In 1 Corinthians 6.19, St. Paul refers to our bodies as the temple of the Holy Spirit. In contrast to the other times we’re called “the Temple” in the New Testament, here Paul indicates that our individual bodies (rather than our corporate identity) house God.
Since Paul’s remarks appear in the context of sexuality, many assume that the meaning of our “Temple” is exhausted by sexual conservatism; but, by studying the Temple, it becomes clear that so much more is intimated than we might first assume.
The Latin word “templum” meant a space marked out for observation of auguries. It may have been derived from the word tempus, which means time, because a temple is a place of special times. Temples are edifices for religious exercise; places devoted to special purpose.
Your body is the place where God is most honored, glorified, revealed, and enjoyed.
YOUR TEMPLE
Christians have been wrestling with what it means to be "God's Temple" since Christ first roamed the earth. Rarely, however, have we applied this teaching to anything other than our sexuality; yet the riches of abundant life are so much more varied and wonderful!
This article explores the FULLNESS of what it means to House the Holiness of God.