Monday: The Body as a Temple
The dualistic theory of a mortal body with an immortal soul has generated various theories about the human body. For example, for ancient Greek philosophers, the human body was the prison of the soul, which was liberated by death. In an echo of this pagan concept, many Christians today believe that the body is the temporal housing of the immortal soul, which will be reintegrated with the body at the resurrection. By contrast, pantheists make the human body divine; they believe that God and the universe are one and the same. For them, all things are God and the human body is part of the one single integrated and universal divine substance. Surrounded by conflicting theories on the subject, we must stand firm on what the Bible teaches regarding the nature of humanity.
Read 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, and 1 Corinthians 10:31. How can the understanding that our bodies are “the temple of God” and “the temple of the Holy Spirit” positively influence our lifestyle?
Image © Lifeway Collection at Goodsalt.com
Both Adam and Eve were created in God’s own image and likeness (Genesis 1:26-27), which was reflected not only in their character but also in their physical aspect. Because that image was marred and even hidden by the presence of sin, the work of redemption is to restore human beings to their original condition, including their physical health, to the degree possible for beings unable to partake of the tree of life.
This restoration is a lifetime process that will be completed only at Christ’s second coming, when the corruptible puts on incorruption and the mortal becomes immortal (1 Corinthians 15:53-54).
The apostle John wrote to his friend Gaius, “Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, just as it is well with your soul” (3 John 1: 2, NRSV).
If we recognize that a human being is an indivisible entity, and that religion embraces all aspects of human life, then we should consider our physical health also as a religious duty. We should be guided by the inspired principle, “Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31, NKJV). But remember that we still live in a world where good people can do their best and yet suffer the consequences of a sinful human nature and a sinful environment. So, we should trust in God and do our best, and we leave the results with God.
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As I read about our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, my mind is saying that (as the Bible says) if we are born in flesh indeed we are flesh, but if we are born in spirit then we are a spirit living in a dirt body.
God wants to have a relationship with us. He wants to dwell with us. After the fall of Adam, we were alienated from our Father. But many years later, He told Moses to build a sanctuary.
And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them. Exodus 25:8
Why? Because He wants to be with us.
When Jesus was born, his name was called Emmanuel.
If we were gods already, our Father in heaven wouldn't have gone through all this.
I have seen in many churches, people act as if they are possessed when they enter the church doors. They claim that they are receiving the Holy Spirit.
However this week's lesson clearly teaches us that the Holy Spirit dwells in us. We do not become possessed when we get to church. The Holy Spirit is our companion even at home. Jesus called Him the comforter...
It's all part of having a relationship with God. We are not gods... Pantheism...
Our bodies were created by God and our bodies were redeemed by God. We are redeemed from sin's power and the effect of sin - begun in the Garden of Eden - of taking away our immortality. We are a purchased possession by the blood of Jesus Christ. We make decisions about our possessions: isn't it a relief to give Jesus the decision-making power about His possessions, each one of us?
God never intended that we would die and that lives would end. The cycle of life where we have decomposition and predator-prey relationships, we are so used to that and yes, even in those processes we see God's grace, but we know that was not His original plan. Jesus said not even a sparrow falls but that it touches His heart. It will be so beautiful to have access to the fruiting Tree of Life again (Rev. 22:2,14)! Today I went into the woods and cut down an evergreen Christmas tree. For me, it's a reminder that Jesus was born to let us hang Him on a tree, and also that Jesus is our everlasting Source of Life (John 14:6; Acts 4:12; John 15:1-8).
We will feel so physically healthy in the New Earth, beyond anything we've felt in this lifetime, and we will remain forever healthy. Then, our bodies will fully bring glory to God. Here, even with a healthy lifestyle, we may get cancer; I did. But in heaven, there will be no more environmental toxins either. God will restore us fully into His image....maybe we'll still rest because the Sabbath Day was established before the Fall, but it sounds for sure like we won't get tired. We'll run and not get weary, we'll walk and not faint (Is. 40:31). I'll race you?! 🙂
Paul declares, “You are the temple of the living God” (1 Cor. 3:19, NKJV), and “Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit” (1 Cor. 6:19, NKJV) meaning taking care for our bodies is not simply that we might extend our lifespan or enjoy better health now, but because we choose to honor God with our bodies, which are His gifts to us.
Well, now and why not extend our lifespan? Didn't Jesus Himself say in John 10:10 that He came for the purpose of giving us "More abundant life?" So maybe if we do what all that Ellen G. White said to do for living more healthy and what Jesus Himself said about that in John 10:10 we may live maybe as long as Joseph lived to be about 140 years in Egypt???!!! Huh?!
I think Joseph lived to be 110 (see Genesis 50).
I don't see much evidence that it is possible to live much beyond 120 no matter what you do. It seems that God sort of established that number as the maximum for life after the flood. Yes, some lived longer but for the most part that is the case.
Somehow I got the idea that Joseph lived to be 140 years. Thanks for the corrected info. on this one. But I just noticed that Abraham lived to be only 135 years but his son Isaac lived to be the 140 that I thought Joseph had also. and Moses lived to be only 120 but it is clear that he still had more years of life force upon him when God decided it was time for him to die and then be resurrected. But I still feel that some of us will live longer than they did because of Jesus' own words in John 10:10 and also because of EGW's counsels of healthful living that God gave to her for us to live by for the more "abundant life," that Jesus promised etc.
All that we think we have, such as time, body and all material things surrounding us are gifts from God. But we forget about this most of the time. We think we own what we've got. The sense of possessionlessness needs to be built from inside, because what we naturally learn from our environment is totally the opposite. May we learn to really value, and to take good care of all that we think belong to us, as very efficient administrators!
