corinthians (and thus understand where 1 Corinthians 3:17 fits in that structure) you will see that this verse actually has nothing to do with you sinning in your body and losing your salvation. It is referring to something quite different.
Corinth was one of the major commercial centers in the entire Roman Empire. It’s location between the heavily-commerced Aegean and Ionian seas made it so. It was a huge city, about five times the size of Athens at the time, and noted for its pride in its importance and in its rampant immorality. It was likely one of the most Hellenistic (that is to say, Greek) cities in Asia. While it had many Romans and Jews in its population, the majority was Greek. And, being Greeks, they were possessed of a value system that had as its highest peak the goal of wisdom. Thus they treasured the most intellectual philosophers and the most skillful orators. This is VERY important to understand as we look at the opening chapters of First Corinthians.
Paul had founded the church here during his second missionary journey which began in the spring of 51 A.D. He invested approximately a year and a half in this church (Acts 18:1-11) leaving there, it is believed, in the fall of 53 A.D. Approximately four years later (57 A.D.) after hearing stories of how the Corinthian church had begun to stray from his teachings, Paul wrote this First Epistle to them.
After the salutation (vv1-3) in chapter 1 Paul gives thanks to God for the birth of the Church there and for its condition when he left it. He says in verses 4 through 9 that in Jesus God had given the Corinthian saints His grace (v4), that they were enriched by Him in all speech and all knowledge (v5) and that the testimony of Jesus was confirmed in each of them (v6) to the extent that they received ALL of the gifts, and were eagerly awaiting the return of Jesus Christ (v7). Further, he assures them that their hope is real and that it is anchored in Christ who will preserve them until the Day of the Lord and he affirms that the God who called them to salvation is faithful and will indeed do it (vv8-9).
Paul then turns to the problems that had sprung up in the church there; and from 1 Corinthians 1:10 to 1 Corinthians 3:23 (Arguably until 1 Corinthians 4:7.) he deals with the fundamental flaw in their assembly— fleshly divisions.
In chapter 4 Paul continues the thought by attempting to shame the Corinthians for their petty ideas of status when apostles such as he and Apollos were regarded as the off-scourings of the earth; and he explains his own ministry and his motives in writing to them, justifying his spiritual authority over them.
It is not until chapter 5 that Paul, concerned over rumors that would indicate the purity of the Corinthian church was threatened, deals with individual sin, beginning with the all-important issue of immorality.
I do not need to go on chapter by chapter through the rest of the epistle. I am not writing a commentary here: I merely am attempting to show the topic structure of this epistle, so that the Holy Spirit can guide you to the meaning of 1 Corinthians 3:17.
The fact is that first four chapters of this epistle deal primarily with division in the church and the importance and process of a humble, serving spirit. In the course of this Paul deals with human (fleshly) attitudes, the foolishness of human wisdom, the need for Christian maturity, and the proper perception of the believer.
So let's get back to the Bible text.
After his opening salutation and his assuring them that in Christ they have been given everything they need, he moves —starting with verse 10— to speak of the importance of unity and deal with the issue of division.
As part of this process, Paul takes a couple of lengthy detours. The first runs from 1 Corinthians 1:17 to 1 Corinthians 2:16. It’s basically Paul’s essay on human wisdom and knowledge. His foundation for this is an explanation of God’s calling on his life. He says that this calling was not to engage in a display of human intelligence and wisdom but to preach what to the world seemed to be utter foolishness: the Cross. And here he begins that detour I just mentioned with a detour within that detour. From v17 to v31 he speaks of the Cross— that it is all sufficient and that it is the very power of God. In fact, Paul says, God in His infinite wisdom chose the Cross because it eliminates any glory for man. It excludes the efforts of the wise, the religious scholar, and the debater (the philosopher who made his reputation and his living in public debates demonstrating the heights of his personal wisdom and philosophy against that of others.)
