The pursuit of the dream home is something of a national pastime – at least if TV listings are anything to go by. A whole plethora of programmes focus on buying, renovating, matching houses with and for prospective owners. Some people work their whole lives inspired by a long-carried vision of the perfect home. Many have to make do with what they have, but they can still work on it and inch it closer to their ideal... Brits spend on average over £2,500 / home each year on DIY. That’s £75 billion / year across the UK.
Whilst it might be fun to dwell on what constitutes our perfect house, in this Bible Study we’re reflecting on the home that is being built for the Holy Spirit. One of the most incredible ideas in the Bible is the Spirit’s dwelling in and amongst His people. Not that He waits until we are fully renovated. He lives in us now. This is worked out at both an individual (I Cor.6:19-20) and corporate (I Cor.3:10-17; Eph.2:19-22) levels. I wonder how different our attitudes to both our own selves and our Church might be if we could grasp this incredible reality?
For Paul as a pastor, it inspires incredible care as he – by the grace given him by God – builds the Church. In a graphic image, drawing on Solomon’s building of the Temple in I Kings 5-7, Paul highlights his sense of the sacred and beautiful work he is caught up in. The foundation is, of course, Christ (3:11). And Paul is acutely aware of the fact that how he builds and what he builds will be the subject of scrutiny on the Day of the Lord. And this isn’t something he anticipates being the preserve of the Apostles, or even Church leaders more generally. This aspect of the Day will be more serious for those entrusted with overseeing the pastoral ministry of the church (Jas.3:1), Paul has Christians more generally in mind. We will be answerable to the Lord on the Day for how we have treated and engaged with the life of the Church (so, v.12, ‘anyone’ and v.13, ‘each person’s work’). This isn’t a question of whether we are Christians or not, but of our engagement as Christians with the Church.
Why such an intense perspective? Because the Church is a sacred thing. This is where the Lord Himself dwells. ‘Don’t you know’ asks Paul, ‘that you yourselves are God’s Temple, and that God’s Spirit dwells among you?’ (v.16). How we treat that Temple is of immense interest and importance to God.
Questions:
How can you build the Church ‘with care’ (v.10)?
What do you think Paul is using the different sets of materials to represent (v.12)?
Why will we need to wait till ‘the Day’ to discover the quality of each person’s contribution to the building up of the Church? Isn’t it obvious when someone is building up, and when they are tearing down?
What is ‘the fire’ Paul anticipates testing each of our work (v.13)?
Paul follows Jesus’ language about Christians receiving rewards (see e.g. Matt.5:12, 10:41, 16:27 etc.). Is Paul teaching that people will receive different rewards depending on how they have built the Church?
Based on this passage, will different Christians have different experiences of the Day of Judgment? How does that square with the idea that we are saved by grace?
By contrast, in what way could a builder ‘suffer loss’ on the Day (v.15)?
How could you tell whether someone believed what Paul is teaching here about the Holy Spirit living amongst Christians? How would it affect their engagement with the Church?
It would be easy to assume that in v.17, Paul has in mind those who aren’t Christians who are in some way attacking, or opposing the Church, possibly even persecuting it. How do we know this isn’t what Paul has in mind? Who is he thinking of?
What does Paul mean when he says that God’s temple is ‘sacred’ (v.17)? Are you used to thinking of the Church in those terms?
