SERMON: “Building Up the Temple” (1 Cor. 3:16–17)
“Building
Up the Temple” (1 Cor. 3:16–17)
Series: “1 Cor: Holiness from Messes” #12 Text: 1
Corinthians 3:16–17
By: Shaun Marksbury Date: December 21, 2025
Venue: Living Water Baptist Church Occasion: AM Service
I.
Introduction
This year, for our Vacation Bible School, we did a study called
“God’s Dwelling Place.” We tracked the
theme of God’s dwelling with His people — from the tabernacle in the
wilderness, to Solomon’s temple and the later rebuilt temples, and finally to Christ
Himself, building His dwelling place called the church. We had the kids singing songs like “Building Up
the Temple” to emphasize that this is a present reality, and it involves them. Scripture plainly teaches us that God truly dwells
with His people.
That theme not only intersects our ongoing study through First
Corinthians, but also Christmas, which is upon us. Jesus came to make it possible for God to
dwell with us, and that starts with His incarnation. Because He came into the world and took on
flesh, to bring we who are in the flesh near unto God. He died on the cross as a substitutionary sacrifice
for our sins, and He rose from the grave to bring us new life. When He ascended into heaven, He sent us His
Holy Spirit so that we could become a sanctuary or temple of God.
Sadly, Christians don’t always understand this. Sometimes, we argue and fight, not seeing or
ignoring our unity. There are also some
who waste their time, not engaging in anything profitable for the kingdom. There may even be some who work against the
truth, falsely professing faith. But
those who have true faith must think as God would have us to think, and that’s
what we see this morning.
As we prepare for Christmas, let us remember that God made
us a people for His purpose, and He will protect this sanctuary from harm. We’ll first
remember that we are the sanctuary of God (v. 16), and second, we’ll beware undermining
the sanctuary (v. 17). Let’s consider
this first point:
II.
First, Remember That We Are the Sanctuary of God (v.
16)
Do you not know that you are a sanctuary of God and that
the Spirit of God dwells in you?
Paul’s rhetorical question here has the sting of a
rebuke. He frames his question to assume
a positive answer. In fact, throughout this letter, he uses this
expression ten times to introduce truths that should be self-evident (cf. 1
Cor. 5:6; 6:2–3, 9, 15–16, 19; 9:13, 24).[1] In other words, he’s told them this before,
and they should understand it. The
problem, though, is that the Corinthians were like the rest of us — forgetful
and inconsistent.
Why is he spending time repeating this? As one commentary notes, “Ethicists of every
stripe agree that identity, how a group or individual defines itself, is
fundamental to their moral formation. A
frequent summary of the logic of Paul’s ethics is the maxim ‘become what you
are.’ ”[2] If Christians forget who we are in Christ, we
will not be what He calls us to be. We
must find our identity in Him.
Paul knows what unfaithful workers are doing to the church. He has been speaking of ministers as builders
and the church as God’s building (vv. 9–15). Now, he intensifies the image: this building
is not ordinary — it is the very sanctuary of God.
So, Paul reminds them that they are the “sanctuary of God.” The word here doesn’t refer to the entire
temple complex, but to the “inner part of the temple,”[3] This is that most sacred space where God’s
presence uniquely dwelt. The Legacy
Standard Bible rightly translates this as “sanctuary,” and this emphasizes
the unique nature of the New Testament church.
Consider for the moment that the word “you” is plural. Paul is speaking primarily of the church
corporately. In other words, the whole Corinthian
congregation constitutes God’s sanctuary, though this includes individual
responsibility (“each man,” “any man”). Paul
elsewhere applies this truth to individual believers (1 Cor. 6:19), but we must
see ourselves as part of the universal building. Individually and corporately, God’s Spirit indwells
believers.
