Saturday, August 27, 2005
1 Timothy 3:15 . . . the house of God, which is the church of the living God . . .
THE TEMPLE OF THE LIVING GOD
Plainly, the Apostle Paul here is not talking about buildings but people. He says we Christians are the very house of God, His dwelling place. Think about that -- and remember the believers young Pastor Timothy served were in Ephesus.
Ephesus was famous throughout the Roman world for its temple to Diana. The original structure (550 BC) was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World and featured 127 columns 60' tall. In its spacious courtyard were bronze statues sculpted by the finest artists of the time.
All this because a strangely-shaped meteorite had once fallen nearby and superstitious pagans had seen in it some faint resemblance to a woman. They built a temple around it, calling it, "Diana of the Ephesians." Here they worshipped their goddess with gold and silver and sexual excess.
So, a lifeless piece of rock was the central glory of Ephesus and an object of worship throughout the Roman world. What a contrast with the temple Paul describes.
We believers are not carved marble, mutely honoring a inert chunk of space debris. We do not serve a powerless, impersonal God. The living LORD of heaven and earth has given us new life in Christ. He dwells in us. He enables us to be "the pillar of the truth" as we each hold up before the people of this confused world the great good news of Jesus Christ: the living God Himself has come down from heaven for our salvation!
