1 Corinthians 3:16-17

Introduction

Imagine standing in front of Solomon’s magnificent temple—the gold, the glory, the sacred space where the presence of God once dwelled behind a thick veil. Only the high priest could enter that holy place, and only once a year. That’s how sacred it was. Now imagine this: Paul looks directly at the church and at individual believers and says, “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God?” That’s not just poetic language. That’s divine truth.

Paul begins with a powerful, rhetorical question—not to entertain, but to awaken: Do you not realize who you are? You are no longer just flesh and blood walking the earth—you are a dwelling place for the Spirit of the Living God.

In the Old Testament, God's presence dwelt in the Holy of Holies, behind a veil. But now, through the finished work of Christ, that veil has been torn, and the Spirit has taken up residence not in a building, but in you. Romans 8:9 makes it plain—if the Spirit dwells in us, we belong to Christ; if He doesn't, we don't.

When Israel left Egypt, God’s presence was visible—a cloud by day, a fire by night. Today, His presence may not appear as smoke or flame, but He still leads, still convicts, still empowers—from within.

Paul doesn’t stop at identity—he moves to accountability. Verse 17 comes with a warning: If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy. In Corinth, false teachers and immoral influences crept into the church, corrupting doctrine and defiling the body. Paul makes it clear: we cannot claim to be God’s temple and allow sin to dwell where His Spirit is supposed to reign.

And church, that message is just as relevant today. There are churches that now celebrate what the Bible clearly calls sin. There are leaders preaching self over Scripture, compromise over conviction. But if the Bible calls it sin—it’s still sin. We must not let the world redefine the church. Instead, the church should reflect the holiness of the God who indwells it.

So what does it mean to be God’s temple today? It means we walk in His ways, we talk with His grace, we witness with our lives, and we bear the fruit of the Spirit that shows who really lives in us.

We are God’s Temple vs. 16-17

Paul starts with a question in verse 16

The question is “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God”

This question is to both the church at Corinth and the individual believers at Corinth as well

In the Old Testament the Spirit of God was found in the Holy of Holies separated by a veil, but now the Spirit of God indwells every believer.

Romans 8:9 “9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.”

When the Children of Israel were leaving Egypt and were being led in the wilderness God’s presence was found by a pillar of smoke by day and of fire by night.

The second question is “ Know ye not the Spirit of God dwelleth in you”

1 Corinthians 6:19–20 “19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.”

As God’s temple, “the Spirit of God lives in you.” “In believers the very presence of God exists, Just as the LORD resided in the temple under the old covenant and in Israel (Exod. 25:8; 29:45; Lev. 26:11–12; Ps. 114:2), so now God’s Spirit dwells in the new temple, the church of Jesus Christ”

Matthew Henry wrote this “The temple was devoted and consecrated to God and set apart from every common to a holy use, to immediate service of God. So all Christians are separated from common uses, and ser apart for God and His service

If we are God’s temple, then we must do nothing to corrupt or pollute ourselves and disqualify ourselves from service.

Someone said this “We must hearken to no doctrine, nor doctor that would seduce us to any such practice

In verse 17 Paul gives a warning to Corinth

The warning can be summed up as don’t defile the temple

There were false teachers at the church of Corinth who were living lives contrary to what the word of God taught and were teaching doctrines that were contrary to those given by the Lord and passed on through the Apostles and Paul to the churches.

Matthew Henry explains it this way “ Those who spread principles contrary to God’s word would provoke God to destroy them, those who spread such principles that have a direct tendency to effect the church of God and render it unholy and unclean are likely to bring destruction on themselves.

Pastors, evangelists, Sunday school teachers who spread doctrine that is contrary to the word of God have opened themselves up to the judgement of God.

While I was doing research on issues that churches have changed their stance on, I found it amazing how many churches allow things such as homosexual pastors, pro-choice views, believe their is more than one way to heaven.

If the Bible calls something sin, it is sin. We must be careful that we don’t allow the worlds ideals to destroy the temple of God

The problem with some of the leaders of Corinth is they allowed the culture to define the church, while the church should define the culture.

Application for today

As Christians we truly are the temple of God and there are ways we show it

We show it in our walk

Deuteronomy 5:33 “33 Ye shall walk in all the ways which the Lord your God hath commanded you, that ye may live, and that it may be well with you, and that ye may prolong your days in the land which ye shall possess.”

Micah 6:8 “8 He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; And what doth the Lord require of thee, But to do justly, and to love mercy, And to walk humbly with thy God?”

Psalm 86:11 “11 Teach me thy way, O Lord; I will walk in thy truth: Unite my heart to fear thy name.”

1 Thessalonians 2:12 “12 That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory.”

Colossians 1:10 “10 That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;”

Galatians 5:16 “16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.”

We show it in our talk

Colossians 4:6 “6 Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.”

Ephesians 4:29 “29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.”

1 Peter 3:10 “10 For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile:”

We show it in our witness

Matthew 5:16 “16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”

We have the fruit of the Spirit

Galatians 5:22–23 “22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”

Conclusion

You are not just a person walking through life—you are the temple of the living God. The Spirit of God, the very presence of the Almighty, dwells within you. Think about that. The Creator of the universe, the One who made everything by the word of His power, has chosen to make His home in you. What an honor. What a responsibility.

But this also means we must examine how we live. If we are God’s temple, then our lives must reflect that reality. Our walk must align with His Word. Our talk must carry the grace and truth of Christ. Our witness must be a beacon of light in a dark world. We must not defile the temple by allowing sin, compromise, or false doctrine to take root in our hearts or in the church.

The world will try to redefine what is acceptable, but we must stand firm. If God calls something sin, we must call it sin. If God calls us to holiness, we must live in holiness. And just as He called Israel to be separate, He calls us today to be set apart—holy and blameless before Him.

So, let me ask you this: How are you treating the temple? Are you walking worthy of God’s calling? Are you allowing the Spirit to lead you, or are you quenching Him? Are you living in a way that reflects His holiness? Are you guarding your heart and mind, ensuring that nothing defiles the sacred space where the Spirit of God resides?

Let us take seriously the warning in 1 Corinthians 3:17, “If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy.”That’s a serious warning, but it’s not just about external actions—it’s about the condition of the heart. If we keep our hearts pure, aligned with God’s will, we will not only be safe from defilement, but we will also be vessels of honor, used by God to bring glory to His name.

Remember: You are God’s temple. Live like it. Walk in His Spirit, speak with His grace, and shine with His light. The world needs to see the temple of God in you. They need to see the power of the indwelling Spirit, not just in words, but in deeds. So go out this week and live as a reflection of the One who dwells within you.