24-0728a - Detailed Summary

Speaker references Ephesians 4:11-13, emphasizing roles within the church to equip believers.

Discusses Jesus as the cornerstone of the church, with Paul’s metaphor of a building representing the growth of the church.

Paul’s exhortation to unity (1 Corinthians 1:10) and avoidance of division, citing Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 12.

Division can destroy the church, so unity and harmony are essential.

Speaker recalls previous teachings on the union between Christ and the church, compared to marriage (Ephesians 5:22-32).

Unio mystica (mystical union) is described as the believer’s unity with Christ in spirit, as explained in 1 Corinthians 6.

Paul teaches that believers' bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, indicating a literal rather than metaphorical union.

Speaker contrasts “team spirit” with the unity described by Paul, clarifying that unity with Christ is deeper and spiritual, not just camaraderie.

Ephesians 2:19-22: Believers are described as being part of a “holy temple” where God dwells by His Spirit.

The speaker explains that believers are united, forming a spiritual dwelling for God.

Believers are reminded that their bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, highlighting the importance of holiness and purity within the individual and the church.

The speaker emphasizes that, while humans are often consumed by physical concerns, our true essence resides in the soul, not the body.

Doug Hamilton, a preacher at the Junction City Church of Christ, explains that the soul encompasses various elements like sexuality, desires, preferences, intentions, knowledge, and memories, with references to Deuteronomy 12:20 and Psalm 63:1 supporting that the soul desires and yearns.

Scriptural references (Psalm 139:14, Lamentations 3:20, Ephesians 3:16) illustrate the soul’s importance, including memory and individuality.

According to scripture, upon physical death, the soul departs from the body with the “spirit of life,” enabling eternal existence, either in salvation or damnation (Genesis 2:7).

In John 2:13-22, Jesus references the “temple of his body,” contrasting it with the physical temple in Jerusalem. The temple Jesus refers to is his body, wherein God resides.

The concept of Jesus’ body as a dwelling for God reflects Paul’s teaching in Colossians 2:9, which states that all the “fullness of the Godhead” lives bodily in Jesus, making his body a spiritual temple.

Paul in Acts 17:24-25 and Stephen in Acts 7:48-50 emphasize that God does not dwell in temples made by human hands, reinforcing the idea that God’s true dwelling places are spiritual.

Through Paul’s writings, the understanding emerges that human bodies, created by God, serve as temples for His spirit, rather than physical buildings.

Quoting from 2 Corinthians 6:16 and various Old Testament passages, the speaker asserts that God’s dwelling is within believers themselves.

Stephen’s martyrdom, witnessed by Paul, further suggests an early understanding in Christian teaching that God’s presence is found within believers rather than in man-made temples.

In 2 Corinthians 5:1-7, the body is described as a temporary “tent” for the soul, contrasting with the “heavenly dwelling” or eternal body believers will receive.

This scriptural metaphor highlights that, while we live in our earthly bodies, we experience a longing for a more permanent, divine form of existence.

The speaker describes how the “tent” of the earthly body serves as a temporary structure where the soul resides, with a heavenly, eternal body prepared by God awaiting believers.

The analogy of the tent reflects both the impermanence of earthly life and the hope for resurrection and transformation.

The body being a temple of God connects to the growth and equipping of the church, not just as a label, but as a significant spiritual truth that affects believers’ lives and purpose.

Concluding with Ephesians 2:19-22, the speaker connects this concept to the collective growth of believers as part of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Jesus as the cornerstone.

The speaker explains that believers collectively form a “holy temple in the Lord,” growing together into a spiritual structure.

This process is described as ongoing, with believers as a “work in progress,” continuously being built into a dwelling place for God through the Spirit.

Jesus has entrusted church leaders with the task of equipping believers (the saints) to perform acts of service and to build up the church.

The goal of this equipping is to bring believers to unity in faith, a deeper knowledge of Jesus, and spiritual maturity, aspiring toward “the fullness of Christ.”

The speaker extends an invitation to anyone who feels called to respond, concluding with an invitation for the congregation to stand and sing.