Ephesians 2:19-22 A Holy Temple

Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.

This passage is taken out of a context to illustrate to the non-jewish Christians that they were equal to Christians from a jewish background. It begins with the concept that all individual Christians are built upon the foundation of Jesus Christ (and the Apostles and prophets) as is consistent with Paul’s message in 1 Corinthians 3:10-11. Paul laid a foundation and a spiritual building is built on that foundation. As people build their lives on the foundation a building arises and that building looks like Jesus Christ because as is stated in Ephesians 4:15 we grow into being the very likeness of Jesus Christ.

Now here’s an interesting thing… these individual buildings are assembled together (the church) to create a Holy Temple. Christian people, then, make up a Holy Temple in which God lives. Remember that in Jewish times a man- made temple was constructed and God lived in an especially sacred part of it. No man could enter in to it except the High Priest of Israel and he could only do it once a year to carry in a blood offering to atone for the sins of the people.

The people had no direct access to God!

With the coming of Jesus Christ we not only have direct access to him but he lives in a Temple that is composed of his people… a living Temple. What a great blessing. Here’s the important thing… live your lives in such a way that God has a beautiful and majestic place to live. He deserves it for all he’s done and continues to do for us.