Where does Paul get this idea? From the beginning, God declared His desire
to dwell among His redeemed people. In
Exodus 25:8, the Lord said, “Let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell
among them.” The people built the tabernacle
so that a holy God might dwell in the midst of an unholy people — by grace and
through continual sacrifice. Later,
Solomon’s temple became the focal point of God’s dwelling in Israel (1 Kings
6–8). There was always the sense that
the people were traveling every year to Jerusalem to meet God.[4]
Yet, even then, Scripture made clear that God wasn’t confined
to a building. During the exile, the
Lord told His scattered people, “I have been a sanctuary for them a little
while in the countries where they have gone” (Ezek. 11:16). Psalm 114:2 talks about this from a different
angle: “Judah became His sanctuary, Israel His dominion.” So, the people themselves, in a covenantal
sense, were God’s dwelling place.
This was only a foreshadow, though. The prophets looked forward to a greater
fulfillment of the promise of God to be with His people. Under the coming New Covenant, God promised, “My
dwelling place also will be with them; and I will be their God, and they will
be My people” (Ezek. 37:27). One of the
main differences between the experiences of the Old and New Testament saints is
the personal presence of God.
Though God dwelt among Israel, access was severely
restricted. God was with His people, but
only priests could approach the holy things. Numbers 1:51 warns that any layman who came
near the tabernacle would be put to death. Even seeing the holy objects “for a
moment” brought judgment (Num. 4:20). Uncleanness
barred access to God’s dwelling, and God declared that only the priests of
Aaron could draw near. God communicated
His holiness through this.
In contrast, every believer under the New Covenant is
indwelt by the Holy Spirit. We live
continually in God’s presence. We are
not merely visitors to a sacred space, like this church building. Rather, we ourselves are the temple. We might sometimes refer to this room as the “sanctuary,”
but we borrow from the shadow to describe it — the New Testament reality is
that we as believers are the sanctuary, the holy place.
And, as Paul points out, we are the sanctuary of God. We should see ourselves as always being in
the presence of God, and we should also see ourselves as owned by God. Paul already noted we are God’s field and
building (1 Cor. 3:5–15). He’ll go on to
describe the Lord’s Supper “in terms of participation in a sacrifice offered at
an altar (10:16–22),”[5]
and he warns to partake in an unworthy manner is to become guilty of the body
and blood of the Lord (11:27). Spiritual
gifts must be exercised with order and reverence because God is present among
His people (14:40). Thus, Paul’s
teaching throughout the letter flows from this identity, showing how being the
temple or sanctuary of God has implications on how we conduct ourselves.
Paul concludes the verse by clarifying the means of God’s
presence. He says that it is the Spirit
of God dwells in us, which confirms that believers are God’s sanctuary. The Holy Spirit was also present in the OT
temple, though it was also called the temple of God. Even Josephus had
this understanding; “I humbly beseech thee, that thou wilt let some portion of
thy Spirit come down and inhabit in this temple, that thou mayest appear to be
with us upon earth.”[6] Again, this was a shadow of the present
reality.
The people themselves have the Spirit dwelling within them. How does that make us the temple of God if
the Holy Spirit is not God? As such,
this verse also affirms the full deity of the Holy Spirit, calling Him God here
just as He is elsewhere in Scripture (6:19; Acts 5:3–4). God Himself has taken up residence in His
people.
The Old Testament worshipers went to Jerusalem to experience
the presence of God through His Spirit.
Today, believers now possess God’s presence permanently. God’s dwelling is in all the people who place believe
in Christ, and His presence should be visible when His people gather in truth.
This is a staggering privilege. However, Christians can forget the holiness
of what we so richly enjoy. Some might
even try to take advantage of it, leading directly to Paul’s solemn warning.
III.
Second, Beware Undermining His Sanctuary (v. 17)
The identity Paul established in the previous verse is one
of high distinction. That is why it
invites such a sober warning. If God
protected His temple in the Old Testament, would He not also protect it in the
new?
So, Paul echoes the judgment of the OT sanctuary, that the
unauthorized who come near will be destroyed.[7] This hints
that some of the professed Corinthian “Christians” were seeking to destroy the
church. There were people who lived
loose lives, taught licentious
doctrines, and were fitted to the taste of this lewd and fornicating city.[8] They wanted to “profane” the sanctuary by bringing
this into the church by corrupting, ruining, or defrauding it.[9]
It was even used in those ancient
construction contexts to describe fraudulent building practices — those who
would deceive by cutting corners.[10]
Paul’s imagery is vivid: to corrupt the
church is to vandalize God’s holy dwelling.
