1 Corinthians 3:16Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Then he says, "Do you not know that you are the temple of God?" Having spoken earlier about those who divided the Church, he now touches on the incestuous man. He hints, though not clearly or definitely, at his depraved life, and shows the greatness of his sin from the grace given to him. He also admonishes the others by the very things they have already received. Thus he directs both future and present things, both sorrowful and pleasant things, toward one goal. The future is this: "For the day will show it, because it is revealed in fire" (1 Cor 3:13). The present is this: "Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?"

He turns his speech to the one who has sinned. See how effectively he brings him to shame. By the grace given to us, that is, by the indwelling of the Spirit in us, he shames the sinner. Yet he does not clearly expose the person's face, but speaks generally. Meanwhile, if we are the temple of God because the Spirit dwells in us, it follows that the Spirit is God.

Do you not know that you are God’s temple, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you through works?

"You," he says, "are God’s temple, and the Spirit of God dwells in you." If we are a temple, how are we the dwelling place of the Spirit?

The following saying explains this: "You are the temple of the Holy Spirit, who dwells in you" (cf. 1 Cor 6:19). Therefore the Spirit is God.

Everyone who loves his own salvation becomes a dwelling place of the Holy Spirit. Everyone who loves purity and chastity becomes a temple of God.

As fragrance delights the sense of smell, so the Holy Spirit rejoices in purity and dwells in man.

As it is pleasant for a swine to wallow in mud, so demons find pleasure for themselves in fornication and impurity.

In purity dwell great light, joy, peace, and patience. In fornication dwell sorrow, despondency, insatiable sleep, and thick darkness, that is, falsehood.

Paul says that we are the temple of God so that we may know that God also dwells in us. It is necessary, after all, that God should dwell in His own temple. Since the Apostle says of the Spirit of God that He dwells in us, the Holy Spirit is here designated by the word God and understood under the word God.

If we render fitting honor to a temple built of wood, it is far more just to dedicate rational temples to God. It should be noted that he called those in whom the grace of the Spirit dwells temples of God. For this word bears witness that the All-Holy Spirit is God.

The Apostle first said, "You are God’s building." Then he showed what the foundation of this divine building is, saying, "For no one can lay any other foundation than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ" (1 Cor 3:11).

Now he says that this building, whose foundation is Jesus Christ, is the temple of God, and that this temple consists of all who believe in Christ.

"Do you not know," he says, "that you are God’s temple, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? For the temple of God is holy, and you are that temple."

The prophets also said the same, as did the Only-begotten Son of God Himself. The prophet Ezekiel taught in the person of God speaking: "My dwelling shall be in them, and I will be their God, and they shall be My people" (Ezek 37:27).

"You are the temple of God." The Apostle transfers the comparison once used for the Church as a building to each believer. The Christian is not only a living stone (1 Pet 2:5), but himself becomes a dwelling, a small temple of the Holy Spirit (Rom 8:9, 11). This places on every believer the duty to preserve himself from every corruption and defilement. He must strive to adorn God's dwelling with deeds that correspond to God's majesty and holiness.

Not merely a foundation, but one may say a whole temple of God, had been built in Corinth from the souls and hearts of the Christians there. God might punish the Corinthian dividers for destroying the temple of God (1 Cor 3:16-17).

1 Cor 3:16: "Do you not know that you are God’s temple?" By this question the Apostle brings the Corinthians to awareness that they are all one temple of God.

He also wants to bring to their mind that a temple, though usually a building of many parts, is nevertheless one and undivided.

At this thought their conscience could not fail to remind them: but what about us? We have gone apart under different heads, some under one teacher, some under another, and some under a third.

To stir up heartfelt mutual respect among Christians, so that they may guide one another toward sanctification and salvation, the Apostle reminds the Corinthians that Christians form not a simple building, but a holy temple in which the Spirit of God dwells.

Therefore, whoever corrupts Christians by any false factions, and still more by false teaching, not only fails to build this temple. He brings into it destructive materials which can serve for its humiliation and defilement.

Yet in this temple, as the temple of God, there should be only what is holy and eternally indestructible.

It is clear that destroyers and defilers must bear a punishment corresponding both to the greatness of the temple of God and to the boldness of their deed.

What he said above, "You are God’s building" (v. 9), he now says in another way: "You are God’s temple."

He expressed this with a question, "Do you not know?" This shows the certainty of this truth and the fact that it was commonly known.

They all knew that this was so. Therefore it was enough, by a question, to impress this truth more strongly upon their consciousness, so as to instruct them by it without extended explanation or proof.

With the awareness that they were all one temple of God, another thought should have come to mind. A temple is usually a building of many parts, yet it is one and undivided.