What does it mean to defile the temple of God (1 Corinthians 3:17)?

"If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are." 1 Cor. 3:17.

Answer: The assembly in Corinth is looked at in these verses in its responsible character. Paul had laid a firm, sure foundation which had secured this company as the local representatives of God in that city. Now, they were to take great heed as to how they attempted to further this work. Two thoughts are connected with the House of God, approach and display. The first is seen in the Tabernacle and the second in the Temple of Solomon. So far as we know, the term "House of God" is never used of any local company of saints, but the temple is, as we have it here. It regards the saints in Corinth as the shrine from which God was being displayed. Two words are used for "temple" in the New Testament, Hieron and Naos. The first takes in all the temple buildings; the second only the sanctuary or inner shrine. It is Naos here for the temple, and views the saints as those who were in the light and favour of God, and in living touch with Him by the Spirit. Only as being such could they rightly display the character of God in Corinth. But this raised a great responsibility that they should rightly represent God.

To understand this verse you have called attention to, we must take the whole passage from v. 9 to v. 17. The building is in view right through. Three kinds of builders may be operating there. A good builder, building good material, v. 14. A good builder, building bad material, v. 15. A bad builder who can only build bad material, v. 17. "Defile" and "destroy" in this verse are the same word and give the warning that just retribution would be meted out to any who defiled this temple. It would be one who had not the knowledge of God (ch. 15:34), and whose presence in that company was spoiling the pure display of the nature and character of God either by bad doctrine or bad practice. A person in that company who could only corrupt by his teaching and his practice would eventually be corrupted by God. Such an one would be like a tare amongst the wheat.

Verse 17. "If any one defile [or destroy] the temple of God, him shall God destroy," etc. God's holiness attaches also to His temple; and as from of old His declaration has been that He will be sanctified in them that draw nigh to Him,1 so have we here also a solemn warning of the consequences of defiling or corrupting the living temple of God. But what in particular is the apostle's meaning, and by whom is this guilt to be incurred? To answer this question, we must first ask another: What constitutes the temple in its holiness? Paul says, "Ye are the temple of God." But how came they so? The answer is, "Through sanctification of the Spirit, and belief of the truth."2 God's temple is founded on His truth. Its defilement, consequently, is effected chiefly by the introduction of false doctrine, and secondly, by its never-failing accompaniment of moral debasement and corruption;3 for holiness can only live with truth. The allowed presence of an unconverted person in the Church is a defilement. The Canaanite has no place in the congregation of the Lord.

But it is much to be weighed that the apostle is here showing the danger not only of unreality but of defilement. There are those who build wisely and well; there are those who, confessing His name, build on the one and only foundation unfit materials. But there is worse still. There is the enemy at work using men that bear the Lord's name to corrupt or destroy (the same word, and one may say, the same thing). For God speaks of evil doctrine according to its own nature if it work unimpeded; and this is the only result of heterodoxy so left. He who teaches it corrupts and destroys; and him who destroys (or corrupts) the temple of God shall God destroy. Awful end! but is there not a cause? is it not sufficient? Could the holy God feel or do otherwise? It is in vain to plead love; for in truth the blow of love in caring for the objects beloved is beyond all to be feared. And how does not God resent that evil which defiles the holy temple where His Spirit dwells in virtue and honour of the work of Christ on the cross? He will surely destroy those whom Satan thus employs, under whatever disguise, to pollute the very streams of life and blessing for souls, yea, to dishonour the temple wherein He Himself dwells.

Verse 17 however does not speak of a builder, but a destroyer, and therefore not a believer at all. There are those on the outside willing to do Satan's work of destruction; and sometimes "grievous wolves enter in" among the saints with the intention of destroying. In our verse, the marginal reading, "destroy" is correct, rather than "defile." Such an one God would destroy. But while this strictly refers to an enemy, yet let the believer be diligent not to resemble a destroyer in the slightest way. "For the temple of God is holy, which ye are."

This was addressed to the saints at Corinth collectively. Together, they formed God's temple, and as such they were the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit. If this was true of the saints at Corinth it is true of the local assembly in any city. The Holy Spirit is not only in each one who composes the assembly, but He dwells in the assembly as a company. It is this that makes it such a serious matter for any one to defile the temple of God. The natural man, in his religious zeal, carefully safeguards his religious buildings, though they are only stone and lime, with some adornment of material things; how much more does God care for that which is His temple, wherein dwells His holy Spirit (1 Cor. 3:16).