Now, upon that foundation, Paul—from 1 Corinthians 2:1 to 3:16—erects his argument against what the Corinthian church members were doing— namely falling back into their old habits of admiring the men who through clever words appeared to exhibit the greatest wisdom and hence be the one to follow. This only glorified man and resulted in factions—what the KJV later refers to as “strife”. When Paul in 1 Corinthians 2:1-2 says “And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified” he is stating his total separation from Greek philosophical reasoning. Greeks sought all kinds of knowledge in order to attain to wisdom, the highest goal of their philosophy. But Paul is saying here that he only needs to know ONE thing: the crucified Christ. The Cross of Christ is God’s wisdom and man’s only need for salvation, sanctification, and glorification.
The rest of chapter 2 is Paul’s explanation that those who are in Christ. For they have received of God’s own wisdom and it is given to them and produced in them through the ministry of the Holy Spirit. Paul is saying that the Corinthians did not have to worry about learning the teachings of some philosophy as did men in order to come to a perfect knowledge of their beliefs: the Holy Spirit would instruct them. Unsaved man might not understand—in fact he can NOT understand—but the Christian will (1 Corinthians 2:14-15). Indeed, says Paul, we have the very mind of Christ Himself (1 Corinthians 2:16)!
Now beginning with the first verse of the third chapter of 1 Corinthians, Paul returns from his detour to the subject of division in the church.
(vv1-2) He tells the Corinthian Christians that when he was with them he gave them spiritual milk because they were not yet ready for spiritual meat and indeed they aren’t even ready for meat now. Why? Verse 3.
(vv3-4) because they are still fleshly: the proof of which is their jealousy and their strife brought about by their boasting over whose teaching they follow.
(vv5-8) Paul explains that it doesn’t matter whether Apollos or Paul taught them because both he and Apollos (and for that matter Peter or any other apostle) were merely instruments of God. If the people in the church were experiencing spiritual growth, it was not Apollos or Paul that had caused it, it was God.
(v9) In fact, Paul points out there is no division between him and Apollos because the two of them are fellow workers for God … engaged in working for God who is the One farming the field and building the building.
(vv10-23) Now … Paul describes the spiritual building process and the role God gave to HIM.
(vv10-23) Now … Paul describes the spiritual building process and the role God gave to HIM.
(v10) He was to function as a master builder whose job was to lay a sound, solid foundation. And then someone else (in this case Apollos, but it could be any apostle / prophet / evangelist / pastor / teacher) could build on it.
(vv11) He states that the foundation is Jesus Christ … and ONLY Jesus Christ … and whoever builds on it had better be careful how they do so.
(vv12-13) If men come and build lasting things that glorify God or if they build perishable things, the nature of that work will be shown in the last day when God’s fire will test the work.
Now, the temporal things (those things represented by wood, hay, straw) will be consumed by the flames.
(v14) Paul states that the one who builds with lasting materials will see those works stand the test of God’s fire. (Indeed gold and silver are purified by fire while precious stones are not harmed by it … indeed they are created by it.)
Gold … silver … precious stones are all things that glorify God and further His work among mankind. Those that are motivated by these things will all receive a reward in Heaven.
(v15) The one who builds perishable works (those things that glorify man) will see all that he has built destroyed along with any hope of reward.
Nevertheless, Paul adds as a clarification, the person himself will be still be saved.
And it is in this context of building Christ’s Church that Paul now launches into 1 Corinthians 3:16-17.
And it is in this context of building Christ’s Church that Paul now launches into 1 Corinthians 3:16-17.
According to nearly all English translations, Paul explains that the people in the Church (the saints) are each (the Greek grammar is in the singular number here) a temple of God. In fact the Greek word for “temple” means far more than a religious building or sanctuary for worship. The word, as I mentioned in my original post, is naos (ναὸς). The Greeks used this word to refer to the place in a temple where the god lived to whom the temple was dedicated. Hellenistic Jews took the word and used it to refer to the Most Holy Place —the Holy of Holies— where The One God dwelt between the Cherubim, above the Mercy Seat. Paul is thus saying that each of us is not just God’s possession, we are each God’s dwelling place: He actually LIVES in us! Individually! (He does this, of course, in the person of the Holy Spirit, the third but equal person of the Godhead.)