Such destruction can take many forms. False doctrine undermines the gospel, shifting
the structure off the foundation of Christ like a tornado might. Divisive behavior fractures the unity Christ bought
with His blood. Immoral conduct brings
defilement into what God has declared holy. Worldly wisdom, when substituted for the
cross, hollows out the church from within.[11] Paul has all these destructive forces in view
throughout the letter.
It's worth noting that all “if any man” rather than “any
builder.” While teachers bear
particular responsibility as builders, anyone can contribute to the destruction
of a church.[12]
This warning extends beyond pastors and
elders, then, to every professing believer.
This is speaking of divine judgment. The term “destroy” here cannot mean the
annihilation of the soul, as though God snuffs out the existence of some. If that were the case, then it must also mean
that it’s possible to annihilate the church, which Jesus said is not possible.
Rather, this is speaking in terms of wronging or leading
astray (cf. 2 Cor. 7:2; 11:3). As such,
God will bring about justice, even taking the life of a wrong doer[13]
and sentencing a soul to damnation. This
is an act of paying back in lex talionis practice.[14] “The church-wrecker God will wreck.”[15] As Jesus taught, at the final judgment He
will remove from His kingdom all who cause stumbling and lawlessness (Matt.
13:41–42). God will not tolerate those
who look to ruin His dwelling place.
Why? Paul says the
reason is this: “for the sanctuary of God is holy.” Holiness means being set apart for God’s
exclusive use. The church is precious to
Him because it belongs to Him, and it exists for His glory.[16] And, as such, “God jealously guards that which
is holy.”[17] To attack the church is to attack what God
loves.
It’s that last point, though, that should give Christians
some understanding. This is why Paul
concludes in a similar way as he began: “that is what you are.” The Corinthians had forgotten their holy
identity amid their quarrels and carnality, so Paul brings them back to first
principles. He tells them that they’re God’s
sanctuary, so they should live like it!
IV.
Conclusion
It’s worth remembering that we’re God’s dwelling place. By His love and grace, He has chosen to live
among His redeemed people. This truth
should shape how we view the church, how we treat one another, and how we labor
for Christ. It should also direct how we
view ourselves and fight the sin within us.
At the same time, we must take caution: God protects what is
holy. Remember what we noted last time,
that there is coming a day of judgment. When
Christ returns, He will bring His rewards with Him (Rev. 22:12).[18] Now is the time to build faithfully, for it
will be too late then.
As we celebrate the birth of Christ this Christmas season,
let’s remember why He came. He is making
His dwelling with us. And let us be
diligent to build up, rather than tear down, the sanctuary of God — for that is
what we are.
[1] David K. Lowery, The
Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, 1985, 2, 512.
[2] Roy E. Ciampa and Brian S. Rosner, The First Letter to the Corinthians, The
Pillar New Testament Commentary, (Grand Rapids, MI; Cambridge, U.K.: William B.
Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2010), 158.
[3] Legacy Standard
Bible, (Three Sixteen Publishing, 2022).
[4] Ciampa and Rosner, 159.
[5] Ibid.
[6] Flavius Josephus and William Whiston, The Works of Josephus: Complete and
Unabridged, (Peabody: Hendrickson, 1987), 220.
[7] Ciampa and Rosner, 158.
[8] Matthew Henry, Matthew
Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible: Complete and Unabridged in One Volume,
(Peabody: Hendrickson, 1994), 2249.
[9] A. T. Robertson, Word
Pictures in the New Testament, (Nashville, TN: Broadman Press, 1933), 1 Co
3:17.
[10] F. Alan Tomlinson, CSB
Study Bible: Notes, 2017, 1815.
[11] Andrew David Naselli, Romans–Galatians, 2020, X, 245.
[12] Ibid., 244.
[13] Ciampa and Rosner, 160.
[14] Lowery.
[15] Robertson.
[16] Ciampa and Rosner, 161.
[17] John F. MacArthur Jr., 1 Corinthians, MacArthur New Testament Commentary, (Chicago: Moody
Press, 1984), 86.
[18] Ibid.