Gathering for God’s glory
Among the New Testament’s varied descriptions of the spiritual entity known as the church, one of the most striking is the term temple (1 Cor. 3:16-17). At first glance, it does not appear to have commonality with other shrines on planet earth; after all, it is not a physical building. Since the church is composed of believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, it is spiritual in nature. It does not inspire architectural admiration or evoke wonder for its immaculate composition, as do many cathedrals, synagogues, and mosques. Unlike earthly temples, it has no terrestrial headquarters or magnificent grounds surrounding it. On the contrary, many of the repressive and dangerous parts of the world where the church thrives are decidedly inhospitable for ordinary versions of a peaceful life of adoration. Upon closer examination, however, one discovers that the church deserves the title “temple of God” more than any other structure on earth today, for it is the place where God receives worship and manifests His glory.
God-centered
In order to better understand why the church is an unrivaled temple, one must look to the Old Testament temple to ascertain the true purpose of such an edifice. Foremost among the biblical reasons for its existence is that it is for God. The words of 2 Chronicles 2:1 clearly indicate this: “Then Solomon determined to build a temple for the name of the Lord” (NKJV). This last phrase makes it clear that it exists for the Lord and His reputation; moreover, what is done there must agree with His name—that is, it must be done in His authority. This passage also shows that He abhors wickedness. He hates what He should and He loves what He ought.
The church exists first and foremost for God’s will and pleasure. Often, modern people think of the church as a means of meeting their needs. Truly, if one puts God first, they will never lack; for He is no man’s debtor. Nevertheless, to look upon the church as primarily existing for one’s own benefit is to put it the wrong way around. Others think that they can design the church meetings in whatever way seems best to them. Once more, however, the Old Testament tabernacle and temple were designed in keeping with God’s exact specifications (Heb. 8:5). The talented craftsmen were not to improvise or to exercise their architectural ingenuity. Rather, they were to completely adhere to the divinely given instructions, for this building was meant to glorify Him alone.
Fellowship between God and man
The relationship between God and man is also an integral part of the temple. It is a place where people are to learn the Lord’s ways. As Psalm 48:9 puts it, “We have thought of Thy lovingkindness, O God, in the midst of Thy temple.” Psalm 27:4 agrees, saying, “One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in His temple.”
Its structure and ceremony taught various truths about God’s character and ways. For example, the sacrifices demonstrate His mercy and grace in providing a way for sinful man to come to Him for forgiveness and acceptance. What is more, the entire structure expresses His holiness. To ignore His way of approach is to bring severe judgment on oneself. Nadab and Abihu offered “strange fire” before the Lord and were summarily executed by fire from His presence for their audacity (Lev. 10). Similarly, King Uzziah, who was a Judahite rather than a Levite, attempted to burn incense before the Lord; consequently, he was stricken with leprosy (2 Chron. 26:18-21). One might think that such harsh punishments were confined to Old Testament times. On the contrary, the experience of the New Testament Corinthian church shows that irreverence may still bring about severe disciplinary measures. When some in their midst were treating the Lord’s Supper like their private feasts—even to the point of drunkenness—God struck them with weakness, sickness, and death (1 Cor. 11:17-34). The solemn admonition of 1 Corinthians 3:17 must be heeded today: “If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.” Modern flippancy and irreverence have no place in the Lord’s holy church.
Like its predecessors, the church is a place of worship and service for God; thus, it is where God and man interact corporately. Believers are first told to present their bodies—metonymy for their entire being—as a living sacrifice for the Lord (Rom. 12:1). They are also told to adore the Lord in terms that deliberately bring to mind the temple: “By Him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His name” (Heb. 13:15). Elsewhere the Scriptures teach that all believers are priests, capable of worshipping, praising, and thanking God with no other mediator than Christ Himself (1 Pet. 2:5, 9; 1 Tim. 2:5). Furthermore, Christian service and giving are described in terms that allude to the temple sacrifices (Php. 2:17; 4:18).
The saints’ fellowship and witness to the universe
In both Testaments, people benefited from the activities of the temple. Horizontal fellowship is a blessed byproduct of worship. Pious Israelites enjoyed interacting with each other as they went to God’s house in Jerusalem. This is illustrated by Psalm 122:1, 4, 9: “I was glad when they said unto me, ‘Let us go into the house of the Lord…Whither the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord, unto the testimony of Israel, to give thanks unto the name of the Lord’…For my brethren and companions’ sakes, I will now say, ‘Peace be within thee.’” Likewise, their New Testament counterparts enjoyed breaking bread together and fellowshipping around the things of God (Acts 2:42). Additionally, the Israelite temple and the church bore witness to the greatness of God and therefore were testimonies to the world and the universe (2 Chron. 6:32-33; Eph. 3:10). His grace in saving sinners and making them living stones in His glorious sanctuary will forever be manifested to all created beings (Eph. 2:7). Of course, God’s previous places of worship culminate in the New Jerusalem, where we find no temple other than “…the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb…” (Rev. 21:22). The tabernacle of God will be with men with nothing to impede communion between the Creator and His redeemed creatures (Rev. 21:3). The church will still exist as His bride, and will enjoy unfettered access to His presence.
Since the former and future worship places are holy and divinely ordered, contemporary believers in local assemblies must remember the temple function of their gatherings. Worship must be reverent, teaching must be God-centered, and all of the activities must correspond to the exalted character displayed in the Lord’s name. Their meetings are to focus on Christ—who reveals the Father—and are to be conducted in a spiritual manner (1 Cor. 14). The local church exists for God, and so His directives in the Scriptures must be followed, regardless of modern culture, philosophy, or conventional wisdom. To participate in the worship and service of the local church is a tremendous blessing and privilege. Christians should not take it for granted. Indeed, if one wants to devote himself to God’s work in this dispensation, then he must labor in building the church (Mt. 16:18; 1 Cor. 3:8-10, 16).