I don't think I have said this well. I am trying to say that we are more than just temples of God where worship is carried out in God's name, we are the most holy of places where God Himself dwells. Said another way: we don't just have God's name ON us, we have God's person IN us!
What an awesome—and humbling—thought!
Paul begins this thought (v16) by asking: “Do you not know you are indeed the naos of god?” In view of this fact—that individually we are the places in which God dwells and corporately are the elements being used to build the holy habitation of God (Ephesians 2:22)—then anyone who ruins the proper building of this naos will himself be ruined. The verse reads like this in the NKJV: “If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.”
The Greek word translated “defile” is φθείρω (phtheiro). That’s a good translation. It actually means to ruin, to corrupt, to defile. But that is the same word used one word later in the phrase God will destroy him.” So why is it translated now destroy when it does not mean destroy? Not just in the KJV but nearly all translations?
Well, there is no grammatical reason.
The two occasions of the word are side by side—εἴ τις τὸν ναὸν τοῦ θεοῦ φθείρει φθερεῖ τοῦτον ὁ θεός—the only difference between them being that the first is present tense and the second future tense.
Thus to translate it by two different words that have significantly different meanings can only be due to a theological reason. The reason is not the word itself but the translators’ theological opinions.
If you have studied ancient Judaism, you understand that for the Jews, if anyone defiled the Temple or its contents, it was as if they had destroyed it. Thus, it is in that tradition that we get the translation of phtheiro as “destroy” here.
Even the majority of the greatest Bible expositors throughout history agree that “destroy” is too severe a word. The great scholar Kenneth Wuest translates this verse this way:
“If anyone morally corrupts the inner sanctuary of God, this person God will bring to the place of ruin.”
The thought contained in the verse is that if someone through selfish reasons ruins God’s building by causing it to vary from God’s proper blueprint (clearly this speaks of those who for self-aggrandizing reasons teach error through the arrogance of their own minds) then God will ensure that that person himself will be ruined. Thus “ruin”, “corrupt”, or “defile” are preferable translations for both occurrences of phtheiro in v17. Write that in your Bible.
Now … moving on.
The balance of this chapter (1 Corinthians 3:18-23) returns to the theme of division and warns the readers/listeners not to be deceived.
(vv18-20) If someone thinks themselves to be wise in this world, they should become fools so that they may possess true wisdom. “The wisdom of this world,” says Paul, “is foolishness before God.” God catches the worldly wise in their own craftiness; He knows that all of their wisdom is useless.
(vv21-22) Therefore, Paul warns, don’t boast in men; for whether Paul or Peter or Apollos is your teacher is not important—in fact, nothing in this world or the world to come is important in itself—for it all belongs to you: that is to say, it is all for your welfare.
And best of all … look at v22 … best of all your position is secured, for you belong to Christ and Christ Himself belongs to God. You can be no higher, no more important!
Paul then proceeds through the first part of the next chapter (1 Corinthians 4:1-13) to cap his argument by describing himself and Apollos as “servants of Christ and stewards of God’s mysteries” and continuing his attempt to get his readers to understand that their division over their teachers is an offence toward God.He says while the quarreling Corinthians saints have the comfort and luxury of engaging in such vain ideas, he and Apollos live their lives in risk and personal want and receive only dishonor in the eyes of the world.
By saying this he is trying to show them the foolishness of their thinking. After all, if their teachers, regardless of who they are, Paul or Apollos, are held in low esteem, why do they (their followers) attempt to elevate themselves?
Finally in the balance of the chapter (1 Corinthians 4:14-21) he shifts to his status as being their spiritual father … since he birthed their church.
He explains his motive in writing to them is as a father for their good, not to elevate himself. And he tries to reason them into behaving as befits saints.
