16 Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst? 17 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)
Paul has compared us to workers in a field. We each have our talent but we must remember that God gives the growth of the plant. Next he compares us to a building. We work with different materials of varying values but we all build on the foundation of faith in Jesus. Now he calls us God’s temple. That is a mouth full!
I looked up temples on the Internet. The most famous temple in the world is Angkor Wat in Cambodia.The oldest temple in the world is Gobekli Tepe in modern-day Turkey. Angkor Wat in Cambodia is considered by some the largest temple in the world while others claim that Karnak in Egypt is larger. None of these temples have I ever heard of! Less famous are the Parthenon and the Roman edifices. The Temple built by Solomon is acknowledged as important to Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. In pictures these are all large beautiful buildings that people flock to for worship of their gods. I cannot envision myself as part of a “temple” as compared to these buildings!
Perhaps I am more like a “cathedral?” I learned that a cathedral must have a bishop in residence. A church, on another hand, is a building were people gather to pray and worship. So what distinguishes us as a “temple” according to Paul? Paul describes our bodies as the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit in our midst, not some Bishop. We are designed for prayer and worship. God is our protector and will revenge evil done to us.
One of the short prayers in the Old Testament is called the prayer of Jabez. We know little except that Jabez was named because his mother gave birth in pain. Jabez’s prayer was, “God keep me from harm. “ My name means “stranger” and since we moved a lot when I was a child, it seemed appropriate. Looking for a name for my first child I found a book. “Strangers” are people who come to us from afar bringing good news. I liked that.
We are God’s temple. He cares about us and protects us and his Spirit dwells in us. Perhaps look for the meaning of your name on the Internet and form a prayer about your meaning in God’s temple. Blessings.
On the Way to Wonder 