But this house is also called God's temple, the shrine, as it were, of the Deity who dwells in it. Twice in the New Testament do we meet with this designation, and both times it is used by the apostle Paul when writing to the same company of Christians, those gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ at Corinth. The context helps us here also to determine the import of the term, and the reason of its selection. In the first epistle (1 Cor. 3:16), when warning teachers to beware of what they were teaching, he writes to the whole assembly there gathered: "Know ye not that ye are God's temple, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, such (hoitines, not which) ye are." With the consciousness that the assembly was God's temple, could they be indifferent to the introduction of false doctrine? Should any too, remembering this character of the assembly, be careless as to the doctrines they taught? The temple would remind all of the holy character of the assembly, and therefore of the holiness which befitted it. Again, when speaking of the general company of God's saints on earth, and not of the local assembly merely at Corinth, the same apostle reminds them that Christians should be separate from evil, and from communion with unbelievers, on the ground that believers in the aggregate are the living God's temple, who will dwell in them, and walk in them. (2 Cor. 6:16.) One sees at a glance, that there is a force, and a fitness in the term temple, used in this connection of thought, which no other word could so well set forth. Gentiles as well as Jews knew what the word temple would imply.

But this house is also called God's temple, the shrine, as it were, of the Deity who dwells in it. Twice in the New Testament do we meet with this designation, and both times it is used by the apostle Paul when writing to the same company of Christians, those gathered unto the name of the Lord Jesus Christ at Corinth. The context helps us here also to determine the import of the term, and the reason of its selection. In the first epistle (1 Cor. 3:16), when warning teachers to beware of what they were teaching, he writes to the whole assembly there gathered: "Know ye not that ye are God's temple, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, such (hoitines, not which) ye are." With the consciousness that the assembly was God's temple, could they be indifferent to the introduction of false doctrine? Should any too, remembering this character of the assembly, be careless as to the doctrines they taught? The temple would remind all of the holy character of the assembly, and therefore of the holiness which befitted it. Again, when speaking of the general company of God's saints on earth, and not of the local assembly merely at Corinth, the same apostle reminds them that Christians should be separate from evil, and from communion with unbelievers, on the ground that believers in the aggregate are the living God's temple, who will dwell in them, and walk in them. (2 Cor. 6:16.) One sees at a glance, that there is a force, and a fitness in the term temple, used in this connection of thought, which no other word could so well set forth. Gentiles as well as Jews knew what the word temple would imply.

I take 1 Corinthians 3:9. It is God's building and the saints are this. If it is alleged that it is individually they are such, a second look at the passage will disprove it. Paul had laid the foundation, not certainly of an individual saint, but of God's building. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. The foundation is irreversibly Jesus Christ. But men in their building might introduce false material. And now we see marked out three classes of builders engaged at the work thus formally committed to the responsibility of man. There were, and are, thank God, good men (true Christians) and good builders who should get their reward in the day of Christ. But there were good men and bad builders who lose their reward, and their work goes for nothing, but who should themselves be saved yet so as through fire. And there was yet a third class, bad men (only Christian in profession) and bad builders, who in their work only defile the temple of God (mark the expression), and who should be themselves destroyed. And now, to leave no room for mistake, he says, "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and the Spirit of God dwelleth in you" — God having taken up possession in His temple in the Spirit. And it is added in spite of the corrupter, "The temple of God is holy, which temple ye are." Thus though false materials enter into the building, and the bad workman may corrupt, it does not cease to be the Temple of God. Later on, in 1 Corinthians 6, the Apostle speaks of the individual aspect of the Spirit's presence, where this body of ours is the temple of the Holy Ghost. Only a superficial reader could confound the two passages as though they spoke of one and the same thing.

And the building of which the Apostle speaks is the church, the temple of God, the habitation of God through the Spirit. God's Holy Spirit is dwelling in every member of the body. The temple of God is holy and such are ye. Then the solemn warning "if any man destroy (not defile) the temple of God, him shall God destroy." God's temple in which He dwells, the church, is founded on His truth. The destruction of that temple means therefore the denial of the truth of God or the introduction of false doctrines; critics of the Word, who deny the fundamentals of the faith have well been called "destructive." They are the enemies of the cross, whose end is perdition. They are not saved as by fire, but God is going to deal with them in an awful judgment.

The Apostle asks the Corinthians if they did not know that as God's building they had the character of His temple? In them as His temple God dwelt by His Spirit. This gave to them collectively a very sacred character. To do work which would "defile," or "corrupt," or "destroy," God's temple was terribly serious. If in the coming day any man's work is found to be of that destructive character, God will destroy him.