But in his final line of chapter 4 he concludes by giving them a choice: “Shall I come to you with a rod (as a father would come to harshly punish a child) or with love and a spirit of gentleness?” And that ends the first division of the first epistle to the church at Corinth. It is only now that Paul turns his attention to the other problems in that assembly of believers: beginning with immorality.
So, perhaps now by seeing 1 Corinthians 3:17 as part of the larger context and progression of thought in this epistle you can understand why I said it has nothing to do with a person losing their salvation … whether because of sin or any other reason. As long as our faith is in Christ, we are secure. And since we are sealed by the Spirit of God, and He is not just the author but the finisher of our faith who is able to keep us and present us faultless before His throne, our faith ultimately will not fail … IF we are truly His.
Therefore we must keep these verses (v16-17) in their context: not that of personal sin but that of behavior in the church. (By personal sin, naturally, I mean the immoral behavior Paul begins addressing in chapter 5.)
The very same principle can be seen in other NT teachings. For example— Paul tells us in Romans 12:2 not be conformed to the world but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds through the Word. It means having a godly, an eternal, perspective rather than a temporal, carnal one. This will lead us from glory to glory, even into the very image of Christ. Conformity to the world will lead us to carnality and spiritual weakness, making us easy prey for Satan, causing us much pain and eventual ruin in our flesh. If we walk in the Spirit the fruit of the Spirit will more and more become evident. If we sow to the flesh, we will reap the works of the flesh. If we sow to the wind we will reap the whirlwind in our lives. Such carnality may even bring us to the point where we lose all faith in Christ, manifesting that we were not Christ's in the first place. "Depart from Me, I NEVER knew you."
So it is quite clear that if by, bad doctrine or careless belief—abandoning the faith once received—we ruin this witness of Himself in us, He will bring us to ruin, too. From the context we can see that this warning is intended for the Church as a whole; but note that by the use of the singular nouns, verbs and pronouns here it is addressed to us in the singular person (in other words, to us as individuals) in order to emphasize that it is our personal responsibility to ensure that we do not permit or personally harbor false doctrine, neither continue to operate from a fleshly perspective but seek rather to operate from a godly one.
Thus these two verses have nothing to do with sin or holiness or God casting out the sinning Christian.
Now the Bible does, elsewhere in the NT, repeatedly and emphatically teach us about holiness. It is to be our desire. It is to be our goal. Imputed holiness is a fact for every Christian. Solely by Christ's sacrifice we receive this perfect holiness as a gift. But personal, experiential holiness, is a progressive work of the Holy Spirit who leads us from glory to glory even, as I quoted before, unto the image of Christ. Not a representation but an exact image (Greek ikon) of our Savior!
Think of that!
The goal boggles my mind.
But that is God's work in us, not our work. We WILL more and more exhibit that personal holiness. It is guaranteed, in two ways.
First, by God's Word
Second, by God’s Spirit within us.
The New Testament teaches that we are holy IN Christ—as far as our position goes; and holy THROUGH Christ—as far as our condition goes.
Our positional sanctification in Christ is instant. But there is no such thing as instant experiential sanctification. That latter is an outworking of the Holy Spirit of that which was planted in us at salvation. It is progressive. Like a seed it is planted, germinates, and grows til it reaches maturity and produces fruit.
That we are not instantly able to walk holy is evident from what the Holy Spirit tells us through Paul's words in Romans 5 through 7. Further in one of his final epistles he says that he has not yet attained to the perfection to be found in Christ but that he presses on, forgetting those things that lie behind. (Philippians 3:9-16) Most tellingly, we discover in his writings that the longer he walked with God, the lower he viewed himself.
In one of his earliest epistles (First Corinthians) he describes himself as "the least among the apostles." In one of his later epistles (Ephesians) he describes himself not as least among the apostles but as "least among the saints". And by the time he wrote one of his very last epistles (1 Timothy) he describes himself only as the "chief of sinners."
So rest your mind— if you sincerely called on Christ to save you, He has not only done that but is also keeping and preserving you for all eternity. Guaranteed.
I pray this helps someone today.