Regarding our "proof-text" usage of I Cor 6:19. While I agree with the sentiment of the words, the context of the passage is not dealing with healthful living as we SDA's generally understand. The book, Seventh-day Adventists Believe, p 313, for instance uses the same verse to extol all our healthy habits and lifestyle. But consider the context--Paul is talking about sex with prostitutes! For a fresh outlook on the passage, read it in its context in the Message Bible for instance. Surely, our SS editors could exercise a little bit more scholarship.
All the verses they refer to are proof-texts! If you look closely at I Corinthians 3, the temple that is being referred to is actually the church. And I Corinthians 10:31 is quoted in the context of eating food offered to idols.
I do believe in being healthy, though sadly I've seen it elevated to a level that I feel is out of proportion to its importance and the people who pursue it the most seem to mostly be critical and judgmental. I also feel we emphasize food, making it almost a salvation issue, and pay little attention to exercise and sleep.
I've often said "I wish people were as concerned with what comes out of their mouth as what goes into." Yes, the way we treat our body impacts our spiritual health, but I'm not sure if we lined up people by their diet in the church we'd really find one line more spiritual than the other.
Hi, Christina. The place in the Bible, where I find it says our body is "the temple of the Holy Spirit," is 1 Corinthians 6, and the context is the imperative of avoiding sexual immorality. If our body belongs to God, not to ourselves, and the Holy Spirit is to dwell in it, then it behooves us to mind what we do with our body in a sexual way. Might it also matter how we treat our body in other ways as well? Of course!
While some may go to unwarranted extremes in dietary reform, and may even become quite legalistic in pushing these on others, I have to think that what we eat can indeed have an effect, for better or for worse, on our overall health and acuity. Jesus did eat fish, and the father of the prodigal son killed the fattened calf, but the animal kingdom is not what it once was, raising the possibility of time "making ancient good uncouth."
Jesus said it is not what goes into a person that defiles him or her, but rather what comes from the heart. Nevertheless, if we are determined to go on eating things that we have good reason to believe are far from optimal, is it not possible that we are being defiled by an unholy love of appetite coming out of our heart? I'm just advocating for a reasonable approach to applying Bible principles, the avoidance of needless extremes on both sides, and living to glorify God.
Hi, Pete. Yes indeed, that was the context. If our body belongs to God, not to ourselves, and the Holy Spirit is to dwell in it, then it behooves us to mind what we do with our body in a sexual way. Might it also matter how we treat our body in other ways as well? Of course!
While some may go to unwarranted extremes in dietary reform, and may even become quite legalistic in pushing these on others, I have to think that what we eat can indeed have an effect, for better or for worse, on our overall health and acuity. The animal kingdom is not what it once one, raising the possibility of time "making ancient good uncouth."
If we are determined to go on eating things that we have good reason to believe are far from optimal, is it not possible that we are being defiled by an unholy love of appetite coming out of our heart? I'm merely advocating for a reasonable approach to applying Bible principles, the avoidance of needless extremes on both sides, and living to glorify God.
By considering our body the ‘temple’ of the Holy Spirit whom we have from God, could this mean that the Holy Spirit is the presence of God within us? As Christians, we are advised to understand that we are not ‘our own’, that we do not have an ‘owner’s right’ to do with our body as we please. We can, but it will be to our detriment should it be contrary to the design our Creator formed us to be.
We also understand that mankind was ‘bought with a price’. To all who believe this, Jesus shows how to live the Way of the Father, just like He did; to live according to the Truth and Light given to us by the Word of God, revealed to us by the Spirit of Truth, our Comforter – John16:12-14. The body is essential to carry the living soul during its lifetime here on earth; we need to learn to reflect His truths and His Glory through our experiences and grow in 'stature' as the children of God.
Now we know who we really are, that our body is to be considered the ‘temple’ of our Creator who made us in their Image. Therefore, all that we are we employ to work toward glorifying God who clothed us with this precious body and gave us His Spirit to know it - 1Cor.6:19-20.
Is there a danger of misunderstanding the idea that the Holy Spirit is within us?
The big thing in the new age movement is thinking God is within, we just need to look inside ourselves to find God and know God's will. Is this what these texts are saying?
The way I understand it, the Holy Spirit communicates with us through our minds (our minds are part of our body and dependent upon the rest of the body to function properly)
For the Holy Spirit to be in connection with our spirit (our minds and thoughts) the pathways need to be clear.
When we abuse our bodies through bad health habits, through filling our minds with garbage, through any hurtful activities that damage our capacity to be alert and clear minded, then the Holy Spirit has a hard time getting through.
He can't get inside to communicate with us, even though God has given us the Holy Spirit, we can block Him out and grieve Him away.
We want the Holy Spirit to be in connection with our spirit (mind) and our bodies need to be kept, as far as we are able, in a condition where the pathways are clear. And the Holy Spirit will help us, if we let Him.
The gnostic idea was that the body was evil, and the soul or spirit was a separate thing, trapped inside. To abuse the body was considered a good thing to do, for it facilitated the release of the soul or spirit.
But Paul is saying, No, a person's body and spirit are components of the whole person which operate together. For the HOLY Spirit to be connected with our minds, we need to take care of the "temple" that houses our minds, or the Holy Spirit won't be able to be in us connected to our minds.
We -- that is our whole person, were bought with a price. God is glorified when we are transformed by the Holy Spirit, and that includes clearing away the garbage that destroys the body and clutters the pathways through which the Holy Spirit seeks to work in us.