A Temple of the Holy Spirit

Bible Passage: Ephesians 2:19-22

The purpose of this series is to cast some vision for what the church can be, and in the opening three messages we look through different New Testament images of the church to see how the church embodies the themes of Devotion, Community and Mission. This week we kick this off by thinking of how the church is described as a temple of the Holy Spirit, and how this helps us see our gathered community as the place that we can encounter the presence of God himself

The Significance of a Temple: In order to unpack what it means for the church to be a temple, we must start by understanding how temples function within the story of Scripture. Like the Tabernacle before it, the Temple was a construction in the midst of God’s people that served the place where God chose to dwell among his people. When it was first constructed, the glory of God descended upon it and filled the Holy of Holies. Through sacrifices, people could draw near (though not, at this point, into the presence itself), and it was seen as the epicentre of God’s presence with his people on earth. Stepping back into the big story of Scripture, this theme of the temple can also be seen in the Garden of Eden, in the person of Jesus and in the promised New Creation. In all of these, the presence of God dwells and people can meet with him there. But now, in our verses in Ephesians, we are told that it is in the church that God will meet with us in this way.

The Church as a Temple: The argument made in Ephesians 2 is one about the corporate nature of the church. Paul has explained how through the cross, Jews and Gentiles have now been made into one new humanity in Christ. Whereas before there were two peoples who were hostile to each other, now there is peace, and together we have access to God by the Spirit. It is in this context that Paul uses the temple imagery. Though elsewhere similar language is used of individual Christians (particularly when encouraging them to honour God with their bodies), here he is saying that there is something particular about the corporate church – made up of people from different backgrounds, but brought together in Christ – that fulfils the temple function. There is a unique way that we encounter God’s presence in the gathered church that is distinct from our private relationship with him. Notice that Paul describes the church as ‘being built together’. The temple is not finished. God is continually joining diverse people together into the dwelling place of his Spirit. The church becomes more fully what it is called to be as believers are united in Christ.

Encountering God in the Church: The purpose of spending time on this image of church as temple is to help us think about God’s heart for what his church can be. The key idea we have considered is to think about the church as a place that we can encounter God. In order to bring this home, it could be good to think about the different ways this happens as we gather. For example, Psalm 22:3 speaks of God as inhabiting or enthroned on the praises of his people. Because Scripture is God-breathed (2 Timothy 3:16), when it is faithfully read and proclaimed, we can be confident that God speaks through it to his people. In 1 Corinthians 10:16, we are told that taking the Lord’s supper is a participation in Christ, and in 1 Corinthians 12:7 we are told that as we each use our gifts within the church context, this is the manifestation of the Spirit. In other words, we meet with God in lots of different ways throughout our gathered time together. Meeting as church every week has more than just human benefit. It is not the only way we meet with God, but it is a significant and instrumental one and is not to be neglected.

Potential Applications

• Some people see church as a ‘nice to have’ or event to visit occasionally. This sermon should challenge that and impress upon people the power and importance of regularly gathering together with other believers.
• The passage raises our expectancy for what will happen as we gather together. For anyone turning up and going through the motions it should instil faith that we can encounter the very presence of God in our gatherings.
• From the sermon you can springboard into a time of worship, space to use gifts and maybe communion too, encouraging people to actively expect God to meet with them through these means.